Buzz looked back at his friends for the millionth time, this time with some news. "We're getting close!" he shouted, "I recognize the houses! Woody! Start - " His helicopter was suddenly zapped by a nasty bolt of lightning, and he spiraled down.
"Buzz!" Jessie yelled, as Mrs. Potato Head reefed the lever back on her control, halting the RC. Jessie leaped to the ground as Buzz fell with a loud clatter to the pavement. "Buzz! Buzz, are you okay?"
"I'm fine - " He stopped speaking when he saw the lovely cowgirl doll looking at him. "Greetings!"
Jessie quirked a brow at him.
"I come in peace."
"Ugh, you've GOT to be kidding me," Woody groaned, as Ken looked on in confusion.
Buzz looked behind him and began fighting with the bonds that bound him to the helicopter. "Oh, no! We have to take shelter before the ship explodes!" He attempted to laser through the skipping rope. "Well? Either help me or take cover."
"Buzz," Jessie began. "You're not a Space Ranger."
"Of course I am," he answered, and tried feebly to rip the skipping rope in half to the chorus of thunder. "Blast! My laser must be low."
Jessie rolled her eyes. "This is where most of your boyfriend baggage is."
"Guys!" Jessica yelled, running across the sidewalk. She hopped off and ran into the street. "Come on, get off the road."
"I'm trying!" Buzz shouted, struggling with the skipping rope. "Somebody help me, before the wreckage combusts! We must warn the Martians of the potential tragedy!"
"Buzz!" Jessie knelt on the wet road. "Calm down. Look at your shoes."
"What?" He looked down at his feet, and she tilted his foot up so he could see the Andy's name written on his right foot. "What is this graffiti?"
She pushed on his left foot, revealing Bonnie's name. "You're a toy! And we're your friends!"
"That's preposterous!" he said accusingly, but still allowed her to help him to his feet.
"No! Look, see?" She turned and lifted a boot, showing him the name on the bottom.
"I don't understand!"
"It's a long story," Woody sighed.
"Sounds like it," Mary said, scaring them all. "Come on inside and...do whatever toys do." She reached for the car, but it lurched away and drove toward the house. Mary started to unravel the skipping rope off of Buzz, and then she collected the helicopter, carrying the other three RCs inside. Jessie pulled Buzz to his feet and the toys walked after Mary. Woody followed last, balancing three remote controls in his little hands.
Inside, Mary shut the door, watching the Potato Heads and the aliens get out of the car.
"Your owner? Well, that's pretty cool," Woody was telling Jessica.
Buzz scrutinized the two Jessie dolls. "Why are there two of you?" he asked Jessie.
"That's a short story," Mr. Potato Head jumped in. "They're the same model."
Jessica smiled at the toys. "I can't believe you flew here for me. It's incredible; I...Thank you."
"Yeah. Um...There's a little more to it than that," Mr. Potato Head answered.
"Like what?"
"Seems you were caught on camera," Hamm informed her.
"What?"
A clatter made them turn. Buzz was dropping stuff onto the floor.
"What kind of planet has gravity?" he was muttering. "Impossible."
"Buzz, Buzz, Buzz," Woody said, walking quickly to him. "Stop dropping the nice lady's things. Here, come over to the...contact panel and see if you can...view Earth-dwellers." He pushed Buzz toward the TV.
"And the number pad is efficient?" Buzz asked.
"Yep."
"Huh." Buzz picked up the remote control, turned on the TV and leaned forward, focusing on the News channel. "She seems to be speaking directly to me! Which button activates my transmitter?" He paused for a moment. "I have literally zero interest in this alien. Who gave her a broadcast in the first place?"
"What's wrong with him?" Jessica whispered to Woody.
"He got struck by lightning and now he thinks he's the real Buzz Lightyear."
Jessica looked cluelessly at him. "He's based off someone?"
Buzz changed the channel and was quiet, focusing intently on the program.
Mary watched Woody quickly working to change the batteries in the RCs. "You know, you're welcome to stay as long as you like," she told him. "You can rest."
"Thank you, I - we appreciate it," Woody answered.
Another rumble of thunder had Mary standing up. She went to the tall cabinet and took from a shelf a pack of candles, which she began to empty.
Suddenly Buzz began shouting into the remote. "Sector 4, this is Buzz Lightyear! Tune in to station 10. These half-wits clearly require training at the Academy."
"Who's Sector 4?" Mary asked.
"I don't know, but we all know who the half-wit is," Hamm answered, as Jessie walked toward Buzz. She turned back to glare at him before settling down next to Buzz. He tried to keep composed when he noticed the toy he was beginning to think he was made for.
"What academy?" she finally asked.
"Excuse me, cowgirl, I-I cannot divulge any information of the Space Ranger Corps."
"Because you can't remember anything about it?" she pressed.
He ignored her.
"Yeah...Didn't happen."
"Space Rangers have far too much integrity to be liars. All I can tell you is that as I was required to, I took an oath."
"Do you remember the oath?"
He finally looked at her and shook his head slightly. "You will not force my deception. Please, just pay attention to the console."
She shrugged it off and watched TV with him.
"Now there's an alien with a short attention span," Buzz observed, "He seems to have forgotten his broadcast!"
Rolling her eyes, Jessie got up and walked away, just wishing she could have her boyfriend back. She approached the others. "Is there any way we can prove he's a toy?" Jessie asked.
Woody looked up at Mary and smiled. "Do you have a computer?"
"Yeah."
"Great. Can you please research 'Buzz Lightyear action figure'? Jessie, you grab Buzz and follow us."
Jessie nodded curtly and hurried back to her boyfriend. "Hey, Buzz! We need to show you something."
He turned off the TV and followed Jessie, who followed Woody and Mary; who led all the toys down the hall, through double glass doors and into an attractive den. "You have a nice vessel," Buzz observed, as he stopped beside a mirror. He looked at his little reflection. "Do you find it adequate for your stature?"
Mary sighed as she began to type. "I wish your helmet was soundproof."
He looked at her in disgust. "I find that very offensive."
"Good." She pushed Enter and clicked on Images. "Okay, come up here...Tell us what you see." She plopped Buzz onto her desk in front of the keyboard, and he leaned back, squinting at the screen.
"I see I broke my oath before my memory was erased. I felt fine, coming to; tell me, does your planet emit an electromagnetic pulse?"
"Mmm...Let's try something else," Mary said, and clicked on All. She read aloud from the description. "'Buzz Lightyear is a children's toy, first sold at branches of Al's Toy Barn in 1995. The model was introduced with several features and made in Taiwan.'" She stopped reading.
"So? That proves nothing," Buzz said indignantly. He bent and grabbed an alien, which he lifted into the air like a trophy. "See this?" he demanded. "Do-you-see-this?"
Rex reached over and lifted up the lid on his arm, revealing MADE IN TAIWAN. "It's okay, Buzz; we're here for you! We always were. You've done some pretty great things."
"Ludicrous," Buzz bit quietly.
"Well, if it's so ludicrous, how come we know about Zurg?" Mr. Potato Head demanded.
Buzz gasped. "You know?"
Woody stepped in, "'As a member of the elite Universe Protection Unit of the Space Ranger Corps, I protect the galaxy from the threat of invasion from the Evil Emperor Zurg, sworn enemy of the Galactic Alliance!'"
Buzz gaped at them.
"It's okay," Woody said. "We're your friends."
Buzz nodded at him, squinting warily. "Time alone will tell me that."
"Our air isn't toxic, either," Jessie said gently. "We're not wearing helmets!"
His eyes passed slowly over each face. Hesitantly, he reached up and his finger paused over the button. Looking straight into Jessie's eyes, he pushed the button and the helmet snapped shut. He blinked a few times and then let out a big breath. "Incredible. So. I'm a...t-toy?" he stammered.
"We're all toys," Mr. Potato Head answered, and then on second thought jabbed a white thumb in Mary's direction. "'Cept for her."
"I-I don't know what to say," Buzz spluttered. "I feel so...useless!"
Rex looked down. "How do you think I feel?"
Buzz looked up at Mary. "So...what are you?"
"I'm an...Earth-dweller," she answered, and kneeling on the floor she offered her hand. "Welcome to my planet. I'm Mary."
Buzz reached out and shook her hand, and they smiled tentatively at each other.