Space Sweepers 2021

In the not-too-distant future of 2092, Earth has devolved into a barren wasteland, its once-thriving ecosystems ravaged by pollution and neglect. In response, the UTS Corporation embarked on an ambitious endeavor to create a new home for humanity - a self-sustaining orbiting community that mimics the very natural processes it seeks to replace. However, this utopian vision comes at a steep price: only a select few are deemed worthy of ascending to this celestial sanctuary, leaving the vast majority of Earth’s inhabitants to struggle in a harsh environment devoid of hope.

Under the guidance of James Sullivan (character), the enigmatic founder and CEO of UTS, the corporation is working tirelessly to transform Mars into a new frontier for humanity. This endeavor involves cultivating genetically modified flora on the red planet, transforming it into a hospitable environment that can support human life. But, in order to maintain control over this new world, UTS imposes strict regulations and taxes on those who remain on Earth.

As a result, many individuals from all corners of the globe are forced to eke out a meager existence as space sweepers - a grueling task that involves collecting and selling space debris floating in Earth’s orbit. It is within this desolate landscape that our story unfolds, following the crew of the Victory, a scrappy ship captained by Jang, a brilliant and resourceful leader with a troubled past.

Tae-ho, Tiger Park, and Bubs (an android) are just a few of the eclectic characters that call the Victory home. Tiger Park, once a notorious drug baron on Earth, now keeps the ship’s machinery in top working order. Bubs, a former robot soldier, has reinvented himself as the ship’s repair expert and junk collector, with the ultimate goal of securing a complete skin graft to cover his synthetic hide. And then there’s Tae-ho, a former child soldier consumed by a desperate search for his daughter, Su-ni, who was lost in space after being ejected from the Victory.

Tae-ho’s singular focus is on raising the funds necessary to hire an authorities’ recovery team to locate his daughter’s body tracker before it drifts out of orbit and becomes forever lost in the vast expanse of space. As the crew navigates the treacherous landscape of UTS-controlled space, they must also contend with the harsh realities of their own troubled pasts - and the dark secrets that threaten to tear them apart.

As they retrieve the mysterious car drifting in orbit, the crew of the spaceship stumbles upon an unexpected passenger: a childlike robot named Dorothy, allegedly harboring a weapon of mass destruction created by the notorious terrorist group Black Fox. The discovery is accompanied by cryptic news reports and a smartphone found in Dorothy’s possession, which holds a trail of missed calls from someone named Kang Hyeon-u. Following this digital breadcrumb, they negotiate a ransom with an unknown party, offering two million dollars for Dorothy’s safe return.

As the crew becomes acquainted with their new robotic companion, Tiger finds himself drawn to her innocence and artistic nature. In a rare moment of tenderness, he engages in a conversation with Dorothy while she is sketching in his cabin. Later, Tae-ho and Tiger attempt to transport Dorothy to a night club to collect the ransom, but she slips away into the crowd, leading to chaos when UTS soldiers are ambushed by an unknown assailant.

As the situation spirals out of control, Soldier 01 zeroes in on them with a blaster, only for Dorothy’s eyes to shift color and a peculiar force field to envelop the trio, protecting them from harm. Captain Jang, monitoring events from her ship, observes the unfolding drama and notes the man who came to collect Dorothy calling her “Kot-Nim.” Her gaze lingers on the tender moment between Dorothy and Tiger as they escape the massacre together.

Upon their safe return to the ship, Dorothy becomes engrossed in drawing and playing. When Captain Jang inquires about her true identity, Dorothy reveals that Kot-Nim is indeed her Korean name. While Tae-ho remains skeptical about her robotic nature, Tiger’s friendly demeanor towards her prompts him to suggest keeping her onboard. However, Tae-ho dismisses the idea, opting instead to reestablish contact with Kang Hyeon-u to renegotiate the ransom and Dorothy’s fate.

As Dorothy and Tae-ho bask in the simple joys of selling freshly harvested tomatoes, Captain Jang’s eyes are drawn to the contents of Dorothy’s backpack. Unbeknownst to her, he is privy to a window into the past, one that reveals the complexities of Tae-ho’s tumultuous history as a child soldier, Soldier 01 at just 17. The memories of his brutal exploits on the high seas still linger, where he callously extinguished the lives of fleeing innocents, leaving behind only death and destruction. Yet, amidst the carnage, a glimmer of humanity flickered to life in the form of a baby girl, whose tender existence in the arms of a deceased woman stirred his soul. This chance discovery reawakened Tae-ho’s capacity for empathy, ultimately leading to his dismissal from the forces and relegation to a life of homelessness.

The threads of Tae-ho’s tragic past are intertwined with those of Su-ni, whose own struggles unfold as her father’s neglect takes its toll. In a cruel twist of fate, one year of desperation and gambling leads to a devastating outcome: Su-ni’s carefree wanderlust results in her being swept away by the debris-laden winds of space.

Meanwhile, in a darkened factory, Kot-Nim’s screams pierce the air as a masked figure stalks her. Tae-ho and Tiger spring into action, only to be met with an ambush from a group of masked individuals. Captain Jang intervenes, revealing that these are not terrorists, but rather space junk collectors. The leader explains that Black Fox is not a terrorist organization, but rather a guardian of the planet’s well-being. Kot-Nim, far from being an android, is a human child born with a rare congenital disease. Her father’s desperate measures to save her life - injecting nanobots found in space debris - bestowed upon her a remarkable gift: the power to communicate with and heal other nanobots.

As Sullivan’s sinister plan unfolds, he intends to use Kot-Nim as the catalyst for destruction. By harnessing her unique abilities, he aims to detonate a hydrogen bomb that will reduce Mars to a smoldering ruin. The explosion’s proximity to Earth ensures that the resulting debris will ravage our planet, rendering it uninhabitable and cementing Mars’ status as the sole viable option for humanity’s survival.

As the precarious situation unfolds, the crew makes a bold decision to reunite Kot-Nim with her father and defuse the ticking bomb, relying on the expertise of the enigmatic Black Foxes to track down Dr. Kang and guide them to the clandestine meeting point. However, their plans are soon disrupted by a surprise attack from ruthless soldiers who relentlessly pursue Tae-ho (actor name) and Kot-nim as they attempt to escape on the Victory. The desperate duo finds themselves navigating treacherous space debris, where nanobots swarm their ship, threatening to devour it whole.

Through sheer determination and Kot-nim’s remarkable communication skills, the nanobots are persuaded to disperse, allowing the pair to enter the designated factory, only to be ambushed once more. The UTS soldiers brutally slaughter the Black Foxes and Dr. Kang, then capture Kot-Nim, leaving Tae-ho to confront a moral dilemma.

Sullivan’s deceitful offer of four million dollars tempts Tae-ho to abandon Kot-Nim, but his conscience is pricked by the weight of responsibility. As he grapples with this internal conflict, the crew’s resolve is strengthened, and they collectively decide to risk everything to rescue Kot-Nim, no matter the cost.

The turning point comes when Tae-ho receives a poignant reminder of the promise he made to Su-ni: to be the best man she’d ever known. This solemn vow sparks a newfound sense of purpose within him, as he returns the tainted money and rededicates himself to the mission. With renewed zeal, Tae-ho and his companions set their sights on rescuing Kot-Nim, determined to overcome the odds and salvage what’s left of this treacherous adventure.

As Sullivan’s Mars program goes live, the stakes are heightened as Captain Jang discovers that the bomb strapped to Kot-Nim on a chair in the factory cannot be defused. Its devastating blast radius of 5,000 kilometers will not only obliterate everything in its path but also annihilate any nanobots within proximity, including those sustaining Kot-Nim’s life. The team’s only hope lies in putting distance between Kot-Nim and the bomb, prompting them to make a desperate bid to flee 5,000 kilometers away. However, their escape is short-lived as they are interrupted by Soldier 01, whom Tiger engages in an intense battle, ultimately ejecting her from the factory.

The team then sends out a distress call to the rest of the Space Sweepers, who swiftly respond and join forces with them to repel the attacking troops. Meanwhile, the true intentions behind Sullivan’s Mars program are revealed to the global population as they listen to his chilling plan unfold through the Space Sweepers’ emergency comms channel.

The Victory is subsequently intercepted by Sullivan himself, piloting a ship of his own, as he attempts to reclaim Kot-Nim and thwart her crew. A fierce battle ensues, but Tiger and Tae-ho manage to muster one final burst of energy, narrowly escaping the blast radius by mere inches. As the dust settles, the crew reveals their clever plan: Kot-Nim was always safe with other Space Sweepers, while they had covertly removed the bomb from its core and were prepared to sacrifice themselves to save Earth and Kot-Nim.

As the bomb explodes, Kot-Nim’s nanobots spring into action, shielding the Victory and its crew from harm. In the aftermath of this intense ordeal, UTS issues a formal apology for their cover-up and pledges to work towards making Earth more habitable. Kot-Nim is welcomed into the Space Sweepers’ family, using her powers to enable Tae-ho to bid farewell to Su-ni.

Bubs undergoes successful skin graft surgery, while Tiger and Tae-ho accompany Kot-Nim to Earth, where they join forces to nurture new life by planting trees. As the dust settles on this epic adventure, the Space Sweepers continue their mission to protect the cosmos.