Copyright 2000 --- Robert Baer Jr. The Bird Rovers -- "Dawn Patrol" DISCLAIMER Road Rovers characters, names, situations and the Road Rovers universe are the property of Warner Bros. I, nor this script/story are connected with Warner Bros. in any way, shape or form. This document may not be publicized or reproduced in any way, shape or form. It must remain fully intact and may not be altered in anyway. It is strictly used for not-for-profit entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. This story is written by Robert Baer Jr and the characters Robin Mallory, Joe Mallory, Wild Bill Bluejay, Thrush Limbird, Edward R Sparrow, Babs Finchly, Meadowlark Gremmon, Carla Delmar, Robert Delmar, Otto and Samantah Maddog are all Robert Baer Jr's creations, copyright pending, 1998-9. The Bird Rovers -- "Dawn Patrol" It's sunrise on the desert plains above Road Rover Headquarters. Soon, emerging from a deep crator near the surface are the nine Bird Rovers all wearing their radio equipped helmets. They soon pair off into groups of three and fly in opposite directions. Robin Mallory, her husband Joe, and Babs Finchly fly together due south. Edward R Sparrow, Meadowlark Gremmon and Thrush Limbird fly together due west. Robert Delmar, his wife Carla (cardinals) and Will Bill Bluejay fly in formation due east. After over one hour in the air, the three 'eastern' flying Bird Rovers begin to chat among themselves. WILD BILL (upset): Hey Carla, we have been on Dawn Patrol every morning for the past five days and so far we ain't seen diddly-squat! I'm bored! CARLA (sternly): Wild Bill, stay in formation and observe! That's our mission. WILD BILL (excited): Hey, the early bird supposed to get the worm, right? I'm hungry, let's go grab some squiggly nourishment! ROBERT (sternly): Stop that, Wild Bill, we have a job to do! WILD BILL (smiles): And WHAT a job! Flying through the air and looking down on everyone! Hey, look at that! There's a guy shooting ducks, watch me decorate him! CARLA (angry): We'll have none of that, Wild Bill! WILD BILL (disappointed): Awwwww. You guys are a barrel of fun! ROBERT (sternly): Hey, Carla, Wild Bill, look straight ahead! The three Bird Rovers see a huge silver colored locomotive traveling down the tracks below them. It is a very long train moving very rapidly. CARLA (confused): That's odd. This is the first time I've ever seen that train on our dawn patrol. ROBERT (smiles): Perhaps it only makes a weekly run WILD BILL (smiles): Let's fly down and raid the dining car! Maybe they got snails, I hear humans love to eat them! ROBERT (angry): Is that all you can think about, food? WILD BILL (laughs): I told you before, I'm hungry! CARLA (stares at the train): Something doesn't seem right here. That train seems to be moving a lot faster than a normal train would. I'm going to report this to Headquarters. Carla to Road Rover HQ, are you listening, Hunter? HUNTER (on radio): Hey, Carla, how's it waggin? CARLA (sternly): Hunter, we're observing a silver colored train in our vacinity. It seems to be ... HUNTER (on radio): Did you say, sliver train? CARLA (nods): Roger, Hunter! HUNTER (on radio): The name's not Roger Hunter, it's just plain Hunter COLLEEN (on radio, heard in the background): Ha Ha, now THERE'S your comedy! HUNTER (on radio): Seriously, that's the new experimental GYRO train. ROBERT (interrupts): Oh yeah, it's all electric and completely operated by computers, right? HUNTER (on radio): Right, and at this moment, it's out of control! The computer controls are frozen and the train continues to accelerate! Carla, it's up to you and your feathered friends to stop that train! CARLA (nods); Understood, Hunter, over and out! Ok, guys, the first thing we need to do is land in the engine room. We need to figure out a way to shut it down! Follow me in! Carla dives down towards the front of the train, Robert and Wild Bill follow her lead, landing on the backside of the engine and enter through the 'back' door. Inside, they find two frantic men dressed in blue uniforms trying to shut down the train. The sudden appearance of 'bird' people startles them. BO (points): HEY, how did you get in here? PHIL (shaking): Are you bandits? CARLA (shakes head): No sir, we're here to help you stop this train! ROBERT (pushs buttons): Hunter was right, these computer controls are not responding. The manual emergency brake isn't working either. BO (angry): I could've told you that, bird brain! WILD BILL (smiles): Hey, I resemble that last remark! PHIL (sadly): We can't shut it down, the entire train has internal power so we can't even cut the electricity. WILD BILL (opens a door): Hey, wonder what's in here? BO (sad): That's just a storage closet with spare parts, wire, things like that. ROBERT (peaks inside): I have an idea! CARLA (peaks inside): I think I know what you're thinking, dear! WILD BILL (grabs a hammer): How about we beat this machine to pieces! CARLA (shakes head): No, Wild Bill, we have the parts here to stop this train without destroying the computer completely. I need for you to go outside and unbuckle the engine car from the rest of the train. That way if Robert and I fail, at least most of this train will be saved, OK? WILD BILL (nods): Gotcha, Carla! I'll go pull the pin! BO (shocked): All that's in this closet are spools of copper wire, a broom, a broken lamp and two iron bars. How are you going to ... ROBERT (interrupting): We'll show you how! (points): Isn't that panel where the computer's hard drives located? PHIL (nods): Yes, but we can't remove the panel, the entire unit is electrified! CARLA (smiles): We won't need to touch the panel, this electromagnet will! BO (confused): Electromagnet? What electromagnet? ROBERT (smiles): The one that my wife and I are about to construct! Bo and Phil watch in amazement as Robert and Carla create a crude electromagnet. They wrap the spool of copper wire around the two iron bars and fasten it to one end of the broom. Using the wiring from the broken lamp, they attach one end to the copper wiring and were preparing to plug the other end into the wall when Wild Bill returned. WILD BILL (panting): I ... tried..... can't..... uncouple......train...... CARLA (frightened): Oh NO! That means we really have to stop this train quickly or ..... BO (shouting): Don't worry, there's a track switch a mile ahead of us! Hopefully, the automated controls will ... ROBERT (interrupting): Automated controls? If these computer controls are frozen, the entire track system may not respond either (turns to Wild Bill): Wild Bill, you're the fastest Bird Rover, go fly ahead of us and make sure that the switching station is working. If all computer controls are inoperative, you may have to manually switch the tracks. WILD BILL (nods, puts on helmet): I'm gone folks! As Wild Bill flys off, Robert 'plugs in' their crude electromagnet. It takes him, Carla and the two humans to lift the heavy contraption and attach it to the side computer panel. BO (grunting): I don't see how this crazy looking will do any good! PHIL (nods, grunting): Yeah, this is insanity! ROBERT (angry): Hold this thing still! CARLA (nods): This electromagnet will erase the computer's hard drive and cause the entire system to crash. Then the manual controls will be freed and we can use them to stop this train! As the four continue to use their electromagnet, Wild Bill is in radio contact with Hunter as he flies swiftly towards the switching station. WILD BILL (into mic): Hey Hunter! I'm heading for the switching station and .. HUNTER (over radio, interrupting): Good thing you are, buddy! The automatic switching controls aren't working, even as we speak, two track crewmen are attempting to switch the tracks with manual tools. Hurry! There isn't much time, they may need your help! WILD BILL (into mic): I'm on my way! Wild Bill can see in the distance two men trying despirately to switch the train tracks manually. They are pulling on a metal 'lever' that wasn't moving an inch. Wild Bill looks back and sees the oncoming train and realizes that the train tracks must be switched for the safety of the many passengers. Screaming out "RAMMING SPEED" the crazed bluejay-sapien lowers his head and 'power dives' towards the manual switch. The two men attending to the 'lever' are frightened and duck as the screeking Bird Rover comes into view. Wild Bill 'rams' the lever with his helmet, the force of the 'blow' moves the rusty gears of the switching station just as the runaway train rushes by. Wild Bill finally 'skids' on the ground, landing in a nearby haystack, shattering hay into the air. The two attendants run over to the hayshack and find the brave Bluejay. WILD BILL (eyes rolling): Hey, y'all git the licnese number of the semi truck I just hit! Meanwhile back on the train, Bo and Phil see a monitor in the distance and realize the train is now on the 'safe' track. BO (shouts): Hey! Looks like we've been switched to the right track! PHIL (shouts): That's right! Is this crazy thing working yet? CARLA (nods): I think it's starting to work! ROBERT (smiles): I can see the main computer relay monitor from here, it's starting to display error messages! It's working! CARLA (turns to Bo): Bo, try the emergency brake now! Bo nods and reaches upward for the emergency brake 'chain'. He pulls it and to his surprise, he and the others hear loud screeking noises outside. BO (hanging onto the chain): Yes! The emergency brake is now working! CARLA (shouts): Keep holding the electromagnet up to the panel, we need to wipe those hard drives clean! Within a matter of minutes, the train has finally come to a complete stop, the other Bird Rovers land on the train and walk into the engine room. ROBIN (looking around): Carla, Robert, looks like you two succeeded! Excellent work! CARLA (smiles): Thanks, but this was a team effort, Bo and Phil helped us a lot and ... BO (removes hat): Carla, Phil and I don't deserve any credit, we both doubted you the entire time and ... ROBERT (puts hand on Bo's shoulder): Hey, the important thing is that the train has been saved. JOE (nods): We've radioed Hunter, buses are on their way here to take all of the passangers to their destination. PHIL (removes hat, shakes Robert's hand): I must admit, that electromagnet thing you two built was a stroke of genius! It really saved the day! ROBERT (smiles): Thanks, Phil ROBIN (shouts): Well done! To the Power of the Flock! The Bird Rovers chirp in unison. The scene is at a train station three hours later. All of the Bird Rovers are present (including Wild Bill who is wearing a large head bandage) as Michael Nordrum, assistant director of the railroad, is there to give thanks for a job well done. MICHAEL (shaking Robin's hand): Bird Rovers, you truly saved the day! Our new train has been returned to the roundhouse until all of the bugs can be worked out... WILD BILL (shouting): Bugs? Did someone say bugs? I'm still hungry! MICHAEL (smiles): ..how can I ever repay you and your team for all you have done? ROBIN (smiles): You're welcome! But the real heroes today are Carla, Robert and Wild Bill. MICHAEL (shakes Carla's hand); Yes, that device of yours was a clever way to worm around the on board computer's emergency systems! WILD BILL (shouts): Worm? Did someone say worm? MICHAEL (looks at Wild Bill): And your heroic power dive switched our train to the right track just in time! Is there anything I can do for you? WILD BILL (shouts out): FEED ME!!! ROBIN (turns angerly): Wild Bill! Don't be so rude! MICHAEL (smiles): You've got it! I'll take all of you out for dinner! Name your restraunt and order anything you want! WILD BILL (jumps up and down): I WANT SNAILS! I WANT WORMS! JOE (whispers to Robin): This is embarrassing... ROBIN (whispers to Joe): Let's hope he doesn't act up too much at the restraunt! EDWARD R SPARROW (turns to Wild Bill): Can't you ever act like you have some common sense? WILD BILL (looks in wallet): Actually, I don't have any cents at all! EDWARD R SPARROW (laughs): That certainly is true! WILD BILL (confused): Huh? ROBIN (shouting): To the power of the flock! All of the Bird Rovers chirp in unison. -------------------------------------------------------------------