Copyright 1999 -- Robert Baer Jr. The Space Rovers -- "Grunt Takes Command -- Part 2" 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, Cactus Jake, Marie, Francis, Calypso, Sheena, Bruno, Molly, Deborah, Dot, Luigi, Sophia, Lao Zi, Su Li, Claudia, Numbia, Derby and Poncho are all Robert Baer Jr's creations, copyright pending, 1999. The Space Rovers -- "Grunt Takes Command -- Part 2" Grunt has taken command of the Canius Minor, the first thing he does is call up more Space Rovers to man the bridge. Lao Zi is now seated at the science station, Cactus Jake takes over the helm controls, Claudia fills in as navigator, Rasputin is now at the weapons console and Lt Bob is sitting at Grunt's side as 'First Mate." GRUNT (angry): GRRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! LAO ZI (looking at monitor): Commander, our sensors cannot find the Mataxian ship, nor it's ion trail GRUNT (turns to Bruno): GRRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!!!! BRUNO (looks at monitor): Sorry, Commander, we couldn't pinpoint the location of Frigle's transmission. LAO ZI (turns to Grunt): Commander, do you have any suggestions? GRUNT (nods, points to view screen): GGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! GROWL!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! GROWL!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! LAO ZI (brightens): It's possible, sir! It would be the logical place for the Mataxians to hide. GRUNT (shouts): GRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!! CLAUDIA (pushes buttons): Aye aye, commander, firing long range probe into the nebula CACTUS JAKE (turns to Grunt): But Commander, that probe won't be able to transmit any data through the nebula! GRUNT (points): GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! CACTUS JAKE (confused): True, we could receive the transmission if WE were in the nebula, but isn't that a little dangerous? BOB (smiles): Don't you get it, Jake? We will follow the probe into the nebula, it will serve as our seeing eye dog so we can explore the nebula safely, right Commander? GRUNT (nods): GRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR CACTUS JAKE (smiles): Course laid in, sir! CLAUDIA (smiles): We're heading into the nebula at half force speed! BRUNO (mumbles): Molly isn't going to like this! (looks at monitor): What did I tell you! Commander, Lt Molly wants to speak with you! GRUNT (smirks): GRRRRRRRRRRR!! BRUNO: On speakers MOLLY (on speakers, angry): Commander! What are we doing crawling through space like this! Bolshoi! GRUNT (sternly): GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! MOLLY (on speakers, surprised): You want me to dump some of our anti-matter waste directly in front of our present position? Are you crazy? GRUNT (angry): GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! MOLLY (on speakers, upset): Yes, Commander, anti-matter dump commencing LAO ZI (looks at monitor): NOW I see what you're doing, sir! The anti-matter burst is not only acting as a booster for our probe reception but has also briefly revealed a faint ion trail, the one that the Untain used to escape! Commander, our probe has found a small asteroid in the center of the nebula, and that faint ion trail leads right to it! Absolutely brilliant, sir! MOLLY (on speaker): That's amazing! Why didn't I think of that? GRUNT (turns to Claudia): GRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!! CLAUDIA (pushes buttons): Aye aye, commander! We're following the trail LAO ZI (turns to Grunt): Since we are in the nebula, our force fields won't work, neither will our visual receptors. GRUNT (smiles): GRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOB (happy): That's right, Grunt! Their's won't work either! That's why we launched the probe! We can at least 'see' where we're going with it! LAO ZI (sternly): Commander, we just lost the probe's signal! It just stopped sending data.... GRUNT (shouts): GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! GROWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CLAUDIA (pushes buttons): Aye aye, Commander, we're at full stop! CACTUS JAKE (confused): Grunt, why did we stop? GRUNT (sternly): GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! LAO ZI (looks at monitor): A logical conclusion, Commander, it appears that the probe did crash into the asteroid. If we had proceeded forward, we would've collided with it also. BOB (turns to Lao Zi): Since we can't really see what's ahead of us, can you display a simulation of our present location on the front viewer? LAO ZI (pushes buttons): On front viewer now, Lt Bob! GRUNT (points): GRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!!!! BOB (surprised): Commander, we are very close to the asteroid! LAO ZI (looks at monitor): Before it crashed, our probe gave us some detailed information on the asteroid. It appears to have a series of man-made caverns and corridors in it. It also has several entrance doors, all of which are shut at the moment. GRUNT (sternly): GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR? LAO ZI (shakes head): No sir, the metal comprising the asteroid is too thick! Even our phasers wouldn't cut through it. GRUNT (stands up): GRRRRRRRRRRRRR GROWL!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRR BOB (stands up): You all heard the Commander, report to the briefing room, Grunt has a plan! Meanwhile, within the caverns of the asteroid, Persia, Alexander, Boomer, Saundra and Whitey are still in shackles and still drugged. Comazar Frigle approaches them. FRIGLE (laughing): Well, it appears that your Commander Grunt may not be as dumb as we thought! One of your ship's probes has crashed into this asteroid, they'll no doubt attempt a rescue, and when they do, we'll have even more test subjects! PERSIA (angry, weary): You can't do this.... they are my crew..... my responsibility...... FRIGLE (smiles): A noble attitude, Captain Persia, but nobility means nothing to dog creatures like yourselves. In fact, I think we'll use you as our first test subject! Guards, take her to labratory C, prepare her for the vacuum chamber! ALEXANDER (growls): Let her GO!! I'm an old man, take me instead! FRIGLE (laughs): So, the mighty Alexander wishes to take his captain's place! How touching! BOOMER (growls):: This is madness! FRIGLE (sarcasticly): Oh don't worry, Commander, we have plans for you and your new wife! Ever heard of cross-breeding? Let's just hope that Saundra here is fertile! WHITEY (drowsy): You.......animal! FRIGLE (angry): YOU'RE THE ANIMALS!!!! That's why all of you have been drugged, so you can't concentrate and use your special abilities to escape! Enough talk, bring Persia to the lab! The other Space Rovers struggle, but are too weakened by the drugs to get loose. Persia is almost passed out as she is dragged down the hallway towards the labratory. Meanwhile, an alarm sounds, Comazar Frigle runs to a monitor located further down the hallway. FRIGLE (angry): Well, it looks like we have visitors! A shuttlecraft has landed on the surface! Let's use our matter transporter and bring them here! In a matter of seconds, two familiar looking Space Rovers instantly appear in front of the capitives. It's Cactus Jake and Molly. FRIGLE (laughs): This is a rescue party? A yellow canine in a cowboy hat and a female Russian wolfhound? Soldiers, take their weapons and shackle them! Immediately Molly is placed in shackles. Cactus Jake struggles with the guards, growling and jumping up and down. This gives Molly the chance to 'pass through' her shackles and escape down the hallway towards the control room. FRIGLE (shouts, points): STOP HER!! SHOOT HER!!! The soldiers fire laser blasts at Molly, which pass through her body as she passes through the control room door. Cactus Jake uses his ice vision to freeze two soldiers before he runs down the hallway, his hat falls off his head as he flees. The remaining soldiers follow Jake, who has been let into the control room by Molly. The soldiers pound and fire laser blasts at the door trying to get in. Meanwhile, what looks like a bug jumps off of Jake's hat, it's Poncho, who restores himself to normal size. Jake's hat transforms into it's true form, Cadet Numbia. Together, the two unshackle the other Space Rovers. PONCHO (looks down another hallway): We have freed them, but they must be really drugged out, Numbia! NUMBIA (turns to Poncho): Let's get them hid, and hope that Cactus Jake and Molly can complete their part of this mission! ALEXANDER (dreamily, shouting): You have to save Persia! They've taken her to labratory C! NUMBIA (smiles): We're on it, first we better hide you guys until the drugs in your system wear off. Numbia and Poncho lead Alexander, Boomer, Saundra and Whitey into an empty room. Numbia transforms herself into a female Mataxian scientist, Poncho shrinks himself and Numbia puts him into her frock coat pocket. Numbia walks calmly into Labratory C and sees Persia in a huge glass chamber. There are three male Mataxian scientists in the room, all working at strange looking computer desks. ONE OF THE SCIENTISTS: Ready to begin procedure, create the vacuum effect! ANOTHER SCIENTIST: This is a bloodless way of killing a test animal! Then we'll all disect her! THIRD SCIENTIST: The knowledge we'll gain by examining her brain and other organs will be invaluable to us! FIRST SCIENTIST (pointing at Numbia): You there! Who are you? I don't recognize you? NUMBIA (smiling): I was just assigned here, and I think you three guys are extremely attractive! (slowly opens her frock coat) Maybe you guys can take a break and have a little fun with me! That gets the three scientist's attention, all three stand up and slowly walk towards Numbia. She slowly removes her frock coat and gently lays it on the floor. While the three Mataxian scientists slowly walk towards Numbia, they don't notice when Poncho crawls out of her coat pocket, restores himself to full size, and jumps behind a computer console and proceeds to free Persia from her holding chamber. The three scientists 'corner' Numbia, and as all three of them reach out to touch her, she instantly transforms herself into a huge grizzley bear and smacks all three of them with her huge bear paws, knocking them unconscience. NUMBIA (growls): And they call US animals! Serves them right! PONCHO (pushes more buttons): Numbia, get ready to catch Persia when I open the vacuum chamber. She's passed out and will be unable to stand. Poncho quickly activates the unlocking mechanism on the chamber door, it opens and Persia falls out into Numbia's huge grizzley bear arms. Meanwhile, in the control room, Cactus Jake continues to use his heat vision to solder the metal door shut as Molly is seated at a computer console, trying to figure out the controls. CACTUS JAKE (shouts): Molly, you gotta find that matter transport control soon! I can't hold them off much longer! MOLLY (angry): Bolshoi! I will find it soon! We must get our comrades here... wait, I found it, locking onto the Canius Minor now! CACTUS JAKE (continues to fire laser beams at door): Hurry, can you hear the soldiers pounding at this door? MOLLY (growls): Got it! I'm activating the matter transporter now! Instantly, a bright flash of light appears behind the soldiers and five figures emerge from the shadows. It's Grunt, Rasputin, Orchid, Su Li and Sheena. GRUNT (angry): GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! RASPUTIN (shouts): You heard Grunt, attack just like we planned! Sheena uses her levitation powers to make all of the soldier's guns point upwards, in the confusion, Rasputin, Orchid and Su Li pounce on them and fights them all hand to hand with their superior martial arts abilities. Grunt sniffs the air and follows the trail leading to Labraotry C. When he smashes down the door, the sight he sees horrifies him. Persia is still out cold, in Numbia's arms. When he sees her, he howls loudly and runs back out into the hallway. He spots Comazar Frigle, who is attempting to escape through a secret panel. Grunt catches up to him and pulls him out of the secret passage and throws him up against the wall. Grunt has 'lost it', his eyes are glowing, his growl is so loud that it echoes up and down the hallway, he is so outraged that he is shaking in full anger. As Grunt reaches back to punch the Comazar in the face, he hears a faint voice in his head. He shakes his head, holds his fist back and as he readies to swing, he hears the voice again. It sounds like Persia, and it's telling him to stop. Grunt turns around and looks down the hallway, and sees Sheena and Cactus Jake, who are holding Persia up between them. She is weak, but looks up at Grunt and faintly smiles. Grunt is so happy to see her alive that he drops the Comazar to the floor and runs towards her. GRUNT (excited, stuttering): Per......Per..........Per..sia!!!!! PERSIA (telepathically to Grunt): I'm weak, my friend, but I'll be fine. Well done, Commander! GRUNT (excited, stuttering): PER..SIA!!!!! SHEENA (shouts down the hallway): We need to get the Captain and the others to sick bay immediately! Molly, can you use that matter transporter to get us back aboard the Canius Minor? MOLLY (shouts): Da! I'm getting a lock on you know! Get Persia and the other officers to stand together, I can get you all over there in one shake of a lamb's jiffy! Sheena stands together with Persia, Alexander, Boomer, Saundra and Whitey and are instantly transported back to the ship. Grunt and the remaining Space Rovers tie all of the Mataxians up. The scene switches back to the Canius Minor, five hours later. Commander Grunt is still in the captain's chair, and makes a log entry with the help of a universal translator. GRUNT (into mic, growling but translated): Commander's log, supplemental. It has been five hours since we rescued the captain and the other officers from the Mataxians. We have all of them, including Comazar Frigle, in our brig. The Captain and the others are recovering in sick bay, Doctor Abdullah says that they'll be back to active duty in a few hours. It seems that the Mataxians, like some of the crew of this ship, thought I was too uncivilized, too wild to lead this vessel, but I've showed them all that I'm not just an ordinary brainless Cano-Mutant. I've instructed Molly to salvage as much of their technology as we can before we leave the nebula, I think between Molly, Bob, Flash and Daisy, we can put their matter transporter systems to good use aboard our ship! Now I'm returning to sick bay to look in on the Captain and the others, end entry. (turns translator off): GRRRRRRRRR!! GROWL!!!!! BRUNO (smiles): Aye, aye Commander! I'll call you if anything new develops! Grunt enters the elevator as Bruno takes his place in the captain's chair. CACTUS JAKE (smiles): Looks like we're in good hands with Grunt on duty! -------------------------------------------------------------------------