Outlaw Star
Script- Episode 14
Final Countdown

Narrator: A thief once opined: A thief might steal, but that does not make him inhuman. Those
outlaws who are adrift and roaming the universe say, You may not have the urge to break
the law, but you are still bound to ignore it. The blind and self serving vanity of the
thief. The archaic and old fashioned code of the pirate. The vain, glorious and
narcistic pride of the outlaw. These may merely be white lies to delude themselves to
others that they may to some extent, be considered upright people. Whether fact or
fiction, the outlaws live by and follow a code they take pride in. On the other hand,
ruffians who live outside the law and follow no code at all cause some of the greatest
calamities.

// On the Outlaw Star...

Jim: Gene, are you sure you want to go through with this thing?

Gene: Calm down. All I gotta do is just cut one of em, right?

Jim: If you cut the dummy wire, it'll blow us to pieces!

Melfina: So that means that we only stand a fifty fifty chance.

Gene: Hey, trust me. You'd never guess it, but gambling's my specialty.

Jim: Help me!

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Final Countdown

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// In space near a dock at Heiphong.

Dock Guy: Dock 217 ready for entry.

Dock Guy 2: Gorgeous Mitsuru, you're clear to come in around 7A12.

Dock Guy 3: Number 382, hurry up with these preperations.

Gene: Ah... This is killing me. I can't believe that I'm stuck up here sitting around with this
loser space tug boat job.

Gilliam: I agree. This is no job for the galaxy's most advanced Grappler ship.

// Aisha comes in on the screen.

Aisha: Will you quit your whining! You just got a request to do a catch and release on an ad
ship. It's heading your way on course AC3, you're to haul it back to the space port now!
I mean you humans are always complaining about not having work, so now's your time to work
for your damn...

Gene: C'mon Jim, will you close the channel already?

// He does.

Jim: You know what, if we help out with the station job, they'll give us discount parking planet
side. Now you can't beat that.

Gilliam: Still, I don't understand how they could use the first place privateer of the space
race as a tug boat.

Melfina: Speaking of which, it looks like the race has been good advertising.

Gene: Well its making us a laughing stock. Darn it! Why is this area so crowded? Where is
everybody going?

Jim: I hear there was a big time jewelry store on the station that was celebrating some kind of
renovation. Huh? Hey, thats it, thats the ad ship Aisha mentioned.

// They arrive at the ship.

Gene: Erh... Melfina, dispaly the rondevue course.

Melfina: Sure. It's huge.

Gene: Yeah, its too big. Sure, it'll get your attention, but it can't make sharp turns so getting
it into port is a big hassle.

Jim: Like thats the reason why they need a tug boat. Now quit your yapping and lets get to work.

Melfina: Now matching relative velocity.

// They anchor on to the ship.

Jim: Okay, locking complete.

Gene: Alright, now begin decelleration and put us on a docking course.

// The ship's screens switch to 'gotcha' and anchors shoot the Outlaw Star.

Gene: Whats that? What do they mean by gotcha?

Gilliam: Virus penetration in progress. Virus penetration in progress. Unable to purge, system
shutting down.

// Gilliam shuts off, Melfina comes out of her tube

Melfina: Uh...

Jim: The virus seeped into the system right when those anchors locked on. Now Gilliam's completely shut down.

// A message comes through.

Message: Congradulations. You're a lucky winner. You've been selected to go on a tour of heaven.

Gene: What the heck? Uh. Aisha... We're busy now, call us later.

Crackerjack: Later doesn't exist for people who only have 5 hours left to live.

Gene: What?! What the heck are ya?

Crackerjack: Well now, lets see... You can call me Crackerjack for the time being.

Gene: For the time being?

Crackerjack: I suggest you remain calm. My name is the least of your problems at this moment. The
ad ship you're currently connected to happens to be loaded with a high yield bomb.

Jim: Uh... a bomb?

Crackerjack: If our demands aren't met, the ship has been set with an automatic detonator which
will blow itself up along with your ship. You only have 5 hours.

Jim: Thats ridicoulous.

Gene: So what are these demands of yours anyway?

Crackerjack: Feast your eyes and listen.

Crackerjack: I repeat. We, the People's Liberation Front demand the immediate removal of the
viceroy of Heiphong and any of his personal aides. He is nothing but a puppet of
the Tenpai Empire. We expect total independence granted to Heiphong.

Gene: Independence...?

Jim: No way.

Crackerjack: ... end to colonial rule!

Crackerjack: You heard them. If our commands are met unconditionally, you will be set free. Oh
right, I almost forgot. The bomb's extremely delicate. If you try and dismantle
it, it is programmed to detonate immediately. Please don't think of trying anything foolish. Do enjoy yourselves gentlemen.

// The ad ship starts heading towards Heiphong.

Gene: Oh c'mon, now what...

Jim: Its gonna blow

Gene: Darn it, he's changed our orbit. Mel, calculate our orbit.

Melfina: Right.

Gene: Okay, and Jim you put together a damage report.

Jim: I'm on it.

// On Heiphong...

Reporter: The rage of the terrorist group, the People's Liberation Front, known to be highly
aggressive has currently hijacked a tug boat near the station and implores Heiphong be
granted its independence. We can only imagine how the Viceroy will respond to such
unheard of demands.

Viceroy: Heiphong will never be independent. And we must never give in to terrorists, not while
we're out here on the fronteir.

// At Starwind and Hawking Enterprises...

Reporter: We now have confirmation on the registration of that captive tugboat.

Aisha: Okay... so who are the morons?

Reporter: It has been determined that the ship is the Outlaw Star. Her hostages are her captain
Gene Starwind...

Aisha: Not Gene?!

// Back on the ship...

Jim: I've purged the virus, but the memory is pretty trashed so Gilliam is still offline. The
oxygen circulation is still working somehow, but the temperature regulator is shot. Weapons
and Navigation is pretty much gone of course. Attitude control is about all we can do at this point. And the air locks won't open either.

Gene: So then we couldn't abandon ship as a last resort even if we wanted to. Well, is there
anything that does work?

Jim: From what I see, the only things working are the grappler arms, it looks like their system
is linked directly to the cockpit.

Gene: Ugh.

Melfina: I've calculated our orbit. I'll put it on the screen. We're circling above
Heiphong 3's equator and loosing altitude.

Jim: Blast, tht means even if the bomb doesn't go off in the 5 hours that they programmed it for.

Gene: We'll carry the bomb right into the station when we hit it, won't we?

// People start evacuating.

Announcer: An evacuation order has been issued for the station. Will everyone remain calm and
evacuate the station.

Lady: Wait, my jewels.

Bank Guy: Getting out of here is much more important m'am, they're insured, you don't have to
worry.

Lady: Oh my...

Guy: Gorgeous Misturu lifting off.

Guy 2: Get around to dish 28.

// Meanwhile, in his hiding place...

Crackerjack: Exactly according to plan.

// He heads outside his room and gathers his pals.

Crackerjack: (laughs) Commence operation!

// Back to Aisha...

Reporter: Spaceships are fleeing the station one after another. Calculations show...

Aisha: Gene, whats happening up there, tell me!

Gene: Shut up Aisha! Jim, end transmission.

Aisha: Will you stop telling me to shut up!

Suzuka: Don't you know that yelling at him won't solve anything?

Aisha: So what do you suggest I do?

Suzuka: Its very simple, I'll go ask the man who built the bomb how to stop it.

Aisha: Huh?

Suzuka: Asking the man behind it is the most certain way.

Aisha: Huh? Hey wait, but I don't understand how you're gonna do that.

// Meanwhile...

Aide: I've got bad news Viceroy.

Viceroy: What is it?

Aide: The simulation of the bomb hitting the station predicts that the orbital elevator will
crash into the ground!

Viceroy: What?!

Aide 2: Viceroy, we must not endanger the planet.

Viceroy: We have no choice, we'll have to blow it up with the hostages before it comes near the
station.

Aide: But sir, thats what I, uh... Viceroy, I must tell you according to the terrorists, the ship
is loaded with large quantities of radioactive materials.

Viceroy: Erh. Can't we do anything about it?

// On Outlaw Star...

Jim: Gene, are you really gonna do this?

Gene: Do you have any other ideas? Huh?

Jim: No, but its crazy to disarm a bomb with an amateur like you.

Gene: Show some backbone. Mel, I need you to handle the scanning.

Melfina: Right. Now beginning infa red scan.

// Crackerjack and his pals head to the station. The Grappler arms come out on Outlaw Star.

Gene: All we have to do is cut the power connected to the fuse. Its really no different than
cutting the cord to an ordinary spark plug, right?

Jim: Yeah, but an engine doesn't explode when you happen to cut the wrong cord to a spark plug.

Melfina: The infa red scan is now complete. I'll put it up on the screen.

Gene: What?! There's nothing there, its mostly hollow.

Jim: Because its camouflaged. Thats how they got it to pass inspection before it started the
port entry course.

Gene: So we have no idea of telling whats inside unless we open this thing.

// Elsewhere...

Suzuka: What about the owner registration on the ad ship? Surely you have that.

Guy: But we can only give that information to the police.

Aisha: Quit stalling and tell us everything we wanna know.

// On Outlaw Star...

Gene: We have gotta take a look inside. We just gotta take that chance.

Jim: Don't do it, Gene.

Melfina: Its too dangerous.

Gene: Is that it? Lets do it.

Jim: Na ma ga Na ma ga Na ma ga Na ma ga Na ma ga Na ma ga Na ma ga Na ma ga

Gene: Huh? What the?

// They open the hatch and a bomb goes off.

Aisha and Suzuka: Huh?

Suzuka: Gene?

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Eyecatch

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Melfina: I'm getting no response from the tip of the right grappler arm. Other than that, there
doesn't seem to be any serious damage.

Gene: Ah man, that scared the heck outta me.

Jim: Exactly, so lets forget the whole thing, huh?

// A sound goes off.

Gene: Jim quick, trace the signal. This is the Outlaw Star.

Crackerjack: Didn't I tell you not to try anything stupid?

Gene: Shut up! That was supposed to be some stupid bluff. I thought the whole thing was supposed
to blow us away.

Crackerjack: Now now, that isn't very smart, is it? We'd lose everything if an idiot like you set it off before the Viceregal could give into our demands. If you try anything else
again, you won't get off with just a warning.

Gene: I realize you're very proud of this bomb, but I'm still gonna have to try and destroy it.

Melfina: You know, you shouldn't aggrivate terrorists.

Crackerjack: (laughs) Thats a good one, you blunder into the most rudementary of traps and you
think you're capable of dismantling a bomb I personally made? Don't even try to
outsmart me, you little tugboat pilot.

Gene: Well look who's talking, you're nothing but a useless mad bomber.

Crackerjack: If you insist now I dare you. Give it your best shot, tugboat.

Gene: That jerk likes to hear himself talk. Did you get a trace on him?

Jim: Its hopeless. Normal radio waves don't have directivity. But wait, there was no lag time
so he's probably at least within 30000 kilometers or so.

Gene: 30000 huh?

Melfina: I'm not getting a signal from any spaceships within that radius. Looks like they've
evacuated.

Gene: Are they on the surface?

Jim: Are you nuts, you think they'd hang around on the surface when the orbital elevator might
come crashing down?

Melfina: Where do you think they've all gone then?

Gene: Jim, what do you think, can we send out a jamming signal?

Jim: A jamming signal? Uh, well the comm system is working so I guess I can come up with something.

Crackerjack: Huh? Oh, heh. Looks like tugboat has a brain after all.

// Outlaw Star taps on parts of the ad ship.

Melfina: There's a pitch change over here. This is the only section where the sound is different.

Gene: Great, thats it Mel. Jim, can I use the torch gun?

Jim: No, its hooked up to the power system. The buzz saw has internal batteries though you can
use that.

Jim: Aru kan busanba Aru kan busanba Aru kan busanba.

Gene: Bingo, thats it.

Jim: Forget it, this is the real thing.

Gene: Here goes...

// They find a bomb inside.

Gene: Wise guy why'd you have to do that?

Melfina: That small tube like object appears to be a detonator. I can't determine whether the
explosives are directly inside or not.

Jim: You see those 2 wires over there? One of them carries the signal to the detonator.

Melfina: Then what do you suppose the other one's for.

Gene: Hey, don't worry about it. I grew up watching tons of movies with bombs in them. The
instant the dummy wire is cut, it sets off a relay thats a signal to the real one. And
then boom.

Jim: So what are you thinking of?

Gene: Well, there's only one thing for me to do Jim.

// The Grappler Arm takes the cutters out.

Jim: Gene, are you sure you want to go through with this thing?

Gene: Calm down. All I gotta do is just cut one of em, right?

Jim: If you cut the dummy wire, it'll blow us to pieces!

Melfina: So that means that we only stand a fifty fifty chance.

Gene: Hey, trust me. You'd never guess it, but gambling's my specialty.

Jim: Help me!

Gene: The red, or the blue. With this much explosives, if I screw up we're all gonna be dead
anyway. Huh?

Jim: (laughs)

Gene: I can't believe it at a time like this you're laughing. C'mon Jim, you're better than that.

Jim: Yeah, but when I'm really scared these things seem funny. And I can't seem to explain it.
I just know that I can't stop laughing. I know its crazy, huh?

Melfina: It'll be okay, I know everything will work out.

Jim: Well thanks Mel.

Gene: So, what do you say we trust our luck now. Lets do it.

// The message signal goes off.

Gene: Huh? What is it? Didn't you send out a jamming signal?

Jim: Its a directional laser transmission. And its coming from the station.

Gene: The station? What do yo umean, someone still there?

Aisha: What do you think you're doing?

Gene: Aisha?

Aisha: Its been hard to reach you, we couldn't get you on the radio.

Gene: What the heck are you doing on the station?

Aisha: I tracked the scent of the terrorists and it seems to have led me here.

Gene: The scent?

Suzuka: Thats not true. We tried to track down information on the ship's owner, but it was a
dummy so we found ourselves in a corner.

Aisha: So we asked Fred Lowe and he gave us the information.

Gene: Fred huh? I bet that really cost ya.

Suzuka: Not at all. Actually, he was most cooperative when I told you it was to help you.

Aisha: He even lent us a shuttle for free to get up here.

Gene: So, what information did you get?

Aisha: Well you see, according to Lowe, the ad ship registration is actually a fake that was
sold by pirates on the black market.

Gene: Pirates?

Aisha: Yeah.

Suzuka: So, after that we had Lowe check and see who the pirates previously sold it to.

Gene: Will yah just get on to the point? Who the heck he sell it to?

Suzuka: The buyer was a lead man of a notorious group of robbers.

// On Heiphong...

Viceregal: I can't sacrifice the lives of everyone on Heiphong 3. The Viceregal of Heiphong
agrees to your demands. We recognize Heiphong's independence.

Crackerjack: Perhaps you misunderstood me, what we're looking for here and demand is recognation
by the Tenpai Empire. Any decision made by the Viceregal is totally useless to us.

Viceregal: What? Don't tell me at this point that you never hady any intention of...

// They blow up a door and break into the bank. On Outlaw Star...

Gene: What? This guy's not even a terrorist, he's just a simple thief?

Melfina: I'm not sure I understand, why would robbers demand Heiphong's independence?

Gene: I can't believe it, this whole bomb scare is a scam! It was all just a decoy so they could
empty out the station.

Jim: But why Gene, I don't get it.

// On the station, Crackerjack and the others break into the bank with all the jewels.

Crackerjack: (laughs)

Gene: I know exactly how you think now, Mr. Crackerjack. I bet this one is a dummy too, it'll
explode no matter which cord is cut.

Melfina: Uh... if thats not it, where's the real detonator?

Gene: I'm gonna take a look inside that hatch that blew up first. If my hunch is right, the
detonator is inside there.

Jim: Oh, I get it. You would never check the same place again that you've already looked at.

// They check it.

Gene: Okay.

Melfina: I heard a faint mechanical sound.

Gene: Thats it alright, Jim can I still use the buzzsaw?

Jim: Well, if you're just gonna cut a small hole, the batteries outta hold.

Gene: Okay, this time we're gonna get this sucker.

Melfina: But even if you find the real detonator in there, what will you do if you find two cords
again?

Gene: This guy's really full of himself. He'd most likely think it below him to use the same
trap. But if he did, I'd rely on my intuition and my good luck.

// On the station...

Crackerjack: Alright, its time. Lets do it, huh? Who are you?

Suzuka: I believe thats our line, Crackerjack. Robbery under the disguise of terrorism. Wow,
you must think you're very very clever.

Crackerjack: Uh... how'd you figure it out?

Aisha: I really can't stand idiots like you who think they can plan out every little thing.

Crackerjack: Get them now!

// Suzuka and Aisha beat up everyone.

Suzuka: It looks like you're the only one left, Crackerjack.

Crackerjack: Just tell me, what it is you two want and I'll catch you a deal. If you want part
of the take, how does half of it sound? You do realize that the ship with the bomb
is heading right for the station, we're almost out of time here!

Suzuka: Oh yes, that.

Aisha: Don't worry about it.

Crackerjack: What, huh? Huh?

// The Outlaw Star crashes right into the station.

Crackerjack: Ah!

// Gene jumps out of the ship.

Crackerjack: Uh.

Gene: Well, we finally get to meet, Crackerjack.

Crackerjack: You? Thats impossible.

Gene: Oh yeah, its possible. After we disarmed your bomb, we ditched it and came straight here
to pay you a visit.

Crackerjack: You stupi