Boomtown

Boomtown

as re-told by Dan Fiorella

Originally aired 11/12/1986

Old Roy McIntyre's at it again! The prospector and Burr-O
5000 are on C-40, yet another planet in his never ending
search for the mother lode. Using his high-tech divining rod
and his space-pick, he strikes it rich, uncovering a huge
deposit of star stones. But it isn't long before word spans
the galaxy and the "gold rush" is on. Beings from all over
the universe come to the planet to stake a claim and get rich.

Unfortunately, the rush attracts the wrong element as well,
like the Black Hole gang, who jump claims and rob the miners
of their valuable star stones. And Capt. Kidd and Squeege,
sensing a chance to make a space-buck, naturally show up as
well. He's selling blasters and weapons to the bandits who
are running roughshod over the planet. This "boomtown", a
rapidly grown city which sprang up around the mines is on the
verge of being a lawless hell-hole. Which is why they request
the Galaxy Rangers to come to town. This is worth a spit-take
on Kidd's part.

Now, since at this point we were no longer allowed to create new characters for the show, we had to utilize the cast of characters in existence. So, with this type of story, I decided to utilize as many as I could.

With everyone in the series always on the outlook for star stones, it wasn't hard to work everyone in. (in fact, a whole bunch were cut, alas) Yes, the Black Hole gang (Boss, Skinny, Fatty, et al.) are robbing the stones, so they can turn over a cut to the Queen and her slaver lords and agents 7-0 and 9.3 (I checked the script). In return, they're getting weapons, supplied by
Kidd.

It's a job for Zach, Niko, Doc and Zozo as they land at the space port and get the first stagecoach to Boomtown. They are there to prevent C-40 from becoming the next Tortuna. We learn that the planet wasn't always barren, but had been abandoned eons ago, though no one knows why (yet).

They're not on the planet 5 minutes when some of the less intelligent bandits hold-up the stagecoach. Who robs a stage going TO Boomtown carrying lawmen after all? Charging up, they defeat and capture the bandits, announcing that a new day is dawning on C-40, there's a new sheriff in town ("tell a friend," adds Doc.).

They reach Boomtown with their prisoners and seek out a place to hold them and try to get in touch with "Mac," the guy in charge. With no sheriff's office or jail, they decide to keep the prisoners in the basement of the saloon, the Crystal Maz cellar (hi, John!).

Turns out Mac is Old Roy and boy, is he glad to see his old friends Niko and Wally. Since he's got the biggest claim, he's been the de-facto leader. He's introduced to Zach and Zozo ("I don't believe I've met your species, what are you?" "Kiwi." "Of course, I love your fruit.")

Now we learn that while the Rangers are planning to clean up this town, the Queen's Agents are just planning to clean up. They'll be supplying the guns to the outlaws, who will then drive off the settlers, leaving all the star stones for the Queen. They are not too upset about the arrival of the Galaxy Rangers, because they were not unprepared. They brought with them the one new character I was allowed to create, Hugo, the huge Gunslinger-robot (again, I checked the script).

While the Queen's agents are planning to make the Galaxy Rangers history, Niko and Roy are off to discover the history of the planet. I love these segues. Roy discovered some ancient ruins beyond the mines and leads Niko there. Now Capt. Kidd meets with the Queen's agents and won't be getting any star stone payments until the guns arrive. His ship is bringing them in.

Meanwhile, back in town, the Gunslinger shows up, calling out the Galaxy Rangers. It's a showdown and Zach finds himself at a disadvantage, the robot shootist knocking away
his blaster and able to withstand his arm-cannon.

Enter Doc and Zozo, who get to dance for the Gunslinger, dodging its gunshots. Zach distracts it again with another blast, and gives Doc the chance to call up Tripwire to invade and disrupt
Hugo. It's down and out, or as Doc says, "the bigger they are, the harder they crash." But who sent the Gunslinger?

The Queen is annoyed about the robot's failure, it making the miners more confident in the power of the law. Which means the Queen's agents will now have to drive the settlers off with an all-out offensive on Boomtown. Luckily, the weapons have arrived. Unluckily (for Kidd) the Queen's Agents simply take the weapons from Kidd with no payment. (Oh, come on, Kidd getting double-crossed, who didn't see that coming?).

At about this time, Niko, Roy and Burr-0 reach the ruins. Niko takes a psychic reading of the ruins and becomes aware that the entire planet is made up of star stone material. You'd think this would be a good thing, right? Well, the stones absorb the energies of the surface population. And as they fill, they convert the psychic energy into kinetic energy, shaking in place, causing such massive earthquakes that entire civilizations were destroyed or run off. And it's going to happen again. Between the lively Boomtown, and the mining that is de-stabilizing the planet's structure, they're in for the biggest earthquake yet. In fact, the planet's going to blow up. Blow up real good.

Kidd makes his way back to Boomtown and decides to tell the rangers about being double-crossed and the Queen's plans. That's about the time Niko radios in with her seismic news. In two hours the planet's going to blow. They can radio BETA for transports to evacuate the settlers, but they're going to have to fight off the Queen's attack. The line has been drawn and Zach deputizes the citizens of C-40. They seem oddly happy about that. Even Kidd is drafted into action.

The townsfolk set up barricades and the battle is on. The outlaw hordes drive the settlers into the town, trampling Mogol's lackey Larry and some demons (in a surprise cameo) in the process.

The foes are now engaged in hand-to-hand combat and just as it looks like all is lost, the cavalry arrives, in the form of the space fleet lead by Goose. They drive out the bandits, trampling Larry and the demons again. The Rangers get the settlers up and off the planet just in time to see it get blowed up. Blowed up real good.

Even after losing his fortune, Roy's not too upset, the universe is a big place after all and they'll be other claims. An amazingly optimistic outlook considering his history of prospecting. And so, as they sing "Oh, Tortuna" they ride off into the sunset, or fly off into the stars or whatever.

*The End*

OT Thought:


Random occurrence, or has Hunk of Voltron been moonlighting with our Rangers? Also, check out Roy's Lyrics, also provided by Dan F.