Malt Shop Menace: Difference between revisions

Following a tip, [[Planet Terry]] and [[Robota]] travel to [[Asteroid 43KX]] in the hopes of finding his [[Planet Terry's parents|long lost parents]]. Their search is for [[Squink]] at the [[Milk Toast Malt Shop]], and the find the latter easily. What's less easy is getting to it, as the Malt Shop is surrounded on all sides by a [[Crocogater]]-infested moat crossable by a single log bridge. Gulping down his fear, Terry prepares to cross the log...

Elsewhere, a fearsome and hateful creature stomps through a forest, declaring his hate for anything that gets in his way: trees, bushes, Gnork hogs. He passes by the Milk Toast Malt Shop, implying that it's lucky it wasn't on his path, but the threat still stands to anything else in his way as he approaches a single log bridge over a moat...

Carefully making their way over the log, Terry and Robota come face to face with the creature, who calls himself [[Omnus]]. He demands they let him by, as nothing gets in his way – and he'll make them gator chow if they don't. After Terry tells him he has bad manners, Omnus readies a punch, but the swing causes him to lose his balance and fall into the moat. Omnus shouts for help as he is swarmed by Crocogaters; Robota comes to the rescue – though she tells him he doesn't deserve it – and her steel skin proves to tough for the gators' teeth. After she hoists him back up onto the log, Omnus thanks them, saying he owes them one, and he heads off along the log.

Terry and Robota come to the Milk Toast Malt Shop, and its warning sign of "No sissies allowed" fails to prepare them for the myriad tough, muscular, and mean alien thugs patronising the dive bar. They approach the bar and order their chocolate malts (Robota's with a shot of oil), and tell the bartender they're looking for a man named Squink. The bartender is quite familiar with the "ice cream freak", pointing him out at the other end of the bar.

Down there, the boss bartender is refusing to serve Squink another banana split, as he's over the limit. Squink gets aggressive, and he throws his sundae dish at the bartender; thus turns out to be the last straw for the boss, who calls for his bouncers, [[Morthrott and Grmbil]], to toss the troublemaker into the moat with the Crocogaters. Terry protests, and the boss turns his goons on him and Robota, too. Though they put up a fight, Terry is soon grabbed, and Robota captured by one of the bouncers' wrist-mounted electromagnet.

Just as it seems they're about to take a dip in the moat, Omnus arrives and demands they let Terry and Robota go. He makes short work of Morthrott and Grmbil, repaying the debt he owed them. Together, the three of them flee back over the log bridge, with Robota carrying the unconscious form of Squink. Terry ditches their armed pursuers by kicking the log loose, stranding the thugs on the Malt Shop's island. As they approach [[Planet Terry's ship|Terry's ship]], Robota asks if he can join them, as he's not going to be welcome on Asteroid 43KX for much longer – "And besides... you start darn good fights!"

Terry gladly welcomes him aboard, and they take off from the planet. He tells Robota and Omnus that, while he may not know how to find his parents yet, he's already found a family with the two of them.

But in the main body of the ship, Squink is not as unconscious as they presumed. Reaching for a blaster, he darkly vows that no-one must learn the secret of the ''[[Space Warp]]''...

"'''Nothing''' gets in the way of '''Omnus,''' shorty! How would you like to be '''gator chow?'''"<br>

"You have '''bad manners''', Mr. Omnus!"

:–'''Omnus''' (unstoppable force) meets '''Terry''' (immovable object).

"I said I want another '''banana split! Pronto!'''"<br>

"I '''can't''' serve you, Squink! You've had '''enough!''' Your stool says you're '''over''' the '''limit!'''"

:—'''Squink''' and the '''boss bartender''' have a heavy conversation.