DuckTales: Mysteries of the Past

Beware the BUDDY System!

In the Money Bin underwater lab, Ian was finishing up organizing Gyro's blueprints. "And, done! There we go doctor Gearloose, all your blueprints are sorted." Ian says, proudly.

"Quiet assistant. This system is extremely sensitive to noise." Gyro warns/reminds calmly, as he prepares to present a new invention to Scrooge.

"Oh, right, sorry." Ian apologizes, quietly. Then...

"Surprise!" Launchpad shouts as he bursts through the door.

"Shhhhh!" Scrooge, Gyro, and Ian all say.

"Quiet! The Gearloose monolithic rail converts oral input into kinetic propulsion." Gyro explains in a half-whisper, while in the background, Ian is adjusting the blueprints a tad.

"Bah?" Launchpad and Dewey ask, confused.

"Sound powered train." Scrooge and Ian say simultaneously, also quietly.

"Bah." Launchpad and Dewey say in a better sense of understanding.

Gyro them demonstrates by humming calmly, the result being a steady, modest speed for the monorail. Rather impressive and safe. Until...

"Ilumination Doctor Gearloose, alpha numerical substition. The catagorical reorganization of letters to prime digits." Fenton spouts off rapid speed, causing the train to speed up until it flies off the rail, at Ian.

"IPE!" Ian cries out wide-eyed, ducking to the floor just in time for the train to whizz by and hit the window behind him, breaking it and letting water flood into the lab.

"Ah! My blueprints!" Gyro pushes Dewey aside and runs over to the desk as the waterproof shutters close as a backup.

"Sorry doctor Gearloose!" Fenton apologizes.

"Fenton you idiot! I just spent the better part of an hour organizing those! Oh, AND YOU NEARLY TOOK MY HEAD OFF!" Ian shouts, his new co-worker proving troublesome.

"Intern try to think!" Gyro scolds.

"That's all I do all the time." Fenton says quietly.

"Well, do it better." Gyro and Ian say, Ian helping Gyro try to dry off the blueprints.

"I'll get some books and flat weights to compress the blueprints so they don't wrinkle, and my heat gun to speed up the process. Just make sure they aren't seeping ink." Ian says.

"Thank you, assistant. At least you are useful." Gyro says.

"You probably couldn't fit a driver in that tiny train anyway." Launchpad shrugs. "Say speaking of drivers-"

Scrooge interrupts. "Gyro the board needs results. Ever since Bulb tech backfired ya need an invention that, well..."

"Won't turn evil and kill us all." Dewey and Ian say in sync.

"With all due respect sir. Innovation doesn't work that way. I can't just wake up one morning and say-" Gyro

"How about a self-driving robot car?" Dewey asks

"A what now?" Launchpad asks.

"Bla. Too many variables. A self driving robot car would turn evil like that." Gyro snaps his fingers. "Nobody could-"

"Mark beaks did. He just posted that he's having a demo later today." Dewey says and shows.

"What!?" Gyro says with an eye twitch and takes the phone. "That hack, couldn't even program a microwave."

"Knowing Beaks, he likely scammed it off some employee who thought of the technology first and isn't going to properly pay nor give credit to. Honestly, where's the professionalism? The dignity?" Ian questions.

"Thank you, assistant, that is what I keep saying!" Gyro exclaims. "If you are going to cheat your subordinates out of their work you need to be open about it."

"That's not what I meant Gearloose!" Ian shouts at the mad scientist, eye twitching.

"Ae understand yew lad. Everyone is entitled to the fruits of their labour." Scrooge affirms.

"Precisely, and no one should take sole credit for what is a group effort." Ian adds.

"Either way, we'll see about this." Gyro declares as he starts to leave with Scrooge and Dewey. "Come along assistant."

"Sorry, not a fan of tech demos. I prefer to let the hype die down and then see if it works proper to invest."

"Very well. Just hold down the lab and finish with the blueprints."

"Yessir."

"Alright, see yew at the manor later." Scrooge says.

"Will do." Ian nods as he gets back to trying to fix the blueprints.

"Okay cool. I'll just tell you my big news later." Launchpad says, rubbing the back of his head.

"Launchpad ae almost forgot!" Scrooge says.

"Yeah?" Launchpad says hopefully.

"Stop having mail delivered to my office. That's for incoming checks and death threats only." Scrooge tosses the envelope, the letter landing in a puddle of water.

Launchpad picks up the envelope and removes his license as they leave.

Later on, Ian was at the manor doing some work, when he bumps into Rebecca, who is on her phone. "Hey Rebecca." He says to her with a smile.

"What? Oh, hey Ian." The girl smiles at him as she looks up.

"Whatcha doing there?"

"Just trying to figure out if I should invest in some new tech."

"Want me to take a look? I do have the expertise."

"Sure!" She hands her phone to Ian, who looks at what is on the screen, and immediately hands it back.

"Nope." He states bluntly.

"But, you barely even looked at it."

"The BUDDY system by Waddle is too new. That and I don't trust Beaks to have not stolen this tech off of some poor minimum wage employee who will never see the money this invention makes."

"Well, that does seem wrong..." Rebecca admits.

"Not to mention, remember project Ta-Da?"

"Oh, right..."

"Some companies you should stay away from. Waddle is one of them." Ian says as he gets a message. "Huh, Fenton sent me a text. 'So, Dr. Gearloose may have fired me for posting bulb tech info online, and Beaks used that to make BUDDY, so, yeah.'"

"Ooh, that doesn't sound good." Rebecca says.

"Ugh... 'Why are you like this? I'll see if I can convince him to unfire you. TTYL'" He says as he texts back, putting his phone away.

"So... I'mma just go..." Rebecca says as she backs away and leaves the irritated Ian to work.

Ian sighs and starts to head our to work on the houseboat, wondering if Gyro can be convinced to change his mind. Maybe if he's lucky, Fenton will save himself.