The Prodigal Father/Transcript

(At the Monastery of Spinjitzu, Wu is in the Hanger Bay, browsing through security cameras in through Ninjago City.)

Wu: Nothing. Nothing! Still nothing. Even more nothing! Argh! (Wu picks up a walkie-talkie.) P.I.X.A.L., I've checked almost every security camera in Ninjago City. No sign of where The Mechanic may have taken Zane! P.I.X.A.L.? P.I.X.A.L.?

(The security alarm goes off, indicating a security breach. Wu checks the camera in the elevator, and is surprised to see "Zane".)

Wu: Zane!

("Zane" turns out to be a cardboard cutout.)

Henchman: Ha! Fooled you, old man!

Wu: I might be old, but you're the fool, trying to break in here! (He defeats the two henchmen easily.) Fail.

Henchman: (laughs) Not too shabby for an old guy.

Wu: You made a grave mistake breaking in here. One you will regret!

Henchman: Good thing Unagami told us to bring these! (He and the other henchmen put on masks, and he drops a smoke bomb that renders Wu unconscious.)

(At the Mechanic's Headquarters, P.I.X.A.L. and Milton Dyer stand before an arcade machine.)

Game Voice: Would you like to enter Prime Empire?

Dyer: But this is impossible. We never completed these, the game was never finished!

P.I.X.A.L.: It was finished by Unagami, whoever that is.

Dyer: That's ... that's not possible.

P.I.X.A.L.: Why not?

Dyer: Because Unagami's not a real person. Unagami was the game, "Unfinished Adventure Game I". It was the working title before we came up with Prime Empire, but the name stuck. It was just a harmless program.

P.I.X.A.L.: This "harmless" program wants revenge, and is taking it out on Ninjago City. It is employing the services of the Mechanic, who kidnapped Zane.

Dyer: But that's impossible. Unagami isn't alive, it isn't real.

P.I.X.A.L.: It is no less real than I am, and it is very angry.

Dyer: But you are a robot. What you experience as emotion is merely a simulation of emotion. It's just code, ones and zeroes.

P.I.X.A.L.: As are yours! They are electrical impulses in your brain. I assure you, Unagami's emotions are just as real to him. And if we do not find a way to stop him, he will cause tremendous harm.

Dyer: I - I don't know how to stop it.

(In a warehouse, Zane is blindfolded and chained up in a chair.)

The Mechanic: Zane. The Titanium Ninja himself. Take that off. (Zane's blindfold is removed.) And before you tell me that your samurai friend will come rescue you, you should know that I'm jamming your internal GPS tracker. I don't want anyone crashing the party yet.

Zane: What do you want, Mechanic?

The Mechanic: Glad you asked! Let me show you. I call it the Manifestation Gate. Once completed, it will allow my master, Unagami, to enter the real world.

Zane: Impossible!

The Mechanic: No more impossible than real people getting yanked into Prime Empire. Same process. We're just gonna do the reverse.

Zane: The energy requirements for such a device would be -

The Mechanic: Massive! You're right! We need to trap hundreds of people in the game, then harvest their energy. Oh wait, that's exactly what we did! Hahaha!

Zane: You can't do that. You have no right, these are innocent people!

The Mechanic: Ah ah ah, they were innocent people. Now, they're innocent Energy Cubes. Soon, Unagami will have the energy that he needs. But there is one more thing I need here to finish preparations on our side - the Prime Empire Motherboard, which you took.

Zane: The motherboard was destroyed.

The Mechanic: (laughs) I thought you'd try that, but I'm not buying it. An inquisitive Nindroid like you, you wouldn't get rid of it until you had time to take it apart and understand it, so I think it's still around.

Zane: Then you are mistaken. I destroyed it myself.

The Mechanic: Oh, did you, Zane the Pain? That's my new nickname for you, by the way. You see, I've got something very precious to you that might help you tell me the truth. (He opens a crate to reveal Wu, also tied up.)

Zane: Master Wu!

The Mechanic: Now, let's try this again. The motherboard, where is it? (Wu shakes his head at Zane.)

(At the Mechanic's headquarters.)

P.I.X.A.L.: What about a back door? Or a shutdown code. Or a failsafe?

Dyer: No, nothing like that.

P.I.X.A.L.: But the game was shut down before.

Dyer: That was different.

P.I.X.A.L.: Tell me what happened. Please.

Dyer: (sighs) We were going into beta testing. (A flashback begins.)

Past Unagami: What are we doing today?

Past Dyer: Well, Unagami, it's a big day. You're going to get your first live test player.

Past Unagami: How exciting. I shall endeavor to meet your expectations.

Past Dyer: (chuckles) I have no doubt you'll do fine.

Past Scott: Hey there, Mr. Dyer. Is this where I get to test the game?

Past Dyer: Come on in, Scott. This is it. Our newest game - Prime Empire. I guess I'm going to have to stop calling you Unagami now, won't I? Since you have a proper name and you're no longer Unfinished Adventure Game I.

Past Unagami: If it is all the same to you, Mr. Dyer, I prefer "Unagami".

Past Scott: Oh, it can talk?

Past Unagami: Of course.

Past Dyer: What do you say? Are you ready for a gaming experience like nothing you've ever seen before?

Past Scott: Okay, Unagami. I'm an expert gamer, so it'll take a lot to impress me.

Past Dyer: Better make this as intense as possible, Unagami. (He exits the room.)

Past Unagami: I shall do my best. (Scott plays the game.) You have reached Level Thirteen. Would you like to enter Prime Empire?

Past Scott: Wicked! (He enters the game.)

Past Dyer: (He reenters the room.) Okay, time's up. Scott? Scott?

Past Unagami: Scott is no longer here, Mr. Dyer. I did as you instructed me. I gave him the most intense experience possible.

Past Dyer: No. Oh no.

Past Unagami: Mr. Dyer, did I do something wrong? (The flashback ends.)

Dyer: They shut down the project. The program was too powerful, too dangerous. At first, I was angry at them. I blamed Vast Industries. But then I realized, it was my fault. I had created something dangerous. I had to shut it down, or others might be hurt. So I closed up everything. I left it all behind. I retired.

P.I.X.A.L.: Unagami only did what you programmed him to do, and you punished him for it?

Dyer: I thought it was just a machine! I didn't know it had feelings. How could I know?

(At the warehouse, the Mechanic continues to interrogate Zane.)

The Mechanic: Where's the motherboard?

Wu: He already told you, it was destroyed!

(The Mechanic smashes a crate with his mechanical arm, then aims the arm at Wu.)

Zane: Don't hurt him! Please, do not hurt him.

The Mechanic: Tell me where the motherboard is!

Zane: Okay! Okay. Let him go.

The Mechanic: Where is it? (Zane reluctantly opens his chest compartment, revealing the motherboard.)

Wu: Zane! No!

The Mechanic: (He takes the motherboard from Zane.) At last, the final piece! Oh, I can't believe I actually did it. (He inserts it into the gate. Wu sends P.I.X.A.L. a panic signal.)

(P.I.X.A.L.'s arm starts to beep.)

Dyer: What's that?

P.I.X.A.L.: Master Wu's sending a panic signal from his communicator. He must be in trouble. I have to go.

Dyer: That sounds dangerous. Shouldn't you call the police?

P.I.X.A.L.: My friends are in danger. There's no time. (She runs off.)

Dyer: Your ... friends? (He follows her.)

The Mechanic: Come on! Put a little backbone into it. Pull with the legs! You're all acting like you never assembled an inter dimensional portal before.

(P.I.X.A.L. and Dyer sneak in. She gasps when she sees Zane and Wu tied up.)

Dyer: Your programming is incredible. You truly appear to be concerned with the well-being of another.

P.I.X.A.L.: Why can you not understand? Any sufficiently advanced program like Unagami, like myself, is no less real than you.

The Mechanic: Now, there's just one last thing I need. You. You're the last piece of the puzzle.

Zane: Me?

The Mechanic: Your power capacitor will channel the energy from the gate, and stabilize it long enough for Unagami to enter.

Zane: But that would destroy me!

Wu: He's right. He's not designed to process that much power.

The Mechanic: Oh, heavens to Betsy! We'd better not do it, then. Just kidding. Hook him up!

Zane: No!

P.I.X.A.L.: I must stop this.

Dyer: There's nothing you can do, there's too many of them.

P.I.X.A.L.: I have to try.

Dyer: Incredible.

Wu: Zane!

(The Mechanic plugs Zane in, and he screams as the energy passes through him.)

P.I.X.A.L.: No! (Everyone turns around to stare at her.)

The Mechanic: Stop her! (P.I.X.A.L. fights the henchmen. The gate starts to activate.) Yes. Yes!

Dyer: Oh, no. Unagami.

The Mechanic: Yes. Yes, that's it! The gate is open. We are ready for Unagami to enter Ninjago!

(End of the episode. For more information, click here.)