Aeolus: Aeolia.Aeolus comes into view. He is a giant of a man and is sitting on a floating chair which he uses to move around.
You ought to be happy, today is your birthday. I've prepared a special present for you, watch.Aeolus pushes some buttons on the control panel in his chair. We see the Odyssey.
You see, what a perfect birthday present for my daughter. Aeolia: Father, please don't. I don't want to watch your cruel games, you know I don't like them.Aeolia shakes her head and closes her eyes.
No, I won't look.The camera zooms in on the Odyssey and we see two figures travelling down a corridor. As the camera cuts to inside the Odyssey we see that the figures are that of Telemachus and No-No. Telemachus is flying on a buggy and No-No is clinging to a rope attached to the back of the buggy.
Telemachus: Let's go! Come on - faster! No-No: Oohh. Telemachus: Come on, No-No, hang on. No-No: Wheee! Telemachus: Still there? No-No: Wheee! Telemachus: Hey, hang on there, No-No. No-No: Yes, yes. Telemachus: Whoo!Yumi appears at the top of a balcony and calls out.
Yumi: Hi, No-No. No-No: Hi, Yumi.No-No looks up and waves to Yumi. As he looks up he flies straight into a pillar. Telemachus gets off his buggy and runs to No-No.
Telemachus: No-No, wake up. Speak to me. Yumi: Poor No-No.Telemachus revives No-No by raising and lowering the plunger on No-No's head a couple of times.
No-No: That was quite an experience.The Odyssey starts to shake and sparks fly from the computers behind them. They are thrown against a wall.
Ulysses is on the bridge of the Odyssey. A planet looms in the Odyssey's flight path.
Ulysses: Sherka, activate all circuits to re-establish gravitation. Sherka: Cyclonic disturbances forming, Ulysses. Gravitational circuits out of control. Ulysses: Sherka, quickly. Manual control as fast as you can.A joystick moves forward and Ulysses grasps hold of it. Telemachus, Yumi and No-No run to the bridge.
Telemachus: Great galaxies, what's that?The planet turns out to be a large metal sphere.
Sherka: A metallic electrical grounding reinforced with bronze rings.Ulysses presses some buttons on the control panel and the Iris opens. The Odyssey tries to pull away from the sphere but cannot.
Ulysses: Ship's controls aren't working! We can't stop. Sherka: Anti-attraction force fifteen, a power of seven; attraction force seventy-three, power infinite. Ulysses: Incredible!Ulysses now notices the metal blades, criss-crossing each other. He realises that the Odyssey is heading for them and may well be destroyed. He fires the thrusters again but to no avail. The Odyssey continues to fly towards the blades. Part of the Odyssey falls away and into the blades. It is cut to pieces. Ulysses's eyes narrow as the Odyssey reaches the blades. The blades stop cutting and allow the Odyssey through. Once the ship has cleared the blades they start cutting again.
Ulysses: We made it!A jelly-like substance envelopes the Odyssey, preventing it from moving. Aeolus and his guests look on as the Odyssey is held in place.
Aeolia: Don't go on, father. Won't you stop? No-one can beat you - you're much too powerful. Aeolus: Uhh. Mother: Aeolia, you can't mean what you're saying. We can't stop in mid-game. Courtier: Mother is right, we can't stop now. We would insult our guests.The other courtiers nod in agreement.
Aeolus: Aeolia, stop complaining. I am the only one who decides. Now let the games begin. Hahaha.Aeolus pushes some buttons on a control box lying on his chest.
Thank you for honouring my little daughter, Aeolia, with your presence here.Ulysses, Telemachus, Yumi and No-No are lowered into view. Each of them is held inside a spherical metal cage.
And now a special surprise.Aeolia cries. Aeolus turns to Aeolia.
Look all this is in your honour. Ulysses: What is this place and who are you? What are you going to do with us? Aeolus: You don't recognise me? Aeolus, I am King of the Winds and Master of Cosmic Currents. This is my family and these are my honoured guests.The Master of Ceremonies appears and introduces the Winds. He speaks into a small cylindrical device. His voice is synthesised. The camera pans to each Wind as it is introduced. None of them has a face - there is a wind blowing out of where the face should be.
MC: Aureous, the North Wind. MC: Lotis, the South Wind. MC: Zephyrus, the West Wind. MC: Uris, the East Wind. Aeolus: You should be happy to provide our entertainment before you disappear, but we won't go into that right now. Ulysses: What do you mean by that? Aeolus: Hahaha... I think you know very well. Telemachus: My father is Ulysses! He's more powerful that you are... Ulysses: ...Telemachus! Aeolus: Oh... Ulysses? Ulysses! From Earth. That Ulysses indeed.Aeolus's eyes narrow as he recalls who Ulysses is.
Telemachus: Yes, that's right! Aeolus: Well, what a pleasant surprise this is, my, my, my. It appears we managed to capture quite a prize in this Ulysses.The guests gasp.
Guests: Oh... It's Ulysses... Aeolus: Ulysses, the plaything of the gods! Hahaha. That will be good. He will provide entertainment fit for a princess's birthday. Hahahaha. Guests: Ulysses, the plaything of the gods. Aeolus: Ulysses, I'm generous. I'm willing to help you with your present problem. Aeolia: Please! Won't you please stop? Whose birthday is it? Give them a chance to get away, please father? Aeolus: Precisely what I intend doing, my daughter.Aeolus pushes some buttons on the control panel on his chest. The balls holding Telemachus, Yumi and No-No fall towards the floor and as they do the floor opens and they fall through. The hole in the floor closes behind them.
Telemachus: Father, no! Ulysses: Aeolus, spare the children at least!Ulysses is lowered to the floor.
Aeolus, are you a monarch or a monster? Aeolus: If you win the game you can save them.Ulysses's eyes open wide as just in front of him door appears out of nothing.
I own a magic treasure chest, it could help you to return to Earth.The door opens and a strong wind blows into the doors.
But on no account must you open it or it will lose its power, and what's inside is highly dangerous. Find the treasure chest and it's yours. I wish you luck. Ulysses: And you promise if I do you'll let us go back to Earth. Aeolus: Yes, I promise.Aeolus pushes another button on his chest. The ball holding Ulysses gently lowers to the ground and disappears.
But I warn you we will use all our powers to outdo you. Go and find that precious box, Ulysses, it is the gateway to the Earth. Hahaha... Well, what is it to be?Ulysses thinks for a second and then rushes towards the open door. As he runs through the door it shuts behind him.
You accept? Good! May the winds be with you, then. Hahaha...Aeolus and his guests drink a toast in horn-shaped glasses and throw the empty glasses to the floor where they shatter. The winds fly off to start playing their parts in the game.
Aeolia: No, not that!Aeolia covers her face with her hands.
Ulysses is walking down a long corridor. He looks to the end of it but it is so long that he cannot see the end. He carries on walking. Suddenly a bright target is projected onto him. Ulysses shields his eyes from the brightness of the light. A light in the shape of a triangle appears by his foot. In front of it another triangle appears, then another and another forming a line. After the line of triangles reaches about 30 feet from him they stop extending and a hole appears in the ground. From this hole one of the Winds appears and fires at him. Ulysses successfully dodges the bolt of light, which then hits the centre of the target projected behind him. In dodging the bolt Ulysses moves his feet. In doing so another illuminated triangle appears and moves off. A hole appears where it stops and from the hole another Wind appears and fires two shots at Ulysses. Ulysses continues to dodge as both Winds fire together, however every time Ulysses stops the target is projected onto him. Another illuminated triangle appears, moves off and another Wind appears from the hole and fires two bolts at Ulysses. Ulysses runs off and looks around him. He stops. This time the target is projected onto the ground around where he is standing. The triangle moves away from his feet, up the wall and along the ceiling. A hole appears in the ceiling and the fourth Wind emerges and fires down on him. Ulysses runs a short way and stops. This time four triangles appear by his feet and move off into the distance. Holes emerge in the floor and from the holes the four Winds appear together and fire at Ulysses as one. As Ulysses runs Aeolus laughs. He continues to run, he jumps and slides around a corner to safety.
Aeolia: He's succeeded! Aeolus: This man Ulysses is as good as his reputation, but it's not over yet.Aeolus pushes a button on the control box on his chest. Ulysses is walking down a corridor and gathers his breath. He sees a door, which opens of its own accord. He walks through it and into an empty room. Aeolus pushes another button and the floor under Ulysses opens up. Ulysses falls through and slides down a chute. A hole appears in a wall and Ulysses falls through it and into another corridor. As Ulysses looks around him he realises he is standing on a large chess board - and the chess pieces are as large as he is.
Aeolus: Hahaha, life and death chess.Aeolia, who had been standing next to her father and watching what had happened quietly runs off. One of the chess pieces comes to life. It is sitting on a horse and is holding a sword in one hand and a ball and chain in the other. It starts to rotate the ball and chain like a lasso and gallops towards Ulysses. It throws the ball and chain and the sword. Ulysses catches both and as the piece approaches Ulysses he disables it. Ulysses steps off the square he is standing on and onto another. As he puts his foot on the other square it glows and another piece comes to life. This piece wields a sword, which it swipes back and forth just in front of Ulysses. Now several other pieces come to life.
Aeolia runs to a large face in a wall. As she raises her hands the eyes light up and the door in the mouth opens. Inside are Telemachus, Yumi and No-No.
Aeolia: Sshhh! Come.Aeolia floats off on flying shoes. Telemachus, Yumi and No-No run behind her.
Telemachus: Why are you helping us? Aeolus is your father. Aeolia: Because I want to stop their cruel games. I can't bear it. No-No: A am beginning to like her. Aeolia: Please, come on. Follow me. I know a secret passageway leading to the treasure chest. But we must be on our guard. Hurry up - faster, faster!Ulysses is surrounded by chess pieces, all of which are taking swipes at him. Two pieces launch a coordinated attack on him. Ulysses manages to disorientate them so that they start attacking each other. Ulysses runs off, however as he runs he activates three more pieces which then pursue him. He carries on battling for some minutes and manages to climb on the horse one of the pieces was riding. He turns the horse and gets it to gallop into the other pieces, destroying them. The game ends. Now three strange figures appear. In place of faces they have a swirling pattern of concentric oval rings. Ulysses stares at them, mesmerised. He steps backwards and treads on one of the squares on the chess board. The square glows, disappears and Ulysses falls through.
Aeolus: Hahahah. A wonderful game, wouldn't you agree, Aeolia? Hahaha.Aeolus looks around and realises Aeolia is not there.
Eh...? Aeolia, my daughter, where is she? Mother: Disappears without asking anybody's permission, what does she think? On her birthday, oh it's her birthday!Aeolia is flying down a corridor with Telemachus, Yumi and No-No running behind.
Telemachus: What your father said, if we find this treasure chest can we go back to Earth? Aeolia: Yes, but I'd better warn you. You mustn't open this box. Inside there's a magic stone with powers that could destroy everything.Cut to Ulysses. He is looking around him and sees strange pillars. Behind him in the wall are three pink circular devices. The floor he is standing on quickly tips up and throws Ulysses through the air. He hits one of the columns and bounces off it as if it was made of rubber. Ulysses flies back onto one of the pink circular devices and that bounces him towards another column. Ulysses is on a gigantic pinball table and is being buffeted around. We see the Winds playing the pinball table.
The Master of Ceremonies appears.
MC: O great Aeolus, your daughter has freed Ulysses's children and has run away with them. Aeolus: What, my own daughter?Aeolia, Telemachus, Yumi and No-No are watching Ulysses on a viewing screen as he is bounced around the pinball table.
Telemachus: Father! Aeolia: There's only one thing we can do, but remember you must be very careful.Telemachus nods and runs off.
Ulysses lands on a circular device. It rises up and spins, throwing him off and against another pillar. The Winds push some buttons on their controllers.
Aeolus: HahahahaUlysses heads towards another rubber column, but this time he manages to grab it, slide around it and come to a halt. He gets to his feet but doesn't realise that he is standing just in front of a large flap on the pinball table. The flap whacks him and he flies against another column and gets bounced around again. Ulysses is bounced off something on the table and sees that he is flying towards a rotating device which has metal spikes protruding from it. He realises what is about to happen and manages to re-orientate himself so that he is flying feet-first. His feet land in between the spikes and he pushes away from it. He slides along the ground, dodging the rubber pillars. He grabs the base of a pillar at the very edge of the pinball table just in time. Ulysses is hanging over the edge of the pinball table and clinging onto the base of the pillar. He looks down and sees that his feet are just above some large grinding wheels. One of the Winds pushes a button and the wheels start turning.
There is a brief cut to Aeolia running along a corridor.
Ulysses manages to climb back onto the pinball table again. The Wind presses another button and a hole appears in the table. From the hole balls appear as Ulysses realises he is now on a bowling alley. The balls roll towards him and he dodges them. As each ball rolls over the edge of the table it falls onto the grinding wheels and is smashed to pieces. Ulysses sees this with horror in his eyes.
Aeolia enters the room where Aeolus is playing the game.
Aeolus: Enough! Now for the finale!Aeolus presses a button and the remaining pieces of the pinball table disappear into the ground. Some more balls appear. Aeolus pushes a button and this time they roll together and there is no way Ulysses can dodge them.
Aeolia: No!Aeolia grabs the control panel from her father.
Give me that!She pushes a button and holes appear on the table. The balls roll harmlessly into the holes just a few feet from Ulysses.
Aeolus: Eh? Aeolia has betrayed me! Betrayed by my own daughter.Telemachus, Yumi and No-No run towards the chest, which is in a room bathed in light.
Telemachus: The chest - there it is!Ulysses and Aeolia are held in a spherical metal cage which is being lowered in front of Aeolus.
Aeolus: Now we shall see what we shall see. You will find out what it costs when anyone tries to double-cross the King of the Winds. My friends, come and see how Aeolus dispenses justice and punishes traitors.Beneath the spherical cage there is a hole in the ground. From this hole a strange jelly-like creature appears. It has one eye, lots of fangs and long tentacles.
Ulysses: Haven't you an ounce of pity? Even for your own daughter?Aeolia clings to Ulysses as the creature roars and looks into the sphere holding them. Aeolia buries her face in Ulysses's chest as the creature's mouth chomps away a few feet from the cage. Aeolus presses a button and the cage breaks in half. Ulysses and Aeolia start to fall through however Ulysses quickly grabs hold of a bar on one half of the cage. With his other hand he grabs hold of Aeolia.
Aeolia: No, father!Telemachus, Yumi and No-No run into the room and see what is happening.
Telemachus: Great galaxies father! No-No: By the eye of the Cyclops! Aeolia: Please don't, father - please stop! Aeolus: Who goes there?Aeolus turns to see Telemachus, Yumi and No-No standing behind him. Telemachus is holding the box with the treasure. He points the box at the creature and opens the lid. Inside there is a star-shaped object which energises and fires a beam of light at the creature. The creature retreats to its hole. Now that the creature is gone Ulysses and Aeolia land harmlessly on the ground by the edge of the hole. Aeolus turns around to see who has done this to his creature. He points at Telemachus.
Ah ha, he has stolen my box - get him!The Winds fly towards Telemachus. Telemachus opens the box again, this time pointing it at the Winds. The star inside fires a beam of light and the Winds disappear in a vortex.
Wait, my winds. Telemachus: Aeolus, you were going to kill my father and sacrifice your own daughter. Aeolus: Don't open it, it's dangerous. It belongs to me. Come on now, give it back.Aeolus gasps in horror as Telemachus starts to open the box in order to fire its contents at him. The box is now open and the star inside energises in preparation to fire again.
Aeolia: No, don't hurt him.Aeolia runs and grabs the box from Telemachus.
No!The star fires its bolt which pierces Aeolia. Aeolus gasps has he sees what has happened. His eyes open wide as he sees Aeolia fall to the ground, apparently dead. Aeolus floats towards her, looks down, picks her up in his hands and cradles her. Aeolia is wounded and barely conscious.
Aeolia: Don't hurt him. I ask you all to forgive him. I don't want you to do anything that would hurt him. You can't hurt him.Aeolus realises what he has done.
Aeolus: Aeolia, my little girl.Aeolus's eyes water.
I beg your forgiveness, Aeolia. I want you to live. Your friends are free to go. You understand?Yumi holds Ulysses's hand and looks up at him. Ulysses silently nods his head.
Ulysses, Telemachus, Yumi and No-No are on the bridge of the Odyssey and are looking back at the planet as the Odyssey flies away.
Yumi: Too bad, that stone could have taken us back home. Telemachus: When I opened the box all the power went out of the stone. Ulysses: Thanks to you and to Aeolia we are still alive and together, that's all that matters.Aeolus, Aeolia and her mother are looking up at the Odyssey as it leaves orbit.
Aeolus: Now the chest is empty of treasure, Aeolia, I know at last that you are all the treasure I need. Aeolia: I'm so happy. Aeolus: I promise no more cruelty, and you promise to stay happy. Aeolia: For ever.Aeolus and Aeolia hold each others' hands as the Odyssey flies off into the great unknown.
[END]