Mystery
Strange occurrences on Misslemax have the Zapbots on the high alert as they try to decrypt a mystery.
Synopsis
We join the Zapbots at the annual minicars baseball game on Gearatron. Anthony and his HeadMaster friend Jeremy are watching the game as Speedy is attempting to connect with the ball. He strikes out and leaves the stadium depressed as his brother Timetravel goes to cheer him up. While talking to Timetravel, Speedy feels like he is a 'total loser' and is upset that he is limited by his capacity. Timetravel notes that he was given the best visual optics around with his eyes.
Later Anthony is in his quarters as Jeremy is once again beating him to a game of chess. Fortress Misslemax proceeds to return to Tockmak 3 where Anthony is planning on visiting his parents. Anthony checks in with his family and senses problems between his mother and father. After an awkward visit Anthony bids his parents goodbye as he has responsibilities he needs to carry out. He checks in with his parent's personal security guard U-Turn to make sure everything is going well.
Anthony catches up on the video call-up with his romantic friend Mike Quartz who asks if they were informed of his persuasion. Anthony indicates he has not revealed this yet due to the complexity of things.
Meanwhile across the Universe Skyscream is giving Secretish grief for not being able to figure out how to combine the two Matrix's powers. Secretish indicates that he needs the current holder of the Matrix of Leadership to be destroyed before he can claim its power. He indicates he has a plan already in progress.
Upon returning to his quarters, Speedy notices an odd light in my spectrum. At the same time just as Jeremy and Anthony are returning to his quarters an explosion goes off destroying Anthony's living room. Anthony wakes up in sickbay to discover a bomb went off causing considerable damage. The crew starts to ascertain who planted the bomb and Anthony calls in the Tech Team to conduct an investigation much to Scan's disapproval. Vebox attempts to distract Scan to calm him down as he has had bad experiences with the Tech Team.
The crew investigates Speedy's report of him seeing bright lights and as the Tech Team arrives another explosion occurs in the engine room. The crew finds that the shields were off for the explosion which would normally require a security code to occur. However no security code is available, only an error is shown on the screen. The crew debates if someone is tampering with the programming of the computers on Fortress Misslemax.
Anthony crashes in Jeremy quarters to try and distance himself from possible further harm. The piano in Jeremy's room starts to vibrate but no explosion. Speedy calls in indicating he saw another light, which seems to line up with the timing of the occurrences on the ship.
The Tech Team discover all across the ship various octagonal devices have been planted that are the cause of the explosions. As they investigate Speedy's story they mock him for his vision which greatly hurts his feelings. He visits Shortstop and requests that his optical implants be changed, but Shortstop asks that he leaves them in till the investigation is completed. Shortstop also gives the Tech Team a stern talking to.
When the Tech Team deliver their report, they trace the items found around the ship back to the logs of Speedy and Timetravel's deceased brother Shortwing, who committed suicide. Speedy optic sensors were close to the design of these devices and as such he was able to see the incidents before they would happen. Suddenly another explosion occurs inside the Master Computer. Pliers and Repairs work to contain the damage before it causes the whole ship to explode. For safety reasons, Shortstop evacuates the ship forcing all Zapbots to fly down to Tockmak 3 for safety. As they try to eject the core, a piece of one of the devices is lodged inside the ejection mechanism causing it to jam. Shortstop, Botimus and Twirl attempt to pull the piece out but it won't budge. As the last report, Shortstop fires at the part causing it to eject and explode into space.
Just as the Zapbots recover, they look up and see what would be considered a Ghost version of Shortwing hanging in the air. Shortwing threatens the crew for allowing him to die as the Zapbots try to persuade him that he can be helped. Suddenly a Nonocons ship comes in range of the disabled Fortress Misslemax. Secretish is now controlling the Nonocons and he brought back Shortwing to cause destruction amongst the crew.
The Tech Team head outside of Fortress Misslemax to battle an Eaton robot in space while Secretish challenges Shortstop to a one and one battle on the planet. Boaty notes that Secretish is trying to capture him as he can not combine the two Matrix's power without him. Shortstop accepts the challenge and goes to meet Secretish on the nearby moon.
On the moon Shortstop convinces Secretish to battle him without the use of his Black Matrix. He agrees and sets the two Matrix's down to dual mono e mono.
Meanwhile, the Tech Team combine to form Circuitbreaker to take out the Eaton robot but the Eaton robot brings Circuitbreaker to his knees.
As Shortstop and Secretish fight, Secretish sensing he is losing grabs the Black Matrix, just as Shortstop himself reclaims the Matrix of Leadership. They proceed to fight with equal power now.
Back towards the other battle, Circuitbreaker separates and then recombines to escape the grasp of the Eaton robot and proceeds to damage Eaton, causing him to retreat. Now focusing on the Nonocons' ship he attacks, he drives the Nonocons away from the battle as well.
As Shortstop and Secretish continue their battle, Shortstop starts pushing Secretish back simply because of the addition of his human willpower. Soon he knocks Secretish out and then using the power of the Matrix of Leadership vanquishes him back to his own dark Universe forever.
The Zapbots finally remove all of Shortwing's devices. Shortstop using the Matrix of Leadership allow Timetravel and Speedy to communicate with Shortwing giving them one last goodbye before they set his spark-free.
Anthony spends time again with his friend Jeremy noticing that he draws strength from his human friends during these various trails by fire. He then returns to Tockmak 3 to visit his father and they have a bonding discussion.
In the Epilogue sequence, we see Anthony in another Reality buying a Chevy Cobalt which strangely gives him a feeling of protection for some reason.
Featured characters
| Zapbots | Humans | Nonocons | Planets |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
“Data. Hit from opposition robot. Data. Damage acquired. Conclusion: Return fire!”
- Circuitbreaker to himself
Notes
Versions
- First Version: 1993?
- Second Version: 2020
- Third Version: 2021
Production notes
- First appearance of Spin-Cycle, U-Turn, Smokey and Shortwing.
- I honestly don't know where Spin-Cycle came from as I wrote him in the story but never created a sketch for him. Guess I'll have to draw him now.
- The additional battle with Secretish came with this revision and was one of those 'Oh yeah that's a great idea' moments.
- In the original draft I never resolved the Shortwing issue. Decided to do so here to give peace to the whole story.
