Gromit and Lottie

Chapter 4: The Mind-Manipulation-omatic

That night the full moon shines through the open cellar door.  illuminating the cellar/basement with a ominous silver.

"Why didn't we think of it before, lad?" Wallace asked Gromit, "The solution to all our storage problems." He said looking at the rabbits in the cages, they stare on confused.

"Simply by connecting the BunVac to the Mind-Manipulation-omatic," He says putting wires into place, he jumps down from where he was and stares into the glass from his helmet this morning, "we can brainwash the bunnies."

Gromit sits patiently at the control panel next to him as Wallace exclaims, "Rabbit Rehabilitation!" Gromit and the rabbits widen their eyes in surprise, they glance at each other in concern before turning back to Wallace, "Once cured of their antisocial veg-ravaging behavior, the rabbits can be safely released without fear of re-offending."

Wallace sits down in his chair and presses a button causing the large glass  helmet to lower and clamp onto his head. He let's out a pained whine before continuing, "Just a little added lunar power to enhance the mind waves..." He glances up at the moon shining down on them as solar panels appear on either side of the machine, "and we can begin."

He pulls down a lever ignoring the worried way Gromit was looking at him, Gromit had a good feeling that this would end badly and usually when he had a bad feeling it came true maybe not in the way he thought it would but nonetheless.

"Veg, bad. Veg bad." Wallace chanted, each time a green wavelength would appear in the large dome on his head. Gromit face palms from his place next to the rabbits. "Say no to carrots, cabbage and cauliflower."

Wallace turns to Gromit causing him to lift his face from his hand and look at him in confusion, "Well, come on, lad, what are you waiting for? Turn on the BunVac. Full Suction."

Gromit let's out a relunctant  sigh and shrug before pulling down the lever that says suck.

The rabbits immediately begin floating in their vat, and Gromit looks at them with mild concern. A soft yelp escapes Wallace's mouth causing Gromit to turn to him.

"It's working, Gromit. It's working!" Wallace cheers between yelps as the BunVac sucked the waves into the rabbits chamber.

Both males turn to the rabbits, "Their tiny bunny brains are being saturated in my veg-free mind waves." Wallace let's out a soft Ah which the rabbits seemingly repeat causing Gromit's eyes to widen before turning back to his master.

"Another 30 minutes brainwashing should suffice." Wallace said grabbing a Ay-Up! magazine from the side table next to him, "Then we can move on to the conditioning." He crosses his legs and unintentionally kicked the lever up to blow.

Him and Gromit jump in alarm as the rabbits begin to be sucked up into the nozzle. One brown rabbit in particular gets sucked through the nozzle until it  reaches Wallace's head the two's eyes widen as Wallace screams.

Gromit could only hold his cheeks in horror as Wallace begins hopping around like a rabbit yelling, "Gromit!"

"Switch it off!" "Get it off!"

Gromit quickly flips the lever down turning it off causing the rabbits to all fall back to their metal floor. Gromit after making sure the rabbits are okay turns back to Wallace who is still hopping around like a little rabbit.

"Get it off me. lad!"

Gromit frantically searches the floor before grabbing a large wrench he jumps onto a large box and waits as Wallace hops in his direction, he times his swing and manages the shatter the glass from the helmet letting the brain waves fly past him as he dodged a few.

He turns to Wallace who is on the ground with the terrified brown rabbit clinging tightly to his bald head. "Oh, thanks lad." Wallace says trying to steady his ever beating heart.

Wallace looks up at the rabbit clinging to his head and gently begins to pry it off with some difficulty. Gromit winces as a scratchy pop sounds as the rabbit is pried off. Wallace sets the rabbit on his knee and motions to Gromit, "Quick, give us a carrot." Gromit hesitantly gives Wallace the carrot who holds it out to the terrified rabbit.

The rabbit sniffs the carrot curiously before turning his head away in disgust. Wallace turns to Gromit a smile of disbelief on his face, "Oh! It worked, Gromit! A reformed rabbit."
Wallace places the still triggered and terrified rabbit into a lonely kennel as Gromit watches it in worry.

"We'll call him Hutch. Shall we?" Wallace says happily before heading up the stairs.

"Come on. Let's get the kettle on. We'll see to him in the morning. " Wallace Rambles heading up the cellar stares as Gromit continues to watch the rabbits who only still looked shook. "I feel we're on the cusp of a real breakthrough, lad. Mankind freed from rabbit problems forever. Lady Tottington will be impressed."

Gromit snaps out of his staring contest at the mention of the tall red head, a certain collie coming to mind.

"Good night. Sleep tight. And don't let the bed bugs bite. Goodnight Gromit. " Wallace turns out the lights too excited to realize that he left Gromit down with the rabbits in the dark. "Sweet dreams, old chum."
Gromit mentally face palms.