The Planet Eater

The weather is great today. And it's awesome being able to relax back in Baruoki again.

Well, as the old adage goes, there is no place like home. Despite all you have been through, your true "home" is still with the Barouki village mayor, after all.

While Aldo's and my real family may be Professor Chronos, our mom, and Eden... In the end when we think of our home, it's the place where gramps always waits for us.

The place you call home...

A~ah, now I want to see how my own dad's doing...

Crikey, you are a carefree bunch. You lot don't know how bloody lucky ya all are!

Hey, Kid! I told you it's not nice to jump down people's throats like that.

Kid is riight! You aare most fortunaate to have a hoome you can retuurn to.

Starky?! Where did you spring from?

Quel est le problème, mon petit, Starky?

Everyoone liisten! Once it awaakens, noboody can stoop it!

What are you talking about, Starky?

Huh? Is it an earthquake?

Shockwave formations detected in the atmosphere. An enormous, unidentified object is falling to earth at a supersonic speed.

Say what?!

Wargh!

What was that?!

I estimate that the unidentified object has crashed in the vicinty of the Serena Coast.

So some bloody big bugger of a thing just fell from the sky, eh?

"Once it awakens, nobody can stop it!" Starky, is this what you were referring to when you said that?

Hey! Where did he go?

Somet'ing seemed étrange about Starky...

In any case, I think we should head over to the Serena Coast and check the situation out.

Yeah, I agree. Let's hurry on over there now.

Woah! Check that out. What do you think it is?

Mayhap that is what fell from the welkin but earlier?

It appears to be a man-made structure built with what would be considered future technology by us.

Thaat is a Terracticon...the first juudge and bringer of deaath to youu and the eend of this plaanet.

Starky, est-ce vous?!

Terracticon? First judge? What are you talking about, Starky?

If you waant to know moore, come to the Shoore's Eend on the Laast Islaand. I shall shoow you soomething intereesting.

Attendez, Starky!

He said Shore's End and Last Island, didn't he? Does that mean the little guy found a wormhole and traveled to the future?

Either way, we may as well head to that Shore's End place. Let's see what the little chap thinks is so interestin', eh?

So youu huumans caame!

Starky!

What's this island? And what's this Terracticon thing that fell in the waters off of Serena Coast?

This is a teest siite. Research from traacking your moovements concluded this a most suuitable plaace for your first teest.

Howeever, the laand and seea's pollution levels were so seveere... We had to staart our plaans in your tiime period insteaad.

As for this Terracticon, I alreeady told youu. It is the destrooyer of this plaanet and briinger of deaath to youu as your first juudge. It is the beginning of an innumerable leegion... One of the three gods of destruuction that shall devouur the seea, eaarth, and skyy.

A god of destruction?

What are you on about, Starky?! What has gotten into you?

Thaat am noot Starky!

Huh?! There are two Starkys?

So you're the real Starky! Then who is this?

That is a maanager from a leevel aboove Starky's.

Oh, like he's your boss, then?

So youu finally showed uup! I haave been seaarching for youu, Surveyor #26.

Surveyor #26?

Why waas this Terracticon activaated? And why are youu here, Manager?

I am heere because youu failed to report in at aall. What are youu plaaying at, Surveyor #26?

It is taaking youu far too long to investigaate a K-class plaanet such as this one. As the first fleet stopped commuunicating, we had no chooice but to embaark ourselves. There is not much time leeft, youu know!

Starky was not plaaying at aanything. Starky's ship crash-laanded after an acciident.

Well, thaat does not maatter anymoore.

As youu know, Terracticon α has been activaated. Once it gaathers enough daata, it shall commeence full-scale operaations. When that haappens, this plaanet's oceans shall compleetely die.

You cannot be serious?!

What do you mean our oceans shall completely die?

Come along noow, Surveyor #26. Your mission has been caanceled. It is time for youu to return hoome.

......

Soo your ship has broken down and youu cannot return hoome? Never feear! For that is why I caame to fetch youu!

Hang on a tick! What in blazes are you two gabbin' on about?

S-Starky am...

Thaat is an ordeer, Surveyor #26! We retuurn at oonce!

Yes siir, Manager, siir! Starky shall retuurn with youu!

Wait, Starky, s'il vous plaît!

You must not go wit' zis, zis... gestionnaire!

Je ne comprends pas la situation. But we are amis...friends, non? I cannot allow you to leave like zis!

Harle...

It's as Harle sez, Starky. Besides, I don't like your boss cocky one bit.

Hmph! Youu puny huumans dare interfeere with me? Why, youu are only a K-class plaanet's lifeforms!

Well, do your beest! I can eeasily handle youu, huumans!

Stop it, everyoone! Youu must not fiight he...

Wowzers!

Starky?!

Youu keep out of thiis, Surveyor #26! Youu are a loafer who could not properly investigaate a siingle cesspool of a plaanet!

Are you okay, Starky?

Woooooow...

Hang in there, Starky. Leave your bossman to us!

Paathetic unevoolved creeatures! How dare youu defy the likes of me! I shaall put youu back in your plaace!

No maatter how maany of youu K-class lifeforms uniite, youu shall still be no maatch for uus!

Come, huumans! Though youu are lower animaals of this backwater plaanet, we shall glaadly take youu on for spoort!

What's going on here? I am sure this little island didn't exist before!

Is this what Starky wanted to show us?

Then, where is the little fellow?

Youu did better than expeected. But thaat is enough for todaay. I have more importaant things to doo and plaaces to bee.

Besiides, once Terracticon α has fully awooken, this plaanet, and all youu pathetic lifeforms on it... Will meet your demiise. So feel free to futiilely strive to surviive as much as youu pleease until then.

Surveyor #26, I shaall ask youu once more. Do youu intend to come baack with me on my ship or not?

......

I see. I have had enouugh of your impeertinence. I shall deciide your punishment laater. Understaand, Surveyor #26?

The Terracticons are three daark siblings that devour plaanets. They are known as the destroyers of plaanets. They are like industrial plaants that can traansform... Whole ecosystems, changing the skyy, laand, and seea, as they creeate uncountable duplicaates of themseelves.

So they are like machines that terraform our planet to be similar to your homeworld's environment then?

Does that mean you guys intend to destroy this planet and turn it into a copy of your own homeworld?

And that, Starky, you came here to carry out a preliminary inspection or something?

...... Our hoomeworld... Starky's hoome... no longer exiists.

So we have been searching for a plaanet with the necessary prerequiisites.

Where do you get off destroying our planet, though?

I guess you lot, havin' lost yer home and all, have yer own reasonings and sense of what's right, eh? Even if they are selfish motivations, ya can probably justify 'em.

But Starky's chosen to stick by us. So that's all in the past now, ain't it?

Starky learned a lot from huumans. If Starky had not met youu, Starky would live life differeently thaan now.

Oh, Starky...

Youu are welcome!

Garçon idiot! You are supposed to say « merci » or "thank you" at times like zis. Not « de rien » or "you are welcome"! But we are ze ones who should thank you, non? Merci de nous avoir rencontrés. Thank you for meeting us.

Does Harle remeember her promise with Starky?

Ma promesse? What is zis promise vous speak of?

Starky see... Harle must haave coome here from a point in tiime earlier thaan Starky did.

Forgeet it. You will coome to knoow what Starky mean laater.

Bof! Vous êtes un garçon étrange, n'est-ce pas?

So, what do we do next?

We muust do something aboout Terracticon α! At the momeent, it is collecting daata aboout this plaanet. Once it finishes thaat, it will begin to infinitely duplicaate itself and staart to destroy this woorld.

I guess it will start by transforming the seas here into something like the waters on Starky's homeworld.

Then it is decided. We head on over to the Serena Coast and strike down Terracticon α before it can do that!

So, this is Terracticon α... one of three destroyers of planets. Able to infinitely replicate itself in order to transform our oceans.

And we're here to do something about it before it has the chance to do so!

As if youu can do anythiing!

Not you again!

Look at youu, acting like youu own the plaace! But have youu eveer stopped to woonder... Does this plaanet really want huuman parasites living off of it? Huumans have already ruuined the future of the laand and seea. Are youu yourselves not the reeal destroyers of plaanets?

Yes we have made mistakes. But we learn from those mistakes and we improve each and every day. We will not continue to be destroyers much longer because we evolve.

Oh, but look aat your own aactions. Youu traavel through spaace and tiime, but have youu changed the fuuture? Have youu helped restoore your plaanet's polluted laands and seeas?

Well, er...

Youu cannot aanswer because you have no aanswer. If we transfoorm your plaanet at this point in tiime, then it will be re- boorn and its futuure will be saaved.

Your plaanet sings... Youu must liisten to its song aand connect with its wiill. Huumans have forgotten that they are paart of this plaanet. Youu need to realize that agaiin.

So you still intend to continue with your plans to terraform our planet, then?

Chaange of protocol, Terracticon α. I order youu to terminaate these huumans now!

Cessation of Terracticon α's operations confirmed.

We did it!

Hmph. Looks like it is tiime to bump up the scheduule. Activaating Terracticon β!

Check that out!

That must be the second destroyer of planets!

And as for youu, Surveyor #26, I haave a little somethiing to give youu!

Woowzers?!

Your disoobedience of the ruules cannot go unpunished foreever. It is an aaffront for a meember of our prestiigious speciies to associate with K-class lifefoorms!

Woooooow!

Euh-oh... Starky?!

Surveyor #26, I am taking youu baack with me. I shaall see you huumans again, I am suure...

Nah ya don't, mate!

Crikey! That little bugger sure is cruisin' for a bruisin'!

Pauvre Starky... We must help him!

I know, Harle... We need to think of something.

But it is pretty hard to do anything when we don't even know where their mothership is...

Nonetheless, we cannot allow one of our companions to be abducted in such an alien way!

Don't worry, Harle. I am sure Starky will be all right.

Why don't we go to wherever Terracticon β landed? I am sure if we interfere with their plans again, Starky's manager will have to show his fish-bowled face. It will save us the trouble of searching for him ourselves.

Oui. C'est une excellente idée! Let us destroy zis Terracticon!

An object thought to be Terracticon β appears to have come down in the Karek Swampland.

Then that's it! Next stop, Karek Swampland!

There it is! That must be Terracticon β!

The so-called second judge. The creator of a legion that will destroy our planet. If this begins to construct infinite replicas of itself, as Starky's manager claims it will... Then we'll be in a lot of trouble. We must stop it from functioning before it comes to that!

Then, quick, let's destroy it! We can't allow it to transform our planet. Right, everyone?!

Cessation of Terracticon β's operations confirmed.

Chalk up another one to team human!

Starky?!

......

Ça va, Starky? Did they do somet'ing to vous?

Who are youu? Were youu the ones who interfeered with oour Terracticon β?

Huh? What's wrong with you, Starky? Don't you know who we are?

I aam Surveyor #26. You appeear to be low-level lifefoorms of this K-class plaanet.

Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas chez toi, Starky? What haz happened?

We have deleeted all memoories Surveyor #26 has maade since arriving on this plaanet.

How dare ya, boss cocky!

What do you mean you have deleted Starky's memories?

After meeting youu, Surveyor #26's consciousness appeears to have chaanged. By deleeting all memories he maade since then from his braain, he has been retuurned... Baack to his former capable surveying seelf. That is aall.

Comment as-tu pu?! So Starky doez not remember anyt'ing about us? All our aventures togezer? Tout a été oublié? Everyt'ing forgotten?

Ya better give Starky back his memories...or else I'm gonna kick yer arse so hard, you'll kiss the moons!

I am afraaid that is not possiible. Once memories haave been eraased, they caan never be restoored.

How awful!

Now, baack to woork, Surveyor #26! Caarry out our plaans to convert this plaanet into our new hoomeworld!

Affirmaative! Activaating Terracticon γ. Let the thiird judgment begiin!

Not this again?

Let us see if youu huumans can overcoome this final judgmeent. Time to leeave, Surveyor #26.

Yes siir, Manager, siir!

N'y allez pas, Starky...!

Bloomin' hell that manager bugger is nothin' but trouble!

Oh, Starky...

Now that Starky has lost all his memories of us for good, what do we do?

I reckon we kick that boss cocky's arse and take Starky back by force!

If we can't restore his old memories then hows about we create new ones? You know...redo everythin' we did together since we first met him and make him our mate once more!

I get what you are trying to do, but do really you think it will work? This time is different. Their plans to terraform this planet are underway so Starky now sees us as enemies.

Well there is no harm tryin', eh? We can't just leave the poor blighter like that, can we now?

It's a right royal pain in the arse, but we've gotta give it a go. Don't you reckon, Harle?

Hein? Ah.. Euh.. I agree wit' zis plan...I t'ink...

Why are ya so wishy-washy all of a sudden?

I feel az t'ough all ze time we spent with Starky haz been stolen from us.

Yeah, I kinda feel that way too..

Well, how about we go stop Terracticon γ? And when Starky appears, we try to draw him over to our side and befriend him again?

Yeah, I have no probs with that. Ya gotta be in it to win it, eh?

An object thought to be Terracticon γ appears to have come down in the vicinity of Rucyana Sands.

Okay then everyone, let's go to the Rucyana Sands and defeat our third Terracticon!

Rucyana Sands...okay. I'm sure the Hydra will help. Let's go!

Come on, everyone!

So this is our third, and hopefully final, judgment...Terracticon γ?

I wonder where Starky and his annoying manager are?

We aare heere, insolent huumans!

Oh hey, Starky!

Écoutez-moi, Starky! Try to remember us! Do not let zat gestionnaire steal our precious souvenirs...our mémoires. We made une promesse, n'est-ce pas?

A promise zat vous et moi would always be amis...friends, oui?! N'est-ce pas exact, mon petit, Starky?

......

Youu are wasting your breath. I already toold youu, Surveyor #26's memories haave been totally eraased. He haas no recollection of youu at aall.

Tch, you sure talk big.

I've had enough of yer arrogance, bubble-head! You just wait! I'll kick yer arse and take Starky back, I will!

Hmph! Well, let us see hoow you go agaainst our thiird judgment, then? Surveyor #26, exterminaate them!

Affirmaative!

Execuute these interfering huumans, Terracticon γ! For the genesis of oour new hoomeworld!

Cessation of Terracticon γ's operations confirmed.

We did it! That's all three Terracticons done and dusted!

Do not be so faast to celebrate, huumans. The real baattle is about to begiin!

What do you mean, "real battle"?

Commence preparaations, Surveyor #26!

Yes siir, Manager, siir!

Starky?!

Once activaated, if all three Terracticons ceease functioning, they switch to emeergency mode. In this mode, insteaad of transforming the plaanet, they caan be commaanded to obliteraate it.

Invoking Plaanet Destrooyer Protocol: Dynacticron!

What in the world's a Dynacticron?

Obliterate the whole planet? He can't be serious!

Oh, I aam deadly seriouus. If a plaanet cannot be transfoormed, then we muust move on to another plaanet. In order to maake that move, we need to gaather as many resoources as we caan. The most efficieent method is to blow the plaanet to smithereens and absorb the resultaant energy and resources.

You think we would let you get away with that?

We shall stop you little grey space- men, no matter what it may take!

I insincerely wish youu huumans all the beest in trying to stoop us. But I haad better warn youu, your friend Surveyor #26 is on boaard Dynacticron! You might waant to remember thaat!

So this Dynacticron is going to blow our planet to smithereens and absorb the energy as fuel for aliens.

And Starky is ridin' the blasted thing!

......

So, those aliens intend to destroy our planet and steal the remaining energy and resources. This ain't no joke!

We need to stop this Dynacticron, somehow...

But Starky is on board it!

If only we could convince Starky to put an end to all this...

However, if he has indeed had all his memories wiped, then there is little chance he shall listen to you. He is more likely to view us as enemies, if we step in his way.

......

Well, there ain't no use us mopin' 'round here. We'll just have to take our chances, won't we? We'll get through this somehow, I'm sure.

I say, if we're outta luck, then let's make our own bloody luck! We have to believe in the connection we had with Starky. If it was real, then it can't have been erased.

Yeah, you're right, Kid. We have to at least try. Let's go get our friend Starky back!

Energy signatures potentially corresponding to Dynacticron detected above Miglance Castle.

Then let's head to Miglance Castle and put a stop to this Dynacticron!

So, youu incorrigible huumans are here to interfeere agaain? The uniiting of the three Terracticons into Dynacticron is aalmost compleete.

This plaanet was a decent caandidate for our replaacement hoomeworld. But we will juust have to find anoother.

How can you only think of yourself and not others? We won't let you get away with this!

Yeah! We'll show you! We will get our friend Starky back. You just watch!

Youu still do not understaand, do youu? Surveyor #26 has lost all memoories of youu. He will neever be the saame Starky, or whateever, youu knew. What maakes an individual what they aare is their memoories. So he is no loonger your Surveyor #26.

Calling him your friend is meeaningless as those conneections no longer exiist. So youu will be unaable to stop him and the Dynacticron!

Yeah, yeah...we've heard it all before. And we've had enough of you talking down to us!

I sure hope yer ready. Coz we're gonna kick all yer arses so hard, you'll kiss the moons!

Nothing youu do or say maatters. Your faate, and the faate of this plaanet, is merely to become fuuel and proviisions for our next jouurney.

Saally forth, Dynacticron! Deeal out your fiinal judgmeent upon theese miserable fools!

Écoute-moi, Starky! Hear ma voice! Vous have lost not'ing! Not'ing has been taken from vous!

......

Kindly refraain from botheering my worker with your uuseless utterances! How maany times do I have to tell youu pathetic huumans? Surveyor #26's lost memoories can neever be restor...

What's going on? Is the Dynacticron crying?

Ne pleure pas, Starky! Zere iz no need for vous to shed tears.

So do not cry...mon petit!

Harle should not cry eeither. Starky does not liike seeing Harle's teears.

What is gooing oon? Surveyor #26 was suppoosed to haave haad a compleete memory wiipe. This is impoossible!

Zere are souvenirs...mémoires... carved into our souls zat can never be forgotten. So it iz impossible for thoze mémoires to be erazed or stolen by others. Jamais!

Starky... Je suis désolé... I am sorry vous had to experience zis.

Harle... Starky liike promises.

Will Harle proomise not to tell aanyone that Starky was cryiing?

Compris... I understand, Starky. Je te le promets! I promise not to tell, mon petit!

Starky?!

Dyynaactiicro~on!!!

What happened to Starky?

Daamn those memoories caarved into souls...!

Oi, bubblehead! I so wanted to kick yer arse, no matter what happened... But after hearin' me mate Starky just now, I'm no longer in the mood for it. So now's yer chance to rack off before I change me mind!

Understood. This whole affaair waas most unexpeected, indeed. I will need to give maatters due consideraation, including a revieew of our plaans for this...lovely plaanet.

I don't really understand universal managerial talk...but I see no sense in fighting unnecessarily.

Agreed. I see no harm in letting him go back to be with his own people at this point.

Are you okay with that, Harle?

Oui... I have non objections.

Then I hereby caall this meeting adjouurned. Our plaan shaall be post- poned indefinitely pending revieew. If anyone wishes to heear the preliminary fiindings and our next course of aaction... Then pleease atteend our next gaathering at The Shores' Eend.

So, where is Starky's manager? Didn't he say to gather here to hear their findings and next course of action?

Oh, so youu decided to shoow up, huumans?!

Well, did you and yer mates make a call on whether to continue yer plans of terraforming this planet or not?

Afteer much deliberaation, a decisioon was reeached to scraap said plaans.

Really? That's a relief!

This was a moost intriguing caase.

Due to our contaact with the life- foorms of this plaanet... We uncoveered the possibility thaat we too can evoolve to a new leveel. That is whaat Surveyor #26 taught us from his own firsthaand experieence.

Cependant...however...mon petit... Hélas, he iz non more...!

Whaat is wroong, Harle? Harle's maake-up doesn't look the saame todaay.

Starky?!

Starky, c'est toi? Iz it really vous?

Woow? Starky am Starky! Starky no tell liies.

Oh...it iz vous, mon petit! Je suis heureux! I am so very happy!

But what in heavens happened?

As surveeying missions are daangerous, each surveyor is assiigned a replica body to doownload their conscious into. Those duplicaates have all their memories uploaded, reeal-tiime, to our mothershiip where they are stoored.

Surveyor #26 also haad his newly creeated memories uploaded, right up untiil the Dynacticron inciident. So we were aable to creaate another replica body into whiich we down- loaded the neewest memories... From the Surveyor #26 duplicaate in the Dynacticron. Then we simply wooke this new duplicaate up.

So this new Starky has all his former memories?

Yes. All those memories thaat could not be eraased or stoolen are intaact ...aas good aas new, you might saay!

That's great!

It seems to have worked out in the end, because you all pulled together... And believed in the friendship you had with the little grey spaceman!

We do tend to be the people who make the impossible possible!

Crikey. It seems all of ya are just as troppo as I am, ya bunch a drongos!

Kid! What did I say...?!

What are you going to do now?

Regaarding thaat, we haave deciided to put a stoop to the prooject and staay here to see how things goo.

We do not knoow what the future maay hoold. But it seems we will be aable to gaather some intereesting daata. We shaall listen to this plaanet and respeect the will of this plaanet as we doo so.

Listen to zis planète et respectez ze will of zis planète...

I t'ink we should all do zat!

But anyway...bon retour parmi nous! Welcome back, Starky!

Starky is haappy to be baack with Harle...and everyoone!