To Infinity and Beyond

Previous - RETURN - Next

To infinity and beyond

Episode 1: The most dangerous ally

By Kitty Ocean

 

"Hey Buzz, where are you heading?" Mira asked. "I thought we were going to have lunch together."

Buzz turned around. "Commander Nebula asked me to come Mira. He said it was pretty urgent."

"Really?"  Booster asked. "What could be so important?"

"He didn't tell me." Buzz answered.

"Can we come along?" Mira wanted to know.

Buzz doubted. "I don't know. Commander Nebula never said it was a secret. I had to go to the Training Department."

XR completely panicked. "Oh no! He's going to replace me! Waaah!"

Booster stopped XR, the sarcastic robot. "Don't worry, you are part of our team. You'll never be replaced."

"Really?" XR asked. "I knew that!"

Mira smiled. "You know, last time you had to go to that place was because he wanted you to show me."

"I know." Buzz replied. "That's why I am so curious. Okay, you can come along unless the Commander wants to discuss this in private."

Buzz Lightyear and his team went to the training department where Commander Nebula waited for them. "Ah, Buzz, what kept you so long?" The old commander asked. His wooden leg tapped impatiently. "Oh, you brought your team along. Doesn't matter, it's not a great secret. Everyone who knows her, worries about it."

"Worries about what Commander?" Buzz asked.

"Her." Commander Nebula pointed at the field at a purple haired girl.

The girl agile managed to avoid each attack from any robot. She didn't seem to have any problem with it and she rarely used her wrist laser. A robot wanted to drop a net at her, but she duck away and then jumped up the robot. Like an ant she climbed to his head and opened a door. She ripped apart the cabled and the robot shut down.

"She's pretty hot... I mean good!" XR mumbled.

Commander Nebula walked to the LGM and talked to them. "Level 9." He ordered. The LGM shivered.

Buzz protested. "But Commander, there doesn't exist a level 9!"

"It does now." Commander Nebula responded.

6 gigantically robots closed in on the girl. She looked around and swallowed. Suddenly a robot released a rope and grabbed her feet. She dangled up.

"Oh dear!" Booster exclaimed. "It's too hard for her."

Commander Nebula didn't stretch a muscle. "Just wait and see." He said.

The purple haired girl raised herself and used her wrist laser to cut the rope. Just before she would actually fall, she grabbed the other side of the rope and climbed to the arm of the robot. With her wrist laser she damaged his arm. Another robot tried to smash her with his hand but she jumped away and the hand hit the damaged arm of the robot. Both got electrocuted.

"What is she? Tangean?" Buzz asked.

Mira shook her head. "Her skin is not blue."

"She's human." Commander Nebula filled in. "100% human."

They looked at the training field again, seeing 6 robots badly damaged. "How much ammo did she use?" Buzz liked to know.

"113." The LGM replied together.

"That's pretty much." XR smiled.

"Of the 1300." The LGM added.

"She did this with hardly using ammo?" Mira and Buzz exclaimed.

Commander Nebula nodded. "We are afraid that she is even better than you Buzz."

"What?" Buzz was astounded.

"That's why she is so dangerous."

XR laughed. "Sure, it's really dangerous that we might actually defeat the evil emperor Zurg!" He sarcastically told Booster.

Commander Nebula scratched his voice and XR stopped rattling. "She is still young. Some rangers found out that Zurg tries to get her to his side."

"What?" Booster exclaimed. "But how?"

Commander Nebula looked at the girl who redid her hair. "We don't know. But if Zurg succeeds, it could be the end of Star Command."

Buzz laughed. "Don't worry Commander, I will defeat her if that happens." He confidentially smiled.

"You think so?" Commander Nebula answered. "Then follow me."

Commander Nebula took Buzz and his friends to the training room and called the girl.

"Space Ranger to be Nané Sophia reports for duty!" She saluted smiling. "Commander, could I ask you something?"

"Sure." He agreed.

"When can I move on to level 4?" She asked. "I think level 3 is a bit too easy for me right now."

It became silent. Commander Nebula looked with his iron face, Buzz gasped, Mira couldn't believe it, Booster mumbled "Oh dear" and XR fainted.

"Need to say more?" Commander Nebula asked. "Rookie Sophia, you just finished level 9."

"But there is no level 9." Nané replied.

"There is now."

"Really?" Nané sighed. "Bummer!" She saw the shocked faces of the rest. "I mean: Really? I can't believe it! Not that I am thinking level 9 is easy!"

"You can speak freely." Her commander told her.

Nané wisely kept her mouth shut. She looked around and saw the clock. "My God! I have an exam right now!" She looked at her commander. "Am I excused?"

"You are." The Commander nodded and Nané ran away. "Need to say more?"

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Buzz finally managed to ask.

Commander Nebula folded his arms. "You must protect her from Zurg."

"What?" Buzz exclaimed. "Star Commands best fighter has to baby-sit a Rookie?!"

"You heard me." The Commander walked away. "Your mission starts right now."

Buzz couldn't believe it. Mira and the others tried to comfort him. "Don't worry, it will be all right."

"Baby-sitting a rookie." Buzz sighed. "What a humiliation!"

"Don't worry too much." Booster added.

"Yeah!" XR smiled. "Just see it this way: this is what you'll be doing with your pension." Mira looked devastating at him. "Oops! I mean... Okay, I'll shut up."

 

From that day on Buzz and his crew followed Nané wherever she went. Mira followed her into the pool; XR followed her into the classes. Booster followed her everywhere he could and Buzz concentrated on following her in Star Command. But whenever Nané turned around as if she suspected she was being followed, every team member acted absent and that it was a complete coincidence. Booster even dressed up like a woman just to stay hidden.

One day Nané walked through the corridors of Star Command and all the team members followed her. Again Nané turned but saw only 4 cleaners. She turned into a corridor and the team followed.

"What?" Mira asked. "Where did she go?"

"She can't just have gone up in smoke!" Buzz mumbled.

Suddenly they heard a voice above them. "Why are your following me?"

The looked up and saw the purple haired girl hanging upside down on the ceiling.

"We are not following you!" XR smiled. "We just wanted to ask you something."

"And it took you 13 whole days to gather courage?" Nané jumped on the floor. "Am I a suspect of any crime or something like that?"

"No." Booster answered.

"Am I considered mentally unstable and dangerous?"

"Not really." XR mumbled.

"Then why are you following me?!" Nané's green eyes were full with anger.

Mira looked at Buzz. "Shall we tell her?"

"No!" Buzz ordered.

"Fine!" Nané yelled. "Since there is nothing important, I would like that you get off my back!!"

Nané ran away and left the Space Station for Capitol Planet.

"Darn!" Buzz cursed. "When does the next ship leave?" He asked the LGM.

"Tomorrow." One answered.

Buzz clenched his fist. "Don't worry." Mira lay a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think Zurg will try anything when she is on Capitol Planet."

 

Nané opened the door to her small house. "I'm home!" She yelled but nobody answered. She spotted a little note on the table. She read it. "Nané, I've been asked to negotiate with the Tyronian; they want to join the Galactic Alliance. Be back in 5 days. Love, Corona." Nané sighed. "Again?" She softly whispered and looked at a photo of her and a brown skinned girl. Sadly she put down a bag and walked into the kitchen.

 

That night, Nané slept in her own bed. Suddenly she heard her doorbell ring. Cursing she woke up and walked at the door. She mumbled words like 'idiot', 'moron' and 'middle of the night'. She opened the door and looked at a blue skinned guy in a power suit. Behind him were 5 yellow robots: Zurg's Hornets!

"Good evening Miss Sophia!" Warp Darkmatter smiled. "Please follow us." He raised an arm with weapons at her.

Nané boiled. "Do you have any idea what time it is?!" She yelled furious. "Get out or I'll help you out! Come back tomorrow!" She slammed the door.

Warp, astounded but recovered quickly, blew out the door. "Zurg asks for you!"

"Great, now you also ruined my door!" She placed her hands in her side. "Will your Zurg pay for this?"

"Hornets!" Warp only replied.

The Hornets dove at Nané and Nané dove away. She kicked against the yellow metal and the robots were easily defeated. If she could defeat 6 mega robots from Star Command, 5 Hornets were no problem at all!

"Now get out!" Nané yelled at Warp. "I'm in a bad mood!"

"What Zurg asks, he gets!" Warp aimed at Nané. Nané was ready to duck away but instead of laser; a small ball came out which released some gas. Nané coughed and tried to get away, but the gas was too strong and she collapsed.

Warp walked at her. "Without a scratch." He evilly smiled.

 

End of part 1

 

Previous - RETURN - Next