Joel Robinson, famous author and freshly retired manager of the Osseo 'Hot Fish Shop', was relaxing on his couch with his laptop and a soda when the television flashed a breaking news bulletin.
'This just in: It's been reported that unknown an object; most likely a meteor or perhaps even an unoccupied satellite has fallen from its orbit and has crash landed just within the 'Elm Creek Park Reserve'.
"Satellite?" He hadn't been paying attention until that key word was uttered. Joel closed his laptop and focused on the news report. "It couldn't be... could it?"
'Witnesses to the object falling from orbit claimed that it was a metallic object that was burning as it entered the Earth's atmosphere. The object was also described as very large and shaped like a bone.'
"No way..." Joel was transfixed on the story.
'Several of the witnesses have sketched a crude, possible design for this unknown downed object.'
The screen displayed severally hastily drawn but very similar designs of the reported falling object. All of the sketches depicted a long metal object in the shape of the ever cliché doggy chew toy bone.
"Oh my... That's the Satellite of Love!" Joel shot to his feet feeling horrified and concerned for the five passengers aboard the downed craft. Joel was the only person who knew and cared that the satellite was in fact occupied, and that there were five lives trapped aboard the burning wreckage.
'Officials are rushing to the scene to extinguish the flames before the nature reserve sustains serious damage. We will continue to update this story as it unfolds.'
Moving quickly Joel grabbed his keys and rushed out the front door. As he climbed into his car he turned on the radio to locate the breaking news story to keep himself up to date on the events as he drove to the nature reserve.
"Hang on guys, I'll find you!"
Just Minutes Ago, Onboard the Satellite of Love...
Now with their final film, 'Diabolik' nothing more than horrible memory, Michael J. Nelson, Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, Gypsy and Cambot were standing idle on the bridge of the falling Satellite of Love. The lights were flashing and the warning alarms were sound off at maximum volume.
Without any means of controlling the ship's descent Tom had taken ahold of the steering wheel which was illogically attached the desk on the bridge.
Mike stood idle next to Tom as calmly as possible.
"Tom, what's our situation?"
"Beginning reentry Mike!" Tom yelled over the blaring alarms and explosions that were only beginning to rock the ship to and fro.
"Good..."
A massive explosion shook the entire ship with a single deafening blast.
Tom updated the crew. "Total heatshield failure, Mike!"
"Bad..." Mike corrected his earlier statement. "What's going on?!" His calm demeanor transitioning into rightful panic.
Another massive explosion and crash shook the ship violently.
Tom informed the crew on the situation. "Deck 3: Broken away!"
Another explosion.
"Deck 4: Broken away!"
Yet another violent explosion.
Mike was losing his cool entirely. "Cambot! Give me 'Rocket Number Nine'!"
Cambot brought up the requested video feed.
The 'Satellite of Love' was falling in an uncontrollable descent. The force of the Earth's gravitational pull began damaging and destroying the ship, piece by piece.
From inside the ship the crew could feel every explosion, every tremor, every piece of the ship breaking away and disintegrating as it entered the Earth's atmosphere.
Tom continued to update the rest of the crew on the ship's condition. "Deck 5: Broken away! Deck 6: Broken away! Deck 7: Melting! And... Broken away!"
Mike didn't know how to handle such a dire situation and his shaking voice made it evident. "Gypsy! What do we do?!"
Gypsy, who had been keeping to herself on the edge of the bridge stood at Mike's side. "We burn up horribly! It's too terrible to contemplate, oh God in Heaven, please have mercy on our souls!"
Mike had one last, desperate idea. "I'll call Pearl!" He frantically pressed the button to make contact with Castle Forrester as a pipe on the bridge ruptured and began filling the bridge with an unknown gas that quickly engulfed the crew.
Tom called out through the thick gaseous cloud. "Uh-oh! Toxic gas entering our lungs and nasal passages!"
Mike yelled over the blaring alarms and coughing fits around him. "Pearl?!"
A display of the recently vacated Castle Forrester appeared on the monitor. Pearl, along with her two lackeys Professor BoBo and Brain Guy, were standing side by side near the far wall of the large room.
Pearl was not happy as she issued her final order to her minions. "Now, sing damn it, SING!"
Moving in unison the trio moved toward the door in synchronized step as they sang. "It's a long way to Tipperary..."
Pearl noticed Mike had made contact and could see the foggy interior of the ship on her monitor. As she approached the monitor BoBo and Brain Guy saw their opportunity to escape the castle without Pearl noticing. Picking up the large power cable Pearl gave her final words to the doomed ship crew. "Look, Nelson, move on. I am." With a single motion she pulled the plug from its source and the screen went perpetually black.
The crew began screaming in fear and panic as the satellite continued falling further into the Earth's atmosphere, the exterior of the ship slowly heating and disintegrating as Earth's strong gravity took its toll on the old, damaged vessel.
Another loud explosion, louder than any other before it, sent a powerful tremor through the entirety of the ship.
Tom continued to update the crew. "Whoa! Deck 9: Broken THROUGH DECKS 10 AND 11!"
Gypsy started screaming. "This is it! We're going DOWN!"
Tom shouted over her. "Brace for impact!"
Mike gave into his fear and yelled in panic. "We're all GOING TO DIE!"
Crow, who had been uncharacteristically quiet and absent suddenly appeared on the bridge in front of the desk. "Mike? Have you seen my other sweater?!"
The former, reluctant crew of the Satellite of Love: Mike, Crow, Servo, Gypsy and Cambot all screamed in terror as the satellite fell from the stars and into the blue sky of Earth.
Acrid, thick smoke obscured their vision as they all desperately clung to the desk and each other as they braced for the final impact.
An impact that was sure to kill them.
...to be continued...