Disclaimer: I do not own Scooby-Doo. I do not believe in the possession of fellow sentient beings (including talking dogs).
A/N: Okay... here it is, the sequal to Our Bright and Sunny Futures. I should explain a couple of things. First, I can't really promise you this will be any good, because I wasn't really thinking about writing it. See, I love irony, and the previous ending just seemed like a good way to end a story. Then it sort of dawned on me that I had so much fun writing the last one, and I couldn't just leave the characters behind, sitting on the couch, teetering on the verge of a revelation that never would be revealed. But I can't promise that new chapters will arrive nearly so fast as they did last time. Just don't count on one every couple hours, is all. Oh, and to clarify: Even though this is a sequel, THE TIME FRAME DOES OVERLAP. That is, the first few chapters of this story take place before the last chapter of OBASF. Hope that doesn't confuse anyone. Feel free to give an honest review... positive or negative, I appreciate any comments/criticism, as long as it is constructive.
Chapter 1:
"Miss Velma Dinkley... please report to Mr. Mangetout's office promptly, Miss Velma Dinkley, Mr. Mangetout wishes to speak with you. Thank you."
Velma looked up from the message she had just finished translating as the intercom system clicked on. What did her boss want? She got up from her desk, stretching.
"Aw... Velma's in trouble..." said Shaggy in a singsongy voice, parodying the way they did when they were children and someone had been summoned to the principal's office.
Velma laughed. "Yeah... wait until they find out what kind of bad influences I've been around," she responded, indicating Shaggy, the only other person in the room. Then, checking to make sure they really were alone, she pecked him on the cheek before leaving.
"Now, was that like my influence on you? Because I'm pretty sure you just kissed me!"
Velma could have continued joking around, but she didn't want to keep Mr. Mangetout waiting. It was all she could do to shed the informal, flirty personality she developed around Shaggy and don the serious, professional mask for which she was famous. Standing as straight as she could, she walked out of the room and down the hall.
But seriously, what did Mr. Mangetout want? It was two-thirty in the afternoon, two days before Christmas. Two more hours and thirty minutes would pass, and then they wouldn't see each other again until January the second. It had been spelled out when she took the job last March that Christmas Eve through New Year's Day were days off-- the Coolsville Communication Center wouldn't even be open. That caused some inconvenience across the galaxy, but as the CCC respected the traditions of the other planets, adjustments were made. Only a handful of CCC employees who didn't celebrate Christmas and who were interested in receiving the very large bonus accompanying holiday labor remained to tackle any emergencies that might arise during everyone else's absence.
Velma stepped into the elevator, just one segment of the maze they called the CCC, and shivered slightly. She wasn't sure if that was because it was supposed to be one of the coldest Christmases on record, or because she was descending into one of the myriad basements, or because lately she often felt like she was coming down with the flu. That would be a bummer, to get sick this close to Christmas-- not that that didn't always seem to happen back when she was in elementary school. Then again, it could have just been chilly because an alien from Pluto had been notorious for turning the thermostat as low as possible.
She pulled on one of her famous orange sweaters, stepped out of the elevator, and turned left into Mr. Mangetout's office.
Mr. Mangetout greeted her. "Ms. Dinkley," he pronounced, an edge of excitement to his voice. "I wish to discuss with you an opportunity. Please be seated."
Velma sat in one of the green chairs across from his desk. She couldn't help but feel just a little shock of anticipation... what was this opportunity?
He began. "Within the CCC, we have a group known as the Hybrid Technology Research Team. The HTRT studies alien technology, then searches for means of incorporating it into applicable human uses and benefits. You would be surprised how many of our medicines, how much of our space technology, even some standard fuel and power resources, were not really invented by humans at all. And much of what was, was invented after being inspired by other innovations from other planets."
Velma nodded, her attention hooked.
"But as of late, the HTRT appears to be short of employees. They were looking for motivated individuals from elsewhere in the CCC who might be beneficial to the team." He paused.
"I recommended your name. Do you accept?"
Velma was speechless. Of course she would accept. But before the message made it from her complex brain to her mouth, a somehow-faster doubt won the race and came out first.
"I... am I really the right person for the job?" she wondered.
"Is that a no?"
"It's not a 'no.' But... I can't say so many of my studies deal with technology... I mean, I double-majored in marine biology and human factors engineering, but I don't know as much about how our technology really works..."
Mr. Mangetout smiled. "I understand your nervousness. But take a look at what you have accomplished over the previous year. Your work with Mr. Fizlayer has not been forgotten so quickly."
"I guess..."
"And your degrees will come in handy. Without your studies of ergonomics, a lot of the machinery, for example, developed could be inconvenient, even unsafe. Besides... you know you are a quick study."
Velma smiled back now. "Then... I guess I accept."
"Good." Mr. Mangetout stood up and walked toward the door, motioning for Velma to follow. "Mr. Harolds will be meeting with you shortly, to fill you in on all the details. I will miss having you in your old position, of course." He opened a door after walking down the hallway, up a spiral staircase, across an atrium, and up another staircase.
A tall, black-haired man wearing a green tie greeted Velma. "Hello, Miss Dinkley. I am Mr. Harolds. Mr. Mangetout has had nothing but positive comments with regards to your accomplishments. I take it he has informed you with respect to the HTRT?"
Velma nodded, as Mr. Mangetout walked away and Mr. Harolds led her into his office. His expression turned serious.
"Now you must understand, this job is work. There is no 'security duty.' And you will be expected to take work home now and then. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," Velma answered. Really, this was just like the pep talks every teacher gave before every AP course she had taken in high school: a lot of work, a lot of responsibility, but a lot of honor. Right. She got it.
"Now, I will be introducing you to your partner. He is also new on the job, so you will be learning together. This may sound intimidating, but most people on the team agree that once you learn the ropes of this kind of work, it is easiest to work with someone with an equal experience level. You can always come to me or another team member if you have questions. Here's Judd MkKay now."
A man in perhaps his mid-thirties entered. He looked surprised to see Velma, then turned to Mr. Harolds, as if demanding an explanation.
"Mr. MkKay, this is Velma Dinkley."
He stared. "She's a kid."
Velma blushed. She was nineteen years old now, still young to be a college graduate, but she was honestly about the same size she had been at age thirteen. Maybe an inch or two taller; maybe five or ten pounds heavier; that was all. She tried to straighten up assertively.
"I'm your research partner," she told him, as Mr. Harolds left the room momentarily to answer the phone.
"Right..." Then MkKay started laughing. "Sorry... just that most people are in their forties or so by the time they get a job this good. Most of them don't have the whole 'hot librarian' look down like you have." He grinned in a pitiful attempt to be flirty.
Back off, weirdo, thought Velma. I have a boyfriend. And he isn't fifteen years older than I am.
She was about to utter a more professional phrasing of her thoughts when Mr. Harolds came back. He spent the rest of the afternoon lecturing and explaining and introducing Velma and MkKay to all the people and technology they would be working with. By the time Velma arrived home, she almost wished Christmas break would hurry up and be over so she could find out what her new job would really be like.
She smiled. There were only two things that kept her from actually making such a wish, and they included a certain scruffy childhood friend... and the Phoradendron Flavescens.