"Sheldonopolis…"
Summary: In a dystopic future, Humanity's last hope is the visionary metropolis created by the genius of grand Administrator Sheldon Cooperson and Rotwolowitz, the inventor...But is it a paradise or a Sheldonesque version of Hell? And can a savior from the waitressing ranks of its cloned workers change its future?
Sheldon Cooperson, the Master of Sheldonopolis… Dr. Sheldon L. Cooper
Calvin Cooperson, his son… Dr. Leonard Hofstadter
Rotwolowitz, the inventor… Howard, the engineer
Hel… Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski
Amy, nervous Chief Assistant to the Master of Sheldonopolis… Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler
Penny/Futura, her android double…
The Creative Man…
Death…
The Seven Deadly Sins… Penny, the waitress
The Thin Man… Name withheld by request
Male Worker clones… Howard, the engineer
Grotta, chief clone supervisor for the Heart machine…Female worker clones… Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski
Georgy… Stuart Bloom
Ted, former US Senator and leader of Droog marauder band in 2030…
Warren Rick, former governor of Texas, City Councilor… Toby Loobenfeld
Part XXI…
2030…
Hovercraft soaring along the newly completed electrified traffic grid to the new Tower of Babel…Inside, the famous inventor, Rotwolowitz…A nervous junior assistant Amy standing by…And several security personnel…
Though, perhaps…The number two figure in the famed Founding Triumvirate of Sheldonpolis was not quite as angry as one might have assumed, given the circumstances of his departure…
Flicking on the internal videophone…Sheldon's face appearing…
"So? What's the situation, Sheldon?" Howard eyed him.
Amy a bit puzzled at the casualness of his tone…
A faint extra flicker of nervousness creeping instinctively…
Lord, it's hard to be the new junior assistant to the Master of Sheldonopolis…A junior member of the conspiracy to overturn his despotic rule…And have a thing for the guy as well…Without having to wonder if one has made a bad choice of secret ally…
…
At the Rotwolowitz-Rostenkowski apartment, Dr. Helga Rostenkowski pondered her next move.
Security still at the door, no other way out…And no way to grab a car or take what public transit is now available without flagging my presense…
Well, could try the direct approach… "Put me through to Administrator Cooperson, at once…This is Dr. Rostenkowski…" she addressed the living room computer/video system.
"Greetings, friend…." Sheldon's beaming face. "Bazinga! I'm not really here, I'm much too busy to talk to you, whoever you are…Scanning…Oh, hello… Helga. I'd say I was unable to come to the phone right now, but I'm just too busy and I don't feel like it. I'll call you back when I can…Bazinga. I'm always much too busy to call people, you'll have to try me again, later. Good luck, you'll need it." The screen went dark…
Hmmn…She glared.
"Put me through to Dr. Rotwolowitz, he's in a car enroute to the new Tower of Babel…"
"Sorry…" friendly voice… "That number is in use and cannot be interrupted at this time. Please try again."
Well…At least finally he's farmed out some of the City Systems voiceovers, she reflected.
"…and remember whatever the problem, 'He'll Handle It'."
"All right…" Helga sighed. "Put me through to the clone dormitory facilities, I'd like to speak with Beverly Rostenkowski, please…"
"Excuse me…Central Complex Cloning Facility, Storage…" the same nurse who'd approved the young actress/dancer's genetic submission appeared on screen. "Whom did you wish to contact here?"
Storage…? Helga glared at the screen…
"This is Helga Rostenkowski and I'd like to speak to my daughter Beverly, please."
"Dr. Rostenkowski…" the nurse's eyes bulged… "Sorry, our clones are ided by numbers here, names are only for their own use."
"That'll be changing tomorrow." Helga frowned. "Beverly Rostenkowski is her name, remember it. Her number is #008. Put me through to her right now. And from now on, it's Dormitory, not Storage…Remember that, too." She glared.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Beverly? Hello…" Helga smiled at the pleased face of the clone, in her uniform, a cap with #008 stitched in white lettering on her head.
"Dr. Rostenkowski, hi…"
"Mom…" Helga corrected… "Beverly, I was wondering if you could come over…Now? I'll clear you for some leave today. I need your help."
"Someone was trying to get through while you spoke to the Administrator, doctor…I think it was Dr. Rostenkowsi." Amy eyed Howard.
"Yeah…" he eyed the screen, checking the "missed calls" window … "I'll call her back later…After I see Cooperson."
Well…He didn't give an order for my immediate arrest…Amy reflected, nodding. Clearly there's something going on where he's trying to play one or the other side…Lets hope it's not us.
Wonder if Dr. Rostenkowski liked my greeting on phone…I understand I'm the first person besides the Big Three to get their voice used in the City System…And Rostenkowski's and Rotwolowitz's are only used for formal presentations.
She settled back in her seat, trying to breathe normally, keeping a noncommittal expression for the security guards.
There's still more going on here, though…Cooperson wasn't acting like a man leering in triumph over a defeated opponent and Rotwolowitz wasn't a beaten rival. Sheldon was asking for and expecting help.
And what was that about …"our Daleks"?
(Cool…Leonard and Rajesh beamed. "So this guy Fritz Lang created robot girls, Star Wars cities, clones, and those Dalek things? Whoa…" Penny stared.)
….
The escaped workers' leader had reached a rendezvous point arranged with his people and Rick's group a week earlier…The location, near one of the outer barrier wall exit ports, an industrial area, located so that any dangerous waste products could be easily collected and processed away from the main living areas…
Naturally only the lowest level of Rick's elite had been sent…A number of them refusing to come as they were far too important to risked in the field, being the "right" sort of people.
"All right…" the worker leader waved for quiet to the small circle of his leadership about him…The other workers milling about, trying to look busy for any security personnel in the area. "The wastelanders are going to attack here in half-an-hour…We are to seize the entry port to let them get in without doing too much damage."
"Those lunks?" one worker sighed… "They'll tear the place apart no matter what we do, and when they get in…"
"We have a deal…" the leader glared. "Either we keep it or we go home and wind up in the wastelands ourselves in a week or least…Your choice, people." He looked round the group.
"Ok, then…Tell your guys to stand ready…I'll give the signal when I know the Droogs are approaching."
"Have they got the firepower to take on Security?" the worker who spoken called…
"We'll be helping them…We'll have to hope once things get going that we all together will have what it takes. Look, if you want out…"
"I'm in…So are my people…" the disguised Thin Man nodded.
Playing his cards close, he thought, eyeing the worker leader as the leadership dispersed…Well, just have to have a look around and see what firepower they actually have got here.
At least I already have a pretty good idea of what Teddy's Droogs have…
("Wow…" Lucy noted to Penny. "It's like on the one hand, I'm proud of my guy braving death to stop a revolution…And on the other, my guy is like, Heinrich Himmler?" distressed look.
"Oh, no…Lucy…No…" Raj, anxiously… "I'm really not all bad…Though I do get pretty bad, for a while. Fundamentally I'm more say, Winston Churchill in India and Ireland bad, not Himmler in Poland bad."
"And he won't really beat me up…" Amy noted, helpfully.
What? Sheldon blinked…
"Considering all the stuff you've been pulling with Amy recently…" Leonard noted, hard stare. "Oh, now…Sheldon…Don't starting crying again…Amy knows you were just being affectionate…And plastered."
"I'll never, never, never drink again, I swear Amy…" Sheldon, rather weepily…
Oh…Slightly downcast look… "It's all right, Moonpie." Amy patted him. "You never hurt me."
Not with those creampuff pats, she hissed to Penny. "Though I guess I should be glad he understands it would be terrible to continue further down that road. I guess…" sigh.
"I really think it's the right idea, Amy. You'll get there the right way…Someday. Say…Moonpie?" Penny hissed back… "I thought only…Meemaw…"
"He felt bad…I exacted a little guilt recompense. You think maybe I deserve another…" "Get hold of yourself, girl." Bernadette frowned, cutting in. )
…
"Beverly…?" Helga, at the apartment door as the bell rang and video monitor displayed the visitor, being questioned by the guard at door.
"Mom?" Beverly beamed at Hel…
"It's ok, let her in…She was here last night, she has clearance…" Helga frowned at the guard.
"I have to check, Doc…" the guard noted.
"So did I…" Helga nodded, stunning him with a taser… Beverly staring in shock…
"Mom!"
"Honey, I'm sorry…" Helga sighed. "I couldn't ask to open the door without someone coming by…I couldn't know how many were still out there."
"That's why you called me to come? So you could get out of here?" Beverly stared.
"Beverly, I know how this may look to you…" Helga, stepping out, looking round… "But this is for you, sweetheart, as much for me and others. I have to get outta here…And see if I can get to Howard…Dr. Rotwolowitz."
"But…What will Mr. Cooperson do if he finds out about this? Mom? Isn't this against the law?"
"Sheldon will pissed and yes, it is…If you want to go back, it's ok. I'll tell them you had nothing to do with it. But I have to get out of here, now." Tense look round…
("So now Bernadette's an action hero?" Penny glared at Leonard… "Or, rather…Two action heroes?"
Uh… Well… Uh… "You'll be very actiony, Penny…" he tried.)
"Then I guess you'd better come with me…" Beverly sighed. Wan smile. "I was just telling Sally how I wished we could do some Mom-and-daughter stuff together…"
"She wasn't upset that I called you…" Helga, a bit anxiously as they headed for the stairs and hurried down…
"She might have been…If I'd mentioned it…" Beverly grinned back.
…..