A Scientific Match

Chapter 2: The Results

When Kowalski came to, he found himself in a little cage. He groaned, rubbing his side and sat up, looking around. In the corner, was that—? Oh no. It is. The Diabologizer.

"I can't believe I came to New Jersey following an experiment and instead I'm going to become an experiment myself."

"You're in luck that I wasn't prepared for you peng-u-ins yet, Kowalski." 

Kowalski looked over as the dolphin rolled into the room. He sat back against the cage and sighed. "Peng-u-in, Bottlenose. It's just me."

"And you expect me to just believe you? You know, I did that once before and it ruined a perfectly good plan to move the moon." He crossed his flippers.

"I was in a trap and that was a feasible option to escape it."

"Are you going to try licking my eye again to get out of the cage?"

"No. I wasn't here to fight anyway. I wasn't trying to cause any problems." Kowalski sighed and checked his feet for his module. It was gone. "That's just great," he grumbled.

Blowhole squinted at him. "What are you muttering about?"

"I came here because of an experiment. I created an upgraded version of an older invention of mine, and it led me here. It would appear that when Parker surprised me, I must have dropped it."

The dolphin rolled closer to the cage. "What sort of invention?"

Kowalski muttered something too quiet to hear.

"You have an opportunity to ramble about your invention and you're mumbling? Surely you can do better than that."

"It's called the Love-U-Lator 6000," he then said, glancing at Blowhole. The dolphin did have a point after all. It wasn't often he had an actually interested audience. "It...It was created in hopes of trying to use DNA to locate someone's best match."

"Best match? You mean like—"

"Like a potential partner, yes." He avoided eye contact with the dolphin. For a moment, he was thankful his feathers would hide the warmth he felt creeping up his neck and in his cheeks. "I-I know, it's pretty s-silly, right? Haha," he quickly added, rubbing the back of his neck and head.

Blowhole just looked at him for a moment thoughtfully. "And it led you here?"

"Yes."

"Did you see who it was leading you to?"

"No, I had not found them by the time Parker found me."

"Well, now I'm curious too, Kowalski. The fact that your invention thinks your best partner is someone here is quite amusing. You know Skipper wouldn't approve."

Kowalski shrugged, not making eye contact.

"What? Are you not excited about meeting your scientifically matched perfect date?"

"No, it's just..." He paused and looked at him. "I'm...I'm—"

"Nervous?"

"Sort of. Yeah." He rubbed his upper flipper, looking away again. 

Blowhole watched him and then looked at a lobster. "Red One, get Parker and ask him if he knows what happened to the device Kowalski was holding earlier." The lobster saluted and left and the dolphin turned back to Kowalski. "Well, surely you're not going to let fear keep you from finding out if your invention works?"

"I mean...If you're going to let me find out the results at least..."

"Hey, I might be an evil genius, peng-u-in, but at the end of the day, we're both scientists. I can respect wanting to see an experiment through."

Kowalski smiled slightly at him. "Thank you."

Blowhole nodded and looked over at the door as Parker waddled in. The monotreme held out the module to him. "This the thing, Doc?"

"Is it?" He looked at Kowalski.

Kowalski stood up to see it better and nodded. "Yes, that's it...May I?" He stretched his flipper out between the bars.

Blowhole passed him the module and he pressed a few buttons. Kowalski looks at the screen, then at the dolphin, and then quickly at the screen again.

"Anything you'd like to share with the rest of us, peng-u-in?"

"Ah hah, well, um..." his voice trailed to a mumble again.

"Kowalski."

"It hAs a rEsUlt," his voice cracked as he hid the device behind his back. "B-but I me-mean, it Is one of mY invEntIOns. It's pro-probAbly wrong."

"Oh come on, don't play coy now. What does it say?"

"You," he finally squeaked.

"Me?" Blowhole raised a brow and held out his flipper. "Let me see."

Kowalski avoided all eye contact as he handed it over.

The dolphin held the device and looked it over. He then looked at the little penguin in the cage and glanced at the others in the room. There was no question. The device was indicating him. Now this was something he was going to have to think about. Small dork was not his usual type.

"You want some privacy, doc?"

"Wha—?" He turned and looked at Red One. "Oh, uh yeah. Just give us a few minutes."

Parker and Kowalski exchanged a glance as he and Red One left the room.

"So what do you think?"

"Me?" Kowalski blinked and then cleared his throat. "I-I...I don't know what to think."

"That's not helpful at all."

"WELL, I CAn't hElp thAt!"

Blowhole looked at the penguin. Kowalski's feathers were rustling, his flippers were crossed as he stood in the farthest corner of the cage. The penguin was not only flustered, but...perhaps conflicted as well? "You've never dated a guy before, have you?"

"I've barely dated girls," he stated, clearing his throat. "N-not saying the thought hasn't...hasn't ever crossed my mind before, but..."

"Well, you do know what the best way is to find out whether your invention worked or is a piece of cod, right?"

"What?" He looked at him, brows furrowed.

"Are you doing anything tomorrow night? Perhaps around midnight?"

Kowalski's eyes widened and he just stared at him. His beak opened and closed as though he wanted to answer, but his answer was stuck.

"I'll take that to mean you're available. Cool. I'll meet you outside the zoo at midnight tomorrow night. Then we'll have that test date and see how good of a match we might be." He unlocked the cage and opened the door. "Until then, you're free to go."

The penguin just stood there, still processing this. His flippers moved automatically as Blowhole gave him back his module.

"Remember, midnight tomorrow. If you stand me up, Kowalski, you will regret it." And with that, the dolphin rolled out of the room.