All right, beyond introducing new characters (say hi to Kentaro!) this is an exposition chapter. So get ready for some explanations and revelations. And do let me know if you don’t understand anything. Fumiaki’s been ranting in my head for years, it isn’t always easy to make sense of him…
↓ Transcript
Fumiaki: We're running species compatibility tests right now. Volunteers are rotating their forms every three weeks.
Jacob: 'Rotating'?
Fumiaki: Ah -- this is my cloned son, Kentaro!
Jacob: 'Cloned son'?
Fumiaki: That's Ulrich in the pod, yes? Pale fellow, nasal voice, smells like old desperation?
Kentaro: Yes, father. He's in second stage. Everything is normal.
Fumiaki: Let's look at him, then. Position the fluoroscope. I improved on my own genes a smidge. Height, eyesight...
Girii: Good looks.
Fumiaki: Every father showers his son with gifts. And his daughter -- you must be Girii!
Jacob: 'Rotating'?
Fumiaki: Ah -- this is my cloned son, Kentaro!
Jacob: 'Cloned son'?
Fumiaki: That's Ulrich in the pod, yes? Pale fellow, nasal voice, smells like old desperation?
Kentaro: Yes, father. He's in second stage. Everything is normal.
Fumiaki: Let's look at him, then. Position the fluoroscope. I improved on my own genes a smidge. Height, eyesight...
Girii: Good looks.
Fumiaki: Every father showers his son with gifts. And his daughter -- you must be Girii!
I’m so disappointed, Dr. Fumiaki. Where’s the giant Tesla coil or Jacob’s Ladder? How can you call yourself a “mad” scientist without the proper props in your lab!
But — but he’s a biotech scientist. He has a fluoroscope, and a weird pod with glowing lights. He’s —
(sigh) All right, Moxie. I’ll see if I can get Michael to draw a Jacob’s ladder, just for you. 🙂
What if a volunteer rotates an incompatible form? Are they stuck with it for three weeks?
Skrawk Skrawk
“Slow down, Mr. Kellams. I can’t understand.”
Skrawk!
“Here, try typing it…well, not with your wings. Use your feet…no, you can’t sit that way. Look, do the stork pose and type with one foot. I’ll hold the keyboard.”
I CANT TALK WITH A BEAK_
“Miss Whitmire. Problems with the cat form?”
“I’m allergic to myself!”
“Gustav, I’m sorry about forgetting to include colour vision. It was a hectic day. I’ll leave myself a sticky note for next time, okay?”
“I know ‘vegan’ is not the same as ‘vegetarian’, but that was the box you were supposed to check on your paperwork to opt out of the carnivore testing!”
Remus, it’s all in jest. No need to add classic mad scientist props. 🙂
I dunno, surely a mad biologist would at least have a few pickled frogs and such decorating the walls? You know, in case you get hungry!
Bet you can’t eat just one!
Make it ‘Alien Resurrection’, with all the hideous, disfigured failures stored in bottles in a great hall of horror.
Tickets $9, seniors and kids $5, six and under free.
Granddaughter, Fumiaki. Girii is second generation.
And if daughters are showered with gifts, surely grandchildren are spoiled rotten. 🙂
Hmm, do like recent Star Trek movies and have a mining ship that is converted into a doomsday device… no wait, don’t. 😉