Rise of the Riptide! | Ducktales 2017

(6) Chemical Bonding

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Ariel had never felt more unsafe in a vehicle her whole life. Duckburg was a good few-hour drive away, but considering the moderately fast speed of the limo, they would make it there in half the time.

"We'll be there in no time, Ms. SeaPea!"

Clutching her seat, she gave her driver a small polite smile. Launchpad McQuack had been kind to her since their first meeting, but his ability to recklessly drive with such ease astounded her.

Driving across the mainland reminded her of the ride to the convention. It was exciting going back to Duckburg when she'd previously thought she'd never come back. Ariel looked out the window and towards the oceanside, watching the sun rise from the horizon as they sped by.

By the time they reached the Money Bin, it was still morning. Fenton was waiting outside ready to greet them.

"Morning Fenton!"

Fenton grinned courteously. "Good morning Ariel! I hope the ride wasn't too tumultuous."

The girl shook her head. That was a bit of a lie, but she liked Launchpad. He may be a bit of a reckless driver, but he was so personable. His endless chatter and happy attitude made up for the hazardous ride there.

After waving goodbye to the driver, the two went inside.

Ariel knew Scrooge McDuck was rich, but his money bin was bigger than she imagined. As Fenton walked briskly through the halls, Ariel waddled slowly behind him, looking around as much as possible. Her head was swimming with questions.

"I didn't know there was so much in Mr. McDuck's money bin- I thought it was all just for show! How tall does the money bin stand?"

"Approximately 127ft from what I've heard." The scientist stated, having done his own research on the bin in the past when he first took his internship.

"So is it true he actually swims in his money?"

Fenton pressed his beak together tightly in thought. "Probably. I haven't seen it in person though."

The two continued down the hall, Ariel throwing question after question, until they reached the elevator. "What else is here? In the bin?"

"Well," The intern allowed Ariel inside the elevator doors before walking in himself, "there are a lot of office spaces, Mr. McDuck's office, McDuck archives, random storage spaces, and of course..."

The elevator doors opened. "McDuck labs!"

Ariel let out a small gasp as she took it all in. They were completely underwater. The walls were covered in glass, displaying the ocean around them. The lab itself was very spacious, multiple ladders reaching the different levels. Counters were filled with different materials and experiments, with blueprints covering some of the surfaces and wall space.

"Ariel, you've met Dr. Gearloose already." Fenton greeted the older scientist politely, yet the older scientist ignored him in favor of his work. Gyro still offered the girl a small nod as he worked.

"Just remember to respect my lab rules: stay with my intern, don't touch my projects, don't destroy anything, and don't bother me."

Ariel was a bit taken aback by his cold tone but those rules seemed reasonable enough. She gave him a small "yessir" salute before joining Fenton at one of the counters.

"You'll have to excuse Dr. Gearloose. We don't normally have kids in the laboratory."

Ariel nodded in understanding, prompting Fenton to continue. "Alright then, now I can tell you why you're really here."