Telemachus and Yumi are running around a tree in the garden of the
Odyssey. No-No is trying to follow them.
No-No: It's not easy to play hide-and-seek with my obstacle detectors
disconnected.
No-No runs into the trunk of the tree and bounces off.
Oh!
He gets up and staggers around.
Yumi: No-No, what is happening?
Telemachus: Uh-oh, I hope he isn't going to bang his head again.
Yumi: He's out of his mind.
Telemachus: He's going to hurt himself, he has no idea what he's doing.
No-No walks into a stone face, which smashes and sends rubble down
on him. As Telemachus laughs the ball over Yumi's head glows.
Hahaha.
Poor old No-No has become quite silly. Did you see that?
Yumi falls to her knees holding her head in her hands.
What is it, Yumi? What's the matter?
Yumi: I'm not sure. It's as if the white planet were coming towards
us again.
Telemachus: Zotra? Your own white planet?
Yumi stands up, then runs off.
Yumi! Tell me!
Oh, she's gone.
Yumi climbs into a flying buggy and leaves the garden. No-No sits
on the grass, opens the service panel in his chest and takes out the
pot that holds his favourite nails.
No-No: It's only because I'm starving. A nail or two and I'll be
fine.
No-No throws a nail into the air and catches it in his mouth.
Telemachus: No-No, I haven't any time for this. Yumi says that
Zotra's coming.
No-No: Zotra? Isn't that where Yumi was born?
Telemachus: Yes, let's go take a look. You never know.
Telemachus runs to his flying buggy and climbs on.
No-No: Hey wait for me! Hey!
No-No shuffles forward and stumbles.
Telemachus, plug in my optical detector for me, will
you?
Telemachus gets off his flying buggy, bends down and presses the
plunger on No-No's head.
Telemachus: Ah, boy. When are you going to learn to manage on
your own?
The service panel in No-No's chest opens, Telemachus presses the
button that activates his optics and No-No is able to see again.
No-No: Very funny. I'd like to see you do it.
Ulysses is on the bridge of the Odyssey.
Sherka: Meteoric object approaching the Odyssey. I am tracking
its movements.
Ulysses: Sherka, give me manual control.
The manual-control joystick emerges from the console and Ulysses
grasps it.
And put up visual display on the big screen with maximum
definition of object for close analysis.
Sherka: Yes, Ulysses.
The display shows what looks like a red rock.
There is a brief cut to the sleeping companions followed by
a cut to the object floating in space. There is another cut to the
companions in the sleeping room. The camera focuses on Numinor,
then cuts back to the object in space.
Ulysses is gripping the manual-control joystick. As he moves it
the Odyssey moves out of the path of the rock. It is a close
call as the object just scratches the surface of the Odyssey as it
flies past. In the sleeping room, Numinor's hands move slightly.
Yumi runs onto the bridge and up to Ulysses. She is very excited.
Yumi: It is Zotra, isn't it? We've just been very near to Zotra,
haven't we?
Ulysses: No, it was just a huge meteor.
Yumi: Then the meteor came from Zotra, I can tell, I'm sure of it.
Please can we follow it, I feel sure someone is sending me a
message.
Ulysses nods.
Ulysses: Very well.
Telemachus, with No-No on his shoulder, runs onto the bridge.
Telemachus: Father, is it really from Zotra?
Ulysses: I've decided to follow it so we should know very soon.
The Odyssey's thrusters fire and the ship re-orients itself. The
thrusters fire again and the Odyssey accelerates away in pursuit of the
meteor.
Ulysses, Telemachus, Yumi and No-No watch from the bridge as the
Odyssey catches up with the meteor.
Yumi: That's it. We've almost caught up with it.
The meteor accelerates.
Telemachus: Father, the speed of the meteor has suddenly changed.
Ulysses: What's going on? Sherka, give us a breakdown.
Sherka: Within influence of a planet. We are approaching an
unnamed planet. The meteor has entered its field of
gravity.
Yumi: Don't lose sight of it. Increase the speed, we have to catch
it. Follow it!
The meteor's speed increases further. After a few seconds it enters
the planet's atmosphere.
Ulysses: Sherka, give me maximum magnification.
Sherka: Displaying maximum magnification now.
The surface of the planet appears on the display.
Telemachus: It seems as if the planet is just one massive swamp.
No-No: Oh, I don't think I care for that at all.
Tears well up in Yumi's eyes.
Ulysses: What is it, Yumi?
Yumi: Ulysses, please follow that meteor. It's a part of Zotra.
It might help bring my brother back to life. Please help me
try and save him.
Ulysses: I understand, Yumi.
Telemachus: It'll be dangerous, Yumi, we know nothing about the planet.
Yumi: But my poor brother. Ulysses, even if it's a slight chance
we must take it.
Ulysses: Mmm.
Ulysses thinks for a second, then stands up.
All right, we'll go.
Yumi: Oh, thank you, Ulysses! Thank you!
Telemachus: I'll go with you.
Ulysses: No, you stay here.
Telemachus: Not again! Aah.
Ulysses: We won't take any unnecessary risks.
A bay door opens on the Odyssey, a shuttlecraft launches from it
and makes its way to the planet. As the shuttlecraft enters the
atmosphere we see the surface of the planet as viewed through a
scanner on the shuttlecraft. It appears to be one large bubbling swamp.
Ulysses: I don't like the looks of things. It's like a bad
dream - look!
The shuttlecraft flies between a couple of pillars of rock.
Let's put down over there.
It lands on the swampy surface.
Yumi: Ah!
Ulysses and Yumi climb out of the shuttlecraft and look around them.
They see nothing but swamps, with just a few reeds, bushes and rocks to
break the landscape.
Ulysses: In this mud our astro-jeep would be useless, we'll have to
walk.
As Ulysses and Yumi trudge through the mud, Telemachus and No-No
observe their progress on a scanner on the bridge of the Odyssey.
No-No: I can't say that I care for that much. Glad I stayed here.
Ulysses and Yumi are very cautiously treading through the mud.
Behind Ulysses and Yumi large bubbles float to the surface of
the mud and burst. Telemachus is watching this on the viewing screen,
however there is interference and the picture starts to break up.
You have to understand, at a place like that I might rust.
And rusty nails taste awful.
Telemachus: Not now, No-No. Hush, please hush.
Yumi: The meteor's over there.
Behind Ulysses and Yumi a large column of mud rises up five or six
feet into the air and bursts.
I can feel... ahhh!
They turn round to see it burst.
Telemachus's voice comes through on the communicator.
Telemachus: Father, is everything all right?
Ulysses: Yes, Telemachus. Don't worry.
Telemachus: The picture is breaking up.
Ulysses and Yumi gingerly step through the mud.
Yumi: It's over there.
Telemachus: Father, can you hear me?
Ulysses: Yes, but faintly. The transmitter's not working properly.
Telemachus: No, that's not it. There's some static interference.
Ulysses: Interference?
Telemachus: Be careful, father. There seems to be something near you
that's interrupting the signal.
Yumi: Look at that mud, Ulysses.
Bubbles burst on the surface of the mud all around them. Suddenly columns
of mud about six feet tall rise from the surface and approach Ulysses
and Yumi. The columns each have a single eye at their centre.
Ulysses: Great shimmering suns!
Telemachus is looking at the display but cannot see anything as the
picture dissolves into static.
Telemachus: What's happened? I've lost contact. There's no
signal at all.
Ah, by the great solar wind!
No-No: What's wrong, friend?
Telemachus stands up.
Sherka: Impossible to re-establish contact. Unexplained jamming,
very high frequency.
On the surface of the planet the mud creatures approach Ulysses and
Yumi.
Ulysses: Careful, Yumi.
Ulysses energises his light sabre while Yumi gets behind him.
The eye of one of the mud creatures opens and a light in the centre
of its forehead flashes as if it is taking photographs. We see
a series of broken horizontal lines on a white background. More lines
appear until the outline of Ulysses can clearly be seen. Each time
the mud creature takes a picture, the image of Ulysses becomes clearer.
The mud creatures now slowly change shape. Ulysses and Yumi look
on in horror as the mud creatures metamorphose into Ulysses.
Telemachus, on the bridge of the Odyssey, tries to re-establish
contact.
Telemachus: Sherka, still no signal. Keep scanning.
Sherka: Because of intense jamming, impossible to detect any signal.
Telemachus: What in the name of Jupiter can it all mean?
Telemachus stares at the static interference pattern on the screen.
Perhaps he can still hear me.
Father, answer me! Come in, please!
No-No: Oh, my poor little friend. What can I do to help?
Sherka: Telemachus, weak trace of Ulysses's shuttlecraft approaching
the Odyssey.
Telemachus: What was that? Confirm, Sherka.
Sherka: Ulysses's shuttle is on its way back to the Odyssey. Data
confirmed.
Telemachus runs from the bridge and gets onto his hover buggy parked
in the corridor just outside. No-No jumps onto his
shoulders and he flies off to the docking bay.
The door to the docking bay opens as Telemachus approaches it and
closes behind him as he enters. He climbs down from the buggy and
runs to the shuttlecraft to see Ulysses and Yumi climb out.
Telemachus: Father! Yumi! Oh, I was so scared!
I was worried. I couldn't get through to you because of all
that interference.
Ulysses speaks in an angry voice.
Ulysses: Quick, there's no time to lose!
Telemachus: What? Where are we going?
Ulysses: Go to the command bridge and take over the controls!
No-No: Yumi, why is Ulysses so angry?
Yumi answers in an equally angry fashion.
Yumi: He's not angry, he's taking command, that's all.
Ulysses: Quickly, we've lost enough time, Telemachus. Take over
main controls.
Telemachus is not sure what to make of his father's attitude. He
has never seen him like this but obeys him all the same.
Telemachus: Yes, sir. Right away.
Telemachus is now on the bridge of the Odyssey. No-No sits next to
him. Behind them stand Ulysses and Yumi.
Telemachus: Sherka, come on, we're on our way.
Sherka: Five seconds to departure, Telemachus.
Countdown... five... four... three... two... one... ignition.
The Iris opens to maximum; the thrusters fire up. The Odyssey moves
out of orbit.
Ulysses: All right, now. Maximum speed.
Telemachus: But why, father?
Ulysses: Silence! I said maximum speed, that's an order!
Telemachus: Sherka, increase to maximum speed.
On the surface of the planet, Ulysses and Yumi look up and watch
as the Odyssey moves out of orbit. They are being attacked by mud
creatures, some of which have taken on the form of Ulysses.
The Odyssey is now in open space with Telemachus at the controls.
Ulysses, or rather a duplicate Ulysses, stands behind him.
Telemachus: There you are, father. We've attained maximum speed.
Ulysses: Splendid. Disconnect transmitter.
Telemachus: Disconnect transmitter?
Ulysses: Disconnect it and no more arguments. Who else is there you
want to call up on the radio, Telemachus?
Yumi: Yes, when I come to think of it we are all here on the ship.
Telemachus: Yes.
Telemachus presses the button that disconnects the transmitter. As
he does so the door to the bridge opens and a robot comes in.
Robot: My friends of the Odyssey. Good afternoon, it's tea time.
Your orders?
No-No: For me, a kerosene cocktail with a twist of sand paper - the
usual.
Telemachus: Fresh fruit juice for me. The same for you, Yumi. It's
your favourite.
Yumi: I would like to have a moss and dragonfly cocktail, please.
Telemachus looks at Yumi, shocked.
Telemachus: What?
No-No: I've seen some crazy drinks in my time, but that one?
Ulysses: Yumi and I will have the same, thank you.
Telemachus: The same thing, father?
Ulysses: Bring it to my cabin, the air's too dry here.
Ulysses and Yumi walk up the steps that lead to the door of the
bridge.
No-No: There's something funny going on.
Yumi stops on the bottom step and looks directly at No-No when he
says this. This response confirms No-No's suspicions. He quickly
covers his tracks by dismissing it as a passing thought.
Oh, my imagination. See you after tea time for some games.
Yumi leaves the bridge. The door closes behind her.
Meanwhile on the surface of the planet more mud creatures bear down
on the real Ulysses and Yumi.
Yumi: Ulysses, look - they're coming back!
Ulysses: Telemachus, Telemachus, can you hear me?
There is no response.
The transmitter's gone dead.
The mud creatures take more pictures. We see the world through the
mud creatures' eyes again as they form an image of Ulysses.
Yumi: Look, the same thing's happening again!
Ulysses: They're like automatic cameras, recording every detail
about us.
Yumi: They seem able to take on any shape at all.
Ulysses: It seems so, Yumi. It's very strange.
The mud creatures now look exactly like Ulysses and Yumi, even down
to carrying their own light sabres. The mud creatures in the form
of Ulysses stand in front of him. Ulysses faces them and prepares
for a stand-off. The battle begins. Ulysses attacks his duplicates
while Yumi attacks hers.
The two mud creatures that have taken over the Odyssey are in
Ulysses's cabin. We see a close-up of the feet of the creature
masquerading as Ulysses. Mud covers its feet as the creature resumes
its original form. Telemachus, on his buggy, stops outside the
cabin. The mud creature hears the buggy, looks at the closed door,
then re-forms itself into Ulysses. The door opens and Telemachus
walks in.
Telemachus: Excuse me, father, but are you feeling all right?
Ulysses: What?
Telemachus: I don't know how to say this, but you seem so different.
Ulysses answers dismissively.
Ulysses: No, no, no, I'm fine. Leave me alone.
Ulysses walks off leaving Telemachus just standing there looking at
him.
Meanwhile on the planet the real Ulysses is fighting his duplicates.
Yumi is throwing stones at her duplicates who, in turn, return fire.
Two stones collide in mid-air. One of the stones hits a duplicate
Yumi, making a small hole in her. After a second or two the hole
seals up again. Yumi's eyes open wide in shock as she sees this.
Ulysses: Hold on, Yumi. We have to get away from them. That's
what's been interfering with the radio.
Yumi ducks as another stone is hurled in her direction.
Yumi: Do you think Telemachus is listening?
Ulysses: Of course he is. He must be worried sick not having heard
from us.
The two of them continue their fight with the mud creatures.
No-No is running down a corridor wondering where everyone is.
No-No: Curiouser and curoiuser. Where have they all gone?
From behind a pillar Telemachus emerges and calls quietly to No-No.
Telemachus: No-No, No-No!
No-No: Telemachus!
Telemachus: Sshhh! This way.
Unbeknown to Telemachus and No-No the duplicate Ulysses and Yumi are
hiding behind another pillar and see everything.
Ulysses continues battling with his mud-men copies. After having
fought with their light sabres they use their laser guns. Two
bursts of light collide in mid-air. The duplicate Ulysses fire
as one at the real Ulysses, who uses his wrist shield to deflect
the beams.
Ulysses: Hahaha. They can't copy the shield because it's transparent.
Ulysses fires back at the duplicates from behind the safety of the
shield. Yumi is being attacked by one of her duplicates and appears to
be losing the battle. She is thrown into the mud. Ulysses fires at the
duplicate Yumi and destroys it.
Yumi, are you hurt?
Yumi: No.
He runs to her and, from under the safety of the wrist shield, helps
her to her feet. The mud creatures re-form themselves into copies of
Ulysses.
Telemachus and No-No are still in the corridor, discussing their
plans.
No-No: If you want to know, I don't understand. It's as if Ulysses
and Yumi weren't themselves. For a start, those way-out
cocktails. And they sure say funny things.
Telemachus: All the same, he is my father, not a robot.
No-No nods. Telemachus and No-No walk onto the bridge.
Telemachus: Wait a minute, why did he make me cut the radio?
No-No: Perhaps there's something he doesn't want you to hear.
Telemachus: Just supposing you're right, No-No.
I can't stand not knowing. There's only one way to
find out.
Telemachus reactivates the transmitter.
Ulysses is firing at the mud creatures, using his shield for cover.
The creatures appear to have been destroyed so Ulysses walks slowly
and carefully through the mud. However the respite is only temporary
and the creatures re-form again. This time, when Ulysses shoots at
them he can see the sign of the Trident tattooed onto their surfaces.
Suddenly the voice of Telemachus breaks through on the communicator.
Telemachus: Hello, hello!
Yumi: That's Telemachus calling us! I hear his voice!
Ulysses: Telemachus, this is Ulysses. I'm with Yumi and things are
fine, don't worry.
Telemachus: Father! Then the person on board ship isn't my father!
But who is he?
Ulysses: Watch out, be careful. There's a...
More mud creatures re-form themselves.
Quickly, Telemachus...
Cut to the Odyssey. We hear Ulysses complete the sentence on the
Odyssey's communicator.
...send out a shuttlecraft.
Telemachus: Right, a shuttlecraft, right.
Sherka, start immediate auto-launch of shuttlecraft number four
to pick up my father and Yumi - quickly!
As Telemachus issues the instruction the door of the bridge opens and
the duplicate Ulysses and Yumi walk in.
Sherka: Three seconds to launch shuttle number four.
The shuttlecraft launches.
Telemachus: It's on its way.
Telemachus turns around and sees the duplicate Ulysses and Yumi.
Ulysses: So you've found out who we really are.
Yumi: But it is too late. Before the shuttle can get there
Ulysses will be at the bottom of the swamp!
Telemachus: You'll never get the better of my father!
Ulysses: Hmm, but you don't know what other plans we
have for you.
No-No: What are your other plans?
No-No shakes with fear.
Ulysses: When the real Ulysses returns all his welcoming
party will have become mere copies. Hahaha.
No-No jumps onto Telemachus's shoulder.
No-No: They're going to make us into copies!
The mud creatures resort to their original form and start to take
pictures of Telemachus and No-No.
Telemachus: No-No, let's get away before they can do it!
No-No: They're only copycats.
Telemachus and No-No run from the bridge. Meanwhile the shuttlecraft
continues on its course to the planet. Telemachus and No-No turn
a corner, with the mud creatures in hot pursuit. No-No stops and
offers one of them a nail.
No-No: Wait, stop! How about a nibble on a nail?
The creature stops and looks as if it is about to accept it but then
raises its arms and brings them down on No-No. No-No just manages to
get out of the way in time.
Telemachus!
They carry on running.
On the planet Ulysses is cradling Yumi as the mud creatures bear down
on them, taking pictures.
Yumi: I can't go on, Ulysses. This is the end.
It's all my fault!
The creatures turn themselves into images of Ulysses and Yumi and bear
down on them. Behind them the shuttlecraft lands a short distance
away.
Ulysses: Look, Yumi, it's the shuttle! We're saved!
Ulysses fires at the mud creatures, pushes a button on his jet pack
and flies upwards carrying Yumi. The door of the shuttlecraft opens
and they fly in. The mud in which the shuttlecraft has landed starts
to ripple. The door closes just in time as the mud moves up the
side of the craft. Ulysses fires the thrusters and the shuttlecraft
strains against the gripping mud. It just manages to break free and
take off.
Telemachus and No-No run to the bridge of the Odyssey, pursued by the
mud creatures.
No-No: They cling to us like glue!
The mud creatures take pictures of Telemachus and No-No and slowly
change into images of them.
Horrible!
Instead of teeth, these duplicates have fangs.
Mud man Telemachus: Hahaha!
The creatures change back into their original mud form and cover
Telemachus and No-No.
Telemachus: Ahhh!
The real Ulysses appears on one of the viewing screens and calls out
to the creatures.
Ulysses: It is my turn now. I'm here.
The mud creatures see the image of Ulysses and take pictures of it.
Ulysses is in another room and addressing a video camera that is patches
into the Odyssey's main screen. Ulysses's image on the screen glows
bright white. The mud creatures, trying to copy the image, start
to lose their shape. They continue to take pictures but are unable
to keep up with the changing image.
No-No: The temperature's too high.
Telemachus: They're changing shape too quickly.
Yumi, standing next to Ulysses, is using some video trickery to
cause his image to change. The mud creatures cannot keep up and
self-destruct.
No-No: Yippee!
Telemachus: They couldn't do it, it was too much for them.
Telemachus and No-No dive to the floor as the mud creatures start
to twist and shake. Smoke pours out from them. The creatures break
apart and amongst the components that fall to the floor is a Trident.
Ulysses, Telemachus, Yumi and No-No are in the sleeping room with
the companions.
Yumi: I'm sorry, my brother. The meteor from Zotra sank to the
bottom of the swamp.
Telemachus puts a hand on Yumi's shoulder to comfort her.
Telemachus: You did everything you could, Yumi.
Ulysses: Don't give up hope, my little Yumi. You will need
patience. One day we will break the spell of the
gods and your brother will wake up.
Yumi nods.
No-No: Hey, Telemachus.
Telemachus: Oh, you want to play, do you. Is that it?
Yumi: Why don't we play cat-and-mouse?
No-No: Say that's a great game!
Yumi: And this time you're the mouse.
Yumi winks at No-No.
No-No: Oh, no! I've spent enough time being chased around today!
It makes me hungry.
No-No opens the service panel in his chest, takes out a nail, throws
it into the air and catches it in his mouth. Everyone laughs.
[END]