Part 47: Ground Control To Major Tom

Maybe not the most aesthetically-pleasing rocket ever.



: Vic! It's time!









Vic nods to Alexa and heads for the launch area.



We all cheer him on!





... except TOBOR, who points at him and laughs.



The camera swoops around Vic in a grand arc and settles, finally, on his serious face.



He heads down, into the crater, towards his destiny.



The hatch pops open and Vic clumps up the ramp.



Pausing only to salute us all before he ducks in and the hatch closes behind him.

: Launch sequence initiated!



If Sam had fingers, they would be crossed right now. The countdown begins. Tib... zwee...



... zeeda...



... zoon...



... dwee...



... ladooo!



Launch is go!



Launch is... not go?



: No, I think he'll be okay! He's just entered the stratosphere!

: But just to be safe, I'm hitting the self-destruct button!



: Now let's see if we can make contact...

Alexa types on her keyboard for a minute.

: Base to Eagle... come in, Vic. This is Alexa.

: ... bzzt... bzzzzzzz...

: Uh-oh... we seem to be getting some interference.

: SELF-DESTRUCT!!!

: Quiet! I'm reading some kind of giant orb in space, and it's... it's emitting highly focused energy right at Vic!

Oh no!

: I'm recalling the rocket immediately!



: Wait!! He's re-entered the atmosphere!





The landing sequence is the launch sequence played backwards.



And he's okay!

: Woo hoo!!!



Everybody except TOBOR goes 'Woo hoo!' right back.



...



: Good thing I trained so hard on that simulator, right, Sam? Anyway, when I was re-entering orbit, I saw something amazing!

Even more amazing than a giant laser-firing space eyeball?

: There were lands I've never seen before! I took a picture of them with my phone so you can add them to your map! Sorry if they're a little blurry--I was going 8,700 miles per hour.

With the help of Vic's space photography, Lyndsay is able to pinpoint the location of two more islands:



Over here on the west side of the map, there's Candypalooza...



And next to it, the Forest of the Elves!

: Hooray! Thank you, Vic! Ready to explore some new lands, Sam?

Sam nods, and Vic draws Sam aside.



: I want to see every action figure ever made! If you find any collectible Figurines on your quest, come show them to me and I'll give you a cool reward, 'K?

Vic opens up the action-figure collection quest--



--plus Sam gets his very own spacesuit! And with that, night falls on Rocket Reef. Good night, everybody--



--even to you, TOBOR.

So where should our intrepid crew go next? Candypalooza or the Forest of the Elves?


---




Video: Rocket Man
Drama! Laughter! Swoopy cameras! Forwarding through dialogue too rapidly! Telling instead of showing!