The Phantom Shuttle
Story by Evelyn A.R. Gabai
Transcribed by MoKat

Opening scene: Camera zooms in on an orange spaceship that appears to be in terrible condition.
ACE (off-screen): The call for help must have come from that old ship.
[Camera pans left.  Star Pac flies into the shot.  Camera switches to an interior shot of the Star Pac.]
ACE: Try contacting them again.
KIMBERLY (into a hand-held microphone): Star Pac to cruiser, come in.  Is anyone there?
[A beam shoots out from the old cruiser and hits the Star Pac, sending it spinning through space.]
ACE (as he is bringing the Star Pac back under control): Offhand, I'd say "Yes".
ACE: Let's go in for a closer look.
[Star Pac flies toward, then around, the (much larger) cruiser.]
ACE: Whoa!  I don't like the look of this place.
[Camera switches to an interior shot.  The Star Pac has docked inside the cruiser; Ace and Kim step out.]
KIMBERLY: I'm not sure I even wanna -see- whoever, or  -what-ever is in here.
{Yeah, the place does look kinda creepy.}
[Ace tries to open a door, but them transforms into his younger self.  Ironically, the door swings open.]
DEXTER: Whoa-oa! *falls backwards through the door*
KIMBERLY (scolding): Dexter!  -What- are you doing?
DEXTER: First thing I'm doing is to tell them to oil that creepy door.
[Said door slams shut behind them.  They stare at it for a moment, then move along.  Sometime later, an eerie wail reverberates through the area.]
DEXTER: Ghosts!  This ship is haunted!  *jumps up, into Kim's arms*
KIMBERLY: Dexter!
[Kimberly stumbles backward, while holding Dexter, and bumps into a revolving panel.  They fall down a chute.]
DEXTER: He-e-elp!
KIMBERLY: *gets up* We've gotta find out who's running this haunted ship.

Scene shift: Presumably another part of the cruiser.  We see an old-fashioned ship's wheel (the wooden kind that was used on old sailing ships) and it's moving by itself.  Camera pans left, showing other deviceds in action, then stops on a door where Kim and Dexter are peeking.
KIMBERLY: Look!  Everything's moving, but nobody's here.
DEXTER: *grabs the ship wheel* Maybe it's steered by...
[The wheel flips Dexter around.]
DEXTER:...gho-o-o-o-osts!
[Camera switches to an exterior shot of the cruiser; the engines roar to life.]
DEXTER (off-screen); Somebody's hijacking us!
[Camera switches to a shot of somebody's monitor; we see Kim walk by.]
KIMBERLY (hear via monitor): Not if I can stop it. 
[Camera pans backward to reveal an alien sitting in a chair.  We cannot see its face, but he(?) seems to be wearing red clothing.  Camera goes back to Kim & Dexter on the monitor.]
DEXTER: Kimmie! *is flipped around by the wheel again*
[Dexter transforms back to normal.]
UNKNOWN ALIEN: The powerful Space Ace. *turns around in his chair so we can see his face*
UNKNOWN ALIEN: Finally, I've got the perfect specimen.
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Wait, Dregulon!
[Camera pans right, until we see an alien girl (with light-blue skin and pale-pink hair) who is strapped into some sort of restraints.]
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Now you can let -me- go!
DREGULON: Well, I don't need your -puny- lifeforce, now that I have Space Ace's.
DREGULON: *pushes a button* Ghost guards!  
[Green mist rises from a nearby device and forms into creature-like shapes.]
DREGULON: Lock her up, anywhere.
[The Ghost Guards blow the girl out of the restraints & out through a door.]
DREGULON: You two go to the bridge.  Scare Space Ace to me.
[The ghosts leave.]

Scene change: back on the bridge, Ace and Kim are messing with the cruiser's controls.  The ghosts slip in, unnoticed.
KIMBERLY: One of these levers has -got- to stop this spooky thing.
[The Ghost Guards blast them with a windy attack.]
KIMBERLY: Whoa!
ACE: First we have to stop -these- spooky things!
[They are blown backward, onto some stairs.  Ace catches Kim.]
ACE: Hang on, Kim!
[They are blown up the stairs.]
ACE: *closes the doors* Whoever is running this tub sure needs a new housekeeper.
ACE: Maybe we can find some answers in here.  *grabs a box, then transforms while blowing off some cobwebs, thus dropping said box*
KIMBERLY (annoyed): Not again, Dexter.  What did you drop? 
DEXTER: Looks like some robot parts.
[Camera switches to Dregulon, who is still watching them via the monitor.]
DREGULON: Good.  
[Dregulon grabs some sort of joystick from a drawer.]
DREGULON: Now Robo will do the rest.
[Camera switches back to Dexter, who is holding a robotic arm, which springs to life and grabs Dexter's wrist.  Dexter shakes it off, only to discover it is joining with some other parts to form a robot.]
KIMBERLY: This way, Dexter!  *grabs him by the collar and dashes out of the shot*
[They jump down a shoot, which is too small for the robot to use.]

Scene change: I assume this is the ship's galley ^.^
ALIEN GIRL: If I'm gonna be locked up, this is the place to be. *eats some food*
ALIEN GIRL (singing horribly): Someday my spaceman will come...
[Dexter and Kimberly land with a loud crash.]
KIMBERLY: *coughs* Where *coughs* -are- we?
ALIEN GIRL: In Dregulon's galley, steppin' on -my- food!
[Dexter removes a turkey from his head.]
DEXTER: Who's Dregulon?
[The alien girl seems to be attracted to Dexter.  She sighs and put her hand under Dexter's chin.
ALIEN GIRL: Forget Drag-a-lon.  Wouldn'tcha like to know -my- name, sweet thing? *hugs Dexter*
DEXTER: Not really.  Hey!  Quit crowding me!
ALIEN GIRL: It's Blatta(?)
DEXTER: Figures.  *throws the turkey at her and dashes behind Kim*
{I don't get it; maybe Dexter heard it as "Blah-blah"?}
KIMBERLY: Who -is- Dregulon, Blatta?  Where is he?
BLATTA: Up in his lab.  He invented a giant monster to take over the universe...only it needs to be energized by a special lifeforce.
KIMBERLY: Whose?
BLATTA: Well, now it's some jerk named Space Ace.
[Dexter and Kim look shocked.  Blatta comes over and hugs Dexter again.
BLATTA: Drogalon -was- gonna use me, only now he thinks I'm to beautiful to be sacrificed(?).
{That's -not- the reason you delusional little twit...}
KIMBERLY: We must stop him from creating that monster!
[Blatta is holding Dexter (who is trying to slip out of her grasp).]
BLATTA: We're locked in here...forever.
[The robot breaks through the wall with a loud crash; it charges toward the trio.]
ALL: Oh, no!
[Camera goes to Kim, Dexter, and Blatta; then fades to black.]
[END OF ACT 1]

[BEGIN ACT 2]
[Camera opens on the robot closing in on the trio, with Dregulon following right behing it.]
DREGULON: Grab the Earthlings, Robo!
[The robot grbas Dexter & Kimberly.]
KIM & DEXTER: Dregulon!
DREGULON: Who's this? *points at Dexter* 
DREGULON: Where's Space Ace?
KIMBERLY: He's closer than you think, Dregulon.
DREGULON: *grabs Blatta as she runs by* Blatta!  Stay out of this!
BLATTA: You leave my Dexy alone!  Let me go you big bully! *screams*
BLATTA: Run, Dexy, run!
[Blatta tears free and rams the robot, causing Kim and Dexter to fly out of it's grasp.  Dexter sails through a hole in the wall.]
KIMBERLY: Dexter?
BLATTA: Dexy! *dives through the hole after him*
[Kim sees the robot approaching and decided to follow them through the hole.  The robot is too big to follow; it crashes against the wall...repeatedly.]
DREGULON: Save your circuits, Robo.  That vent leads right to my lab.  When Space Ace comes to rescue them, my monster and I will be waiting. *laughs*

[Camera switches to Dexter crwaling through the vent's ductwork, followed by Blatta and Kim.  Blatta closes in on Dexter and hugs him.]
DEXTER: Blatta! *removes her*
DEXTER: I can't crawl(?) with your mitts all over me!  Will you please...
[Dexter transforms back to normal.]
ACE: ...back off?
BLATTA: Gladly.  Bleech!  You gross me out.  What happened to my Dexy?
ACE: Your Dexy got away.  He;s got all the luck.
[Ace removes a vent cover and peeks around the room.]
ACE: Kim, this looks like it might be Dregulon's lab.
ACE: Blatta, where does Dregulon keep that energy-drain machine of his?
BLATTA: *crosses her arms* I'll only tell Dexter.
ACE: Listen, Blatta-kins, tell -me- and I promise Dex will take you for an ice cream soda on Earth.
KIMBERLY (to Ace): You'll be sorry.
BLATTA: An ice cream soda with my Dexy?  It's a deal.  Let's go.
[The trio climb out of the vent.]
DREGULON (off-screen): Space Ace.
[Camera reveals Dregulon & Robo.]
DREGULON: I didn't expect you so soon.
[Ace, Kim, and Blatta dash off-screen.]
DREGULON: Not so fast, Space Ace!
[Dregulon fires a device that looks like a flashlight.  A blue beam freezes the trio.]
DREGULON: I haven't even begun with you yet.
[Dregulon fiddles with his machine.]
DREGULON: At last, I can now transfer Space Ace's lifeforce into my monster.
[A omnimous claw moves into position; it picks up Ace and puts him on a restraining table near the machine.]
DREGULON: Soon the ultimate super monster will be under -my- command!
[Dregulon removes the sheet from the other table, revealing a gray-skinned biped with blond hair and purple fur.  Electricity arcs from the machine and to the monster.  Another arc forms between the machine and Ace, who struggles.  While this is happening, Ace transforms into his younger self and stops struggling.  Dregulon doesn't notice as he turns around and approaches his monster.  Said monster sits up.]
DREGULON: It lives!  Speak to me.
DEXTER (via monster): How ya doin', Dregulon?  Hey, this is weird! 
DEXTER (via monster): *hops off the table...and falls* Oops!
DREGULON: Looks like you need some adjustment.  But first, show me how strong you are.  Grab those two and toss them into deep space!
[Kim and Blatta are released from the (cone-shaped) stasis fields.  Terrified, Blatta hugs Kim.]
KIMBERLY: No!  Dexter!
BLATTA: Don't do it!
[The monster approaches them.  The transformation effects kick in as the monster hauls the girls over its shoulders, presumably to tell us that Ace has transformed back to normal (kinda weird seeing it around the monster tho'.).]
ACE (via monster): Hey, no problem!  *carries them away*
DREGULON: Now, hurl them into deep space.  *points toward a shaft*
KIM & BLATTA: NO!!
ACE (via monster): No way!  They're my friends.
[The transformation effects kick again, causing the monster to fall backward and drop the girls.  Dregulon puts his hand on his head.]
DREGULON: There must be an electrical short somewhere.
DREGULON: Robo!  Put the monster back on the slab!
[Robo does as it is commanded.  Dregulon activates the machine.  Dexter sits up.]
DEXTER: Hey!  That was a real trip, Dreggie.
DREGULON: It's you!  *grags Dexter by the shiulders and shakes him*
DREGULON: Where's Space Ace?
BLATTA: Dexy!  You leave Dexy alone!  *charges toward them*
BLATTA: Hands off Dexy, Dregulon!  *grabs Dexter*
[Dregulon's foot hits the master switch (which is conveniently labelled) during the struggle and activates the machine, which sends an arc into his butt. The monster growls and sits up.]
DREGULON (via monster): Why didn't I think of this before?  Now I'll -personally- take over the universe.
KIMBERLY: Now Dregulon's lifeforce is inside the monster!
{Way to state the obvious!}
[Blatta, Dexter, and Kim run away.]
BLATTA: Quick, Dexy!  We can by him in a space pod!
[The trio jump into one of the saucer-like vehicles.]
KIMBERLY: Perfect!  *activates the pod*
KIMBERLY: Now, let's get back to the lab.
[Dregulon/monster swats at the pod as it zooms by.]
DEXTER: Whoa!  *falls out*
BLATTA: *tries to grab him but fails* No!  Dexy!
[Dexter lands on the monster & puts his hands over its eyes.  Dregulon/monster roars and tries to shake off Dexter.]
DREGULON (via monster): Get off me!
KIMBERLY: *steers the pod back around* Jump in, Dexter.  Quick!
DEXTER: I -am- jumping!
[Dexter transforms.]
ACE: And now I'm leaping.  Make way! 
[Ace leaps off of the monster and lands in the pod.]
BLATTA: Oh.  It's -you- again.  Where's Dexy?
ACE: Dexy's out to lunch, Blatta.  Like you.
[Ace steers the pod into the lab.
DREGULON (via monster):  *laughs* Now you're cornered at last!
ACE: I think -you're- the one who's cornered!  *trips the monster*
[The monster lands on the slab.]
ACE: Time to put you out of commission, monzie!
KIMBERLY: Right!  And destroy the machine! *pulls the switch*
[The machine activates.  Dregulon blinks. Ace grabs a cobweb(!!) and use it as a net.]
DREGULON: Let me out!
ACE: You kidding?  We're about to let you -in-...the Cosmic Jail!
[Ace hauls him off-screen and then the machine explodes.]

[Scene change: the outside of the cruiser, presumably some time later.]
ACE (in the Star Pac): That old haunted shuttle will see no more victims!
[The Star Pac fires on the cruiser, which then explodes.]
DREGULON: No! *whines* My phantom ship!  All my machinery is gone...forever.
BLATTA: Let's get to the nitty-gritty, Space Ace.  Ya promised me a date with Dexter.
ACE: Well I, uh...
[Ace transforms.]
BLATTA: Dex!  Ya back!  *grabs him*
BLATTA: Oh, I can't wait to have that ice cream soda ya promised me.
DEXTER: Will you mellow out, Blatta?  I never promised you anything.  Never!
KIMBERLY: No Dexter, -you- didn't.  But Space Ace -did-.  Now you've got to make good.  *laughs*
[The Star Pac speeds through space and the camera fades to black.]

***End of Transcript***