Copyright 1999 -- Robert Baer Jr DISCLAIMER Road Rovers characters, names, situations and the Road Rovers universe are the property of Warner Bros. I, nor this script/story are connected with Warner Bros. in any way, shape or form. This document may not be publicized or reproduced in any way, shape or form. It must remain fully intact and may not be altered in anyway. It is strictly used for not-for-profit entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. This story is written by Robert Baer Jr and the characters Fydo, Boomer, Rasputin, Saundra, Alexander, Grunt, Daisy, Abdullah, Bob, Jake, Marie, Francis, Calypso, Sheena, Bruno, Molly, Deborah, Dreadnaught, Orchid, Dot, Hans and Flash are all Robert Baer Jr's creations, copyright pending, 1999. The Space Rovers -- "The Mystery" The scene opens with Captain Persia in her office, recording another log entry... PERSIA (into mic) Captain's log, entry 612. After our brief visit to Earth, we have returned to deep space for more exploration and star charting. When I first accepted this command, I had many doubts about whether this group of young cadets could become a functioning unit, but our visit to earth proved to me that this crew is united as well as loyal. Cadet Rasputin has been a model crewman lately, and so has Cadet Deborah! There's been some lingering crew resentment towards Cadet Dot for her "near defection" during the fight, but in time this will pass. Chief Engineer Molly tells me the new Barium reactor is working at peak efficency, if only she could get along with Flash and Daisy as well as she gets along with her warp engines! Oh well, Ensign Jake has returned to active duty. His frostbite got better days ago, but before we left Earth, Colleen slapped the daylights out of him for impersonating Hunter and letting her kiss him! I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of her boot! Back to ship's business, there has been a rash of mysterious thefts aboard lately. According to Daisy, there has been some unauthorized use of the ship's food preparation machines. Various small items have been reported missing by other members of the crew. Even with my mind reading abilities, I can't determine who the guilty party is. Security Chief Grunt has no leads, either. I thought after all this crew has been through together that this sort of thing could never happen on the Canius Minor..... ALEXANDER (on speaker): Alexander to Captain Persia... PERSIA (in mic): Persia here, what's up, old man? ALEXANDER (on speaker) Captain, Abdullah has reported that there's been another theft, this time a computer console from the Medical Unit. PERSIA (in mic) This is ridiculous! Is Grunt at sick bay now? ALEXANDER (on speaker) No, Captain, he's off duty right now. PERSIA (in mic) I'll be there shortly, Persia out! The scene shifts to the exercise room, where many of the Space Rovers are working out. Grunt and Bob are busy wrestling each other, while Rasputin and Orchid are having their own personal karate fight. Sheena, Deborah and Marie are working out on exercise bikes. GRUNT (holding Bob in a headlock) : GRRRRRRRRRRRRR Growl!! GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!! BOB (reversing the hold): I agree, Grunt! I'm the only one on this ship that's your size! BRUNO (on speaker) Lt Grunt, please report to sick bay! Captain Persia is waiting for you there! GRUNT (releasing Bob): GRRRRRRRRRR Growl! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR BOB (smiling): Yes, duty calls, my friend! Let's do this again sometime! On the other side of the room, Rasputin and Orchid continue their "battle" ORCHID (blocking a punch) Tell me, Rassy, do you think you could've beaten Colleen? RASPUTIN (swinging a kick near Orchid's head): I don't know, we seemed to be very evenly matched.... ORCHID (ducking and throwing a counterpunch): You are quite good, but Colleen was your teacher! I don't think you would've beaten her! RASPUTIN (blocking the punch): Well, I would've given her a good fight, that's for sure! BRUNO (on speakers): Cadets Rasputin and Orchid, please report to sick bay! Security alert! All security personnel report for duty! ORCHID (looking at Rasputin): Well, looks like this battle ends here, doesn't it? RASPUTIN (picking up a towel): There must've been another theft, we better hurry! Upon hearing Bruno on the speaker, Deborah gets up off her exercise bike and begins to leave. SHEENA (loudly) Deborah! Where are you going? DEBORAH (looking dumbfounded): Oh yeah, that's right! I'm not in Security anymore! MARIE: We we! Come back and finish your workout, yes? DEBORAH (returning to her bike) : Sorry gals, got carried away! SHEENA (giggling): Speaking of getting carried away, Debbie, how are you and Hans getting along? DEBORAH (smiling shyly): Well, he and I had a long talk the other night..... MARIE (smiling) And...... DEBORAH (giggling): And? SHEENA (smiling) C'mon Debbie, tell us already! DEBORAH (blushing): Well, he told me that he was in love with me! SHEENA (happy): I KNEW IT!!!! I knew you two were an item the minute you first noticed each other on Graum! MARIE (concerned): But Deborah, did you tell him how YOU feel? DEBORAH (blushing): Well..... I stuttered a little, but yes, I did tell him that I loved him too! SHEENA: I'm so happy for both of you, do ya think you'll marry him? DEBORAH (smiling) Well......... MARIE (laughing) Well, what? BRUNO (on speaker) Cadet Deborah and Dr Sheena, please report to sick bay! DEBORAH (smiling): Well, time for me to go! SHEENA (gigggling) NO FAIR!! Tell us the answer! DEBORAH (grabbing a towel): Sorry, gotta go! MARIE (giggling): I think I know THAT answer already! (Marie starts humming 'here comes the bride') The scene shifts to sick bay, Dr Abdullah, Persia and Grunt are examining the table where the missing console once sat. Rasputin and Orchid enter the room followed closely by Sheena and Deborah. PERSIA (standing up and turning towards them) There's been another robbery, this time it's a computer console ... DEBORAH (surprised, pointing toward the table): HEY! THEY TOOK MY COMPUTER THIS TIME!!!! SHEENA: Yes, Cadet Deborah was using it to study blood samples. DEBORAH (sadly) Yes, I was running another DNA scan on Ensign Bob's blood! The full scan was supposed to run all night and be finished this morning, now since someone pulled the plug on it ..... RASPUTIN: Any clues, Grunt? Grunt shakes his head "no" while Orchid begins sniffing around the floor. ORCHID: This is strange, no scent to follow! Whoever is doing this knows how to cover their tracks well! DEBORAH: (sadly): I worked all day on that analysis, and now it's gone! PERSIA (brightens): That's it! Whoever took that console will have to interface with our central computer sooner or later, and when they do.... RASPUTIN (smiling) we'll know because of it's entry ID code, right Captain? PERSIA (on wrist communicator): Whitey, this is Persia, are you there? WHITEY (on speaker): Yes, Captain,. I'm at the Science Station on the bridge PERSIA (in mic): Whitey, quickly, run a complete system scan, look for entry code IE237P. DEBORAH (surprised): How did you know .... oh yeah, you read my mind, didn't you? WHITEY (on speaker): Captain, that code briefly appeared on an auxiliary port connection.... it was on for only 10.5 seconds... PERSIA (in mic) Where did it originate? WHITEY (on speaker) Persia, it came from Cadet Dot's quarters! PERSIA: Alright, everyone, let's go there, NOW!!!! Persia, Grunt, Rasputin, Orchid, Sheena and Deborah run to Dot's quarters, Grunt uses his security override to open the door. Cadet Dot had just stepped out of the shower, and was wearing only a bathrobe. DOT (shocked): WHAT'S GOING ON! HOW DARE YOU WALK IN ON ME LIKE THIS! PERSIA: Cadet Dot, we have reason to believe that there is a stolen computer console in your room. DOT (angry): Go ahead, look around! There's nothing stolen here! RASPUTIN (pointing under the bed) except for that! Sheena and Deborah lift up the bedspread and expose part of a computer console that had been hastily shoved under the bed. DEBORAH (shouting): That's MY console! Look, it has my decals on the screen! DOT (scared) Look Captain, I honestly don't know how that got there! I'm not a thief, you gotta believe me! Captain Persia quickly looks around, and then uses her telepathic abilities to talk to everyone in the room PERSIA (telepathically to the others): Everyone, listen to me. Dot, I know that you're innocent, I read your mind. But I have a plan, play along with me, OK? Follow my lead, the thief maybe watching us now, so let's all make this look convincing! PERSIA (outloud): Cadet Dot, you have been found with the stolen merchandise in your possession, I have no other choice but to place you under arrest! DOT (screaming) NO!!! I DIDN'T DO IT!!!! PERSIA: Lt Grunt, take her to the brig! Deborah, take your console back to sick bay, the rest of you come with me! Grunt quickly puts handcuffs on Dot, who fights and struggles violently, she screams out as she is led down the hallway. PERSIA (telepathically to Dot and Grunt) Cadet Dot, don't 'ham it up' too much! Grunt, make it look convincing! As Grunt takes Dot to the elavator, Rasputin, Sheena and Orchid follow Persia into a nearby meeting room and shut the door behind them. PERSIA (whispering) Now, this is my plan to catch the REAL culprit...... The scene shifts to Dot's quarters, two hours later. A mysterious figure clad in black and wearing a mask opens an air vent from the inside and slowly sneaks down to the floor. The intruder begins searching through Dot's closet, but can't find what they're looking for. All of a sudden, Francis, who had been hiding in the room invisible, makes himself visible and startles the "stranger.' FRANCIS (shouting, and drawing a laser pistol) HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! The masked figure quickly kicks the pistol out of Francis's hand and knocks him out with another quick kick. Molly and Bruno (who were hiding in the next room) passed through the wall, Molly surprised the intruder by removing his mask! MOLLY (shocked): YOU? HOW DID YOU GET HERE? Before Bruno could grab him, the mysterious figure dropped a canister of knock-out gas on the floor. As Molly and Bruno fell to the floor, the stranger quickly places a gas mask on his face and goes back out through the air vent. Just before she passes out, Molly manages to press the signal button on her wrist communicator. Persia, Grunt, Raspitun and Orchid run into the room, but too late to catch the intruder. PERSIA (shouting) Orchid! Call for Dr Abdullah! Rasputin, follow the intruder through the air vent! Grunt, you're with me! Listen closely and see if we can't hear the stranger's movements through the air shafts! Rasputin quickly squirms into the shaft, Persia and Grunt follow some noises they hear above them. After pursuing the noises for a half hour, they discover the 'noise' that they were following was Rasputin! Meanwhile, in another part of the ship, Saundra and Boomer are coming off duty and standing in front of Saundra's quarters. BOOMER: (yawning): Well, another double shift completed! I'll see you at breakfast, darling? SAUNDRA (pushing in her entry code on the panel): Of course, my love! Goodnight! Saundra and Boomer kiss goodnight and go their separate ways. As the door slides shut behind her, Saundra begins to undress, but notices a shadowy figure standing in front of her chest of drawers. The room is dimly lit, so she can't see who this person is. SAUNDRA (walking backward towards the door) WHO'S THERE? WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM? THE INTRUDER: Go ahead, finish getting ready for bed, I don't mind! I've watched you do it before a lot of times! SAUNDRA (screaming): DREADNAUGHT!!! GET OUT OF MY ROOM NOW!!! DREADNAUGHT (smiling): Now, Saundra, is that any way to talk to your husband? SAUNDRA (pushing buttons on the door panel): YOU'RE NOT MY HUSBAND ANYMORE! WE'RE DIVORCED! YOU SHORTED OUT THIS PANEL, DIDN'T YOU? DREADNAUGHT (grinning): Yes, my dear, we need not be disturbed tonight! You see, I took the liberty of disabling not only the door, but the sensors. the emergency alarm, the communications panel as well as the lights! I even had time to add a sound absorbing device! Even if you scream your pretty little head off, no one will hear you! SAUNDRA: (angry) WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT? DREADNAUGHT: (calmly) It's quite simple,. actually! I know that you really, really LOVE me, but we've been away from each other so long, you seem to have lost your 'feelings' towards me. I just know after you and I finish making love tonight, you'll change your mind and love me again! SAUNDRA (grabs a picture off the wall) STAY AWAY FROM ME!! I'LL NEVER LOVE YOU AGAIN!!! I'M IN LOVE WITH BOOMER NOW! DREADNAUGHT (giggling) My dear Saundra, always the kidder! You couldn't possibly love that skinny, gray race dog, could you? I'm much more handsome and muscular than he is. SAUNDRA (throws picture at him): LEAVE ME ALONE, I DON'T LOVE YOU! GET OUT OF MY ROOM! DREADNAUGHT (slowly walking closer to Saundra): Now, we can do this the easy way, or we'll do it the HARD WAY!!! Persia and Grunt continue running down the hallway, and run past Saudra's quarters. Persia stops for a moment, and then turns towards her door. PERSIA (Shouting at Grunt) GRUNT!! GET OVER HERE!!! I CAN SENSE THAT THE INTRUDER'S IN SAUNDRA'S ROOM! GRUNT (trying to enter an override code in the door panel) GRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR PERSIA (frantic) We need to get in there, NOW!!! Grunt throws his body at Saundra's door and busts it open. Persia jumps through the bent metal opening and sees Saundra standing up, growling with a look of fire in her eyes. PERSIA (looking in all directions) Saundra, where's the intruder? Saundra nervously points upward. Stuck to the ceiling is Dreadnaught, being held there by Saundra's levetation powers. DREADNAUGHT (scared) Oh PLEASE get me down from here! I'm scared of heights! PLEASE?????? PERSIA (looking at Saundra): Ok, let him down. Saundra still stands there, growling and trembling. PERSIA (calmly) Saundra, that's an order, let him down now, please? Saundra turns her face to the wall as she 'lets' Dreadnaught fall to the floor. As he struggles to stand up, Grunt grabs his arms and puts them behind his back. PERSIA (sadly) Saiundra.... did he ..... SAUNDRA (crying) No! I planted him on the ceiling before he could take advantage of me! DREADNAUGHT (pleading): I'm SO glad you're here! That women tried to seduce me! She stuck me up there because I said NO to her, and.... As Dreadnaght was yet speaking, Persia turns and looks at him eye to eye, and growls so fiercely that it even scares Grunt. PERSIA (fuming): YOU! YOU SNEAK ABOUT MY SHIP AND TRY TO FORCE YOURSELF ON A FEMALE MEMBER OF MY CREW! IF I HAD MY WAY, I'D THROW YOU OUT OF THE NEAREST AIRLOCK!!! DREADNAUGHT (smiling): But you can't do that, Captain! You're too much of a goodie-two shoes to do anything to me! HA HA HA! PERSIA (furious) LAUGH THIS OFF, TWERPENSTEIN! She quickly kicks Dreadnaught between his legs with all of her might. He falls to the floor in a heap, cringing and moaning. Boomer runs into the room at lightning speed and embraces Saundra. Through her tears, she tells him the entire story. BOOMER (angry) Where is HE? I'll beat the living daylights out of him! SAUNDRA (grinning) Looks like the Captain beat you to it! PERSIA (shouting) GRUNT! GET THAT SORRY PIECE OF DOG FLESH OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!!!!!!!!! Grunt grabs Dreadnaught and drags him out of the room and down the hallway. Alexander, Whitey, Cactus Jake and Sheena enter the room. ALEXANDER: We all heard the commotion, is everything alright here? PERSIA (still angry): The 'disturbance' has just been removed! ALEXANDER (calmly): Persia, calm down and tell me what happened. Persia is so upset she's speechless. Instinctively, Alexander walks over and hugs her. PERSIA (crying): Old man, I read Dreadnaught's mind, how could a Road Rover ever have such evil thoughts..... SHEENA (tapping Saundra on the shoulder): Saundra, will you be alright? SAUNDRA (crying): Yes, but will you please stay here with me? SHEENA (smiling) Of course I will, Sandy! BOOMER (still hugging Saundra): And I'll always be here for you, my love! WHITEY: I believe that perhaps the rest of us should be leaving now JAKE: Sounds like a winner, saddlepal! WHITEY: Ensign Jake, I am NOT a saddlepal! JAKE: (smiling) Ok, Whitey, have it your way! A hour later, Capain Persia is in her quarters, continuing her log entry. PERSIA (into mic): Captain's log, supplemental. Dreadnaught has been arrested and placed in the brig, although if regulations would allow it, I'd let Grunt use him as his new chew toy for what he tried to do to Saundra! As for Saundra, Dr Sheena assures me that she'll be back on duty in a few solar days..... There's a loud knock on Persia's door, it's Grunt. The Captain lets him in and he sits down. PERSIA: Grunt, you look troubled, what's the matter? GRUNT: GRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR PERSIA (shocked) You're resigning? Why? GRUNT: GRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRR PERSIA (smiling): Lt Grunt, you are NOT a failure! Dreadnaught knew how to bypass our security devices because he studied the ship's diagrams back at Road Rover Headquarters. All of us didn't know he was on board, not even ME! GRUNT: GRRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRR PERSIA (putting her hand on his shoulder): Grunt, you are a valued member of this crew. I, nor anyone else here blames you for what happened today. Do you understand me? GRUNT: GRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR PERSIA (smiling) Glad you're seeing things my way! Now, return to your duties, Grunt, and that's an order! GRUNT (smiling): GRRRRRRRRR PERSIA (smiling): You're welcome! Persia continues her log entry. PERSIA (into mic): This incident has made me aware of one very important fact. Although we Space Rovers face danger and uncertainty almost on a daily basis, sometimes the hardest mysteries to deal with are the ones right under our noses. End entry. ----------------------------------------------------------------------