Outline Book 1 - Planet Marcona

MARCONA PLANET

0 YEAR Tanbar, Terimiad

A.Fara wins Terimiad talent search for a new reporter of lifestyle segments.

         - Anchor at news desk introduces their special "Talent search" segment.  "Linking sat feed.  Auto-Buffer-Resolve at 2.5.  Up-feed in Negative 5, 4, 3 – Fara you're live." Fara goes live with a story about a pig farmer who has taught his pigs to …(?)

During her story there are many cuts back to the OT Stream production room as they monitor the multi-pick response numbers.  She becomes more condescending and rude to the farmer as the interview progresses.  Her numbers increase.  As the two minute story ends she says that this story can be summed up in one way only – and she sticks her mic up to the ass of a pig and as it loudly passes gas.

         - After the segment, the cameraman says that she was lucky with the pig.  She shows him a tiny hand-held device, presses the button and says, as it re-plays the offensive noise, "Luck had nothing to do with it."

         - The head producer watches the multi-pick numbers and at the end is informed that Solista wants distribution rights.  He says "We have a new star. Put that girl on a shuttle and get me an exclusivity contract."



B. Clavdar is questioned by the Marconan Military about rumors that someone has sold the military's new secret Force Field suit to a spy.  They say that his company designed and produced it and are responsible for the security breach.  He denies it and says that the military took delivery of 500 force field suits 6 months ago and that they should make sure that all of their suits are accounted for before they start accusing him.  He orders them to leave unless they have evidence that the suit came from him.  They leave and say they will be back.  He laughs after they have gone.  "Fools, as if I would be stupid enough to leave any evidence."



C. Rais gives Grandma a puppy. 

         - He explains that he had a meeting in the Verdan Consulate and when he was leaving, the ambassador gave him a puppy and said that it's for his mother.  He says that he knows that she hasn't gotten a new dog since her last one died 12 years ago.  He says he can give it to a pet shop if it's too hard for her.

         - The puppy wiggles out of its carrier and rushes around the room, sniffing everything.  He goes to grandma and circles her, then he sits down in front of her and yips once.  She picks him up and nuzzles his face.  "He says his name's Booboo."  Rais guffaws, "Booboo?"  Grandma: "I think I'll keep him!"



1 YEAR Notara, Terimiad

A. Fara works for the biggest Terimiad OT station which mainly produces reality shows and variety shows.  She co-hosts a morning show which has boring cooking segments and variety show contestant interviews.  She hates her co-host and wants to work for Solista.  She tricks her co-host when he thinks he's tricking her and her numbers are larger than his.  Producers decide it's time for her to have her own show.



2 YEAR

         - Botran, CEO of ARCO meets with the board: Prennay, Clavdar, Sorin, Haruko and Mehrdad.  They discuss the new power rod they have gotten from the Noestran scientist.  Its development means that they can put their new military Super robots into production.  Prennay says it's a waste of time because the government's military hasn't OK'd the prototype.  Botran says they will find another buyer.  Prennay and Mehrdad are outvoted.



3 YEAR

A. Fara now has her own weekly show, but she still only interviews 'the man in the street' or minor celebrities or fashion wannabe's.  She occasionally grades things 'Atomic Pig" with the fart sound effect and asks for the air freshener.

         - She watches the highest rated OT shows constantly and monitors them for new buzzwords.  After learning that a tiger has escaped from a provincial zoo, Fara says that Sharja, a competing talk show host who has had too many facelifts, had better not go there because they're hunting for dangerous felines.



B. Rais Prennay is effectively the new CEO of ARCO because Botran's family has finally taken him off life-support and transferred their voting block to Prennay.

         - Grandma Prennay watches the news of her son's promotion to CEO by the Board of Directors of ARCO.  Her butler offers his congratulations.  She links to her son, who is smugly expecting her congratulations.  She tells him that she's going to send flowers to Botran's family and wants his opinion as to what color they should be.  She rattles on about the reasons behind color choice.  He interrupts her to ask if she knows about his new title.  She says yes, and adds that her butler, Ambrose, is very impressed and wishes her to convey his congratulations.  She abruptly tells him that she must go because "that adorably vulgar girl is on the Terimian Channel – Oh, I just love her!  Maybe she'll say something about you, dear."  She cuts the link, he is surprised, then multi-picks the Terimian Channel which is showing Fara.

         - "ascension to the throne of Marcona.  The King is dead, long live the King", and she winks.  Rais is attracted.  He contacts his secretary and orders copies of Fara's shows. 

         - ARCO invites Fara to do an interview with its new CEO, Rais Prennay.  She agrees to the interview, and then says "This is it!"  She contacts a little known fashion-tech man who designs clothes that change color.

         - After her interview with Rais, she shows him her upcoming show featuring the designer.  She pronounces him a "Supernova".  She tells Rais that she can get the new designer to work for ARCO, suggests product tie-ins, and agrees not to air the show for T-Channel, if Sol-Com will give her a show of her own. Rais admires her cold, business savvy along with her beauty. 





4 YEAR Solista

D. Fara now has her own show called "Supernova". 

         - She has access to the biggest celebrities and designers.  She pronounces them "supernova" or "stellar wind" (with no fart sound effect, only her mime of spraying a can of air freshener.)

         - Jana comes to work for Fara to be one of her PA's.  They monitor current entertainment gossip or political scandals for new buzzwords.

         - Xybal meets with a henchman of Big-Z to pay for false ID and travel papers.

         - Grandma and Nerrod are relaxing at the pool with Booboo.  Nerrod is group linking with his friends.  He switches to a call from his father.  They argue about Nerrod's dropping out of school and his father refuses to pay for his flat and his car any longer.  After he finishes the call he says " I hope you don't mind, Grandma, but I'll be staying here for awhile."  "Of course not, darling, you'll brighten this old house up and you'll be such a help to me."  He asks for one of the cars for the night.  She allows this with the proviso that he does some errands while he's out.  He gathers up his towel and says sure over his shoulder as he walks past the fountain, across the terrace, then into the house.

         - Later that night Nerrod walks in the front door loaded down with packages.  He tries to put them on the hall table but they slip away from him and fall across the table and onto the floor, sending a vase of flowers smashing to the ground.  He cuts his expletive filled tirade short as he notices his grandma in the living room, reading a book.  He proudly tells her that he brought all the things she wanted.  In a relieved voice she says she's glad to see him because his Aunt Olwyn's physical therapist just quit – without notice!  It will take some time to find a replacement, so Nerrod will have to fill in.  He protests that he can't.  She overcomes his objections, and sends him upstairs to say goodnight to Olwyn.  As he goes up the stairs, she calls out that her butler will give him a new list of errands tomorrow.

         - He sullenly goes into Olwyn's room and is revolted by the smell of feces.  He puts a handkerchief to his face.  He is disgusted by Olwyn's catatonic state.  He leaves without saying a word to her, uplinks to his father and agrees to go back to finish school if his father will give him back his car and his flat.

         - Booboo jumps in Grandma's lap and makes her put her knitting down.  He makes a little whine.  She cuddles and babies him, then summons a maid and tells her to clean in Olwyn's room because Booboo left a mess under the bed. 



5 YEAR 1st 6 months

A. Fara is now one of the most talked about celebrities.

         - She finishes an interview with a male OT star and deliberately messes her hair and make up as she leaves the building.  She's 'caught' by OT press and is gossiped about as a slut. 

         - Jana is indignant about the bad press.  Fara smirks and says "Who do you think tipped them off?  It's free publicity." When the interview with the male OT star airs, her multi-pick rating is way up.

         - Fara's main competition is a (Gerry Springer-like) talk show host.  He is low class and tries to be nasty like Fara.  He does his own version of Fara's air freshener but uses an umbrella - "You need that – like you need an umbrella on Ahros!"  He annoys bad guests by giving them little umbrellas.  This does not become a fad like Fara's air freshener.

         - We find him meeting with Big-Z to buy an increase in his multi-pick rating.  Big-Z accomplishes this by paying a hacker to infiltrate a counting station and change the statistics.

         - When Gerry is late with a payment, Big-Z sends people to damage Gerry's wife's private car controller, sending her into a public bus.  Gerry, who doesn't really like his wife, is concerned that she ends up in a public hospital (known to have free, but very low quality care.) Then he gets flowers from Big-Z, with a card suggesting he double-check his own car's control program.  He immediately sells something to send money to Big-Z.



B. Nerrod is on the BOD

         - Nerrod finished business school, comes to work for Rais and is foisted on Sorin (he's so happy) to be a trader.

         - He buys his own flat in Fara's building.  He has two cars: a little sports car, and a big limo for special events which he rarely uses.



C. BOD and Rais have meetings about crystal import.

         - They are concerned that Xybal has left the planet to go to Noestra with plans for the n-laser cutting process for the crystals.  Rais tells Clavdar that he wants him to make sure the plans don't get to Albeata, and he doesn't care how he accomplishes it.  Clavdar pays Big-Z to send two assassins to Noestra to find Xybal and kill him before he can give the plans to representatives of Albeata.





5 YEAR 2nd 6 months

NEWS FLASH: "O'BA TAKES OVER PLANET ALBEATA"

A. Clavdar, Sorin and Haruko have a secret meeting.  They believe that they will lose the super-metal trade because of the pollution/aboriginals problem. 

         - They want to take over Albeata. They bring the idea to Rais.  They say it will be easy because Albeata has no navy; they only have force fields around their capital.  Their new crystal weapons can shoot through the force fields.  If O'ba and his leaders are assassinated, they can send in new Guardbots to take over.  Rais doesn't believe any war can be easily won, and worries about public backlash on Marcona.  "I haven't read the laws recently, but I think there might be something illegal about taking over other planets."

         - In a secret meeting, Clavdar, Sorin and Haruko decide that Rais will never agree and they want the super metal trade for themselves.  They decide to kill Rais and take over his voting block.  They realize that they must kill Nerrod, too, because Nerrod is Rais' heir.

         - They pretend to have given up the idea of war. Sorin suggests to Nerrod that he go to Albeata to convince O'ba not to brake the export treaty.  Sorin strokes Nerrod's ego saying that the mission is very important.

         - Rais refuses to send Nerrod because he's suspicious of the others.

         - Sorin lies to Nerrod and tells him that Rais has agreed and wants him to leave immediately.  Clavdar gets the receptionist to intercept all of Nerrod's messages to Rais, and tells her to find out where Rais' secret playboy hideaway is located.

         -Nerrod leaves for Albeata.



B. Fara wants to do an interview with O'ba so that she can become more respected.

         - Fara asks Rais, with whom she's having an affair, to give her his private ship to go to Albeata.  He agrees.          

         - The receptionist doesn't succeed in getting Rais' secret location.

         - Clavdar, Sorin and Haruko decide to get the location from Fara.

         - Clavdar meets with Fara at her office.  He fabricates a story about his sister, Rais' wife, wanting to collect more from a divorce settlement.  He offers her two Bodyguard 'bots.  She says she could get them from Rais – secretly doubting that she could – he tells her that these are new-generation 'bots and have military integrated weapon systems.  When she still hesitates, wondering why Clavdar is willing to offer so much, he offers her special automated cameraman programs (from Haruko), and the up-link codes to the new inter-planetary sat-system that can handle OT quality transmissions.  This is the Holy Grail of OT reporters.  She says she'll think about it.

         - Clavdar, Sorin and Haruko decide to show Fara the stick as well as the carrot.  Sorin uses his influence with Albeata officials to deny Fara permission to go to Albeata.

         - Rais brushes her off when she tells him about her Albeata visa trouble.  So she decides to let Rais take care of himself, and tells Clavdar she'll give him the secret address when her Albeata permission is granted, the new Guardbots are aboard her ship and key-coded to her authority.



Eva, Katy, Garron and Mosi arrive on Marcona, Divere State

A. The terminal is very large.  Giant screens everywhere advertise and glowing arrows show tourists, passengers, and immigrants where to go.  They notice that there is a big line for immigrants from Verda. 

         - They get into line for visa holders, but worry about what they will say about Mosi.  Garron uses Maestro to try to plant a visa for Mosi.  Maestro cannot crack the system quickly.  They reach the official visa counter and make retinal scans.  Mosi isn't in the system.  She gets her supervisor.  Supervisor: "Who is He?"  Garron: "He's my brother."  The official looks at Mosi's dark skin and curly hair and then at Garron's very pale complexion.  "uh- adopted – my adopted brother."  There is a bleep from the computer screen and Mosi's name and information are there.  "You mean 'Brotherhood'."  "uh -Yes."  The supervisor reads, "Mosi Scout, of Ahros.  Sponsor: Brotherhood of the Golden Hand.  He's a trainee Acolyte registered with the Verdan Consulate.  Good. You may proceed to the declaration counter."  After they leave, the supervisor looks at her underling, "Off-worlders!"  She makes Fara's air-freshener gesture and they both laugh.

         - The next official, in a bored voice, tells them that since they are from Noestra, they must accept the displayed agreement "being read to you by a representative of the Government of Marcona:  You are prohibited from using any psychic abilities, including, but not limited to: Telepathy, Telekinesis, and Tele-shielding.  You are also prohibited from any form of communication with the dead, whether human or not.  Failure to abide by these laws will result in immediate arrest and imprisonment.  Place your right hands on the screen."  Garron protests that he doesn't have any psychic abilities.  "Place your right hands on the screen."  After they all comply, they are directed to the next counter to get their temporary Marcona ID chip.

         - Katy asks Garron about the "Brotherhood of the Golden Hand" thing and Garron admits that he didn't write it and doesn't know how it got there.



B. Eva, Katy, Garron and Mosi are in a hotel room. 

         - Katy suggests going out to eat.  Eva says in an exasperated voice, "The point of staying in the Hotel was to wait to see if we're being followed by Ahros agents; not to wander around and see if we can blunder into them."  Katy looks hurt, and Mosi's says in a little voice, "But I'm hungry."  Eva takes a deep breath.  She sends her sister an apology.  "I'm sorry, Mosi, we can heat something up.  Katy, see if Garron's hungry."  Katy walks through the connecting door into the next room.  Garron is sitting at a table surrounded by oddly shaped gadgets and tiny screwdrivers.  He asks if Eva is still talking about calling the Noestra Consulate.  "Not at the moment, but she's still thinking about it.  She not used to … to chaos… not being in control."  "All you Lighters are like that, you've been raised in a very sheltered society."  "Look, Mr. Galactic-Traveler – anyone would need the reassurance of something familiar after what we've been through."  Garron puts his tiny screwdriver down and looks at Katy.  "You don't seem to," he said, softly. 

         - Eva breaks up the budding romance by carrying in the food.

         - Garron is disturbed form sleeping by a little beeping alarm.  He hurries to his computer and switches on the monitor.  He has piggy-backed the Hotel's security system and is monitoring a man in one of the elevators.  Mosi gets up from his blanket on the floor and comes to stand beside Garron.  The man gets out of the elevator and the picture changes to a long hallway.  The man walks down the hallway glancing at door numbers as he passes.  "Who's that?" asks Mosi.  "He searched for our names in the Hotel's security system, and my spy ware caught him.  Now he seems to be searching for us."  Mosi's eyes are glued to the screen as the man stops in front of a door.  The man puts on a filter-mask, takes a round metal ball out of his pocket and holds it away from the door.  He takes a wand device out of his other pocket and waves it over the lock.  The door opens and he tosses the metal ball inside.  Mosi gasps and looks at the door to their room.  Nothing happens.  On the screen, the man rushes into the room.

         - The Hotel's chemical hazard alarm goes off.  Garron leaps up, runs to his door and looks through his peep hole.  As the siren seesaws up and down the sonic register, Katy and Eva rush into the room.  A stern "Sh!" from Garron silences their questions.  He can see the man searching the room opposite.  After a moment, the man runs out, down the hallway and disappears into the fire stairs.  Garron dashes back to his computer and keys in a question.  As the girls gather around, he tells them: "It was Vibrox-3 sleeping gas.  I switched our room numbers in the main security computer, and someone broke in and gassed the room that we were supposed to be in!"

         - Grandma is awakened from a sound sleep by Booboo.  Olwyn is standing in the doorway, as Booboo circles around her and barks.  Grandma tries to take Olwyn back to her room, but she starts crying, "They'll be hurt – they're in trouble – I have to help them."  She is unable to answer when Grandma asks her who's in trouble. Grandma succeeds in getting Olwyn back to bed, and sits next to her holding her hand.  Booboo jumps on the bed and licks Olwyn's face.  Olwyn continues to sob in despair, and Grandma leans close to her saying, "Don't worry. Olly, I'll help them – I won't let any harm come to them. Shush, now.  Everything will be all right.  I'll make sure of it."



C. Eva, Katy and Garron discuss events and make decisions.

         - After being questioned by hotel security they are left alone to consider actions.

         - The man who threw the gas wasn't from Ahros. Was he working for them or was he some new threat?

         -  Eva overrides the others' objections and puts in an emergency call to the Noestra Consulate.  They tell her that unless someone has been arrested, or is in the hospital, they cannot help.  She argues for awhile, and then admits defeat.

         - Katy reminds Eva of Jana.  Jana expects them to go to Solista State and meet her.  They agree to go back to bed and decide what to do in the morning.

         - As they eat breakfast in their room, Garron is watching Marcona News.  Because Mosi has no OT implant, Garron links up his computer monitor.  They watch as a delegation of Ahrosians, including Diviners, arrive at the spaceport.  "Because their religion prohibits them from space travel," says the reporter, "this is the first EVER visit of the religious hierarchy to our planet.  Only secular representatives of their government have been on Marcona before this.  There is speculation that their arrival may be related to the government's new humanitarian aid effort which hasn't yet passed the full Province vote."  The reporter continues to speculate on the reasons for their arrival. 

         - Mosi points to the screen and says "He is Karshoi – and that one, too."  Garron zooms in on the ones Mosi indicated.  They all see the snarling dog tattoos on three of the seven man delegation.  Mosi starts to tremble and whispers "They are here for me."

         - Eva, Katy and Garron are scared.  They decide to contact Aliya and ask her to come help them.  Garron uses Maestro and sends a message via the Galactic Hyperspace Beacon system.



D. They decide not to stay in Divere, but to leave immediately for Turlux City in the Solista State.

         - They leave the hotel and go to the Shuttle port on the other side of the city.  On the way they use a public link to contact Jana.  She promises to meet them at the shuttle port.

         - Fara leaves for Albeata from the private ARCO launch site.  She walks to Rais' private ship "King of Diamonds".  The two new Guardbots are on board and they respond when she gives them her authorization code.  She transfers Rais' secret address to Clavdar, and gives the order to the ship to lift off.



JANA

         - Jana meets them at the Shuttle port with a limo from Fara's TV show.  They are impressed, and she takes them to her flat.  They are followed by the Ahros spy.  Jana realizes that the newcomers can't fit in her flat, so says she'll take them to Fara's flat later that night.  She shows them the cardkey pass on the "Fabulous Fara" key chain.

         - When Jana returns to work, the spy follows her.  He pretends to have an appointment with Fara, and is disappointed that she is gone.  He flirts with Jana and she agrees to go to dinner with him.

         - At dinner, he puts drugs in her drink.  When they leave, he pushes her into her car.  He drives to her building and rummages through her purse to get the entrance card. He forces her out of the car. Before he can go through the door he is attacked.

         -First the spy and his attacker fight hand-to-hand, but as the spy realizes he's losing, he pulls out a weapon.  The attacker knocks it out of his hand.  Jana drunkenly stumbles to her feet and starts moaning for help.  The spy tries to get his weapon, but is kicked in the face flinging him past the weapon and into Jana.  The attacker follows to press his advantage, but the spy pushes Jana into the attacker.  Jana screams and grapples with the attacker.  The spy grabs his weapon and fires at the attacker.  He hits Jana and she goes down, but he cannot fire again before the attacker shoots him, killing him instantly.  The attacker goes to Jana as she dies, and tells her that he's very sorry.  He is the old man from the juice bar on Ahros.





TERIAS RULL AT THE AHROSIAN CONSULATE

A. Within the walls of the consulate, a high Tower overlooks the beautiful city of Turlux, in Solista.   

         - Terias Rull is in the tower sitting on the floor, surrounded by four Karshoi. They are in TP contact with their spy, and start as they feel him shot and killed.  Terias demands "Who is that?  Who killed Ggeru?" He commands, "Seek him now."  They all close their eyes and send their TP presence to the area around Ggeru's body, but find no trace of the attacker.

         - Terias: "This little mouse seems to have some dangerous friends.  My patience with un-cooperative mice is wearing thin."

         - He sends on of the Karshoi to the building to keep watch for Mosi and the others.  He's told only to watch from a distance and not to approach them.



B.  EKG & M are shocked by the news of Jana's death.  They decide to go hide out in Fara's building.

         - Garron uses Maestro to overcome the retinal scan and enter Fara's building.  Then he hacks security and changes their flat number for Nerrod's number.  Eva's concerns about hurting others are put to rest when Garron says that Nerrod has an "out-of-town" message on his building-butler service.

         - The Karshoi follows EKG & M to Fara's building, and is told to keep watch there.

         - EKG & M worry that Aliya won't come for two weeks.  Garron worries that even if she does come, she won't be able to help, only put herself in danger, too.  They decide that they should leave Marcona and take Mosi back to Noestra.  Garron decides to use Maestro to get them on a flight home.  If they can leave soon, they'll send Aliya a message to stay on Noestra.



BIG-Z GETS INVOLVED

         - One of Big-Z's hackers informs him that spy ware has located an extremely powerful hacking device that has been ripping its way through security systems.  "It went through the BX-7 System at the Turlux Tower like it was made of cheese.  If we had that program, we could get into anything."  Big-Z's eyes narrow as he thinks about the implications.  "Maybe it's a sting operation by the cops."  His flunky promises: "No, no.  It has a distinct Noestran design signature.  It's Noestran technology."  "Noestra! I must have it!  Bring me Skara and Rosch!  And back-link me an exact location on that hacker!"



TERIAS USES DONIMATION ON GARRON

         - At night in Fara's flat, after they've all gone to bed, Garron has a dream.  He dreams Katy is tied to a rocket which will blast off and kill her unless he hits the "Abort Launch" button.  His feet are stuck in mud but he struggles and struggles toward the button.  He was so close, so close.  Katy was sobbing as the rocket's exhaust heated up.  He was almost there, but something was holding his arm down.  He tried to lift it.  He could hear her voice, "Garron!  Garron!"-

         - Garron opens his eyes and finds Mosi hanging onto his arm crying.  He is at the front door of the flat reaching for the lobby door release button.  He draws back his hand in shock.  He allows Mosi to pull him away from the front door.

         - Terias in the Ahros Consulate swears, "Roata curse him!"  He looks at his two Karshoi and roars "Take him back!  Concentrate!" 

         - Back in the flat, Mosi sees Garron's eyes roll back in his head.  He yells: "Katy, Eva!  Come quick!  Help!"  He grabs for Garron's arm, but Garron pushes him down and starts to walk to the door.  Eva and Katy rush into the room, but stop short and grab their heads as they come into contact with the huge TP dominating force in the room.  Mosi calls urgently to Eva and Katy, "He's going to push the button and let them in!"  Eva looks at Katy and sends: "Shield!"  They drop their hands from their heads, despite the pain, and breathe deeply trying to find their center.  Their shield opens up around them delivering them from the pressure of the Domination.  Eva sees that Garron is almost at the door, "Katy – shield the whole room!" she sends.  The girls push their shield out bit by bit.  Mosi runs after Garron, but is shaken off again. 

         - Terias laughs at their puny minds struggling against his far stronger will.  "Too late!"

         - Even as the girls push out their shield bigger and bigger, Garron pushes the button.



C. BIG-Z'S MEN AND THE KARSHOI.

         - Garron turns to the front door.  Mosi gets in front of him and pleads, "Don't Garron.  Please don't."  Garron and Mosi struggle at the door.  Eva and Katy succeed in shielding the room, but Garron slips in and out of Terias' Domination.  From outside the door come two sharp pops, and there is a thud against the door.  Mosi gasps with fear and vanishes.  Garron unlocks the door. The bodies of two dead Karshoi fall into the room.  Skara and Rosch, step over the body and enter the room, weapons drawn.  They sidestep to allow four more armed men through the door.  The men go from room to room, securing them.  One comes out of Garron's room and says, "It's in here." 

         - They herd Eva, Katy and Garron into Garron's room.  Maestro, Garron's computers and monitor are spread out on a desk.  "Who's is this?" asks Skara.  The three are silent.  Rosch looks around the room.  "Boy's clothes – it's him," Rosch indicates Garron.  "And those girls are psychos.  But not like the other one," nodding toward the entry hall.  "They're 'Lighters'."  Skara orders his men, "Take them all – get rid of the dead ones - and gather up every piece of this equipment before the cops get here."

         - Terias is enraged.  "Darius is dead!  Fogram is dead!  Roata curse that little brat!"  As he yells, things rattle around the room, then he regains control of himself.  "This boy is truly cursed.  He is not a little boy – he is a death-bringer; a scrata.  Roata decrees that scratas must die."



BIG-Z GETS MAESTRO

         -E, K & G are taken by armed guard into an underground bunker.  Whenever Eva tries to talk to Katy, they are sent a painfully loud "NO TALKING!" command from Rosch.  They are prodded down long dark passageways.  They are pushed into a small cell with bars.  Garron protests: "Hey! Like we're prisoners or something?"  Skara: "Now you get it."  Before the men leave, Rosch turns on a device in the cell which begins to hum.  Eva & Katy find that when they try to send to each other, their messages are garbled and unintelligible.  They talk aloud about what has happened to them and what might happen.

         - After several hours, Skara and Rosch come to get Garron.  The girls try to interfere but are cowed by Skara's weapon.  Skara takes Garron into Big-Z's office.  Big-Z tells Garron that his programmers have managed to crack most of Maestro's functions.  But it seems that there are security passwords which must be entered at every stage and this is time consuming.  Big-Z wants all the passwords and he'll let Garron and the girls go.  With feigned bravado, Garron tells Big-Z that all the passwords are randomly generated personal questions about Garron's life and Big-Z will never gain access to the core program.  Rosch, nonchalantly leaning against the wall says: "He's lying." Garron looks at him in alarm.  Rosch: "You're easy to read, 'Darker'," he says in answer to Garron's thought.  Garron tries to use the thought shield that Katy taught him.  Rosch ridicules him, "Ooo! He has an itty, bitty shield."  Garron tries to strengthen his shield while thinking furiously.  If he gives away all Maestro's secrets, Big-Z may kill him and the girls.  Maybe he could think of a way to trade him the information in pieces, to secure their release.  He didn't dare trade on his father's position or he might be held for ransom.

         - "I could work for you.  There's a lot more than Maestro."

         - Big-Z laughs appreciatively, "Oh-hoh!  The puppy wants to run with the big dogs."

         - Garron's mind flashed through anything that he could offer Big-Z.  Then he let one thought trickle through his shield.  Rosch started up from the wall.  ”Codes!  He can get the codes to the Noestra military beacons!"  Garron let a look of surprised fear come over his face.  Big-Z: "Hah! What do you know of the Noestra codes?"  "Nothing. But if you let me have Maestro back, maybe I could find something out for you."  "You're not getting Maestro back."  "There's someone I could contact who might be able to get me the codes, but you have to let us go."  Surprisingly, Big-Z acquiesces.  They agree to deliver Garron and the girls back to the Turlux Tower.  Garron agrees to deactivate the security barriers in Maestro, after Maestro gets them back into the Tower.  He also agrees to contact Big-Z in a few days, when he has the Noestra codes.  Big-Z lets him go with a warning that he'd better not try double-crossing him.

         - Back in Fara's flat, E K G & M discuss what has happened and what they can do.  Mosi confesses that he ran away down a path when the rest of them were taken because he was scared.  Then when he came back he found himself all alone.  He doesn't want to be alone again no matter what.  Garron informs them that when he deactivated the security barriers in Maestro, it automatically initiated failsafe programs to hide the most sensitive materials and would periodically up-link its own location via micro-second bursts.  He never thought he'd use this feature, and only programmed it after he heard of another hacker being busted by the police on Noestra.  "I don't care what I have to do; I'm going to get Maestro back!"



AHROS CONSULATE

         - It is reported to Terias that "the Pigeons have returned to the coop." 

         - Terias asks his assistants, "How do you catch a little mouse?  With a  mouse trap.  When he opens it –SNAP! – no more little mouse."

         - Terias sends a bomb inside a beautiful basket of food to Fara's flat, but because Garron changed the number, it goes to Nerrod's flat.



GRANDMA VISITS RAIS

         - Grandma goes to ARCO headquarters with a bag of home-made muffins for Rais and the boys.  She barges past the receptionist and enters the boardroom.  Although the members are annoyed, they pretend to welcome her.  She asks Rais about Nerrod, and Rais says he can't find him.  Clavdar interrupts saying that "Boys will be boys – He's probably found some cute little friend and is busy."  Booboo sniffs around Clavdar and all the board members, then comes back to Clavdar and pisses on his shoe.  Clavdar is very angry.  Rais laughs but says that they have work to do and Grandma must go."

         - At their next secret meeting, Clavdar, Sorin and Haruko decide that they must get rid of Rais soon, and Grandma and her little dog, too."

         - Big-Z talks to someone on the phone about a hit.  It must look like and accident.  They have the location and will inform him of the time.  He says 'accidents' cost double.  When he learns the name of the target, he's shocked, but assures his client that it can be done – but it will cost 10 times the original price.  They agree.



ALBEATA BREAKS EXPORT DEAL

         - Clavdar informs full board that O'ba has broken the super metal trade deal.  Rais, as expected, pushes for diplomacy and refuses war.

         - Clavdar, Sorin and Haruko decide that they must kill Rais immediately.  They contact learn from the receptionist that Rais has a appointment with his favorite mistress that night, but she doesn't know where.  They contact Big-Z and tell him that the 'mark' will be at the location tonight.  He will contact them when it's done.

         - Garron succeeds in making a new remote for Maestro using parts of everything in Fara's flat.  He leaves a huge mess. 

         - Grandma arrives at Turlux tower to check on Nerrod, finds him gone, and finds the beautiful basket of food.  She starts to open it.  Booboo starts to bark like crazy.  She says "I know its too fattening, but you can't be on a diet all the time!"  She opens it and looks in to decide what to eat.  Booboo continues to bark, picks up the card from the wrapping paper and shows it to her.  Grandma learns that it's for Fara and decides to take it to her as it's only next door.  She picks up the basket and leaves.

         - As Grandma's about to ring the bell at Fara's, Booboo whines and starts down the hall.  "You have to make your business now?  You can't wait just a moment while I deliver this?"  She rings the bell.  Inside EKG & M are too scared to answer it even though they can see it's only an old lady.

Booboo continues whining, but she rings the bell again.

         - EKG & M finally open the door but no one's there.  Grandma and Booboo are in the elevator.  "I'm sure Fara wouldn't be allowed to eat it anyway." 



GARRON STEALS MAESTRO BACK

         - Garron has found out where Maestro is – the headquarters of Big-Z is in the basement of an unoccupied warehouse outside Turlux City, near the airport.  He is determined to go after it.  The girls try to convince him not to do it, but he decides that this is more important than he bruised ego, or that he needs to regain his most prized possession.  He can't leave something as powerful as Maestro in the hands of a dangerous criminal.  "I have to think about the damage he could cause with it.  Innocent people could be hurt."  Katy: "Yeah – you!"

         - Garron asks Mosi about the Dohi Paths.  Eva and Katy say not to take Mosi because of the danger.    Mosi says, "I can go where I can see, or where I've been before, if it's not too far.  But I've gotten lost once or twice and it's scary." Garron finds out from Mosi that he once transferred another person with him through the Dohi Paths.  Eva and Katy will go to the airport and charter a plane.  Mosi will get Garron into the bunker.  The will get Maestro and meet the girls at the airport, fly to the Divere spaceport and use any means to get themselves off the planet.

         - To fool any of Big-Z's agents, they leave Turlux Tower at night in Fara's blacked out limousine.  The Karshoi agent watching the building senses that they are in the car and reports to Terias.  He is told to follow it and that Terias and the others will join him. 

         - Outside Big-Z's headquarters, they stop Fara's car and Garron and Mosi disappear into a Path.  Eva and Katy then continue on to the airport. 

         - Garron is enthralled by the Path and the Dohi.  Slowly they make their way through the complex looking for Maestro.  They find Maestro in pieces, in an empty room.  Garron is pissed off when he realizes that the main power rod is gone.  He uses a plastic liner to carry all the pieces.  Then he tells Mosi that they must find the power rod.  Mosi suggests that Garron plug it is anywhere.  Garron explains:  "You know how much power it takes for a space ship to lift off?"  Mosi: "Yeaaahh! Like the sun!"  "No- well –like a very small sun.  And it's the only one in existence."  They go back into the Paths.  They find the power rod in a laboratory surrounded by scientists.

         - Eva and Katy arrive at the airport and run to the Info Kiosk.  They find out that there is a pilot willing to fly them to Divere, but that his plane is an old propeller plane.  They don't know what a propeller plane is. They are directed to the tarmac and ask one of the ground crew where to go; he walks them over to the plane.  They're introduced to the pilot and make the deal. 

         - Clavdar gets the call that the target has been eliminated in an 'accident.'  The body will be found after a few days.  Clavdar calls Sorin and tells him to "Let loose the dogs of war."

         - Garron and Mosi travel as close as they can to the rod.  They appear and Garron snatches the rod out of a startled scientist's hands.  Rosch is in the back of the room and Garron hears him yell "Stop!"  The scientist makes a grab for the rod, and Mosi and Garron vanish into the Pathway.

         - Rosch can sense where they've gone.  He calms the scientists and orders them to inform Big-Z.  Then, like a Diviner, begins to cast around for the trail of Mosi and Garron. 



CHASE TO THE AIRPORT

         - Mosi and Garron appear where they left the car.  Garron points out the airport several miles away.  Mosi says he can take them there.  Skara bursts into the monitor room and sees the tiny figures of Garron and Mosi just before they disappear. 

         - When they replay the disappearance for Big-Z, he says, "What the hell was that?"  One of the techs says, "Some new psycho-shit – like they're invisible or something."  Skara: "He pointed to the airport."  Big-Z: "Then take Rosch and a squad and get them!"

         - Garron and Mosi appear outside the airport, and go to the Info Kiosk upon entering.  They are given the same info about the pilot, and Garron knows the kind of plane.  Mosi gets nervous and feels something is wrong.  A car full of Big-Z's men skids to a halt outside the airport, as Mosi and Garron spot the plane.  They hurry to it and climb the stairs.  Inside they are shocked to see Eva and Katy being held at gunpoint by Terias and two Karshoi.  He says, "I'm not going to play mind games with you this time.  A bullet is quicker.  You will all come with me back to the Consulate and have an interesting chat."

         - They begin to go down the stairs of the plane, but shots ring out and the first Karshoi is killed.  The following Karshoi tries to dive back into the plane door and is killed.  Terias tries to get hold of Mosi but Garron hits him with Maestro.  Everyone runs back into the plane except Terias, who runs away.  They yell for the pilot to take off.

         - EKG & M's plane takes off and Big-Z's men take off after them in Big-Z's jet which is armed.  They radio that they will be shot if they don't turn around and land.  They are fired at.  Their pilot takes them low to avoid the radar targeting system.  They bob and weave and make everybody nauseous.    They are hit by a weapon and lose one propeller.  "Can't we call for a rescue?" asks Eva.  Pilot: "We've crossed into Divere airspace; if they see a fire fight, their idea of a rescue will be to send people to pick up the pieces tomorrow morning."

         - They are told that they have one last chance to turn around or the will be shot down.  The jet flies over head and several miles distant turns to fly straight at them.  They are about to admit defeat when huge fiery holes open in the ground ahead of them  There are rockets launching.  They are heading into the launch field, but the jet is directly in the center.  The jet performs banks and turns trying to avoid the hundred of rockets lifting off.  The jet's wing tip is brushed by a rocket, sending them into a spin and crashing to the ground.

         - Big-Z: "What?!"  "We can no longer raise Skara and Rosch.  After the launch at the ARCO facility, they were no longer on the radar."  "Filthy garbage-eating, maggot-humping dogs!  This Maestro thing is starting to be more trouble - ."  He calms himself, "Do we know if the other plane made it through?"  The question is relayed.  "Negative, they were flying below radar before the launch, so we don't know if they're still flying or not."  Big-Z looked at his new assistant: "Who do we have in Divere?"  The assistant smirks and says "Who don't we have."



FIGHT AT THE SPACE PORT

         - On one engine, the plane just makes it to the Divere spaceport.  They barely avoid a landing spaceship and crash into the terminal.  They are thankful to be alive.  They are being treated for injuries (Katy has a broken arm), when Eva detects Big-Z's men coming for them.  As they start to run, Big-Z's men start shooting to scatter the crowd.  They escape in the ensuing panic, but are cornered by three men on the other side of the concourse.  They surrender and are shocked when a man drops from the upper level onto the gunmen.  The attacker (the old man from the juice bar), takes out two of the men but is injured by the third.  As the old man and the gunman fight desperately, the old man tells EKG & M to run. 

         - They run through an indoor atrium in the middle of the terminal and notice three security guards entering the terminal.  They thankfully run toward them yelling, "Help!" and are shocked when the security guards draw their guns and order them to stop where they are and then order Garron to give them the device.

         - They run back to the atrium, guards on one side, and Big-Z's men on the other when suddenly the guards' guns fly out of their hands and Big-Z's men are thrown across the concourse and into a wall.  Eva and Katy joyously spot Aliya at the entrance to the space ship docks.  With her is Aiden and he is unleashing all his power on Big-Z's men.  More security Guards show up and start shooting.  An alarm goes off and a mechanical voice says: "Warning! Illegal psychic energy has been detected. Surrender immediately or Terminal Security will initiate aggressive anti-psychic blocking."  This message is repeated as a huge yellow globe in the ceiling states to glow and hum.  Aliya, Eva and Katy wince and cover their ears.  Big-Z's men start to shoot at Aiden as he's the only one still standing.  Bullets bounce off Aiden's shield.  The main doors to the terminal open and a hundred police start streaming in.  The level of the psychic blocker has reached its zenith and Aliya, Eva and Katy are cringing on the ground moaning.  Aiden points one hand at the device and it explodes.  Abruptly the humming stops.  The police have everybody surrounded and their weapons are pointing at Big-Z's men, the disarmed security guards, and Aiden. 

         - The commander of the police, whose insignia show that he is Deflector Division, steps into the terminal and crosses to his lieutenants.  He indicates Big-Z's men and the security guards, and tells his men to arrest them and take them away.  He walks up to Aiden and cocks his head, "Aiden, I presume?"  Aiden nods.  The commander says: "You've made a mess of my spaceport."  "I had a lot of help."  They laugh and hug.