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Boobytrap: In the year 1999, Earth has been ravaged by a global war. Brother battled brother as the conflict raged across the planet, but the devastation paled in comparison to a new threat which appeared to alter the course of human history forever. Astronomers discovered an alien spaceship that had broken through hyperspace on a collision course with Earth. Alarm increased as reports of the giant spaceship were confirmed by scientists around the planet. Eventually, they determined that the landing site would be Macross Island in the South Pacific. The uncontrolled descent produced shock waves of incredible force; however, there was little damage to the island or, surprisingly, to the spaceship itself. The armored hull had taken the brunt of the fall, leaving most of the sophisticated technosystem intact. The gigantic craft was explored with a mixture of awe and anxiety. There was no sign of the alien crew, but the remains of the battlefortress gave evidence of a civilization that was centuries ahead of Earth’s most advanced technology. That alone was the most sobering discovery. Neither the look of the spaceship nor the material found inside indicated its creators were a peaceful race. Annihilation by invaders from another planet had become a terrible possibility. The Global War ground to a halt. A cease-fire was ordered, and worldleaders banded together to form the United Earth Government. Under this new administration, a research team consisting of the most brilliant minds on the planet was formed to investigate and restore the battlefortress. The team labored to decipher parts of documents from an incredibly complex technology called Robotech. For the next ten years, the resources of the entire planet were focused on the restoration of the spacecraft on Macross Island. A great city grew up around the Robotech Project. On the eve of the ship’s maiden flight, every citizen – man, woman, and child – gathered to celebrate the achievement and to witness the launching of Earth’s new defender under the name of the Super Dimension Fortress One. As the SDF-1 prepares for takeoff under the command of Captain Henry J. Gloval, inhabitants of Macross City enjoy opening festivities hosted by war hero Lieutenant Commander Roy Fokker. The ceremonies are interrupted when Fokker’s young friend Rick Hunter, crashes the air display with a fantastic demonstration of his own aeronautical abilities. To the public’s delight and Fokker’s distress, the young man all but steals the show. However, when the two meet after Hunter landed his plane, all friction is forgotten as the two renew their friendship. Their enjoyment is short-lived as another warp-fold splits the fabric of space. Yet another huge alien ship enters Earth’s solar system. These are the Zentraedi, a race of giant warriors bred for thousands of generations for the sole purpose of military conquest. They are in pursuit of the Robotech battlefortress. The alien finder-beam locks in on the SDF-1’s position, and the rest of the armada follows its flagship to an orbit circling Earth. Under the command of Breetai and his assistant, Exedore, the Zentraedi prepare to reclaim their lost property. When the spacefortress senses the presence of the Zentraedi armada, it automatically begins to prepare defense mechanisms. The bridge of the SDF-1 dissolves in chaos. Captain Gloval leaves the opening ceremonies to join his crew. Lieutenant Commander Lisa Hayes and Bridge Officer Claudia Grant advise him of the ship’s unusual behavior. As the SDF-1 bridge crew become aware of the invaders and regain control of their ship, a combat alert is ordered and all personnel are called back to the ship. Breetai and Exedore don’t know what to make of the humans' initial attack. Their defense seems erratic. It does not put the Robotech spacefortress to its most effective use. The Zentraedi can hardly guess that their foes lack sufficient knowledge to control the massive Robotech mechanisms. Rick Hunter is literally caught napping in one of the Veritech Fighters as the combat begins. Lisa Hayes orders him into battle. She assumes he’s one of their combat veterans. Rick obliges her, taking off with youthful nonchalance only to find himself in the midst of a situation he’s not prepared to deal with. Fortunately, Roy Fokker comes to his aid. Countdown: Aboard the SDF-1, Vanessa reports to Captain Gloval that twenty-four unidentified objects are touching down just offshore. Gloval asks why they weren't detected earlier, and Vanessa tells him the energy drain from the firing of the main gun knocked out their radar. "Those scout ships were just a decoy," Gloval muses. "Very clever strategy." He asks Lisa to recall Lt. Comm. Fokker's forces, but with the Veritechs still busy fighting off the first wave, Gloval instead orders the carrier Prometheus to send out reconnaissance choppers. Lisa says she's already called for them, and they should arrive in five minutes. Back in Macross City, the crash-landed VF-1D Veritech Battloid piloted by Rick Hunter lurches forward. The townspeople worry that it might be some sort of alien invader, and young Lynn Minmei and her little cousin Jason go upstairs to her room to get a better look at it. Offshore, the “Sea Sergeant” recon helicopters from the Prometheus fly over the target area and report no sign of the enemy craft. Lisa warns them that they are suspected to be submerged in the ocean, and indeed, a number of enemy battle machines rise to the surface and turn their laser cannons on the two choppers. Both are quickly destroyed. On the bridge, Lisa breaks the bad news to Gloval just as Senator Russo enters. "Well, Captain, it's lucky for us that we got this ship ready in time to fight off the invaders," he remarks. "When do you take off? You are ready, aren't you? Why haven't you taken off? What are you waiting for?" Russo demands. Gloval insists that he can't take an untested ship into space with a crew of raw recruits who've never been into space before, but Russo won't hear it. "It sounds to me like you have no confidence in your crew; is that what you're telling me, Captain?" Russo asks. Gloval assures him that's not the problem, but Russo wonders then what the problem is. "We spent a fortune on this Robotech ship, and I don't want to see it destroyed on the ground," he says. He won't have any excuses. The SDF-1 is ordered to take off, despite Gloval's objections. In the city, Lynn Minmei opens her window and gets an eyeful of the Veritech Battloid. The towering battle machine's head swings down, and an empty chair rises up out of its back. Her cousin Jason assumes that nobody's running the machine, but soon the pilot's chair rises up and a confused-looking Rick Hunter walks from it and looks down from the Battloid's shoulder. He asks the nearest onlookers what his craft looks like to them. "Some kind of robot, I think," Minmei tells him. "Oh great. When I got into this thing it was an aircraft," he replies. "I thought I'd gone nuts." Minmei asks him if he's joking, but Rick tells her he's as puzzled as anyone--after all, he's not a military pilot, just an amateur. "What? How'd you get that robot?" Minmei asks him. Rick tells her it's a mistake, that he's not supposed to have it. Jason accuses him of being an enemy spy, but Rick tells them that it was the army's idea for him to take it, not his. It's only then that he notices all the damage he's caused, and Minmei asks him if he'll have to pay for it all. "Me? I hope not," he says sheepishly. Just then, a car horn is heard from below. A military supply truck wants to get through, and the robot is blocking its way. While he doesn't know how it works, Rick figures he can at least try to move the thing out of the way. Minmei wishes him luck as he returns to his seat and it lowers back into the Veritech. As the head rises back into place, Rick looks over his controls and tries to figure out what they do. A few pulled levers later, the Veritech begins to fall backwards to the ground. To compensate, Rick pushes some pedals and ends up firing the thrusters in the robot's backpack, sending it flailing towards Minmei's home. She and Jason manage to run to the other end of the room just in time as the Battloid smashes through the wall, its head coming to a halt right over them. Rick uncovers his eyes and asks them if they're all right. Thankfully, they are. Back at the SDF-1, preparations are made for the ship's liftoff. Vanessa informs Gloval that Armor-01 has fully recovered and is preparing to rendezvous with Armor-10. He thanks her then asks Claudia to check the reflex furnace to see if they've recovered full power. They have, so he orders the anti-gravity system to full thrust. The countdown begins, and at zero the anti-gravity control system is activated. The SDF-1 begins to rise, but after a moment it begins to stagger violently in mid-air. Lisa points out the problem--the gravity pods are breaking away from the ship instead of lifting it! One by one, they fly into the sky, leaving the fortress behind to drop back onto its supports with a crash. After making sure everyone is all right, Gloval asks for a full damage report. "They'll never let me hear the end of this," he grumbles. Lisa tells him he shouldn't blame himself, but he can't help but feel responsible. "I am the captain," he says as he falls into his seat. Meanwhile, a pair of vans have been rigged to pull the Veritech out of Minmei's house. The drivers floor the accelerators and manage to get it upright for a moment, but then it just falls backwards, coming to rest after smashing into another building. In the air, Fokker reports that he and his team have sent the enemy forces packing. Lisa commends him, and Claudia asks how many he shot down. "Only ten this time," he admits. She warns him that he's slipping, but Roy assures her that he'll make it up. "Do you have any word on the VT-102?" he asks Lisa. She tells him that he landed in Macross City and is doing more damage than the enemy. Roy laughs and thanks her for the update. Lisa asks who he is, but all Roy will say is that he knows him. After transferring command of the squad to Captain Kramer, Roy flies down to Macross City to check on Rick. He spots the Battloid and radios his old friend. "Had a busy day down there, I see," he remarks as he looks over all the damage. On the ground, onlookers flee as Roy's Veritech Fighter swoops down towards the city and begins its own transformation to Battloid mode. Rick, Minmei, and Jason cannot believe their eyes as the fighter plane mechamorphs into its humanoid configuration. Roy assures Rick that with a few small repairs he'll be able to take the Battloid back into action, but Rick seems resistant to the idea, noting that he's not even sure what this thing is, and he sure isn't qualified to operate it. However, Roy says that if he can fly a plane, he can operate a Battloid. The controls, he tells Rick, are fairly similar, and he can check Rick out on them as he makes the repairs. As manipulator arms from Roy's Battloid's arm repair circuitry within Rick's Battloid's chestplate, Roy explains that the Veritechs are classified top-secret, and there is a good reason for their existence. The manipulators retract, and Roy tells Rick to apply gentle pressure to the foot pedals. Rick does as he's told, and the Battloid stands up straight. Minmei is impressed by his quick learning, but has to bid Rick farewell, as the city is being evacuated. This is with good reason, as just offshore, a horde of Zentraedi mecha--bipedal ostrich-like weapons called Battlepods--leap from their hiding place beneath the ocean and gather just outside Macross City. In orbit, Breetai is informed of their landing. He orders all gunners to prepare to give cover fire to the assault group. On the island, Roy tells Rick that they'd better get moving, but Rick still feels unsure of himself with the Battloid. Roy suggests pulling the lever marked "G" and switching to Guardian mode. "What the heck is a Guardian?" Rick asks as he pulls the control. The Battloid's torso soon unfolds back into an airplane-like state, while the arms and legs remain deployed. Roy assures him that the controls are almost exactly like the fighter plane, meaning he should be able to fly it without any problems. In the line for the shelters, Minmei realizes she left her diary behind, and tells her aunt and uncle that she has to go back and get it. Aunt Lena tells her not to be foolish, but Minmei figures it'll only take a minute, so despite Lena's objections she merrily makes her way back for the city. As Minmei skips merrily towards the city, the Zentraedi are ready to blast everything in the path of the Battlepod assault group into oblivion--except the SDF-1, which Breetai wants intact. The battlegroup fires every laser at their disposal at the small island, leveling buildings all around the reconstructed battle fortress. Within the smoking city, Roy remarks to Rick that it appears the civilians got out just in time. Rick tells him he hopes everyone got out okay. "If you're worried about your girlfriend, we might check on her," Roy tells him. The two Veritech Guardians dash away in search of Minmei. On the SDF-1's bridge, Gloval asks if they have a fix on where the bombardment is coming from. Vanessa informs him that it's from a fleet of ships in lunar orbit, out of the range of their missiles. Lisa tells him an alien assault force is coming from the east, and they need air support. "Call for it!" Gloval tells her. Zentraedi Battlepods advance towards the city, launching an attack on the SDF-1. Moments later, the Veritechs under Captain Kramer's command take off from the Prometheus to defend the fortress and the city. The fighting is heavy and furious, and in the middle of all the chaos, Lynn Minmei is nearly squashed by a Zentraedi Battlepod. However, Roy Fokker swiftly intercedes in Skull One, shooting the Battlepod's foot off. He orders Rick to take care of her while he holds off the attackers, switching his Veritech to Battloid. Despite Minmei's obvious objections, Rick picks her up with his Guardian's left hand and zips away as Roy covers their escape with round after round from his Veritech's autocannon. Still, with missiles in pursuit, Rick realizes that he'll have to find a way to get Minmei into the fighter's cockpit. At that moment, a Battlepod pops up right in front of him and launches another barrage of missiles. Rick pulls up, taking his Veritech straight into the sky, but the missiles are still on his tail. Despite some slick maneuvering, eventually the Veritech is struck, and wouldn't you know it, the left arm holding Minmei is sheared off. As Minmei screams, Rick brings the fighter into a dive, matching his speed to that of Minmei's descent. At just the right moment, he opens the cockpit canopy and reaches his arm out for her to grab a hold of. He pulls her in, closes the canopy, and brings the Guardian down to a low hovering cruise on street level so they can both catch their breath. The two have both barely calmed down before Rick manages to crash the Guardian head-on into a Battlepod peeking around the corner of a building. Rick tries to bring the Veritech to a halt but it slips right under the Battlepod's legs, knocking the pod over with its wings and somehow rolling upside-down, skidding for several yards before righting itself. The Battlepod also makes it back up to its feet, but doesn't react until after Rick notices that Minmei isn't moving. Enraged, Rick unleashes every shot in the Veritech's autocannon upon the unmoving Battlepod. He keeps on clicking the trigger even after the gun is long out of shots, but is relieved as he watches the Battlepod's body crash to the ground. Then it happens ... a hatch on the back of the Zentraedi Battlepod swings open, and from it emerges a giant, clad in battered battle armor. Rick screams, and the giant lurches forward, reaching up and clumsily tossing its helmet aside. It looks almost human. The dazed giant continues towards the Veritech, crushing a car with one step of its armored foot. He nearly reaches Rick's Veritech, but a shot from behind fells him once and for all. Behind the giant, Roy Fokker's Skull One lowers its gun pod. "What was it?" Rick asks. "What was that thing, Roy?" "That," Roy admits, "is the enemy." Once again, the SDF-1 is nearly ready to lift off. Claudia reports that the backup rockets are fueled and ready for firing, and asks Lisa how the evacuation is going. She reports that the civilians are all safely in the shelters, and that the city is deserted. Gloval orders the boosters to be switched on, as they'll be blasting off immediately. "I hope the standby boosters work," Lisa says. "They'll work, Lisa," Gloval assures her. "They were made on Earth." He gives the order to blast off. Finally, the SDF-1 rises from its adopted homeworld and begins its first journey back into the stars in a decade. Lisa radios Fokker with the news and requests air cover. Skull One lifts off and switches to Guardian mode, then hesitates for a moment. "C'mon, Rick! Let's go! Get the lead out!" Roy snaps. "C'mon, what's the matter with you?" At that, Rick switches off the radio on his plane, folding his arms across his chest. The violence raging around him and the sight of the giant alien warrior has just been too much for him. As Fokker flies up towards the departing space fortress, Rick and Minmei are left behind in the alien-occupied city, surrounded by invaders. Space Fold: Lieutenant Commander Fokker returns to bring Hunter and Minmei to the safety of the SDF-1. Captain Gloval tries to determine the Zentraedi strategy while Breetai puzzles over how to capture the SDF-1 with the least amount of damage. Exedore warns his commander that, once free of the planet’s gravity, the ship can execute a hyperspace fold that will carry them beyond the reach of Zentraedi weapons. Breetai reluctantly increases the laser bombardment. On board the SDF-1, Fokker shows Rick that they have managed to salvage the young man’s flying circus aircraft. Rick is happy to give up the Veritech in exchange for his old familiar racer – a vehicle that doesn’t change shape or fire laser. His first taste of battle was more that enough; Rick has no desire to become a fighter pilot. Fokker returns to duty, leaving Rick and Minmei with the little plane. Minmei wants to return to her aunt and uncle in the evacuation shelter on Macross Island. Rick still wants to impress the girl and, although he has promised Fokker he won’t wander off, he decides to fly back to the island so that girl can rejoin her family. In the interim, Captain Gloval has decided to make an emergency jump into hyperspace at an altitude of 2,000 feet above Macross Island. To the Zentraedi’s amazement, the SDF-1 executes a space fold maneuver that places them beyond reach of battle. In minutes, the besieged SDF-1 and her crew find themselves in the icy expanse of deep space, but they also discover that their proximity to Earth during the fold has caused Macross Island to be transported with them. Disaster piles on disaster as they find themselves orbiting the planet Pluto instead of the moon. Then, when they prepare to re-fold to get back to earth, they discover that the fold system has vanished into thin air. Gloval observes that it’s going to be a long trip back home. |
