"What do you think of making it green?" Brainpod 24 asked 32 as they poured over some schematics.

32 nodded excitedly. "Yeah, maybe with some blue side panelling."

"Great idea! And we can paint the - "

"Let me make one thing absolutely clear." The brainpods started when they heard the annoyed dual-tone voice behind them. "My HYPER DEATH RAY! will not be green. It will not be blue. It will not be any colour except the colour I choose." Zurg leaned forward. "And do you know what that colour is?"

Like he really had to ask.

"Purple?" 24 offered meekly.

"Yes, purple, you numbskull!" Zurg brought his fist down on the brain's bowl. "With perhaps a touch of red. But no other colours - especially not green! Only idiots like Lightyear use green."

"Understood, my evil emperor." 24 put on his best grovelling act. "Was there anything else you wanted to talk to us about?"

"Yes, actually." Zurg's voice lost some of its harshness. "I was wondering if you'd designed a triggering device yet."

"We're still working on it," 32 replied.

"WHAT?" Zurg grew angry again. "But we leave for Rhizome tomorrow!"

The two pods cringed. "Don't worry, it'll take awhile to construct the ray," 24 gulped. "We'll still have time to build a trigger and ship it over while you're putting together the gun on Rhizome."

Zurg folded his arms. "Maybe so, but I still don't like it. You should have had it done days ago!" A new thought suddenly occurred to him. "And if we have to ship the trigger separately, there's always the risk of Lightyear intercepting it!"

32 laughed nervously. "Oh, I doubt that'll happen."

"You don't know Lightyear." Zurg narrowed his eyes. "We'll have to make sure the trigger isn't discovered."

"Well," suggested 24, "perhaps we could ship it in an old school shuttle?"

Zurg tapped his mouth. "Not a bad idea. Still, it's not enough." He frowned, trying to think. "I've got it! We'll disguise the trigger as a pen. You know, design it so it looks like a plain old ballpoint." He let out an evil chuckle. "Even Lightyear wouldn't suspect something as innocent as a pen." The Evil Emperor rubbed his hands together gleefully. Sometimes he was utterly ingenious.