Original subtitles

F

[NARRATOR] Ten years ago, a gigantic space battlefortress

of unknown origin

blasted through a warp-fold in hyperspace

and crash-landed on Earth.

Alerted to the threat of invasion from space,

the people of Earth united to learn the secrets

of the mysterious ship's advanced technology.

The space fortress' design and capabilities

are still not completely understood,

but what Earth's scientists have learned

has led to a combination

of computer and robotic technology

called "Robotech."

The alien race, known as the Zentraedi,

have followed the SDF-1

and now the Earth is under attack.

Rick Hunter an amateur flier

caught up in the planet-wide war,

has become an unwilling Veritech fighter pilot,

and he has rescued a beautiful young girl named Minmei.

His old friend, Lieutenant Commander Roy Fokker,

has reason to believe that young Rick may be in trouble.

[FOKKER] Rick. Come in, Rick.

The poor kid's just had to take on more than he can manage.

Well, I can't leave him behind.

Skull Leader to Control.

Lisa, I'm going back to pick up something

I left down on the island.

Captain Kramer will take command of the fighter group

until I return, over.

Why are you returning? Over.

Rick Hunter in fighter VT-102

is still back on the island

and I have to go pick him up now.

That pilot's an impostor.

I've gone through the entire registry

and I find no record of such a person.

[FOKKER] Well, that's easy enough to explain,

he's a civilian, so he isn't listed in the military registry.

What? A civilian?

But I thought... Oh-oh.

- -Civilian? - -Huh? Who is he?

[groaning weakly]

- -[RICK] Huh? - -[MINMEI groans weakly]

Thank heaven she's alive.

[sighs] Uh-oh.

The alien. [gasps]

I gotta go. She might panic if she sees that.

Hope this thing'll still fly.

[whimpering]

What happened?

What's wrong? Why are you trembling like that?

Huh? What are you looking at out there? What's there?

No, you mustn't look out there!

[MINMEI] Why? What is it? What's wrong?

- -[loud footsteps] - -Oh, my gosh!

- -What is it? - -[RICK] Oh!

[footsteps approaching]

[FOKKER] I hate to interrupt you two,

but you can't sit around here forever.

Come on, let's go.

Huh? [laughs]

That big palooka seems to have formed

a permanent attachment to you guys.

- -No. Shh! - -[MINMEI] Uh...

Amazing, isn't it? Boy!

It's really incredible.

[FOKKER] How's that for convenience?

[FOKKER] Hang on, you two.

[MINMEI gasps]

[monitor trilling]

[beeping]

[LISA over radio] This is SDF-1

shifting to horizontal propulsion.

Stand by for fighter pickup.

All planes return to carrier bays, over.

[PILOT over radio] This is Sepia 3.

Roger, Control, returning to carrier bay.

Lisa, see if all of the fighters

are safely aboard the ship now.

Yes, sir.

[beeps]

That's the last two, sir.

All fighters are accounted for

except for Commander Fokker and VT-102.

Good. I don't think we have to worry about Commander Fokker.

Vanessa, show me the positions of Armor-1

and Armor-10 on the monitor screen.

[VANESSA] Yes, sir. They're both approaching

rendezvous point now.

We should be making contact with them in about half an hour.

[GLOVAL] Very good.

Any sign of enemy craft, Claudia?

No, Captain, it's all clear.

Excuse me, Captain,

- -but isn't that strange? - -[GLOVAL] What?

After launching such a massive attack from orbit,

why isn't the enemy continuing their attack?

It just doesn't make sense, does it?

That's bothering me, too.

There has to be a reason they're just playing with us.

[BOTH] Oh?

Do you really think they're just playing with us, Captain?

Yes, they have the advantage but they don't attack.

They must have a reason.

[BOTH] Huh!

She doesn't wanna go to the ship, Roy,

she wants to go back to Macross Island.

Are you crazy?

The place is crawling with aliens,

it would be suicide for her to go back there.

Did she give any reason for wanting to go back?

Well...

Well, I'm worried about my aunt and uncle

back in the shelter with the invaders all around them.

They're perfectly safe there. The shelters are impregnable.

But I still wanna go back to the island; it's my home!

[FOKKER] I promise, as soon as the war is over,

I'll take you back there personally.

What do you mean you'll take her back? I will!

- -[MINMEI] Huh? - -Huh... Oh!

[FOKKER] Hold on a minute, Rick.

This is Skull Leader calling SDF-1, over.

Did you find him?

He was annoying a young lady. I had to rescue her as well.

You rat.

[LISA] So that's our civilian pilot.

I wondered why he didn't know how to fly his plane.

Who's that old sourpuss, Roy?

[LISA] "Old sourpuss"?

[FOKKER laughs]

[FOKKER over radio] That old sourpuss

is our control operator, Lisa Hayes.

And if she looks like an old sourpuss to you,

you're not as grown-up as I thought you were, Rick.

[chuckles]

Now, listen, Commander Fokker,

you'd better have a good explanation

for turning a Veritech fighter

over to an amateur civilian pilot.

You could be court-martialed for this, you know.

Ooh, she's mad.

As for you, Rick Hunter,

you're in a lot of trouble whether you know it or not.

This whole thing's her fault.

I think I'd apologize to her if I were you, Rick.

Women her age can get awful mean, you know.

[FOKKER] Bridge control, this is Skull Leader

requesting landing instructions.

Give us a bay number, you old sourpuss.

- -[GROUP laughs] - -[LISA] Ugh!

Roger. Bring your plane into bay 5-0-4.

[LISA clears throat]

[ALIEN over radio] Recon force now returning to group orbit.

It appears only half of them came back.

Where's the battlefortress now?

[ALIEN] It's passing through

the atmospheric ranges presently.

Apparently, it's on its way to rendezvous

with the other ships.

[EXEDORE] What's your plan, Breetai?

[BREETAI] We could shoot them down now,

but I don't want that ship damaged.

Once they're out of gravity,

they can execute a Hyperspace Fold

taking them beyond the range of our guns.

You have a point there, Exedore.

Perhaps I'd better apply a little restraining force

in order to slow them down a bit.

Prepare a laser bombardment.

[ALIEN] Ready all guns for massive laser bombardment.

Repeat, all gunnery crews ready your lasers

for total bombardment of target area.

Stand by for order to fire.

[FOKKER] I got a little surprise for you, Rick.

Wait'll you see it.

[chuckles]

- -[MINMEI grunts] - -Whoa!

[tires squeal]

[RICK, MINMEI grunt]

Here we are. Come on.

Was that really necessary, Roy?

She could've been hurt.

[MINMEI] Golly, Rick, look at that!

[FOKKER] Somebody left this thing behind,

so I've stashed it here.

Oh. Wow!

My racer! I thought I'd never see it again.

You saved it! Oh, thank you, Roy!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Hey, cut it out, Rick. Take it easy.

I just thought you'd feel more comfortable flying in this

than in one of our Veritechs.

It doesn't turn into a battloid.

Oh, golly, Roy.

I've seen that plane before.

It was in the air show this morning...

[CLAUDIA over radio] Attention, all hands.

We are approaching rendezvous with Armor-1 and 10.

Report to your docking stations immediately.

All hands, report to your stations.

I have to get goin' now. [grunts]

You two stay here, and don't wander around.

If you start exploring, you'll get lost.

You can't imagine how enormous this ship is, so stay put.

[VANESSA] We have perfect docking alignment.

[ALIEN over radio] The enemy ships are docking, sir.

[BREETAI] All right, tell your gunners

to fire their beams between the ships.

I don't care how many of the smaller ones are destroyed,

but the large one must not be damaged.

[ALIEN] Yes, Commander.

Attention, all gunnery crews.

We will commence massive barrage.

Take particular care not to damage the battlefortress.

Gun commanders may fire when ready.

[CREW gasping in fear]

[GLOVAL] Brace yourselves!

Vanessa, what's their position?

The current attack is from the exact same location

as the first one, Captain Gloval.

Their orbit is 10,000 miles from here.

Reporting: Miranda, Circe, and Armor-3 were destroyed.

They're tearing our fleet to shreds.

What about our damages?

We've taken no direct hits, Captain.

No damage shown anywhere, sir.

What is our position?

Um, we're just closing our initial orbit,

approaching our original position

over Macross Island at an altitude of 100 miles.

Claudia, steer for a landing on Macross Island.

At 2,000 feet altitude

activate the fold system for a position jump.

Are you sure you want to do that, Captain?

The fold system hasn't even been tested yet.

I realize how risky it is, Claudia.

But if we stay in this position, we'll be totally defenseless.

But we're not even sure how the system works.

We can't just surrender, Lisa.

We have to try everything first.

Ready the fold system for a position jump,

targeting the area behind the moon.

Get your radar busy on an access check, Lisa.

We'll make the jump from precisely

2,000 feet above the island.

Huh? Don't we need permission from headquarters?

This is an emergency. We don't have time for that.

[CLAUDIA] But, Captain, you know the regulations specifically...

Uh, sorry, sir.

I know what the regulations say,

but I appreciate you bringing it to my attention.

- -[CLAUDIA] I just wanted to-- - -Claudia!

You've got my order.

Yes, sir, Captain.

Attention, all hands. Priority. Fold system standby.

Readying maximum green energy at all power stations.

All hands to emergency positions.

Repeat, all hands to emergency positions.

This is not a drill.

Prepare for fold in T-minus five minutes

and counting. Mark.

I'm getting worried about Minmei, aren't you?

I wonder where she went.

She just went to another shelter, that's all.

Nothing's going to happen to anyone as smart as Minmei.

Isn't that right?

Yeah...

[MINMEI] Are you planning on going somewhere?

I'm gonna take you back to the island like I promised.

You still wanna go, don't you?

Because I'm not gonna hang around here

- -one way or the other. - -[SAMMIE] Attention, all hands.

Fold in T-minus three minutes and counting.

What's a fold?

Oh, nothing to do with us. Come on, let's go.

[MINMEI] It's so small; will it hold two people?

It they're very friendly, it will.

[BOTH grunt]

Here, put this on.

Oh!

Uh... Uh... Wow. [chuckles]

It's so cute on you, Minmei,

you could start a whole new fashion.

- -[laughs] - -[MINMEI] Oh, you.

Oh!

[BOTH grunt]

Okay, hang onto me.

It's awful close.

Hey, I can't see to fly if you sit there.

I'm sorry, Rick, but it's so ti...

[MINMEI] Whoa!

There's nothing to be afraid of, Minmei,

I'm an expert pilot.

There now, okay?

Ohh! [chuckles]

[CLAUDIA over radio] We will enter fold in ten seconds.

Nine, eight, seven, six,

five, four, three, two, one, zero.

Execute Hyperspace Fold jump.

[ALL groaning, gasping]

- -[sirens blaring] - -[ALL yelping, groaning]

A fold. I don't believe it.

Impossible at that altitude.

It may be impossible, but they did it.

What'll we do now, commander?

[grunts angrily]

I want to be informed of their

exact location immediately.

[ALIEN over radio] Now, sir?

Now!

[BOTH] Huh?

Whoa!

[GLOVAL] Let's have some light in here.

Switching to backup generator, sir.

Uh, radar shows an extremely large object

just beneath us, sir.

Our jump target was the moon.

That's what your large object is.

No, it's too small to be the moon, sir.

I'll put it on the monitor screen for you.

[BOTH gasp]

[VANESSA] It's coming at us!

[GLOVAL] No, we're moving toward it.

[BOTH gasp]

[VANESSA] It's Macross Island, Captain Gloval!

[GLOVAL] Retro rockets, Claudia, maximum thrust.

It's no-go. I'm getting no response

whatever from the computer.

[LISA over PA] Emergency. Emergency.

Prepare for impact. Prepare for impact.

[SAMMIE] It's covered with ice, Captain.

[MAN 1] Help! I'm floating!

[MAN 2] What in the world is going on here?

- -[RICK] Oh, wow. - -[MINMEI] Oh!

[MINMEI] Look how beautiful it is!

Whoa!

[RICK] I'm getting no response at all

from the fan-jet.

[RICK] Somehow, we seem to have drifted out into deep space.

And that means we're in deep trouble.

Oh, my! Isn't it romantic?

Yes, it is.

[BOTH yelp]

- -[MINMEI] Whoa! - -[RICK] Ah...

- -...choo! - -[BOTH laugh]

- -[gas hissing] - -Oh, what's that hissing sound?

Oh, it's perfectly all right. Don't get upset about it.

[RICK laughs]

You hear all kind of weird noises

in these things. [laughs]

[laughs] Huh...

[RICK] I don't dare tell her it's our oxygen leaking out.

Maybe this'll hold it temporarily.

Let's get out of here, okay?

[RICK] Hey, what's your hurry?

Just relax and enjoy the view.

[RICK] If the boosters don't work, we're sunk.

- -Comfy? - -[MINMEI] Uh-huh.

We'd better try to find the battlefortress.

Somethin' funny's been goin' on around here.

[MINMEI] There it is.

Looks like they're still fighting down there.

[RICK] Don't worry.

[MINMEI yelling]

[RICK] I forgot, they close the landing bays during combat.

[MINMEI] Huh?

[BOTH yelp]

Maybe...

Maybe we can go through the hole he made.

[BOTH grunting]

[BOTH panting]

[BOTH laugh]

[SAMMIE] We just shot down the last enemy battlepod, sir.

[GLOVAL] Very good.

The civilian refugees from the shelters

are being brought on board now, sir.

And the medics report they're in good shape.

[GLOVAL] Thank you, Kim. Any contact with headquarters yet?

[CLAUDIA] No, Captain, I've tried,

but I haven't been able to raise them.

[SAMMIE] Are you sure there's no system malfunction?

[CLAUDIA] Negative.

None at all. It's operating perfectly.

Give me the reading on our position.

The planet Pluto's orbit, according to the computer plot--

[GLOVAL] The planet Pluto?!

- -[LISA] Is that possible? - -[CLAUDIA] It can't be!

I was against this fold system all along.

- -Captain! - -[KIM] Oh, Captain!

Now, now, now, settle down, don't panic,

all we have to do is re-fold

to get right back where we started.

There's absolutely nothing to worry about.

- -1 hope not, Captain. - -[telephone ringing]

- -[GLOVAL] Now what? - -[LISA] What is it?

[GLOVAL grunts]

Yes?

Hmm.

What? It can't be! Impossible!

I'll be right there.

[sighs]

Captain? What's happened?

[GLOVAL] Chief Engineer Lang tells me the fold system

has vanished into thin air.

[CREW gasps]

Sir, did you say "vanished"?

[GLOVAL] That's what he told me.

We'll never get back.

- -[SAMMIE] Oh, no! - -[KIM] Oh!

[SAMMIE, KIM sobbing]

[GLOVAL grunts softly]

Well, now, gonna be a long trip.

[NARRATOR] In our next episode,

Rick and Minmei learn

they have landed in a closed off

and forgotten section of the SDF-1.

[NARRATOR] Try as they may, they can find no way out,

and no one aboard the ship has any idea where they are.

Time passes slowly and cruelly for the imprisoned pair,

as what started out to be a fun adventure

turns into a deadly nightmare of hunger and exhaustion,

driving them to the edge of hysteria.

Don't miss "The Long Wait,"

the next thrilling chapter

in the saga of Robotech.

F