Fireball XL5: The Incredible Space Adventure Of Fireball XL5

Scene 2 - This Is Space City

We are revealed from a bird's eye view of the impressive revolving tower of Space City and its marvellous site. Inside the control room, we see a black monitor displaying various ships and positions of space across the expansive universe. Various lights flash on the screen, representing spacecraft and vessels. This then pans over to reveal Commander Zero at his executive computer desk with an excellent sound system reporting to Steve Zodiac. In the room, Lieutenant Ninety sits at his own computer console desk on the other side of the room, busily supervising his own work.

Commander Zero:

Good work there, Colonel Zodiac. You successfully completed the test run with brilliance. Those old prototype Escape Run Rocket Missiles are no match for you and Fireball XL5. You are clear to return to Earth, Steve. See you when we get back.

Lieutenant Ninety:

XL18 has now ascended into space, Commander. XL5 is now free to return to Space City. The automatic crane is now recovering XL18's launch sledge and returning it onto the track.

Commander Zero:

Fine, Lieutenant Ninety. Fine. You are making an excellent Space Lieutenant. You have the entire operation under control of supervising the safe lift off and return of Fireball ships. Couldn't be doing it better myself.

Lieutenant Ninety:

Thank you, sir. I try my best.

Commander Zero:

Best? You're best? Here at Space City, Lieutenant, we do more than our best. For we strive ourselves here to do better than the best. Far more superior and impressive than the best of any rank. We demand excellence, and excellence we shall receive. Yes, Lieutenant?

Lieutenant Ninety:

Yes, sir. We have a huge operation we are running and we need to get it spot on.

Commander Zero:

Spot on, Lieutenant? Spot on? Space City needs to run like clockwork. Without fail. Without delay. And with punctuality. We spacemen are at the forefront of our representation of Earth on a universal scale. We are...

There are people who have arrived inside the control room of the tower. It was Commander Zero's family. They had come to visit.

Eleanor Zero:

Oh, hello, honey.

Commander Zero:

Darling? What are you and Jonathan doing here, Eleanor?

Eleanor Zero:

We just happened to be passing through dear to do some shopping and decided to pop in and see how you were getting on today at work.

Commander Zero:

Well, that's very nice of you, Eleanor. So Jonathan, have you been looking after your mother today?

Jonathan Zero:

I sure have, dad. It was me who thought we ought to come and see you if you weren't too busy. It makes my day off school worthwhile, dad. Coming into the big Space City tower and seeing all the cool ships and gadgets here.

Commander Zero:

That's perfectly alright, son. You make the most of your day off. We hardly get any time off here or even a chance to let the guard down, as I was explaining to the Lieutenant here.

The Lieutenant looks down at how he was being shouted at by the Commander in a condescending way again.

Jonathan Zero:

When I get home, I'm gonna help mummy with the shopping and lunch. And then, I'm gonna do some more of my studying so I can become a spaceman when I grow up too. Just like you dad.

Commander Zero:

That sure is sweet of you, Jonathan. What have you been studying lately?

Jonathan Zero:

I have been studying energy, dad. All kinds of energy in space and rays and how they work.

Eleanor Zero:

To be a space pilot Jonathan, you will have to know all kinds of energy and scientific knowledge. Just like your father here, right Wilbur?

Commander Zero:

Yeah. Sure do. But you'll get there as easily as I did. Do you know who is the maintenance manager of Space City?

Jonathan Zero:

No, dad. Who is it?

Commander Zero:

It's Jock. Jock Campbell. He is Space City engineer. And he supervises the whole technical outfit of Space City here.

Lieutenant Ninety:

Jock comes from Scotland and has been part of the World Space Patrol since it was set up in 2048 and was one of the first members to be employed in the organisation. His crew of engineers are responsible for making sure all the ships and installations in the city are in top working order.

Commander Zero:

And makes sure that nothing goes wrong here. If it does, we sure will be in trouble considering that we rely on technology so much in this organisation. And it will mean a very expensive energy bill.

We cut to see the main door to the main power plant section, as marked by the door's label. Jock works in one of the lower levels of Space City's installations at a desk doing some minor maintenance. This is where the power unit to the entire control centre is automatically manned.

Jock Campbell:

Do, do, do, do, do, do, do. Now, as soon as these repairs are complete, that will be my shift finished for the day. Ah, as Space City engineer, I supervise the whole technical outfit of Space City. We wouldn't want anything to go wrong in here and any trouble to be caused, now would we? Not unless we want to pay a very expensive energy bill.

Jock takes his gear and prepares to leave.

There. All done for the day. Now I've locked up all the circuits and panels to see that nothing can happen at all.

The engineer prepares to leave and exits the room. As he leaves out, we see the appearance of Zoonie sneaking up from the other way and trots inside the power plant section. It is here where he begins to play up to his tricks and cause his usual antics...