"The Aldebaran Accident" by DJ Clawson First draft - 5/3/98 Second draft - 8/15/98 Final draft - 9/19/98 Edited by Claudia Carranza Edited by Rygar 12/25/03 SCENE 1 - TOAD HOMEWORLD TOADBORG the cyborg and the AIR MARSHAL stand in front of a large image of their master, KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX Report. TOADBORG The toad scientists have almost completed the satellite rays, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX Excellent. What about the complications with building a large enough model to destroy Genus? AIR MARSHAL They're still working on it. We cannot produce enough power to heat the rays with our current technology. KOMPLEX Then you're going to have to find a better source of power. Have you tried accelerated photons? AIR MARSHAL We can't get them above mark-3, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. We don't have that kind of technology. KOMPLEX Then you need another source of power. TOADBORG Our sensors have picked up incredibly large amounts of energy generating from Sector Five. KOMPLEX What planets are in Sector Five? TOADBORG (sound of processing computer) Just Aldebaran, KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX takes a minute to process this information. KOMPLEX Toadborg, you will go to Sector Five to retrieve raw energy from whatever source is producing it, by whatever means possible. AIR MARSHAL But the Aldebarans will fight back! Those cats hate us! KOMPLEX This isn't your assignment, Air Marshal. It's Toadborg's. (concentrates on the Air Marshal) Bucky O'Hare has an Aldebaran on his crew. I don't want him getting any ideas about saving her planet. Your job will be to keep him from meddling with ours. Now, do you think you can handle that, or should I put Frix and Frax in charge of this mission? AIR MARSHAL Oh, *no*, KOMPLEX. (reassuringly) I can handle it, I promise! KOMPLEX Do not fail me. SCENE 2 - THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION FIRST MATE JENNY sits in her chair, alone in the upper bay. She is focused and concentrating as the jewel on her forehead glows. An image of the Aldebaran QUEEN appears in it. QUEEN Return home at once. JENNY (in her mind) Now? I'll have trouble convincing Bucky of this one. What's the emergency? QUEEN Having so many regenerators in the aniverse has thrown off the temporal alignment. We need a joint align spell, and your presence is required. JENNY (in her mind, resigned) Yes, your Majesty. Jenny terminates the connection. Just then, CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE climbs up the ladder into the bay. BUCKY What's up, Jen? JENNY (in all seriousness) I need to go to Aldebaran, Captain. BUCKY There's trouble on Aldebaran? JENNY Yes, sir. BUCKY Toad-type trouble? JENNY I'm ... not really allowed to go into it. BUCKY (waves it off) I understand. Take the croaker. JENNY (gets up) And I'll need the ship's sensors. BUCKY Take them. Meet us in Sector Two when you're done. (sits down in his seat, watching her go) Good luck. SCENE 3 - ALDEBARAN The toad croaker lands on the launch pad of the Queen's palace, and the Queen rushes out. QUEEN (relieved) At last you're here, Jenny! Now we can begin. JENNY The regens are really causing so much trouble? They begin walking inside, where female cats are everywhere, preparing for the spell. QUEEN Yes. Especially Fritz and his crowd. They teleport in and out of everywhere so fast I'm surprised they don't tear the fabric of the space-time continuum when they get up for breakfast. JENNY Have you tried Chairman Warner? QUEEN (shakes her head) I doubt he would speak to an infidel Aldebaran. JENNY Fritz is not Lopinenean, you know. QUEEN Maybe on the outside. But he wouldn't do anything to upset the Lopinenean political party. JENNY We may have to work with him, your Highness, if these types of things are going to occur all the time like this. QUEEN One step at a time, Jenny. Now come. We begin. She leads Jenny into another room. SCENE 4 - SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH The DuWitt house. Willy enters through the front door, wandering into the kitchen and dropping his backpack on the table. WILLY (calling out) Mom? He picks up a note on the table and adjusts his glasses to read it. WILLY (reading) "Make some yourself some supper before you leave for work tonight. Tofu's in the fridge." (puts down note) Yuck. Leftovers. Willy is about to look through the cabinets when he feels something. It sounds like Jenny's voice, but it's too faint and incomprehensible. Scratching his head, he pulls out his communicator from his pocket. WILLY Jenny? You there? He receives nothing. WILLY (a little worried) That's weird. She always responds. Maybe something's wrong. (resolving) I'd better at least check. Willy rushes upstairs. SCENE 5 - THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Bucky is in engineering, talking to the rest of the crew, when Willy's door appears and he walks through. WILLY (sees nothing is going on) What's going on? Where's Jenny? BUCKY She just left for Aldebaran. Why? WILLY I just -- I thought she was trying to reach me. DEADEYE (shaking head) Ye must'a been mistaken, laddie. BRUISER Yeah. She never wants any of our help for cat stuff. BUCKY (a little harshly) Bruiser! We all have our secrets. Jenny just has ... a lot of them. (reassuringly) She'd call us if she really needed us. Willy, however, remembers otherwise. WILLY Did she say why she left? BUCKY No, but I have a hunch it has something to do with the regens. WILLY What do the regens have to do with the Aldebarans? BUCKY They're like matter and anti-matter. Their ... powers always seem to be clashing. And Lopine as a religion seems to be in dispute with Aldebaran principles. Or something like that. That's all Jenny would tell me. Willy does not look relieved. WILLY I'm sure she was calling me. Or at least calling someone. For help. BUCKY It could have been a mistake. Or you could have misinterpreted it. (heads up the ladder) I wouldn't get worked up about it. Bucky goes up into the upper bay. GUNNER DEADEYE DUCK sees Willy's discomfort and tries to relieve some of it. DEADEYE Relax, matey. No one can take care of 'erself better than ol' Jenny. WILLY It didn't turn out that way last time. DEADEYE Then she'll call ye. WILLY She already did. (still a little disturbed) She took the croaker? DEADEYE Yeah. WILLY Are we docked? DEADEYE Yeah, in Sector Two. They gotta nice dry-dock stand pub here. Ye wanna get somethin' before ye go on duty? WILLY No ... I just need to do something. I'll be back. Willy climbs out the main hatch. Deadeye scratches his beak. BRUISER (from behind) What's up, little buddy? DEADEYE I don't like it, mate. BRUISER What? Jenny leavin', or Willy followin'? DEADEYE Both. SCENE 6 - ALDEBARAN Willy arrives on a shuttle. He looks relieved to find the croaker there but is upset to find the place deserted. WILLY There should be guards here ... Willy enters the palace. A darkened FIGURE comes out from behind one of the potted plants. FIGURE (wielding a blaster) HALT! Or I'll blast you! Willy reacts quickly, grabbing the gun out of the figure's paws. She screeches and leaps at him, and the two roll around on the ground and into the light. WILLY (recognizes her) Felicia?! Felicia is a young gray cat. A little headstrong, she speaks with a high and squeaky voice that has not dropped as much as Willy's since the last time they met. FELICIA Willy? (gets up, embarrassed) I'm sorry, I thought you were an Outsider ... (stops) Waitaminit! You *are* an Outsider! WILLY Don't remind me. (stands) By the way, next time they leave you on guard duty, you might want to take the safety off your blaster. He hands it back to her, and she blushes. FELICIA I'm sorry! You see, we don't typically have guards, but Grandmother wanted to make sure there was no one to interrupt the spell ... (halts in speech, terrified) But you're not supposed to know that! Oh, fiddlesticks! WILLY It's OK. You can tell me. I've never given any of your secrets away, have I? FELICIA (hesitantly) But ... the Queen said no one ... (sighing) But I guess that doesn't matter now. You already came. WILLY Jenny called me. I know she did. FELICIA That's impossible! Master Jenny and the others aren't supposed to communicate with anyone while they're in the spell state. WILLY Then ... maybe it was a mistake. But it sounded like she was having problems reaching me, like she was in pain or something. FELICIA I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check on them, considering they have been in there a while ... Felicia leads Willy into a large room. Inside, the Aldebaran females are assembled in four circular rows of chairs, facing inward. They are all in a trance-like state, with their headband jewels glowing. In the center sits the Queen, in front of a large machine that seems to be generating energy that spreads out to the Aldebarans. Willy, overtaken by curiosity, walks into one of the aisles and runs his hand in front of one of the Aldebarans. He gets no response. Felicia runs in to pull his hand away. FELICIA You can't disturb them without ruining the spell! WILLY Sorry! (pulls his hand back) What are they doing, anyway? FELICIA They're using the power taken from the Dark Heart Nebula to reset the aniverse on its correct alignment. WILLY It was upset by the regens? FELICIA Yep. WILLY Why don't they just complain to Chairman Warner? I'm sure he'd be happy to listen. FELICIA (waves off Willy's question) Regens and Aldebarans have been feuding for eons. We never speak to each other. The regens just do what they want and upset the alignment, and we have to go correcting it. WILLY Well ... how do we know if something goes wrong with the spell? FELICIA (frowns) Nothing should. The Queen said not to pull the plug for any reason. WILLY So what does that leave you do to? FELICIA Guard against intruders. WILLY (sarcastically) You're doing a *great* job of it so far. Felicia laughs nervously. WILLY So ... I suppose I should be going, if everything's in order. FELICIA Well, I ... Felicia is interrupted by the sound of maser fire as the room shakes. WILLY We're under attack! Get down! Chunks of the ceiling fall, barely missing the entranced Aldebarans. Willy pushes Felicia under the chairs, waiting for the blasts to subside. Some of the plaster hits the machine, setting off warning lights. The Aldebarans show no signs of waking up, however, as the attack continues. FELICIA Why isn't the security system kicking in? Who's attacking? WILLY What security system? The machine in the center of the room, disturbed by the blasters, suddenly releases a powerful beam of energy that burns through the ceiling and shoots down the attacking ship. A miniature, unmanned toad double bubble crashes through the ceiling and lands in the aisle. WILLY We're under toad attack! Willy waits, holding Felicia protectively, until the dust settles, the firing seeming to have stopped with the elimination of the toad ship. The only sound after a few moments is that of the warning sirens on the machine in the center of the room, which are still going off. FELICIA (runs up to inspect the machine) Oh my stars! WILLY What is it? FELICIA The generator has been damaged! Willy looks it over, not quite grasping the technology but understanding the machinery. WILLY We have to shut it down. FELICIA We can't! Grandmother said not to! WILLY What happens if we don't and this thing explodes? FELICIA (considers) My sisters and masters will be caught in the trance forever, until their bodies wear down and they die? WILLY Then we don't have a choice! We have to shut it down. Willy picks up an empty chair and goes to smash the machine, but she stops him. FELICIA You have no idea what this thing can do! WILLY That's exactly why I want to stop it! Willy raises the chair and hurls it against the machinery. There is an explosion, knocking Felicia back. Willy, however, is captivated when then wiring begins to glow with power but does not shut down. WILLY Cooooool ... Willy puts his hand out a few feet from the wiring. WILLY (calling out to Felicia) It won't shut down! I think something has to absorb the power ... The glowing energy suddenly jumps from the wires to Willy's hand. He shrieks in pain as it leaps up through his arm and engulfs his body. FELICIA *Willy*! It's too late. With a final gasp, Willy stumbles back and hits the ground as the glow recedes from his body. Felicia's expression reveals her shock. SCENE 7 - ALDEBARAN Later, the Aldebarans are awake and moving about, most holding their heads and groaning. Several of the Sisters glare disdainfully at Willy, then glance questioningly at the Queen. The Queen sits, composed, in a chair next to a bed. In bed is Willy, unconscious and tended by two nurses. A tired, but aware, Jenny stands by his shoulder, and Felicia stands before the Queen, explaining what happened. QUEEN So you came under toad attack ... then what happened? FELICIA The self-defense mechanism turned on and shot down the toad ship, but the generator was already malfunctioning from battle damage. We figured that the only way to get you out of your trance was to shut it down before it exploded. QUEEN So you allowed the Outsider to destroy the generator? FELICIA He would have done it anyway. He was *very* insistent ... JENNY (interrupting) Willy will do what he believes is right. (backs off) Sorry. Continue. FELICIA And he tried to smash the generator, but it wouldn't shut down. He was too close, so the energy ... QUEEN (interrupts) Jumped from the generator to him. FELICIA Yes, Grandmother. QUEEN Mammals are excellent conductors for energy, Felicia. Never forget that. FELICIA But I guess he managed to absorb the energy, because ... JENNY (interrupting again) ... he's still alive. QUEEN (looks at Willy) The shock to his system *should* have killed him. It would have killed any common species of mammal, aside from an Aldebaran. JENNY I've always found Willy to be very ... receptive to receiving telepathic signals. Maybe his species is just very compatible with our sort of energy. QUEEN Do the ... what is he, exactly? JENNY Human. QUEEN Do the ... humans... practice Aldebaran-type magic, or are they regens? JENNY Neither, from what I can tell. My powers are totally alien to Willy. QUEEN It is strange that his species have these abilities but have never developed them. (gets up, glances at Willy, and turns, announcing) I must rest. The Queen abruptly leaves. Felicia, worried, turns to the stoic Jenny. FELICIA Is he going to be all right? JENNY We'll know more when he wakes up. (hears beeping, pulls out her audio comm-link) Yes? BUCKY (over comm) Jenny? What's your status down there? I need my engineer back. JENNY Um ... that's a long story, Buck. BUCKY I don't have time for it now. There's a toad fleet encircling Aldebaran. JENNY That would explain the attack. Any idea what they want? BUCKY You're generating an awful lot of power down there. Maybe they're after all of that energy. JENNY That's a good possibility. BUCKY I want you and Willy back on the ship as soon as possible. JENNY Um ... Captain, that's where the story comes in. BUCKY (worried) What happened to Willy? JENNY He's here ... BUCKY ... but? JENNY Not conscious. (sighs) Why don't you land and I'll explain it to you, Captain? BUCKY (chuckles softly) Give us a sec; we're working on it! Jenny turns off her comm-link and turns to face the Queen. SCENE SHIFTS TO THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION IN SPACE BUCKY (voiceover) Squadrons thirteen through fifteen, hit point three-oh-oh mark six- seven! Six through twelve, go in low and fast. SCENE SHIFTS TO THE RIGHTEOUS STREAKING IN ALONE, WHILE THE TOAD FLEET SCATTERS TOAD #1 (voiceover) Quick! Scatter! The UAC sent in a fleet! Retreat! Retreat! TOAD #2 (voiceover) But Commander! I only show one ship on sensors! TOAD #1 (voiceover, hysterical) They must be cloaked! *Run*! SCENE SHIFTS TO THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION'S UPPER BAY BUCKY (chuckles to himself) Toads are *so* easy to fake out... SCENE SHIFTS TO OF THE RIGHTEOUS ENTERING ALDEBARAN'S ATMOSPHERE WHILE THE TOAD FLEET GATHERS ITSELF SCENE 8 - ALDEBARAN Outside the palace, Bucky stomps around angrily while Jenny and the Queen wait. BUCKY (fuming) Let me get this straight ... first you run off to put your life in danger for a secret mission you won't tell me anything about, then you let my engineer endanger his own life unknowingly by trying to shut down a machine he knew nothing about and you had no one manning, and *then* you refuse to tell me what happened to him because of it? JENNY Captain, if I could tell you, you know I would ... BUCKY I'm so tired of your secrecy policy, Jenny! Now, either I get a straight answer from you about what happened, or I march in there with Bruiser and get the story from Willy myself! JENNY Captain ... Bucky stares her down. JENNY Willy's going to be OK. His body just absorbed all of the energy from the generator, and it's taking time to drain the energy from him. Humans are just such good conductors of Aldebaran powers. BUCKY I want to see him. QUEEN (to Jenny) He shouldn't ... JENNY (glances at the queen out of the corners of her eyes, telepathically to the Queen) (arches a brow, smirking slightly as she looks at the Queen) QUEEN (considers Jenny's sending for a moment, then nods to Bucky) You may see him. Felicia comes running up to them. FELICIA Grandmother! Something's happened to Willy! He's awake and ... She stops when she notices Bucky's presence. JENNY (unfazed) What's wrong? Is it something Bucky can see? FELICIA I ... I don't think that would be a good idea. BUCKY (aggravated) What? JENNY (soothingly) Bucky, I'll tell you as soon as I know. (to Felicia) Take me to him. SCENE 9 - ROOM, ALDEBARAN Willy is standing alone in the room, a few feet from the bed, and several small objects are strewn about. Jenny and Felicia enter. JENNY Now what's the problem ... Jenny is forced to duck as a lamp comes flying straight into her, glowing with magical energy. FELICIA Watch out, Master Jenny! They both duck again as another object comes flying by. Jenny straightens up, watching to see if the coast is clear, to see Willy standing by his bed. His head and his hands are aglow with energy. WILLY (excited) Jenny! Check this out! Willy gestures to a book, which flies off the shelf and hovers next to him. WILLY I'm not sure *how* I'm doing this, but it's *so* cool ... JENNY (alarmed) Willy! Put those things down, *now*! WILLY (laughing, making the book spin) I wish I could, Jenny! FELICIA (to Jenny) He's been like this ever since he woke up. JENNY His body is still intoxicated with energy. He'll just have to wear it out. FELICIA But he doesn't seem to be doing so, Master Jenny. Jenny considers this as the Queen enters. JENNY (to Queen) I think we have a problem, your Majesty. The Queen looks to Jenny expectantly. SCENE 10 - TOAD MOTHERSHIP The Air Marshal and Toadborg face KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX Why have you failed to deliver the energy? TOADBORG The Aldebarans have a defense system, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. We had all but destroyed it when that miserable rodent Bucky O'Hare arrived. KOMPLEX (to Air Marshal) I thought I told *you* to take care of him! AIR MARSHAL (cowering) Oh ... we *will*, sir; it's just that ... KOMPLEX *Silence*! The Air Marshal falls silent. KOMPLEX All you are required to do is keep Bucky O'Hare and his ship away from the planet long enough for Toadborg to drain it of its energy. Is that understood? AIR MARSHAL (saluting) Y-yes, sir. KOMPLEX Good. Report to me when the mission is completed. KOMPLEX's picture fades out. Toadborg turns, obviously aggravated by the Air Marshal. TOADBORG Do not fail me this time. SCENE 11 - THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Bucky and the crew are in the main bay, in orbit of Aldebaran. DEADEYE I don't like it, Cap'n. I don't like to think about what them witches're doin' ta Willy right now ... BUCKY Well, we're just going to have to put up with it until they're willing to give him back. Jenny's watching him. The ship suddenly rocks in distress, setting off the alarms. Deadeye hops into his gunner seat, and Bucky leaps up behind him to see what's going on. BUCKY Toads! Toad double bubbles litter the sky. BRUISER Look at all of 'em! BUCKY KOMPLEX is really pulling out the big guns. (heads to the upper bay ladder) Keep them off Aldebaran, Deadeye! I've got to contact Jenny! DEADEYE (warming up his paws) I'll do me best, Cap'n! SCENE 12 - ALDEBARAN Jenny and the Queen are in one of her chambers. JENNY We can't keep Willy here forever, your Majesty. QUEEN He can't seem to control his powers, can he? And he knows too much. However, he is your friend, so I will not take him from you. JENNY We're trying to drain him, but he's just generating more. QUEEN (thoughtfully) I know of something we may be able to use for a case like this. I was hesitating to use it, but ... The Queen is interrupted by the sounds of a firefight and heavy footfalls outside the door. Jenny opens it to greet a toad stormtrooper. QUEEN (alarmed) Toads! On Aldebaran! Jenny is unfazed. JENNY (to storm trooper) Didn't someone tell you it's polite to knock? Jenny knocks him back with a bolt of energy from her jewel. QUEEN We have to keep them from getting to the generator! Felicia runs in. FELICIA Master Jenny! Grandmother! We're under a toad attack! JENNY We know, Felicia. Guard the Queen. I'm going to protect the generator. SCENE 13 - ALDEBARAN The main room. The generator stands in the center. Several Aldebarans circle around it, trying to fight off the mass of stormtroopers entering through holes in the side walls. JENNY (fighting off a toad) That'll teach you to mess with my planet! Jenny does not see Toadborg's approach. TOADBORG On the contrary ... Toadborg hits Jenny from behind, knocking her into the generator. She hits the ground, landing in an exposed position but still very conscious. TOADBORG At last, I have a chance to find out what you Aldebarans really can do behind all of that magic hocus-pocus. Toadborg touches the generator, activating it. Energy flows from it up his arm, making his controls flash. JENNY Don't! It's too powerful! TOADBORG (removing paw) For what? You to control? Foolish mammal! Toadborg takes aim and fires a bolt of energy at Jenny, knocking her across the room. He is now glowing with energy. WILLY Get away from her! Jenny looks up and notices Willy has entered, seething. His own hands are aglow, like Toadborg's. TOADBORG Intriguing. You hairless baboons are just full of surprises, aren't you? Toadborg, unfazed, takes aim and fires at Willy. Willy ducks behind one of the seats, protected as the seat is destroyed. He stands and fires back at Toadborg, pushing him back against the generator. Toadborg's body against the generator causes another flow of energy, through him. His circuits begin to steam as he is overloaded with energy. Willy comes out of his hiding place, watching Toadborg. WILLY I think I can take him down ... JENNY (getting up) Willy, no! Don't enter the circuit ... It's too late. Willy fires his energy at Toadborg, but the link formed sends the generator's energy right back to him. He is caught in the link as well. JENNY ... or you'll be overloaded with Toadborg. (thinking) Jenny looks around and picks up a chair. JENNY (thinking) She hurls the chair at the generator, thoroughly destroying it. There is an explosion, knocking her back behind the chairs. Toadborg and Willy are freed, but the shock to their systems is overwhelming. They both collapse. Before Jenny can recover from throwing the chair, three STORMTROOPERS enter. STORMTROOPER #1 Toadborg's been hurt! Abort the mission and get him out of here! Jenny looks as if nothing could make her happier and lets them go, dragging their cyborg out. She rushes to Willy's side as he begins to wake up. WILLY (reaching around for his glasses, trying to sit up) Ugh ... what happened? JENNY You overloaded again. You have to learn to control your powers. WILLY (puts his glasses on) I have powers? So I'm an Aldebaran now? Jenny smiles at his obvious levity and excitement over the situation. JENNY Maybe. We'll have to ask the Queen. (remembers) The Queen! WILLY Is she all right? JENNY Yes, but she's going to be upset that we destroyed her generator. WILLY (points out) Twice. Jenny rolls her eyes. SCENE 14 - ALDEBARAN Jenny, Willy, and the Queen are outside the palace, next to where The Righteous Indignation has landed. QUEEN Willy, the Aldebaran Sisterhood has decided to allow you to return to your home, provided you tell no one of what you have seen and experienced here. WILLY (playful, but serious, tracing an 'X' over his heart with a finger, holding his other hand up in a Boy Scout salute) Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye! The Queen produces a metal wire cap and places it on his head. Willy moves it around a bit so it is obscured and hidden by his hair. QUEEN (telepathically, to Jenny) Jenny glances at the Queen, saying nothing but definitely catching the drift. QUEEN (to Willy) This cap will hide your powers. Do not remove it on Aldebaran or in the presence of any Outsider. Jenny glances at the Queen from the corners of her eyes. WILLY Got it. Thanks. Willy climbs up into the Righteous. QUEEN (to Jenny) Good luck, Jenny. JENNY (blinks at the Queen, as if surprised) Huh? QUEEN You're the one who's going to be teaching him. JENNY (surprised) But he's a male! He's not even Aldebaran. Why should he be taught? QUEEN In order to better hide his powers, he must understand them and be able to use them. (eyes narrowing, in seriousness) He is never to set foot on Aldebaran or near any Sister without the cap or the knowledge to properly hide his powers. JENNY (regards the Queen for a moment, then nods) I'll try. Thank you, your Majesty. Jenny enters the Righteous, and it takes off. SCENE 15 - THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Jenny climbs into upper bay, where Bucky is waiting in the captain's seat, looking a little flustered. JENNY (setting into the pilot's chair) I'm sorry, Captain. BUCKY For keeping everything from me? JENNY (apologetically) Yes. How can I make it up to you? BUCKY (sighs resigning) Just don't do it again without warning me first. Set course for Sector Twelve. JENNY Sector Twelve? BUCKY The sector the toads ran off into. I'm up for some toad croaking. Jenny smiles, noticing his change in mood. JENNY Aye-aye, Captain. THE END