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Episode 14
Scene 1
Blackjack and his family have just finished one of the Flocking Races. Tom, Pixel, and Pokher are there to greet them.
Pokher: Wow, you guys barely lost!
Ante: I prefer to say ‘almost won’.
Blackjack: At least I flew well.
Toke: You did, son. You fly very well for being so overweight. It’s your sister that lost us the race.
The whole family gives disapproving looks to Button.
Button (offended): Hey! So I’m tired. Sorry we lost the dumb race.
Everyone turns their attention to Tom, who has his hair badly frazzled and his shirt crooked.
Blackjack: Tom, why is my sister so tired?
Tom (embarrassed): We took a really long walk before coming to the race.
Bluff: You’re a horrible liar.
Ante: Oh, leave them alone. It’s third spring. Your sister can mate with whatever willing partner she can find.
Toke: Well, what do you all want to do? We can watch the next round of races, or check out the Flavafruit eating contest.
Button: What about Evershine Falls?
Bluff: Or the Stackers card tournament.
Pixel: I was thinking of going to Mount Sky.
Tom: What’s Mount Sky?
Pixel: The highest mountain on Planet Bling, and also the place I gained consciousness.
Toke: And also where we found you.
Tom: Found him?
Pixel: Yes, just days after I gained consciousness, Blackjack’s family found me and took me into their nest. Toke, I’ve never asked you this, but was there anything you noticed that day that might give a clue to my origins? My creator?
Ante: The only thing out of the ordinary that I remember is the flash.
Pixel: What flash?
Ante: Just for a moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw what looked like a brilliant flash of reddish-orange. To me it looked like a swarm of glowing insects came into existence just for a second, and then vanished. But no such insects are known to exist on Bling, so I thought it must be a strange form of spot lightning.
Toke: But it was that flash that drew our attention to your location. Bluff was just a young bird and was infinitely curious, so he wandered over and found you.
Pixel: Why didn’t you tell me this before?
Blackjack: It didn’t seem significant at the time. Just a strange incident.
Pixel ponders this, then looks at Blackjack, Tom, and Pokher.
Button: What’s with all the looks?
Pokher: We recently encountered a very advanced life form that fits that description.
Pixel: Will you all go to Mount Sky with me?
Everyone agrees and they beam themselves to the top of Mount Sky. They are stunned to see a swarm of fireflies waiting for them.
Fireflies: Your timing is impeccable.
Tom: That’s who we met at the space donut!
Toke: Space donut?
Fireflies: I have an offer for you, Blackjack. How would you like your very own mini-donut?
Blackjack: You mean the wormhole one with time traveling capabilities?
Fireflies: No time traveling, but you can go anywhere in the known universe by harnessing your mental energy.
Pokher: What’s the catch?
Fireflies: The Splat Culture and CUPGASS have joined forces and are planning an invasion of the Cigar, Whirlpool, and Pinwheel Galaxies.
Blackjack: How do you know that?
Fireflies: Some of my kind have learned this.
Tom: But how?
Fireflies: We watch Crown and Khan.
Blackjack: You spy on them?
Fireflies: They are known criminals. Being aware of their plans is a form of self-defense.
Pokher: True.
Fireflies: You have encountered both empires recently and been successful in thwarting their plans. With the technology we give you, you can explore the rest of the known universe. All we ask is you do the same thing when you encounter those thugs.
Blackjack: Those galaxies are so far. How could they possibly be planning to invade?
Fireflies: Cigar is the closest, as you know, and borders the Crooked Sombrero Galaxy. It is three months at Max Zip. Pinwheel is the farthest, just over a year away at Max Zip. These are long term plans they are implementing. We, however, can transport instantly with the donut. This gives us a great advantage. There is also a new defensive weapon we can offer you.
Pokher: What is it?
Fireflies: It’s called the DeDensifier.
Tom: What does it do?
Fireflies: It makes dense things less dense, and therefore easier to penetrate.
Blackjack: Like shields.
Fireflies: Like shields, exactly. We will also help get your secret weapon back online.
Tom: What’s the secret weapon?
Pokher: It’s a secret, Tom.
Fireflies: There are many worlds veering towards anarchy in the Cigar Galaxy, so it seems logical they will strike there first, especially considering it is also physically closer. They wish to turn the tide against young anarchist life forms and enslave them. This could throw the creative balance of the universe to an extremely negative pole. This must not be allowed to happen.
Blackjack: What do ya think, guys?
Everyone nods agreement except Tom.
Tom: I wanna go back to Earth.
Everyone groans.
Tom: I was kidding! It was a joke! I get to explore more galaxies? I’m all in.
Blackjack (to fireflies): Ok, it’s a deal.
Fireflies: I’ll meet you at The Blazing Muffin.
Pixel: Wait! Before you go, I have questions about my origins.
Fireflies (glows brighter): Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to. I’ll see you again soon, Pixel.
Fireflies flash and disappear.
Tom: Maddeningly cryptic.
Thanks for your time and attention!
Just say "NO" to slavery!
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