Scooter 3.3 - OPERATION: Unhidden

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Welcome back to the Scooters, everybody! Things are heating up and not in a steamy woohoo way.
In a very bad conspiracy plot way.

 

Under Dr. Tana's direction, the second-year students, like Collin, were sent back to their regular labs. And the first-year students were cycled into the Project's B-labs, a repurposed bunker, directly across the street from the library.

Her roommates have of course warned her about Dr. Tana and her general demeanour, but having never met her before, Randy didn't exactly have the...firmest grasp on the situation.

Randy: I'm excited to start! What am I gonna do--program a path for the next instalment of Soyuz? Something bigger than that, maybe?

 

Jorim: Enough of that utter nonsense. You're Miranda Scooter, aren't you?

Randy: Y--yes.

Jorim: Miranda, I don't know what backwater you come from, but this isn't baby's first spacey-wacey fiction novel.

Randy: It was...just a joke.

Jorim: While it's very telling you find our Project to be a joke, your brilliant transcript assures me you're a hard worker and a high achiever. A brilliant mind, really. So if you'd like to prove me wrong, I am dying to see it, really, I am.

Randy: Yes, Dr. Tana. Of course. I apologise.
 

.・゜-: ✧ :-　[◩_◪]　-: ✧ :-゜・．


 

Meanwhile, Collin et al were able to return to their usual work stations.

Collin: Oh, C-labs! Home sweet home! Sweet, soup-free break room! I could cry.

 

Collin went right to work back at her old digs, with her favourite Invention Construction Unit, working on her favourite SimRay.

Collin: Physics is my bottom BIIIIIITCH

Something tells me watering the plants while it's raining isn't exactly productive.

Collin: It's on the docket. Don't make me tap the docket.

Randy went straight home, right past her roommates and took today's frustration out on her punching bag.

Randy: ...tight-ass... (huff) ...stuck-up... (huff) ...son of a BITCH! ... (growls)
 

 

I want Collin to boost up her handiness (I want her to be the Fixit one) so I uhh...broke stuff.

 

Kind of a lot of stuff.

Collin: Man. It's like there's a gremlin going through everything we own?!

Someone please stop Randy. I think she's actually training to crush Tana with her bare fists.

Randy: (growl-panting) Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

A fun thing (not really) I've noticed about Miss Collin is that if there is an opportunity to take a bath, she will take it. Cause fuck being on time for work, right?

Collin: It's called self-care. Some people hike up their utilities bill to cope. It's valid.

 

Randy: (whistling) This is nuts. These recreations are like movie set pieces.

Randy, reading: "...used on the set of 'It Came From Planet X'. Huh. Cool."

(soft machine hum)

Randy: ...huh. F...faulty wires on this thing, I guess.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　[◩_◪]　-: ✧ :-゜・．


 

Randy: ...Collin. I'm worried about Ripp.

Collin: You noticed too, huh. (sigh) Poor guy. He's smart but he's not a hard worker at all. I don't think this is the right field for him--it's just something he had an interest in, briefly, in high school.

Randy: Yeah. Not to mention, his professors have been riding his ass for the last month and a half now.

Collin: I know. I feel like he's just hitting his breaking point. He hasn't said more than three words to me today.

 

Randy: This program is a serious crunch, isn't it?

Collin: Yeah. Yeah, it is. It isn't for the faint of heart. Are you finding that out?

Randy: Yes. But I can take it. I know not everyone can.

Collin: You're right. That's the only thing I know for sure about this place.

 

The day both Collin and Randy's opening classes ended and reading week rolled about, they made plans for fun, for a change.

Collin: Randy. How's this sound: you, and me, and a weekend trip to Del Sol Valley.

Randy: Sure, that sounds fun, but what about--

Collin: Ripp? He's off back home to Strangetown. You got any family you want to see?

 

Randy: Yeah, but...I don't know.

Collin: Come on, Randy! What's a plane ticket versus you pitching in for gas on the way to Cali? Come oooooon. Whaddya say?

Randy: ...y'know what? Fuck it. Let's go.

Collin: Yaaaaay! Girl trip girl trip girl trip!!

And so, a fun 4 and a half hour drive through the desert and over the state line later, the pair arrived in Del Sol Valley! On...admittedly, not the best of all days, but it's something!

Obviously, they just HAD to see the museum of film first.

 

Collin: ...wow. Can you believe this is the same set on 'Days of our Life Bars'? I loved that show growing up.

Randy: No way. Hospital drama? Big snooze.

Collin: Shut uuuppp! I only watched it cause my dad was into it. And, at the time, I thought Dr. Rosewood was soooo hunky.

Randy: Who was that again?

Collin: The main doctor guy. With the cheekbones.

Randy: Oh, him. Yeah, agreed. Big hunky.

Randy: Look at this total bullcrap. "The crashed ship used in the making of 'Plan 9 from Planet 9'." Alien fiction is so cringe.

Collin: That's only because of bad Hollywood. You don't think it'd be super cool if there were aliens out there?

Randy: Uh, I think it'd be super fucked up if that were the case. But, yeah, I guess the idea is...fascinating.

Collin: I dunno! I think it's cool. What use would they have for use humans if they already have awesome-cool technology?

Randy: Sustenance farming.

Collin: Randy! So grim. I was thinking more, scientific collaboration. Jeez! Not everything has to be big and scary.

Randy: Pfffff. I'll think about it.

 

The next day, they checked out the walk of fame or what have you.

Collin: "In commemoration of Judith Ward, the..." Has this been vandalised?

Randy: Let's see. "Judith Ward, the biggest raging bitch on earth." No, someone literally engraved that and left that in.

Collin: Damn. Wonder what she did.

 

On the final day of their trip, they spent it on an outing at a cute park.

Randy: This was really fun, Collin. Thanks for taking me out here.

Collin: It's no problem! All I ask for is gas. Your company made up for the rest of it.

Randy: You sure about that? You sure you don't want access to my tight, supple body as payment?

 

Collin: Randy!! (snorting) Stop that!

Randy: You totally snorted! You're a snort laugher!

Collin: (laughing more) Leave me alooone!

Randy: (chuckling) You're so cute, dude.

Collin: Thanks, Randy. But I'm spoken for.

 

Randy: Who's the lucky one?

Collin: Ready to hear it? ...It's my degree.

Randy: Oh come on. Boo. Boooooo!

Collin: I'm serious, Randy, I'm gonna finish this degree if it kills me. And if I'm in the right headspace to entertain another human's...everything at the end of it, then cool. I'm down. But not now.

Randy: I respect that, Collin. I didn't mean anything by it.

Collin: You're alright! But that's just where I am, right now.

 

Ripp finally came out of hiding, at the end of reading week.

Ripp: Hey...how'd your guys' trip go?

Collin: Pretty fun, man! How was yours?

Ripp: Ah...you know what my family's like. It was...unpleasant.

Collin: ...I'm sorry, Ripp. Maybe we can all do a thing next time?

Ripp: If there is a next time.

Collin: Of course there'll be! Right? Right!

 

To clear his mind, he asked Randy to hang out with him.

Ripp: Thanks for going somewhere with me, Randy.

Randy: Dude, of course. Thank you for finally coming out of your room. You seriously had us worried.

Ripp: Sorry. Won't do it again. I promise.

 

It was time for Randy to unleash her comedic gold to the masses.

Randy: So when does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent.

Random dude: She don't miss!!

Randy/Ripp: Dude, who are you?

 

Ripp: Whoa, Randy. Little early to be hitting the cocktails, isn't it?

Randy: It's water, dude. The diminutive of water...in Russian.

Ripp: ...

Randy: Vodka. It's vodka.

 

They ended their day out by the breakwater.

Randy: Ripp? What's wrong? You've been looking more and more jittery ev--

Ripp: I don't wanna go home Randy. I don't want to go back there.

Randy: Ripp...?

Ripp: They're gonna kill me. They're gonna fucking kill me.

Randy: Who? Your parents...?

Ripp: No. Althalan. Tana. All of them.

 

Randy: ...so, let me get this right. LFT is working with...bad guys, and Althalan is a front for alien body snatchers. And that they keep their weird alien tech on site at B-labs because they can masquerade it as movie props.

Ripp: Yes.

Randy: Ripp, bud, I'm sorry, but do you know how nuts you sound?

Ripp: I know--I know. But you have to believe me. Nobody else will, Randy. I found out about them last year and I've only been spared because I was so good at what I did. But...that hasn't been the case lately.

Randy: Huh. Okay, say I believe you. I'd...come to the conclusion that that's why Tana's been on your case.

Ripp: Exactly. If I don't score higher than 80 on this midterm coming up, Tana is going to...I don't know. But it won't be good. It won't be humane.

 

Ripp: Tell me you believe me, Randy.

Randy: It's really hard to believe, but--

Ripp: Please. Tell me you believe me. That's all I need to stop from going crazy.

Randy: (pause) Okay, Ripp. I believe you. I'm sorry you're so stressed.

Ripp: Thank you. And, Randy...if anything happens to me, I want you to run. Get as far away from here as possible. And never, ever look back.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　[◩_◪]　-: ✧ :-゜・．

All of that was very ominous.

Well, I'll see you next time, with the conclusion of this first part of the generation! Thanks for reading. Byeeee!