"The Tardigrade Escapade" is the second segment of the twentieth episode of Miles from Tomorrowland. It premiered on August 13, 2015, alongside "A Growing Problem".
Plot[]
In the activity room of the Stellosphere, Miles and M.E.R.C. are practicing quantum kick, and successfully maneuver the ball around the cones and into the goal. Miles then instructs Stella to make the game harder, and Stella generates robots that easily guard the goal. Miles then tells M.E.R.C. that the two think big, although the robots look big. Miles explains that thinking big means to think really hard and find a new way around it, and M.E.R.C. uses the over-under strategy to dodge the robots and get the ball in the goal. Stella then deactivates the game, and Leo, Phoebe, and Loretta seem impressed with their abilities, with Loretta stating that Miles and M.E.R.C. were reading each other's minds. Just then, Stella informs the Callistos of a holo-call, and the Callistos head to the bridge to see Professor Rubicon calling from the Trident Research Station. Rubicon tells the Callistos about a large problem and instructs them to head to the station.
There, Rubicon tells the Callistos about the Trident lab studying earth creatures known as Tardigrades, and informs them that one of them escaped. In the lab, Rubicon tells the Callistos that Tardigrades are microscopically tiny, usually, which shows the actual problem: when one of the lab assistants used a Matter-Sizer to enlarge packages, he accidentally zapped the Tardigrade in its microscope, making it grow huge and float into space. Rubicon then instructs the Callistos to bring the Tardigrade back to the lab. Loretta also mentions that Tardigrades are the only known Earth animal that can survive in space without help, and Rubicon says that Tardigrades can do so, but not forever. Rubicon then gives the Callistos the Matter-Sizer, so when they bring the Tardigrade back to the lab, they can shrink it to its regular size.
The Callistos then board the Stellosphere to search for the Tardigrade. They come up upon an asteroid belt, and Leo maneuvers around the asteroids until they crash into something, which appears to be the Tardigrade they are searching for. Loretta realizes that the Tardigrade did not notice that it was hit, because they go into hibernation when they are in space. She then comes up with an idea to tow the Tardigrade back to Rubicon's lab, to which the Callistos agree. In the hangar, Phoebe instructs Miles and Leo to put a tow harness on the Tardigrade while Phoebe and Loretta deploy the grappling claw and M.E.R.C. stays on the bridge to keep the ship steady.
Miles and Leo successfully place the harness on the Tardigrade, and the grappling claw grabs it to pull the Tardigrade away. Shortly afterwards, however, the claw slips off the harness, and Miles goes back to secure the Tardigrade when Leo gets back in the Stellosphere. Miles successfully uses the Blastbuckle to attach himself to the claw, but when the Stellosphere tries to pull it, the harness snaps right back to the Tardigrade, and Miles' Questcom floats off into space, leaving Miles stuck with the Tardigrade. The Callistos promise to get Miles back when Stella informs them that she has a lock on Miles. Leo then sees through the holo-screen that Miles and the Tardigrade are on the Photon Superhighway where they pass several starships, including that of Blodger's. Blodger informs the Blopp family of such, and tells the mentioned story about Miles riding a really big animal through space being real.
A short time later, Miles and the Tardigrade exit the highway, but are on course for Jupiter. The Blopp Family then contact the Callistos and inform them where Miles and the Tardigrade are heading. Miles then sees the Stellosphere and says that he is safe, but Loretta says otherwise because Jupiter has dangerous radiation belts. Leo then gets the Stellosphere to the opposite side of the Tardigrade in an attempt to bounce it out of the way, but it does not work. Phoebe then instructs the Callistos to think big, and M.E.R.C. decides to use the Matter-Sizer to enlarge himself. The plan works, as M.E.R.C. catches up with Miles, and brings the Tardigrade back to the Trident Research Station, where it shrinks to its normal size. Rubicon then congratulates M.E.R.C. for being big, and Miles also says that the plan was also thinking big. Miles and M.E.R.C. decide to use the Matter-Sizer a little longer so they can play quantum kick outside the station.
Cast[]
- Cullen McCarthy as Miles Callisto
- Fiona Bishop as Loretta Callisto
- Olivia Munn as Phoebe Callisto
- Tom Kenny as Leo Callisto/Blibby Blopp
- Danny Jacob as Bobble Blopp
- Dee Bradley Baker as M.E.R.C.
- Bill Nye as Professor Rubicon
- Grey DeLisle as Stella
- Sam Lavagnino as Blodger Blopp
Trivia[]
- This episode, along with "A Growing Problem", was dedicated to NASA scientist Claudia Alexander, who died of breast cancer on July 11, 2015 in Arcadia, California.
- Moral: If you think big, you can do anything.
Gallery[]