Joel Robinson, just another face in a red jumpsuit, began his daily routine of cleaning and organizing the odd contents concealed deep inside the warehouses and numerous basements of Gizmonic Institutes. Joel was smart enough to keep to himself and never interfered with the bizarre experiments or irresponsible products created at the institute, but his curiosity and natural skills with tinkering made him an easy target for the burned out mad scientists to try and exploit.

One such evening Joel was busy moving large oil drums and filling out reports when Dr. Laurence 'Larry' Ehhardt was given an unusual order by his supervisor, Dr. Clayton Forrester.

"Hey Joel, come here a second, would ya'?" Larry was standing next to the broad entryway to the secret launch pad just outside the institute. The door was heavily secured with the latest technology and required a numeric code to unlock the door.

"Sure." Joel was never one to ignore a request. He walked over to the black lab coat wearing shady man. "What's up Dr. Erhardt?"

"What do you know about space travel?"

"Not much, why do you ask?"

"Perfect!" He started laughing menacingly under his breath. "I, uh mean, that's interesting." He clumsily 'corrected' himself. "You see that?" He pointed through the glass window to the stationary, recently built satellite docked on the launch pad.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"That's the newly built and finished 'Satellite of Love'. And well, it's due for a thorough cleaning! We need someone to climb aboard and really scrub it out and we... that is Dr. Forrester and myself, think you're just the man for the job!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, really!"

"Well that's good," he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "I was kinda' getting the feeling that you guys didn't like me or something."

"What?! Nooooooo!" He exaggerated his reaction to the point of ludicrously. "We like you Joel, we really do! We're just... uh..."

"Busy?"

"Yeah, that's it! Busy!"

"Oh. Okay. So do you want me to get started now or..." He trailed off, not wanting to assume anything and accidentally offend his boss.

"Yeah, now. Go on!" Larry punched in his personal code to unlock the door. He motioned with his arm for Joel to enter. "In ya' go!"

"Shouldn't I grab a broom or something?"

"What? Oh, uh, sure... Just hurry, will ya'?" He started wringing his hands together nervously.

"Okay." Joel went to the large storage closet where he kept most of his cleaning supplies and a few unfinished prototypes. He grabbed a large accordion with the hose and nozzle of vacuum cleaner attached at its side. He returned to Larry with the odd contraption slung over his shoulder. "Here we are. It's not a broom, I'll admit it, but it'll get the job done." Joel proudly displayed his latest work. "You see, what this is-"

"Yeah, yeah! That's great, just uh, you know, get to work and stuff. Now!"

"Oh, okay." Joel walked through the doorway, which Larry promptly relocked, and toward the towering, unguarded satellite on the launch pad. He stared in awe at the magnificent structure that was painfully designed from the mind of man. He looked over his shoulder and saw Larry anxiously watching him through the glass window of the now locked door. "Uh, how do I get in?"

"The ladder! Use the ladder!" Larry pointed to an improbably tall, red ladder precariously leaning against the satellite. At the top of the ladder Joel barely made out the outline of the distant large door on the side of the massive craft.

"Okay! Thanks!" Joel waved politely to Larry through the glass.

He adjusted the mandatory hardhat on his head and repositioned the accordion device over his shoulder as he began the perilous climb up the ladder. He glanced down at his watch and began timing how long it would take him to reach the top. After two minutes he finally made it to the top of the ladder and to the large entrance door on the side of the satellite. He climbed inside the complicated space craft with a heavy sigh and began his task.

From the deepest bowels of Gizmonic Institute, its deepest basement; aptly named 'Deep 13', Dr. Clayton Forrester and Larry were watching Joel on a monitor connected to the hidden security camera mounted on the far wall of the launch pad.

Dr. Forrester was standing tall with his arms crossed in defensive, impatient manner over his neon green lab coat. "Well, Larry... Does our little 'space monkey' suspect anything amiss?"

"No Clay, everything's going according to plan!" He joined his boss at the monitor, standing behind his right shoulder.

"Good!" He pressed a button that remotely sealed the door of the satellite. He then turned and leered at his weasely associate. "Prepare the launch sequence, I'll throw the switch!"

"Right-O!"

Larry walked over to a large computer on the far wall and punched in a series of numbers on the worn out keyboard. As soon as he pressed 'Enter' a red light began flashing over the launch pad, and a warning buzzer sounded off.

"Hey Clay! We're good to go!"

"Excellent!" Dr. Forrester opened a control panel box revealing a large switch contained inside. He threw the switch with a twisted grin and braced himself as the satellite began its rapid, violent launch. From the doorway a plume of thick smoke billowed outward, covering the launch bad in noxious fumes; as the exterior faux building that encased the satellite opened up, allowing the ship to ascend. "Next: World domination..."

Unknowingly trapped aboard the satellite with no idea of the fate that awaited him, Joel found himself suddenly being rocked back and forth as the ship broke free of Earth's gravity, and entered is preprogrammed geosynchronous orbit around the very Earth he once called home.

Joel was thrown from his feet and fell against the fixed desk in the middle of the bridge. The last thing he saw was his yellow hardhat rolling away as he fell unconscious on the cold, metallic floor.

...to be continued...