12x14 - The Prodigal Father

[bunniefuu]

[theme music]

Jump!

♪ Jump up, kick back Whip around and spin ♪

♪ Go! ♪

♪ Ninjago ♪

[Pixal] "The Prodigal Father"

Nothing... Nothing...

Still nothing!

Even more nothing...

Ugh!

Pixal, I've checked almost every security camera in Ninjago City!

No sign of where the Mechanic may have taken Zane.

Pixal? Pixal?

Zane!

Hah! Fooled you, old man!

I might be old... but you're the fool, trying to break in here!

[yells]

[thumping]

Fail.

Not too shabby for an old guy.

You made a grave mistake breaking in here.

One you will regret.

Good thing Unagami told us to bring these.

Would you like to enter Prime Empire?

But, this is impossible...

We never completed these. The game was never finished.

It was finished by Unagami. Whoever that is.

-That... that's not possible. -Why not?

Because Unagami's not a real person.

Unagami was the game.

Unfinished Adventure Game One.

It was the working title before we came up with Prime Empire.

But the name stuck.

It was just a harmless program.

This "harmless program" wants revenge

and is taking it out on Ninjago City.

It is employing the services of the Mechanic,

who kidnapped Zane.

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

It is no less real than I am. And it is very angry.

But you are a robot.

What you experience as emotion

is merely a simulation of emotion.

It's just code. Ones and zeros.

[scoffs] As are yours.

They 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.

I, I don't know how to stop it.

[Mechanic] Zane, the titanium ninja himself.

Take that off.

And before you tell me that your

samurai friend will come rescue you...

you should know I'm jamming your internal GPS tracker.

-[grunting] -I don't want anyone

crashing the party yet.

What do you want, Mechanic?

Glad you asked. Let me show you.

[crackling]

I call it the Manifestation Gate.

Once completed, it will allow my master, Unagami,

to enter the real world.

Impossible.

No more impossible

than real people getting yanked into Prime Empire.

Same process. We're just gonna do the reverse.

The energy requirements for such a device would be--

Massive! You're right!

We'd need to trap hundreds of people in the game,

then harvest their energy!

Oh, wait.

That's exactly what we did! [laughs]

You can't do that!

You have no right! These are innocent people!

Uh, uh, uh! 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.

The motherboard was destroyed.

[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.

Then you are mistaken. I destroyed it myself.

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.

-[thuds] -[grunts]

Master Wu!

Now. Let's try this again.

The Motherboard. Where is it?

[tense music]

What about a backdoor?

Or a shutdown code?

Or a failsafe?

No, nothing like that.

But the game was shut down before.

That was different.

Tell me what happened, please.

We were going into beta testing.

[Unagami] What are we doing today?

Well, Unagami, it's a big day.

You're going to get your first live test player.

[Unagami] How exciting.

I shall endeavor to meet your expectations.

[chuckles] I have no doubt you'll do fine.

[knocking]

Hey there, Mr. Dyer.

Is this where I get to test the game?

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 One.

[Unagami] If it's all the same to you, Mister Dyer,

I prefer "Unagami."

Whoa! It can talk?

-[Unagami] Of course. -[chuckles]

What do you say?

Are you ready for a gaming experience

like nothing you've ever seen before?

Okay, Unagami,

I'm an expert gamer, so it'll take a lot to impress me.

Better make this as intense as possible, Unagami.

[Unagami] I shall do my best.

[videogame sounds]

[computer] You have reached level .

Would you like to enter Prime Empire?

Wicked!

[rumbling]

Okay. Times up.

Scott! Scott?

[Unagami] Scott is no longer here, Mister Dyer.

I did as you instructed me.

I gave him the most intense experience possible.

No. Oh, no!

[Unagami] Mister Dyer? Did I do something wrong?

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.

Unagami only did what you programmed him to do,

and you punished him for it?

I thought it was just a machine.

I didn't know it had feelings! How could I know?

Where's the Motherboard?

He already told you it was destroyed.

Dont hurt him! Please! Do not hurt him.

Tell me where the Motherboard is!

Okay! Okay... let him go!

Where is it?

Zane, no!

At last! The final piece!

I cant believe I actually did it.

What's that?

Master Wu is sending a panic signal from his communicator.

He must be in trouble. I have to go.

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

My friends are in danger. There's no time.

Your friends?

Come on! Put a little backbone into it!

Pull with the legs!

You're all acting like you've never assembled

an inter-dimensional portal before!

[thuds]

Your programming is incredible.

You truly appear to be concerned with the well-being of another.

Why can you not understand?

Any sufficiently advanced program, like Unagami,

like myself, is no less real than you.

Now there's just one last thing I need.

You. You're the last piece of the puzzle.

Me?

Your power capacitor will channel the energy from the gate

and stabilize it long enough for Unagami to enter.

But that would destroy me.

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

Oh heavens to Bettsy! We better not do it then.

Just kidding. Hook him up!

[grunting]

[Zane] No!

[gasps] I must stop this.

There's nothing you can do. There's too many of them.

I have to try.

Incredible.

Zane.

[crackling]

[groaning]

No!

Stop her!

-[thumping] -[grunting]

Yes... yes!

Oh, no! Unagami!

Yes! Yes, that's it!

The gate is open! We are ready...

for Unagami to enter Ninjago!

[closing theme music]