Send in the Clones part II: Captain Botaroo

"Run SP0T run!" Having done its job of delaying Botaroo for a split second, Cart ordered his bot out of harm's way, hoping that it wasn't too damaged in the electrocution. He took aim at the armor housing that shielded the process indoctrinator, and fired the rifle. "Pew pew! Release your control over Captain Botaroo, evil communists!"

"Oh no! Not the dear, beloved Captain!" Brett exclaims as Cart fires at his childhood figure.

Will becomes tangled in the net just as the console spontaneously combusts into flames. a moment later Cart fires at the Good Captain striking a vintage indoctrinator and sending the bot flying back with black smoke pouring out of it's joints. The junior citizens are none too pleased some of them screaming and yelling others just outright crying along with Brett. Now they have really turned on Cart!

Hey ya big meanie!

Yeah, what'd you do that for!

Let's get him!

TRAITOR!

It looks like treason or death for the troubleshooters when suddenly through a secret panel in the South wall comes none other than TEELA O'Malley!

Her appearance is radiant, her ORANGE jumpsuit faultlessly tailored. She takes in the situation with a glance, raises her hand imperiously and barks out, "CHILDREN! Put down those weapons this instant!"

All the kids look at her, then at each other, then they lay down their guns. Teela says sharply, "You've been very bad. Go and stand in the corner until the Internal Security agents come." They all go over meekly and stand in the indicated corner.

Teela is in control of the situation, "Captain Botaroo, she says in that beautiful voice, "Please aid these noble troubleshooters"

In a rattled strained voice the Captain chortles, Vy, shoor, Miss Teela! He attempts to roll over to Cart but some internal belt seems to be busted and mostly you just hear gears grinding. finally he stops attempting to move and reaches into his pocket and tosses over another bouncing ball.

Cart had never seen a vision of jumpsuit beauty as Teela-O-MLY. And in the flesh! All sorts of private traitorous thoughts, the kind he used to have in his younger hours, involving approved monkey grease and the voice of the Computer urging him on to smear that orange jumpsuit with -- But there was no time for daydreaming now.

"Triumphant Teela! I can repair Captain Botaroo to his original condition if necessary. What Ms Teela bestows, I accept!" Cart stuck his tongue out at the children, and reached for the ball that Botaroo tossed out.

"Is that Teela?" I shout from the other room, trying to disentangle myself from the burning console! "Hey you, can you give me a hand?" I ask one of the kids inside the studio "I have to get an autograph!"

Brett gasps. "Teela-O-MLY? Oh man, since young I had a dream of being an actor like you! It's great to see another celebrity in the same room!" Brett moves forward to attempt to shake her hand, but as Botaroo sends out another ball, Brett remembers that they are rather "poppy".

Cart picks up the artificially sweetened algae ball.

Brett recoils from the second one.

Teela follows Will's call and beckons for Cart and Brett to follow. She marches into the recording studio. The narrow room is filled with broken glass, technical equipment, playback and editing machines. Will is untangling himself from a net while a fire spreads on one of the consoles.

Tucked away in the corner is a flimsy card table with a bunch of kids standing around it. They all look abashed before the great Teela O'Malley. You notice the treasonous music has stopped.

On one wall above the table is an open panel with a lot of wires. Two long wires lead from screw terminals in the panel down to the table, where they're attached to a little speaker box about the size of a transistor radio. Teela picks up the box, pulls the wires from the wall and looks to the three of you.

I believe this is what has been causing our recent trouble, she says, I know I can rely on you to deal with it properly. Now, which of you is the team leader?

Cart picked up the algae ball and stashes it away as if it was ambrosia from heaven. And also the second one, since Brett had no use for it. He quickly skipped into the studio, following Teela a bit too closely.

"I am no leader, merely a humble Equipment Officer in service to our glorious Computer. Let me handle this treasonous piece of equipment so that all can be restored to normal. I can instruct the children to assist me to do so if I'm given the authority."

"Great questions Miss Teela-O-MLY" I say still struggling "I can't remember where out team leader is, but he was in a very unhygienic state last time I saw him!"

"Hmm, Team Leader... I think if he is not with us, he might have been a cowardly traitor! So I suppose the defacto leader is probably Cart who claims to be a secret high-ranking citizen, or me, as I'm a powerful magician who is also in loyal service to The Computer!"

"Humbly, I can neither confirm nor deny what Brett has said about myself. I can only declare my sincere and loyal service to friend Computer as long as I draw breath. And to you too, O magificent Teela!

I can affirm both Will and Brett speak true. Our team leader cruelly abandoned us very early in this mission, betraying us at the first opportunity, as did two other team members. Only us three loyal citizens remained faithful to this end."

Teela gives the box to Cart.

She smiles enchantingly. She strides purposefully from the recording room across the studio to the secret panel. She pauses and turns at the opening, looking back at you.

You can almost hear a violin playing a steady note.

Dramatically, she says,
Remember the service I have done for you this day

a moment later. she is gone.

"See you!" Brett waves goodbye to Teela. "Man, it feels good to do a job well done! In fact, I have now regained the memory that we are troubleshooters sent to stop the music! Anyways, Cart, let's now see what's in the box!"

Cart found that he could breathe again, even though the bulge in his overalls refused to subside.

"Typical transistor!" Cart showed the other two the transistor radio-like device which Teela had unplugged from the studio system, and easily opened it up to see how it functioned. "Evidence of treasonous equipment. We can bring this back as proof." He scanned the rest of the studio to see if there was other equipment to salvage.

"Thank you very much for this mysterious box, miss Teela-O-MLY!" I shout as she disappears. "By the way guys... now that the music stopped... could you give me a hand?" I quickly add as the room starts to get uncomfortably hot.

Cart reached out to extract Will from the wires first, before picking up the two items of strange tech. "I'm going to go out and try to fix our dear Captain. After that we should report back, but hopefully not through the sewers again."

Cart tried to see if he could repair Botaroo, to make him more 'controllable'. Which reminded him to check on GR8-SP0T as well, to see if it was short-circuited, or if it could be repaired too.

Brett will also help out untangling Will.

"With what sorcery did you manage to get me out of this?" I ask surprised by Brett's easiness untangling me. "How is Bot-A-Roo?" I run closer to Cart. "wow, this room is a mess! I must request cleaning reinforcements!" I press a button on my com... hoping it is the right one :D