As Rimmer ran through the disintegrating halls of Red Dwarf, his mind was running faster than Lister after curry night. Holding the formula of the chemical for what he thought was the antidote, he felt that he must find someone or something that could help him make the formula that the Cat in the Parallel Universe gave him that would stop the disintegration of the ship. The Cat, was actually smart in that universe, and gave Rimmer a formula called "Soliciumfrankolithicmixyalebidiumrixydixydoxydexydroxide."
While running he heard
the yelling of the service dispenser. Of which he had ripped off
earlier, by stealing a chocolate crispy bar from. "Where are you
going?" asked the machine.
Rimmer shook the paper
in front of the machine, "To make up the formula!"
"I think you'll find
that the formula on that paper has now turned into the formula for
the virus, because you've left the mirror universe, so it's turned
back into its opposite - ha ha ha haa haaaa!" exclaimed the
dispensing machine, happily laughing at the thought of Rimmer's
demise. Rimmer looked down at the piece of paper in his hands, and
with a look of desperation he read the formula. It looked nothing
like what the Cat had given him.
His mind raced, hoping that he would be able to find a way to get back into the other world, somehow, think of a way that he could transfer the formula manually to his universe and fix the ship. He sprinted back into the quarters where the machine made for transferring universes was. His hopes faded. The machine had disintegrated. He ran back to the dispenser.
"Smeg, you're right!
This is a disaster!" a panicked Rimmer said looking everywhere to
see if there was something, anywhere that could save him.
"No, there still
could be a happy ending." said the machine bluntly.
Rimmer thought that
anything that the dispenser said wouldn't help his chances, but
asked anyway. "How?"
"You know that
chocolate bar you still owe me for? You could always pay me
back before you snuff
it." The dispenser bluntly said, feeling that he could rub it into
Rimmer's face before the ship disintegrated beyond repair.
Annoyed, Rimmer asked,
"How's that a happy ending?"
Knowing that his life
was at an end, and knowing that if this didn't happen, his life
would have no meaning he replied, "Well, it's a happy ending for
me. At least my totals will tally." Now, Rimmer was really smegged
off. His life was near an end and his only company was a neurotic
dispenser who was obsessed with his totals. "Why don't you
smegging-well smeg off, you annoying little smeggy smegging smegger!"
Behind him, the remains of the universe transferer exploded, setting alight an inferno that was quickly spreading. His mind raced even faster, knowing that time was running out. He ran for cover while looking for his crewmates, entering an unlit corridor. Unknown to Rimmer though, all his shipmates had crossed over into the mirror world looking for him. Still, Rimmer looked. His heart pounding. His mind running faster than the time it took Lister to choose between eating a Pot Noodle or Dog Food. Everyone knew Lister would choose the dog food.
The Dispenser took aim,
loaded a can into his release mechanism and powered up
"Every dog has its
day, and today's the day..." while launching a can of drink.
It hit Rimmer in the
back of the head. "...that I'm the dog!"
Rimmer fell to the
ground; the pain of the can immense. You wouldn't think that a can
would do that much damage. But it did.
As he fell to the ground, Rimmer felt he had a flicker of hope. But something horrible had happened. He looked up and with a feeling of horror and fear, saw the paper in flames. With a conceding sigh the only thing Rimmer could say was, "Smeg." Soon his whole body would resign itself to the flames. The air was thin and getting hotter, and he could hardly keep the breath in his body. He let go of the burning page and let it burn, knowing his time was up.
He saw a foot
wearing a sandal stomp on the paper, putting the fire out. Rimmer
gradually looked up to see a shadowy figure in a black robe, holding
a scythe.
"Arnold Judas Rimmer.
Your life is over. Come with me." The figure said in a booming
voice while extending a hand. Rimmer grabbed the hand and pulled
himself up. The figure continued, "We will travel to the River
Styx, where you will place a coin in the -"
"Not today, matey!"
Rimmer interrupted, swiftly kneed the shadow in the groin and ran off
with a spring in his step. In pain, the shadow barley managed to say,
"That's never happened before..." before collapsing onto the
deck.
Kneeing death in the balls gave Rimmer a new hope. He had foiled death's plans in taking him away. "If death is on the ground in pain, I can't die then!" Rimmer thought. He jumped into one of the nearby fires and felt immense pain. He rolled out, and then rolled on the floor. He felt stupid. "What the smeg was I thinking, I can die anyway. I must be going nuts." Getting up was the hardest part, the heat had caused slight but not severe burns to his back, but while pulling himself up the whole ship shook. It had knocked him back down to the ground, where he lied for over five minutes.
