Mousetrap

ReBoot Episode
The Saucy Mare caught in Mouse's Trap
Mousetrap
Episode no.	3.12
Written by	Marv Wolfman
Story by	Gavin Blair, Dan DiDio, Phil Mitchell, Ian Pearson, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman
Original Airdate	5 November 1997
Prev.: Web Riders on the Storm | Next: Megaframe
View Episode List.

The crew of the Saucy Mare is in a festive mood, two men in hula skirts and coconut shells dancing on top of barrels of ROM, Princess Bula bringing on the provisions, and a feast of donuts and slugs. They've been drinking too much cappuccino and grog, binomes are passing out right and left. Bob makes a toast to Captain Capacitor and the crew of the Saucy Mare, the finest bunch of cutthroat pirates who ever sailed to two Seas. Capacitor returns the favor by toasting the Web Riders, the ugliest bunch of merciless blaggards he ever had the pleasure to sail with. Ray Tracer tries the Web Rider's delicacy, Web Slugs, which one eats whole. Both Bob and another Rider comment on never getting used the way it wriggles all the way down. Matrix and AndrAIa are not with the rest. Upon the main deck, Matrix is afraid that his hero won't understand his actions. They walk in just as one Web Rider gives the Surfer a hearty slap on the back for proving that he is a warrior by eating the slimy slug. Matrix's reflexes get the better of him when Ray falls on him, he pulls out his Gun. The Surfer tells the Web Riders to calm down, but his command of the Web language is not so good. Matrix walks out and AndrAIa gives Bob a meaningful glance, suggesting that the Guardian should talk to the boy.

They talk on the main deck. Enzo Matrix wonders what he has turned in to. Bob points out he is a hero, but Enzo replays by saying "I've done ... questionable things". Bob states that Enzo survived the Games and rescued him. He also states that they can deal with Megabyte and Daemon after the two of them have gotten back to Mainframe, together.

The helmsman, Mr. Andrew, reports they are approaching the tear at the Web Address of Mainframe. But just after the report, the ship is rocked. The ship has triggered some sort of energy trap. A particularly nasty bolt of lightning gouges a deep scratch into the ship's protective shielding. They try making the ship a less noticeable target by taking everything offline and leaving only the emergency lights.

Matrix and the crew think it must be the infected Guardians, but Bob says that this is not the style of the Guardians. It's more like Mouse's doing, she was the only other sprite that knew Mainframe's Web address. When she deleted Mainframe's location on the Web during the Web War she also sealed and protected the location. Matrix says that they would have had a chance against the Guardians, but not Mouse.

Another charge hits the stern of the Saucy Mare, wiping out all the tracks to the power supply. They're dead in the water, but the Captain has an idea. Using Matrix's targeting eye, they prepare for the next charge to approach, then hoist the sails and ride the energy wave to the tear. The sails last just long enough before being burned up completely. The ship comes to a halt just next to the tear.

Bob asks for the ship's schematics, but Matrix gets in the way, not realizing he's blocking everyone's view of the blueprints. AndrAIa looks at the drawing of one connector, which is hard to see in the dark. A light shows up, but it is not what they want. The spark of light eats through the paper, the entire ship is being attacked by pixels.

The pixels can't be fought effectively inside the ship. Bob asks his Web Rider friends to take the battle outside. There is a slight delay in getting the port open since there's no power, other than Matrix's brute strength. Once outside the Riders sweep away the glowing barnacles and Ray produces a turquoise shield field around the ship. AndrAIa has gotten the engines back online and it looks like they can finally get through to Mainframe, but there is a secondary trap from Mouse.

A new force field envelops the tear, shattering Ray's shield and separating the ship from the others. Ray and the Web Riders are left outside this new field. The force field keeps shrinking, pushing the ship into the tear where it will be destroyed.

AndrAIa calls for a plan. Bob remarks that he likes to fly by the seat of his pants, leaving the planning to Dot. AndrAIa wonders why Mouse's trap keeps attacking the ship. Matrix wants to ram it, use the ship's speed to punch a hole in the buffer. Bob realizes AndrAIa has a point and orders the Captain to remove the shielding. The traps are reacting to the dead Web creature's scales. Matrix says they can't because without the shield they will be dissolved by the Web. Bob says they won't dissolve if they can get the ship through the portal as soon as the scales are down, but without the Surfer, they have no way to stabilize the tear into a portal.

Everyone is drawn to Glitch for it is making noises on Bob's arm. Although damaged to the point where it cannot stabilize a tear, it is functional enough to argue with Bob. Bob listens and reluctantly agrees that Glitch's plan is possible and that there is no other way. He tells everyone to stand back.

The top of Glitch turns rapidly and the entire Key Tool turns golden. Bob says "thank you, old friend" just before giving the last command, "Glitch, download!" Glitch turns into a gold fireball flying around Bob trailing a helix of green and blue spirals. There's a burst of white light around Bob, then it fades to reveal ...

A new an improved Bob. In place of the Web-damaged Guardian suit is a silver and gold suit. His icon is centered and is now a gold eight-pointed star. "We are now one, Let's go home." He says.

Bob claps his hands together and levitates towards the front of the ship. He goes through the Web shields, shattering it and leaving the ship encased in a golden glow. Bob tows the ship toward the tear, then points his hands toward the tear, releasing a ball of energy at it, changing it into a portal. The city of Mainframe shines through it the glowing portal. Bob and the ship go through the portal, everyone overjoyed to finally be going home.

ReferencesEdit

• Barrels of ROM are visible on the deck. A reference to 'Read-only memory', a class of storage media used in computers and other electronic devices.
• Matrix tells Bob "I've done... questionable things." which echoes the line Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) spoke from the 1982 film "Blade Runner", directed by Ridley Scott.
• A Binome that resembles Hue Branch was briefly seen on the Mare inside a file lock.
• The first 3 minutes of this episode, with the toasts at the party was cut from Toonami airings; presumably because of the drunken overtones. Instead, the episode opens up with Matrix and Andraia on the bridge. The full episode was restored for the DVD, however.
• Bob recites a variation on the opening narration during the final scene.