Captain Rod Stone (Rocket Rat). . Raining Sky
Lord Myu . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carl Jackson
Princess Solara . . . . . . . . . Lucy Hart
Lt. Jack Carr . . . . . . . . . . Miles Eckhardt
Dr. Jane Red Deer . . . . . . . . Michelle Stonebridge
Sgt. Alec Smart . . . . . . . . . Edwin Smith
Kat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila McCann
Nip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Mitchell
Borgas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Striding Buck
General Gilroy . . . . . . . . . .Chang Li-Ssu

Producer:  Clive Schmidt
Director:  Ernest Two Fingers

Production Unit #3:  W.D. Reimer, M.M. Marmel

Technical Adviser:  E.O. Costello

Music:  Musician’s Local #15
 OPENING CREDITS

MUSIC:    Fanfare

CARD:    Full screen card depicting the predatory seabird (petrel) symbol against an idealized background of mountains, forest and sea.  The petrel is backlit by a sunburst.

CAPTION:  PETREL STUDIOS PRESENT

DISSOLVE TO:

MUSIC:    March

CLIP:    Stock film clip of Rocket Rat in full armor in flight

CAPTION:    ADVENTURES OF ROCKET RAT in

DISSOLVE TO:

CARD:    Depiction of Global Police Headquarters, with the prototype spaceship in the foreground.

CAPTION:    THE MINES OF THE MOON

DISSOLVE TO:

CARD:    Stock still of the interior of the spaceship, a utilitarian place with various gauges, blinking lights and controls; the pilot’s and co-pilot’s seats face forward with aircraft-style controls.

CAPTION:     CHAPTER TWO – MOON OF MYSTERY

MUSIC:  Incidental

CARD:    Stock still of Rocket Rat, helmet under one brawny arm, looking past the viewer’s right into the far distance.  He wears an aluminized leather rocket suit, with the controls on his gauntlets.  The rodent’s expression is stern, as befits a hero.

CAPTION (SCROLLING):  It is the far future, where the world has been unified under the principles that all furs are equal and that all should work for the good of their fellow furs.  Principles that honor the working person.  There is no more war, because the world is made safe by the actions of the GLOBAL POLICE.

DISSOLVE TO:

CARD:  Insignia of the Global Police (crossed lightning bolt and hammer, with a globe superimposed over it).

MUSIC:    Global Police theme

CAPTION (SCROLLING):  Captain Rod Stone and his co-pilot, Jack Carr, are in a space-ship designed by scientific genius Dr. Jane Red Deer and are on their way to the Moon in response to a mysterious cry for help. 
Something goes wrong as the space-ship flies higher and higher . . .

MUSIC:    Dramatic incidental


CUT TO the interior of a blockhouse where Smart, Jane and Gilroy stand watching the ship’s ascent through binoculars.  Jane gives a start and leans forward.


CUT TO stock footage taken from a plane diving toward the ground in a spin, the landscape coming up fast from a high altitude.

CUT TO tight shot of Jane, Gilroy and Smart behind her.  The rabbit doe raises a paw to her face with a look of horror.


CUT TO stock footage of the landscape rushing up to meet the stricken spaceship.

SCENE ONE

CUT TO interior shot of the space-ship as Rod and Jack wrestle with the controls.  As the ship plunges earthward we can see them being thrown violently back and forth in their seats (may take one or two takes to make sure they do it at the same time).
Tight two-shot as the two look up at the cockpit windows.

CUT TO:  Stock footage of the ground rushing up to meet them.

CLOSE UP on Rod as he grits his teeth, then the rat’s ears go up as an idea suddenly strikes him.



CLOSE UP as the badger manipulates controls, pulling a lever and hitting two switches.

CLOSE UP of a gauge on the control panel labeled “Turbine Pressure.”  We see the needle on the gauge sweep past the two-thirds mark.



MUSIC:    Dramatic crescendo


CUT TO Jack shoving the throttles forward and reacting by slamming back against his chair.

CUT TO model of the space-ship describing a long swooping maneuver as it pulls up and regains its lost altitude, this time climbing at a shallower angle.

CUT TO the interior of the control room.  Jane puts a paw to her chest and falls back into General Gilroy’s arms.  The eagle helps her to a chair as Alec seizes a microphone.


Close up of Alec as Rod replies (voice off-mike, distorted as if it comes via a wireless).


The donkey nods, looking relieved that his friends are all right, but stern as well at the report.


CUT TO the interior of the space-ship, two-shot on Rod and Jack.  They look at each other and Rod speaks into his microphone.


CUT TO Alec again; he glances behind him as he looks at Jane.  She’s accepting a glass of water from Gilroy.  She catches his glance and shakes her head.  Alec returns to the microphone.


MUSIC:    Dr. Red Deer’s theme (strings and Theremin)

CUT TO Jane, lowering the glass of water and glaring in Alec’s direction.


CUT TO Alec, who looks amused.


CUT TO:    Model effects footage of the space-ship landing, using same miniature sets used in the take-off.

MUSIC:    Space-ship theme, segueing into incidental music

CUT TO:    EXTERIOR, DAY.  Alec Smart, dressed in grimy, stained coveralls, working on the ship’s engines.  Several covers are off, revealing a bewildering array of pipes and fittings.  He pulls two cylindrical objects from the engine compartment and examines one.

CLOSE UP of the object in Alec’s paws.  It is roughly two feet long, three inches in diameter and has wires and a socket protruding from one end.  There are scorch marks on the casing.


CUT to Rod and Jack emerging from the ship and walking back to where Alec is standing.
   

Alec gives Rod the cylinder.  He examines it as Alec speaks.


Rod looks up from his examination, his expression grim.


Alec nods. 


Jack looks at him dubiously.


FADE OUT

FADE IN

MUSIC:    Variation on Dr. Red Deer’s theme

DISSOLVE TO a brief film montage of everyone getting ready to go.  Among them we see Jane, wearing goggles and overalls, lowering a red-hot rod of metal into a cylinder.  Another shot shows Alec welding various bits of pipe.  A third shot shows Rod and Jack in the space-ship’s cockpit, going over checklists and working the various controls.

DISSOLVE TO exterior shot, day, by the side of the space-ship as Jack and Rod load supplies aboard.  Jane and Alec stand nearby along with General Gilroy.  Rod finishes passing in the last box and dusts his paws off.


They all laugh.


Jane looks a bit uncomfortable as Jack climbs aboard and Rod prepares to go.  He nods to General Gilroy.


Jane, Gilroy and Alec back away as Jack closes the hatch in the ship, Jane walking backward as if reluctant to see Rod leave.  Finally she stops and turns to face the others (close up).


Camera pans right and we see them get into a car, Gilroy driving.  The car pulls away and drives past the space-ship.

CUT TO model footage of the ship resting in the quarry.

CUT TO:  Rod and Jack running through a final check of the controls, looking businesslike.


MUSIC:    Rocket Rat theme

CUT TO:    Model footage of the ship taking off, moving at a shallower angle than previously.

CUT TO:    Interior of control room as Jane, Alec and Gilroy watch the ship leaving Earth.

CLOSE UP on Jane, watching the ship rise out of sight (looking off-camera to the viewer’s right).


FADE OUT

SCENE TWO

FADE IN

MUSIC:    Space-ship theme

CUT TO:    Model stock footage of the ship in flight, angled up with cloud backdrop scrolling past at speed.  Smoke and flames are coming from the engine nozzles.

CUT TO    Interior shot of the ship as Rod and Jack pilot the craft.  Rod has his paws on the controls, while Jack studies the various gauges.


CLOSE UP on the “Turbine Pressure” gauge.  The needle is at two-thirds, and Jack’s finger reaches out and taps it.


CUT TO Rod as he listens to Jack’s report.  He’s smiling, even as his grip on the control yoke eases.


CLOSE-UP of Rod as he chuckles.  Jack is always the voice of caution he values.  He looks up, looking out the cockpit windows.


Rod takes his right paw off the control yoke and points.


CUT TO what they’re seeing out the cockpit windows.  Model footage of the Earth as seen from one hundred miles’ altitude, scrolling past.

CLOSE UP on Jack, who looks awed by what he sees.


CUT TO Rod, shaking his head.


Jack starts twisting dials on the wireless set.

GRAMS:    Static and high-pitched sounds as the radio warms up and he tunes in the frequency.


CLOSE UP of Jack as he tunes in the radio.  He looks up at Rod quizzically.  He’s wearing earphones.

GRAMS:    Radio static and high-pitched sounds as the radio is tuned in.


CLOSE UP on Jack as he realizes what Rod is saying.


GRAMS:    Radio static


CLOSE UP on Rod.


He takes the microphone and adjusts the controls slightly before speaking.


CUT TO the interior of the control room on Earth; Jane is seated at the radio set with General Gilroy and Sgt. Smart in the background.


CUT TO interior of the space ship.  Rod and Jack grin at each other.


CUT TO the control room.  Jane looks back at Alec, who consults a clipboard and nods.  Apparently everything is going well.


CUT TO the interior of the space-ship.  Rod and Jack glance at each other.  Jack’s ears dip in embarrassment.

MUSIC:    Incidental

FADE OUT

SCENE THREE

FADE IN

MUSIC:    Incidental

The scene opens with a matte painting of a black sky with stars and nebulae.  The camera pulls back to show us that it’s really the view out of one of the space-ship’s windows.  The full Moon is centered in the next window.
The camera pulls back further to show Rod still in the pilot’s seat, but without his straps on.  He is watching the gauges, while Jack is out of his seat and examining some of the equipment, a clipboard in his paws.


Rod leans forward, studying an instrument on the control panel.

CLOSE UP on the panel, where the gauge marked “Speed” shows a gradual increase as we watch.


Jack enters the shot, craning over Rod’s shoulder and looking at the instruments.  After a moment he grins and straightens up, clapping his superior officer on the shoulder.


CLOSE UP on Jack, who thinks things over and nods.


CUT TO Rod, who grins.


Rod holds up a thumb toward the window, closing one eye and squinting as if aiming a rifle.  Jack shakes his head.


They both laugh, and start busying themselves with the controls.

CUT TO model footage of the ship with the Moon as background, smoke and flames coming from the model’s rocket nozzles.

CUT TO interior shot of the space-ship, with Rod and Jack at the controls.  Switches are being thrown and Jack points to an indicator; Rod nods and makes an adjustment to his controls.

MUSIC:    Rocket Rat theme as incidental

CUT TO:    Model footage of the space-ship flying over a rocky, mountainous landscape.


GRAMS:    Wind whooshing past the space-ship


CUT TO aerial stock footage of the Badlands region of the NW United States, or similarly desolate wasteland (Death Valley).


CUT TO Jack.  He looks a bit doubtfully at Rod, then looks out the window, searching carefully.


Rod manipulates the controls, pushing the yoke forward.  Camera angle tilts and Rod and Jack move as if the ship is nosing down.

GRAMS:    Rocket sounds, with wind whooshing

MUSIC:    Rocket Rat theme, with Theremin

Model footage of the space-ship landing on a level plain with mountains in the background.  Possible matte painting showing a smoking volcano in the far distance.

CUT TO interior of the ship as it lands.  The camera moves around and the two actors move as if the landing’s a bit bumpy.


Jack starts closing switches and valves.

GRAMS:    Rocket and engine sounds fade away

The two look at each other and grin triumphantly.  They’ve made it!


MUSIC:    Dramatic incidental music

FADE OUT

SCENE FOUR

FADE IN to exterior shot of the Global Police Headquarters.

MUSIC:    Dr. Red Deer’s theme (strings and Theremin)

Fan (right to left) DISSOLVE TO the interior of a radio room, two entire walls covered with electronic equipment with the usual dials, meters and flickering oscilloscope tubes.  Two radio technicians sit at the console while Jane and General Gilroy stand, gazing at the radio nervously.

Jane turns to Gilroy, clearly looking worried.


Gilroy ruffles out his feathers a bit.  It’s something he obviously doesn’t want to consider. He pats her on the shoulder.


There is a sudden electronic whine and hiss of static as the radio starts.  The technicians start turning dials to bring in the signal and Jane and Gilroy rush over to the console.


CUT TO:    One of the technicians (Mitch Aherne, fur dyed) picks up a set of earphones and listens.


The other technician turns a dial and throws two small switches.  The first technician grins, nods at his fellow and switches on the speakers.


CUT TO Jane, who clearly looks as if she’s about to cry or dance with joy that her ship works and her beau is alive and well.

MUSIC:  Incidental



CUT TO the interior of the space-ship as Rod and Jack lean forward to look out the windows.


The camera moves to give the effect of something shaking the ship.


He points and Rod looks.

CUT TO stock footage of Katmai (Valley of 10,000 Smokes).


Rod nods as he picks up the microphone again.


CUT TO the control room; Jane looks at Alec, who nods, passing her a sheet of paper.


CUT TO the space-ship, where Jack is now working at a complicated setup involving various pipes, valves and at least one gauge.  Rod is listening to Jane.


He turns and looks at Jack.  The badger turns a valve, looks at the result on a nearby gauge and nods to Rod with a big smile on his face.


Rod shuts off the radio and looks at Jack, who’s now wearing an aluminized armor suit similar to Rod’s flying suit.


CUT TO Rod, who looks thoughtful.  He glances back out the windows then returns to his friend and co-pilot.


MUSIC:    Incidental Moon theme (Theremin and oboe)

CUT TO exterior shot (another part of the Johnston Quarry) and the space-ship, with a small amount of smoke coming from its rocket nozzles.  The hatch in its side opens and Rod (dressed in his flight suit and rocket pack, carrying his helmet in one paw) and Jack (wearing a similar suit, but a wireless headset) step out.  They both wear gun belts with blaster pistols, and Jack carries a mountaineer’s long-handled axe in his paw.  Jack closes the hatch and they look out over the terrain.

CUT TO stock footage of Katmai (Valley of 10,000 Smokes), camera dollying from right to left to show the desolate landscape of the Moon.

CUT TO Jack, who starts and points off to his extreme left, drawing Rod’s attention.


CUT TO stock footage of a distant volcano, smoking but not actively erupting.


CUT TO Rod and Jack as Rod starts putting on his helmet.


The two separate, Jack walking out of shot to the right, leaving Rod as he makes final preparations.  He adjusts a knob on his control gauntlet and runs toward the camera.

CUT TO ground-level shot of Rod leaping

GRAMS:    Rocket noises

MUSIC:    Rocket Rat theme

CUT TO stock footage of Rocket Rat flying through the sky.

CLOSE UP on Rocket Rat as he starts looking from side to side at the landscape below him.

CUT TO model footage of a rocky landscape, with a feral baby alligator (or similar) in the foreground; the alligator has a high sail-backed fin on its back to make it look like an otherworldly monster.

GRAMS:    Deep growling

MUSIC:    Dramatic chord, Moon theme

CUT TO Rocket Rat in flight

CUT TO the Moon monster, its jaws gaping open. 

GRAMS:    Roar (lion, played backward)

CUT TO Rocket Rat looking down and giving a small start as he sees the monster below him.

CUT TO the monster as it leaps!  Dramatic music sting as it does so (have the animal wrangler tease it into jumping with a piece of meat on a string).

GRAMS:    Rocket pack sounds

MUSIC:    Dramatic

CUT TO model footage of the monster leaping and missing the flying rodent (Note:  Use a small model of Rocket Rat on a wire)

CUT TO close up of Rocket Rat in flight, Rod looking behind him at the monster.


CUT TO model footage of Rod as he executes a wide turn; the monster leaps at him again, trying to trap him in its mighty jaws.


CLOSE UP of Rod as he draws his blaster pistol and takes aim.

EFFECTS:    Negative scratch to show the beam projected by the blaster pistol

GRAMS:    Blaster sound (distorted blank pistol shot)

CUT TO footage of the Moon monster as the beam touches it

EFFECTS:    Negative scratch to show the beam; negative scratched sparks to show the effect on the monster

GRAMS:    Electric ‘zap’ sound

CUT TO the monster running away through the rock-littered landscape

GRAMS:    Roaring


CUT TO Jack, pausing as he hikes over a rocky slope.


Jack is looking around he talks with Rod; he pauses and peers off in one direction (looking to the viewer’s left).


MUSIC:    Incidental

Jack nods and starts working his way down the slope, placing his feet carefully to avoid slipping or falling.  He occasionally uses the mountaineering axe to steady himself as he clambers over the rocks and walks out of shot to the viewer’s left.

CUT TO a wider shot as Jack walks toward the cave.  The cave (a mine entrance, scenery dressed) is of finished stone and looks like a ceremonial entrance and not a working mine.  It has smooth steps leading up to it, columns on either side, and a crest over the top that includes a crown.

Jack stops just at the foot of the steps, looking up at the crest over the entrance.


GRAMS:    Woman’s scream

Jack gives a start as the music turns dramatic; he realizes that the scream came from inside the cave.


The young badger runs into the cave, drawing his blaster pistol as he runs.

MUSIC:    Dramatic

CUT TO extreme close up of a spider’s face, its legs moving menacingly.

CUT TO a giant hairy leg, possibly the spider’s we just saw, waving menacingly toward a young woman (Amy Mitchell).  She is a lynx femme, wearing a leotard as an inner garment with a kimono over it. She cowers in fear and screams again.

CUT TO Jack running through the tunnel; he pauses, and heads off in the direction of the scream again.

CUT TO CARD showing the tunnel entrance.

CAPTION:  Who is this mysterious woman?

CAPTION:  Will Rocket Rat and Jack arrive in time to save her?

CUT TO footage of Rocket Rat in flight.

CAPTION:    SEE the next thrilling episode of ROCKET RAT!

MUSIC:    Rocket Rat theme, rising to a crescendo

FADE TO BLACK



next (Until further notice, this sequence of scripts goes to Chapter 5, the conclusion.)