The Big Apple

After several defeats, the Invid have resumed their search for the freedom fighters. Guessing that the rebels must be nearly out of protoculture energy cells, the aliens deploy an elaborate surveillance network designed to capture the elusive humans.

In the once-proud city of New York, Lancer leads Rand and Annie in a search for fuel. He is obviously in familiar territory. His expertise leads them to a building where the Invid store protoculture.

Rand can't believe their good fortune. "There's enough here to carry a whole army to Reflex Point!"

"Provided, of course, that we can get it without being spotted," Lancer warns.

"Hah! Don't worry about a thing. Protoculture Express at your service. We deliver overnight or your money back, right?"

"Right!" Annie chimes in. "In fact, if we don't make good, we pay you!" Lancer sighs, unhappy. "Gee...I remembered what a beautiful place this building was. This is Carnegie Hall, the greatest concert hall in the world. It was everybody's dream to play here. It was my dream, too, even though I never got a chance. I suppose those days are gone forever, now that the Invid have turned everything upside down. But what a thrill it would have been to appear here. I can almost imagine it....I won't let the Invid destroy my dreams! Somehow, someday I am going to play this hall!"

"Awww, come on," Rand urges. "Let's get out of here. Let's grab as much stuff as we can and take off before we get caught, okay?"

The singer agrees. For the moment, he has no choice. Dreams are put away as the trio scoop up as much of the precious fuel cells they can carry. In her enthusiasm, Annie takes too much and drops one of the canisters – loudly – on the cement floor. A guard peers about anxiously. Lancer, Rand, and Annie stay low, but finally the sound of a mewing cat distracts the guard at last. He blames the noise on the animal and walks away.

The cat turns out to be a young boy. He leads the others to safety of another building. Inside, an old friend of Lancer's, Simon, is holding a rehearsal for a stage production. the two men are pleased to see each other. Lancer is surprised to learn the Invid are allowing musical performances in the city. "Well, they haven't tried to stop us yet," Simon tells him. "I guess they figure this keeps the slaves happy and out of their hair. Anyway – you know what they say. The show must go on!"

In an Invid hive atop the tallest building in the city, two very different people are involved in conversation. Sera and Corg are arguing.

"You must stop this indiscriminate destruction," Sera commands. "We have not completed our observation of these life forms. You seem to forget our instructions – to study their behavior patterns and learn from them."

"Sera, I must protest your lenience in dealing with the humans. Our experiments have been completed. It's time to exterminate them."

"Do not challenge my authority. The Regess has placed me in charge."

"For the moment." Corg is smug. "You've known all along that we planned to save only a small percentage of the humans to use as workers on our protoculture farms. The rest have been scheduled for extermination. It's obvious you have no stomach for destruction, and, orders or not, I intend to begin that process immediately."

The Invid prince takes off to do just that despite Sera's protests. The princess is miserable. "Maybe he's right. I don't know if I have the determination to carry out this task. I still don't understand what prevents me from destroying the human rebels....It's more important than ever that I speak with Ariel. I must try to find her."

Corg wastes no time. He assembles his shock troopers and begins a murderous assault on the civilian population. His orders are simple: "Spare no one!"

Alien mecha fill the sky. The inhabitants of the occupied city panic and try to escape as the Invid fire on them. Scott, Lunk, Rook, and Marlene observe the riot. Lancer and Simon watch the old theater go up in flames but manage to move the performers into the safety of the subway tunnels. When Scott and the others catch up with Lancer, Rand, and Annie, the lieutenant shares an idea with the singer: "The people need something to inspire them to fight back against the Invid. The best way I know to do that is to put on a show. Can you do that?"

Lancer agrees and, with Simon's performers as backup, brings comfort out of chaos to the frightened survivors while the resistance fighters wage their own battle against Corg's troops.

While this is going on, Sera finds Marlene. "I don't believe what I'm hearing," Marlene says. "I am not an Invid!"

Sera is puzzled by her sister's reaction. "You were placed among the people of earth to learn their plans and report back to our hive. As of this date, Regess is still waiting for your first report. Do you expect me to believe you have forgotten who you are and why you're here?"

"No – you're lying. You must be."

Sera takes off as the battle comes uncomfortably close, promising to return. Marlene is left to wonder over this new mystery. She despairs that she could be one of the evil Invid.

The freedom fighters develop a new strategy. Instead of fighting individual shock troopers, they turn their attack on the giant hive itself. They storm the tower with incredible force. When the Invid realize what is happening, they return to the unguarded hive. The aliens are wiped out in the subsequent explosion. Corg rages. He has been vanquished by a handful of renegade humans again.

Afterwards, when the Robotech rebels regroup and check their coordinates, they find they are but a few hours away from Reflex Point. The end of their journey is approaching fast.

Experience this episode at home! Now available through the Robotech.com Store:

- DVD Video: Robotech DVD Vol.14: Hollow Victory (also part of DVD Box Set 7 and The New Generation complete collection) and The Protoculture Collection)

- Toys: Cyclones and Alpha Fighters

- Collectibles: Mars Base patches and keychains