Beast Machines

Episode 11: The Key

SPOILERS AHEAD

SYNOPSIS:

Rhinox/Tankorr (hereafter referred to as Tankorr) finds the Oracle in the last episode.
He attempts to enter it but is rejected as a non-receptive spark.  Tankorr flings the
drone into it to download the data.  The drone suceedes in finding the Key to Vector
Sigma.  Evidently, the Oracle does house Vector Sigma inside it.

The Maximals drill for water in that cavern from "Survivor".  Cheetor thinks this whole
"return to nature" mission is a "waste of time".  Of which, I am so inclined as well.
Primal and Cheetor use poor Rattrap as an unwilling mediator (or an excuse to
argue with each other) using the other in the 3rd person.

Organic goo is struck instead and immediately, trees spring up everywhere.  The maximals
are suprized by this discovery.

Tankorr attacks and turns the trees into metal.  He also fires on Primal but Nightscream
gets in the way.  Nightscream suffers as he struggles to maintain the organic components.
He flashes wildly in and out of a pure blue metallic/robotic state.  Primal suggests that the
pure metallic state will corrupt him.  Robots are inherantly evil you know.

Tankorr powers up again but overloads and apparently goes off-line.  The drone calls
in other Tankorr drones to drag the body off and provide covering fire.

Black Arachnia webs a "contageous" Nightscream and the webbing turns robotic.
BA tosses NS into a pool of liquid and NS is temporarily restored.  The goo seeps back
into Cybertron.  Cheetor and Primal argue how to fix this.

In Cybertropolis, the Maximals are trapped by Megatron who now controls the entire city.
I wonder if he'll make a huge Transformer out of it!  The "mole drones" await the Maximals
inside the warehouse they take cover in.  After both Primal and Cheetor order Rattrap around,
Rattrap shunts into a mole and Megatron shakes everyone out of the building.  The mole
drills below the ground as it hits ground zero.

The mole attacks but Primal rides it down into the ground away from the Maximals.
By this time, Black Arachnia is already infected by Nightscream.  A sudden guyser of goo
erupts and douses our metallic heroes.  The goo is enough to counter the affects of the key.

Back to Tankorr, we see that the overloaded corpse is in fact a hologram.
The real Tankorr had staged his own death so he could procede with his own plans to
overthrow both Maximal and Vehicon alike.


DESIGN NOTES:
I loved that moon.  I didn't catch it until I watched the episode the 2nd time
around but I loved the huge scars deep in the moon.
I don't remember moons around Cybertron in Beast Wars but I'm not saying their
aren't any.  Of course, who knows how long it takes Transformers to build a moon.
A lot can happen when you're away.


HISTORY AND THE KEY:

I hope this episode still had value to those who are not aware of the original
story line involving Vector Sigma, its key, and its powers.

I felt that a new viewer could still appreciate the episode.

This episode expands on the powers of the key:

1. It is contageous
2. The powers it exhibited on earth also are exhibited on Cybertron
3. It doesn't just convert organic to metal, but "robotic"
4. Keys can be replicated for free
5. Overloading might have only been Tankorr's trick, they key may not overload at all
6. The key was created from "computer code" -- certainly they can make several copies

Tankorr can theoretically create an army by using Vector Sigma to grant
Transformer life into lifeless machines (Bestowing a new spark).

QUESTIONS:
So you Botcon coordinators...
Did you guys show "The Key to Vector Sigma" on purpose at Botcon 1999?
Pretty sly if you did.  Oh, now, don't go taking the credit if you don't deserve it!  :)

Will Tankorr create his own Vehicon army now?
Imagine Tankorr drones each armed with Keys!  Watch out!

BOB SKIR NOTES:

http://bobskir.com/

They have update their site with more questions and answers regarding this last
episode and they do bring a lot more insight into the story than what is in the show.


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