Ok, so, everyone ready for this month's story? ;)

Mike: Yeah.

Micky: Sure!

Peter: (Shakes his head) I think I'll stay with Valerie and my new son.

Davy: I’m outta this one.

(We open in downtown Los Angeles. It's dusk in late August; the sun is just starting to set as the long shadows of four familiar figures walk out of a Mexican restaraunt.)

Mike: (The camera catches him first, wearing his usual tie-shirt-tight pants combo) Man, that was a good dinner. I haven't had enchaladas like that since I left Texas.

Emma: Even I liked it, and I'm not normally partial to Mexican food.

Lauren: The chicken quesadilla was great!

Micky: I loved everything.

Lauren: As usual.

Mike: Much as I hate to say it, we have kiddies waitin', so maybe we ought to... (He frowns and looks up) Hey, what's that little light?

Emma: (Looks where Mike is) Little light?

Mike: (Points) Yeah, it's flyin' right next to the produce stand.

Micky: Where?

Lauren: I see it! *Elbows Micky* Put your glasses on!

Micky: *Whiny* Aw, babe!

Mike: (Grabs Emma's hand) Come on! (He pulls her along, Lauren and Micky following. The little light darts into an alley between the produce stand and the restaraunt. Mike, Emma, Lauren, and Micky hurry in, a sliver of light from between the buildings leaving long shadows in the last of the evening light.)

*There's a shimmery light from the shadows. A familiar figure steps out. It's Emilio.*

Emilio: Guys! Am I glad to see you!

Mike: Hey, Emilio! I thought I smelled your oil.

Micky: Hey, man! How's my favorite space clone?

Emma: Hi, Emilio. Where's Beth?

Emilio: *Frowns suddenly* Some evil warlord has invaded Zlotnick and taken Beth hostage.

Lauren: Oh no!

Mike: Shit.

Micky: What!?

Emma: Oh my...

Mike: How did it happen, buddy?

Emilio: *Shrugs, his lower lip starting to quiver* Wrong place, wrong time.

Lauren: *Goes to Emilio* I recognize that look.

Emilio: I need your help to find her and figure out how to get the warlord off our backs. *Sniffs as Lauren rubs his shoulder* He's looking for a metal alloy that WAS very common on Zlotnick.

Micky: "Was?"

Mike: (Raises an eyebrow) What do you mean, "was?"

Emilio: It was so common we used it for everything. We thought there was plenty more. We were wrong. We used it all up.

Mike: Can't you tell the guy there ain't no more, then? :P

Emilio: Not when 99% of the buildings and robots are made of it. He'd just as soon melt down a robot or building and take that. We've managed to keep him from doing so so far, but who knows how much longer he'll hold out or what he'd do with Beth?

Mike: Damn it. Are your kids ok?

Emilio: They're away at a camp, so they don't know.

Mike: You want us to go with you.

Emilio: *Nods* Yes.

Micky: I'll go.

Mike: What the hell, you helped us with the play last year. Me too.

Emma: (Grabs Mike's arm) If he's going, I'm going.

Lauren: I'm going, too.

Micky: But, babe...

Lauren: I'll be careful, Mick.

Emma: Maybe you shouldn't, Lauren...

Lauren: Someone will need to at least hold down the fort. If I can't do anything else, let me do that. She's my twin. I wanna make sure she's okay.

Emilio: *Eyebrows raise; eyes slide to Lauren’s stomach* Your...fourth child, is it?

Lauren: He's good. *Smiles and nods* Yes, good memory.

Emilio: Thanks, Lauren.

Mike: Yeah. They finally did it.

Emilio: Congrats, guys.

Micky: Thanks, man.

Emilio: You're welcome. *Nods back at the shadows* Shall we go?

Mike: Yeah. We gonna be shrunk again?

Emilio: Yup!

*The group steps into the shadows, then seemingly disappear.*

(They reappear in what looks like an updated version of his ship from "Monkees Watch Their Feet" and "Planet of the Monkees." It still follows the same circular pattern, but the computers are somewhat smaller and less boxy, and the whole thing has been redone in silvers and neutral tones instead of the bright 60s colors.)

Mike: (Grins) Groovy. You did a nice job redecoratin'.

Emma: (Rubs her head) I have a headache.

Emilio: Thanks. *Frowns again* Beth did a lot of it.

Mike: (Pats Emilio on the back) Man, you're really missin' her, ain't you?

(Emma wanders around the room, taking it all in.)

Emilio: Uh huh. I feel lost without her. I'm just so glad the kids are away. I wouldn't want to have to explain to them.

Mike: I know exactly how you feel. We've been through this a couple of times before, losin' each other. It really hurts.

Emilio: *Takes a few deep breaths* Kinda like my wiring being ripped right out of me.

Mike: (Nods) How did they get her, anyway?

Emilio: *Lets out a long sigh* Like I said, it was pretty much wrong place, wrong time. She got out of work late and took a short cut she's taken plenty of time before. The Warlord was checking out one of the buildings, testing it for the alloy. She caught him accidentally, and he took her with him.

Mike: Are you guys made of that alloy?

Emilio: *Lip quivers again; he nods quietly* Yes.

Emma: Then you both could be in big trouble.

Micky: Horrible.

Mike: Where does this evil warlord guy come from?

Emilio: Not Zlotnick, I know that.

Mike: Last time we were in Zlotnick, you said it was kind of a pass-through for a lot of local travelers. Could he be a really pissed-off tourist?

Emilio: It's definitely possible. He could very well be a commoner where ever he came from.

Mike: A little fish lookin' for a big pond. How's your Grand Imperial Leader handlin' this?

Emilio: I don't know. He's gone silent suddenly.

Mike: You're supposed to be one of his high officers. You ain't seen him? He gettin' into those game things of his again?

Emma: Has he been out of town?

Emilio: I don't know. Nobody does. I've been too upset to really notice anything anyway.

Micky: We've GOT to find Beth, and quick.

Mike: Yeah. Beth and the Grand Imperial Leader.

Emma: (She goes to the window of the ship; the wide window shows nothing but trillions of stars) It's so beautiful here. You're lucky, getting to travel through space all the time. Our astronauts haven't made it beyond our own solar system yet.

Emilio: It gets kinda old after a while, though.

Mike: You got anything on this rig that plays music?

Emilio: Sure... *Goes over to a console and presses some buttons; music begins to play.*

("Heart and Soul" begins as the group separates and wanders around the ship. Mike continues to go through the music, admiring things that look like huge silver plastic records. They have music from all over the galaxy.)

(Emma is admiring the view when a tiny tan robot that looks like a couple of boxes on wheels bumps into her. She jumps away in surprise. The robot also squeals in surprise and hurries off.)

*Micky follows Emilio, doing everything he can think of to get him to laugh.*

(Mike is walking past Emilio and Micky, flipping through a stack of the silver plastic records, when he walks across the rug. Or at least, it looks like a rug. The moment Mike steps on the rug, it pulls out from under him! He and the records go flying. He lands flat on his back, silver plastic records laying all around him. The "rug" turns out to be a flat fuzzy robot. It chatters at him before continuing on with its dusting duties.)

(Emma shakes her head and helps Mike to his feet.)

(A group of robots surround Lauren, making sure she's comfortable and has all the pleasures of home. One even serves her a plate of chocolate-covered lugnuts and a quart of oil.)

*Lauren raises an eyebrow, reminded of a certain cartoon about space families that had the exact same snack used quite often.*

(Mike leans against the window, watching the stars go by. He's bored. He pulls one of the kids' crayons out of the back of his pants pocket and starts doodling on the window.)

*Micky is still following Emilio around, trying to make him laugh.*

(Emma passes by Mike. He's half-way across the window, which seems to be filled with random crayon lines.)

(Emma opens a closet...which, she discovers, is filled with tiny green creatures in blue jumpsuits that go "Oohhhhhh" when they see her and try to reach for her. She shuts the door on them quick!)

(A small blue robot offers Lauren her choice of reading material, mostly intergalactic travel magazines.)

*Lauren takes them all.*

(Emma passes by Mike again. He's now on the other side of the window, which seems to be filled with random doodles. Emma taps him on the shoulder. What in the heck is he doing? He shrugs. He's playing connect the dots.)

(A tall silver robot in a t-shirt and overalls passes by them. He shoves a bucket, a bar of soap, and a squeegee in Mike's hands. He's the window cleaner...but you made the mess, pal. YOU clean it.)

(Mike tries to hand the bucket to Emma, but she makes a face and walks away. He's right. It's YOUR mess. Mike just makes a face and gets started on cleaning the window.)

(Emma passes by Micky and Emilio. Micky's still trying to make Emilio laugh. Emma sits down at a console and randomly messes around with a few buttons. It releases a small mechanical insect that buzzes around Micky, trying to sting him, or at least annoy him.)

*Micky swats at the insect, but it doesn't stop him from following Emilio.*

(The insect flies around Micky's back. We see it backing up and licking it's metal "stinger" to take a good run at Micky. The camera cuts back around Micky. We hear noisier buzzing...and hear something poke into Micky's rear end!)

*Micky jumps, howling and holding his rear.*

*Emilio's mouth twitches, watching Micky jump around. Micky falls down and rolls on the floor. That does it. Emilio finallly busts out laughing.*

Mike: (As the song runs down, he looks over his shoulder; he's just about finished cleaning) Well, would you look at that! I think Emilio's feelin' better!

Emma: Micky, are you ok? I got the bug to go back.

Micky: *Gets up, still rubbing his rear* Yeah, I'm okay.

Emilio: *Still chuckling* I needed that.

Mike: Yeah, you did, buddy. I know what I'm like when I lose my soulmate.

Emma: When are we going to arrive at your home planet?

Emilio: Very shortly.

Mike: Do you know anythin' else 'bout these guys we're goin' up against?

Emilio: *Shakes his head* Nope, that's it.

(That's when we hear the sound of booms in the distance. There's flashes of light, and the ship suddenly lurches, throwing everyone to chairs or the ground!)

Mike: (As he tries to make it to his feet) What in the HELL was that?

Emilio: Shit!

Emma: (She gets to the now-clean window first and points to a series of large, rapid-approaching dots) Whatever just fired that is getting closer!

Mike: (He joins Emma) Is it me, or is that ship in the shape of a giant dump truck?

Emma: (Raises and eyebrow) And there's another that looks like it's in the shape of...cheese?

Lauren: What?

Mike: Swiss, from the looks of it. There's holes in it.

Emma: (Looks at Emilio) Is this an army or the back of some kid's toy chest?

(Another blast from the one shaped like a garbage truck answers her question.)

Emilio: Definitely an army, and not of the toy variety.

Intercom: (A device that looks like an electric bullhorn pops into the room; we hear a somewhat deep but tinny voice under it) Who is the captain of this vehicle?

Emilio: *A bit timidly* I am. Who are you?

Intercom: I am Master Sinestral, and I am the new Grand Imperial Leader. I order you to remove all Acjax-plated items and items made of Acjax materials and load them onto our ships, which will be joining you shortly.

Emilio: But...but that would be practically everything on the planet!

Master Sinestral: I am only ordering you to remove the items from your ship.

Emilio: *Runs a hand through his hair* Why?

Master Sinestral: We're gathering all Acjax items from all Zlotnick ships today.

Mike: (Growls) Like hell you will. (Looks at Emilio) Still have guns on this thing?

Emilio: Yeah!

Master Sinestral: If you don't surrender your Acjax to us within five minutes Zlotnick time, you will be forced to land in our main Crater Ship.

Mike: (Grabs the intercom machine) See how you like us kicking your ass from here and gone! (He runs over to a console. Emilio directs Emma and Lauren behind two others.)

Master Sinestral: (Coughs as Mike squeezes the intercom) That is...unnecessary...

Mike: (Lets the intercom go; it flies back up to the wall with a "fwipp") Oh yeah? (He sits behind the screen as "Tapioca Tundra" begins) Come on, Mick! We're gonna bring those suckers down!

Micky: Ready, willing, and able!