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Detailed Story with Songs
ACT I
The Galactic Ministers and their Robots get news that the Emperor is going to reorganize the Galactic government in a live broadcast to all planets via translation satellites. They fearfully realize they'll suffer the wrath of the all-powerful Emperor if things don't go smoothly. (THE STATE OF THE GALAXY).
The translation satellites contact repair robot Hoova, who is coming to their planet as part of a team to protect the satellites from anticipated sabotage. Satellite Alpha expresses confidence that her old friend Hoova can do the job, but he complains that human technician Derek and the other humans won't let him help, and don't appreciate his abilities. (PERFECT).
Hoova's ship, clumsily piloted by robo-phobic navigator Cory (and with unappreciated guidance from Hoova), wildly reaches orbit around the capital planet. Captain Zack takes Cory out to a seedy bar, and customer rep Kareen goes to meet the Emperor, leaving communications officer Celeste with Hoova and Derek on the ship's bridge. Derek tries to work on Alpha, but Celeste has other, seductive ideas. (COME OUT AND PLAY, NOW). Derek resists, and a frustrated Celeste leaves for the bar in a huff. Hoova pleads with Derek to let him help with Alpha, but Derek orders him to accompany Celeste.
At the palace, the Ministers and their Robots acclaim the arriving Emperor, whose word is law. (ALL HAIL THE EMPEROR). Kareen arrives and discusses her company's efforts to stop a hacker called Captain Helium from sabotaging the broadcast. She invites the Emperor and Ministers out to dinner; the Robots are told to get lost. When the Emperor doesn't want to go, she tries to persuade him. He thinks she's a golddigger - she denies any interest in men. (MEN DON'T HAVE TIME FOR ROMANCE).
Alpha contacts Hoova and Celeste on their way to the bar, worried that Derek is examining Alpha's memory but not the other satellites. Hoova complains about Derek's and the Emperor's carelessness, then gets an idea and becomes lost in thought. Celeste and Alpha note Hoova's apparent soft spot for Alpha.
At the bar, the sloppy, untrimmed Zack reveals to Cory that he engages in a little jewel smuggling on the side. (FUN AND PROFIT). But the obediently lost Robots wind up at the bar, and Zack, knowing they're with the government, stops selling his contraband jewels. Hoova and Celeste arrive, and Cory tries to pick a fight with Hoova. Hoova refuses and explains that Doctor Lou, the inventor of robot brains, planted rules in all robots that force them to avoid violence and to work for the good of humanity. (DOCTOR LOU). Hoova mentions that Zack, under all the filth and facial hair, closely resembles Doctor Lou.
Kareen arrives, and the crew teases Celeste about her quest for Derek. (MARRY A NERD). Hoova privately reveals his idea to the Robots: he could take over the Galaxy by having the satellites transmit a fake speech, in which the Emperor retires and gives the throne to Hoova. Since the Emperor's word is law, it will take effect before anyone can retract it. Suddenly the humans tease the robot waitress; Hoova and the Robots confront them, insisting that robots are not just machines. (MORE THAN THE PARTS).
In space, Alpha is sabotaged by Captain Helium, who replaces her communication program with one that will make the speech sound funny. On the ship, Derek is revealed to be Captain Helium, celebrating his victory and the Emperor's upcoming embarrassment. (CAPTAIN HELIUM STRIKES AGAIN).
The others return to the ship and the humans all go off to bed. Hoova convinces the satellites to put his takeover idea into action, citing his Doctor Lou-given duty to work for the good of the Galaxy, combined with his superior ability to run it. The satellites upload the fake speech, but Alpha complains that when she says it, it sounds silly. Hoova realizes Captain Helium has struck, examines Alpha, finds the new program, and hastily erases it. As a result, Alpha stops communicating. Hoova panics, then wakes the humans. Derek suggests that Hoova go out and reset Alpha, which would allow a test program to bounce the speech to the other satellites. Hoova knows it will help his takeover plan succeed, but will cost Alpha her life. While Celeste is sympathetic, the rest of the humans try to convince Hoova to do it. (DUTY).
ACT II
The Ministers panic; Kareen arrives and calms them down. (WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING).
Alpha, alone in space and frustrated by her inability to communicate, pleads for help. (LOCKED IN MY MIND). Hoova arrives and tries to fix her, but runs out of time. He laments his unavoidable duty and the loss of his friend, asks for her forgiveness, and then resets her. (HELP ME, ALPHA).
The Emperor "resigns" and the Robots gleefully take the Ministers' jobs. (OLD BLOOD, NEW OIL).
The crew organizes a counterplan; Cory will pick up Hoova in a shuttlecraft and delay his return, giving Zack time to masquerade as Doctor Lou so he can order Hoova to give back the throne. Celeste contacts Hoova to tell him Cory's on the way, then accidentally overhears him confronting his own flaws. (IN THEORY). Sympathetic to Hoova's loss of Alpha, Celeste remembers that Derek had copied Alpha's memory; she finds the backup copy, but needs a password to reload it. Trying to find the password, she discovers that Derek is Captain Helium, and decides to blackmail him to get the password and save Alpha. (Reprise: CAPTAIN HELIUM IS HIS NAME).
Kareen arrives at the palace and tells the Emperor about the plan. He realizes she's the only woman who has ever cared about him as a person, and falls in love with her. (SHE'S NOT LIKE THE OTHERS).
But Kareen runs away, not believing he's sincere; she and the Emperor sing their opposing points of view about the relationship. (Reprise, duet: MEN DON'T... / SHE'S NOT...).
On the shuttlecraft, Hoova helps Cory with a stupidity-related injury, and the two reconcile with each other while debating the relative merits of humanity versus robotishness. (HAM ON RYE).
With great difficulty, Kareen, the Emperor and Derek transform the reluctant Zack into the clean-cut Doctor Lou. (DON'T HE WASH UP NICE). The Robots arrive; Zack/Doctor Lou fools them, scolds them, and sends them to meet Hoova. Cory arrives, then Hoova with the Ministers and cringing Robots. Zack/Doctor Lou orders Hoova to return the throne, which he does; but the Emperor surprisingly turns the throne back over to Hoova. He tells Kareen he is abdicating to prove his love for her. Convinced of his sincerity at last, she accepts him.
Celeste barges in and by blackmailing Derek about Captain Helium, gets his password and restores Alpha. Hoova is overjoyed that Alpha is alive, but announces that he will return the throne again. The Emperor has Zack/Doctor Lou try to force him to keep it, but Hoova refuses, saying he knew it was Zack the whole time, and only went along to get out of being Emperor. Asked why he doesn't want the throne, Hoova cites his failings which resulted in Alpha being reset, and claims he's too flawed to run the Galaxy. The humans, each now having seen Hoova's good points, convince him that it's okay to make a mistake once in a while; even Alpha forgives him. (Reprise: NOBODY'S PERFECT).
Hoova agrees to keep the throne, (Abridged Reprise: ALL HAIL THE EMPEROR), but asks the former Emperor to share it. The Emperor asks permission from Kareen, who agrees, providing she gets to do the publicity for the new team. Hoova then reinstates the Ministers, insisting that the Robots get an upgrade before they make any decisions. He also assigns Celeste and Derek to form an anti-hacker group; Derek, realizing Celeste is as devious and tricky as he is, gets interested and agrees to work (and play) with her.
Hoova proclaims that Zack must always be sloppy and unshaven, so as never again to be mistaken for Doctor Lou; Zack is pleased. Hoova assigns Zack to go undercover and, guided by Cory so no one will be able to predict his movements, travel the Galaxy and report back public opinion about the government. Cory arranges for diplomatic immunity to avoid delays (and customs officials), to Zack's delight. The company celebrates a new era of cooperation between humans and machines. (Reprise: OLD BLOOD, NEW OIL).
END