Robotech

In the year 1999,

high above Macross Island in the South Pacific,

a phenomenal event occurred in the skies,

which altered the course of human history.

A gigantic alien spaceship

broke through the very fabric of hyperspace

on a collision course with the Earth.

During its uncontrolled fall from the sky,

the plummeting space fortress

produced shock waves of incredible force.

The craft measured

nearly three quarters of a mile in length.

There was no sign of the alien crew.

The armored hull had taken the brunt of the damage,

leaving much of the sophisticated

technosystems intact.

What remained of the giant battle fortress

gave evidence of a civilization

that was light-years ahead of Earth's most advanced thinking.

Global war ravaged the Earth at that time,

but even this devastation paled

by comparison to the threat of invasion from outer space.

A ceasefire was ordered

and world leaders banded together

to form a united Earth government.

world leaders ordered a celebration.

For ten years, the total resources

of an entire planet had been focused

on the restoration of the space fortress.

A great city had grown up around the Robotech

project and today, on the eve of the ship's maiden flight,

every citizen, man, woman, and child

was gathering to celebrate their achievement,

and to witness the launching of their planet's new defender.

Hmm, it's the big shots making their grand entrance.

Captain Gloval doesn't seem too happy about it.

Don't look so sour, Captain Gloval,

it's our big day.

Surely you realize all those loyal citizens out there

consider you their hero.

I think you could at least wave to them.

All right, I'll wave.

The countdown has begun.

On board the giant spaceship,

the crew of raw recruits,

freshly graduated from the Robotech Academy,

is busy with the prelaunch checklist.

All manual systems are green light.

I will now feed you the computer projections...

The ceremony starts in 15 minutes.

I hope the captain gets here in time.

I hear he didn't get much sleep last night.

Yeah, the other officers threw

a farewell party for him.

They probably sat up all night telling each other war stories.

You know how they are.

And where were you, Claudia?

What're you talking about, Lisa?

You didn't come in until 4:00 this morning,

you must have been partying, too.

You jealous?

I had a late dinner with Commander Fokker.

-- Claudia! --What?

You stayed out all night,

knowing you both had flight duty today.

So? What's the big fuss about, Lisa?

We won't let it affect the performance of our duty.

After all, we're not children and you're not our mother.

Your responsibilities to the ship come first, Claudia.

But my private life is my business.

Nobody else's.

Now, then, let's get to work, all right? Get outta here.

Lisa doesn't understand about men, Claudia.

She's in love with this spaceship.

Yeah, you got that right.

Oh, don't argue.

I'm not the one who keeps butting

into everybody's business.

--Oh. I'm warning you. --

I hate to interrupt,

but hadn't you better check your monitor, Commander?

It's an unidentified incoming aircraft, Lisa.

Attention, aircraft, approaching on course 1-0-7.

Please identify yourself. Please identify yourself.

This is Rick Hunter. Invitation number 2-0-1.

That's confirmed as an invitation

from Lieutenant Commander Fokker.

Follow course 5-7 for landing.

Roger.

And now we present

a display of aerial acrobatics,

demonstrating the amazing advances

we have made through Robotechnology.

Lieutenant Commander Roy Fokker,

leader of the Veritech fighter squadron,

will describe the action for us.

Today you'll see

how we've applied human know-how

to a complex alien technology.

Keep your eyes on planes two and four.

Flying at speeds of 800 miles per hour

only 50 feet above the ground,

they will pass within just a few yards of one another.

Robotechnology makes such precision possible.

Huh?

Oh, no! Rick! Is that you Rick Hunter?

Roy! It's good to hear your voice, old buddy.

I understand you're a lieutenant commander now.

Are you crazy? Get that junk heap outta here.

Hunter, when I get my hands on you, I--

Eh... I...

Oh! Hey, Ed, switch this to radio only, will ya?

What are you trying to do, buddy?

Make a perfect fool of me?

Ah, nobody's perfect, Commander.

You haven't changed a bit, have you?

Well, this isn't your dad's amateur flying circus.

My men are real pilots.

I'm gonna have to make you eat those words, Commander.

Comin' in.

Stop clowning around.

Ohh, get outta there!

Excuse me, folks.

Phew. Hi, Roy.

Just who do you think you are?

What were you trying to do, get yourself killed?

Hey, calm down.

And while we're at it,

where'd you learn to do that, anyway?

It was just a simple booster climb.

You taught me that yourself when I was just a kid.

-- --Hey!

I have to admit those guys are pretty good.

Not as good as me, of course.

You don't have to brag to me, Rick.

I know all about your winning

the amateur flying competition last year.

Actually I've won it eight years in a row.

What have you been doing?

I was busy fighting a war.

I guess you didn't read about my having shot down

a hundred and eight enemy planes.

You're proud of being a killer?

What?

There was a war on and I was a soldier.

I just did my duty!

You promised my dad that as soon as the war was over

you'd come back to the air circus.

Why did you go back on that promise, Roy?

Hmm. I really felt guilty about

letting your father down.

Only, this Robotech thing is so exciting,

I just couldn't give it up.

It just gets in your blood or something, I don't know.

What is Robotech anyway?

Just more modern war machinery.

--And the aliens-- Huh? -- Cola! I want a cola!

You promised me you'd buy me a Cola, Minmei,

and I want one right now!

You've already had a cola

and you can't have any more!

-- Why? --No, Jason.

--I want a Cola! --Cancel the order, please.

--Cola! --Oh, you'll get sick.

I don't care!

That's it. We're going home.

I want a cola!

Come on, Jason, I don't wanna spank you.

Huh?

Well, Roy, I see you're still a big ladies' man.

Blasting through a warp-fold in deep space,

a gigantic alien spaceship enters Earth's solar system

in pursuit of the damaged Robotech vessel,

which has eluded capture

by slipping through the time-space continuum.

The command ship leads a vast armada

of battle vessels manned by the Zentraedi,

a race of warriors bred for thousands of generations

for the sole purpose of military conquest.

The finder beam has locked on this planet.

Are you sure this is where

the transmission was coming from?

Yes, sir, I'm positive.

They could have executed a re-fold.

It's doubtful, sir.

There was no evidence

of a second jump into hyperspace.

Hmm.

They couldn't have gone far in their condition.

They would have to have landed in order to repair the ship.

That's a logical speculation, I think.

I agree. It would seem very likely, sir.

Send a scout team.

Wow, this fighter's a real beauty, all right.

It looks great, but how does it handle?

Hmm?

Well, why don't you just climb aboard and see for yourself?

You mean that?

Sure, I'll go along and ride piggyback behind you.

The controls may look pretty complicated,