Port Wombat, Outback Island

July 1st, 2018, 8:14 AM

Come the first day of the year's seventh month, Milo Rabberts was all but ready for his trip to Outback Island. He had all the equipment signed onto his name early in the morning, and met up with Melanie, who had the automobile. The two mammals were given two nights to stay at the local motel, as well as the obligatory insurance for their equipment, in case it was damaged somehow.

The only way to get to Outback Island was via a ferry docked at the very southeast of Savanna Central. The trip to Port Wombat lasted for two hours – with a serene view of the open bay, and some of Zootopia's architecture visible beautifully from afar, it was a pleasant experience overall. From the port, it was only a short while before Milo would take his first steps in recording these wild animals.

Melanie's automobile, unlike in most of her kind, didn't have a giraffe-like paint job: it was a plain metallic grey, but distinct in shape by its bizarre height-to-length ratio. It gently rolled out of the ferry and onto the road to the research center.


Melanie's car

"Tell me again, why you took 10 different hard drives with you for a two-day trip." Melanie asked.

Milo responded, comfortably snuggled into the corner of the passenger seat, "They're all the right format, and it never hurts to back up in case you lose one. Can't be too careful."

Melanie wasn't having any of it, as evidenced by her confused expression, "I get that you care about doing this right, but maybe you should… take it easy. Relax a bit."

"Relax?" Milo twitched almost reflexively, before thinking of a more ingenious response than simply continuing to complain, "Some music might help."

Melanie chuckled, "Fair enough." That being said, her right hand immediately floated over to the car radio. Switching on, the first station that came into audibility was a rap station. The two mammals needed only to exchange awkward glances for one to assume what they thought of it. The next station caused Melanie a great deal of discomfort, "Country? Nope!" Then she flicked the button again.

"Oh, God!" Milo cried out in frustration, because if there was anything he couldn't get behind, it was mainstream pop music on the third station. Namely Gazelle, "Please! No!"

"I'm on it, I'm on it," Melanie responded with a placating tone, only to find a station that suited her ears, as well as Milo's – the R&B of old. Rhythmic, soulful, with a life of its own, unlike the derivative assembly line tracks they've only come across as of yet. A sigh of relief and the light bobbing of their heads cemented their comfort.

"So, what do you think Outback Island will be like?" Melanie broke the silence.

"You got me," Milo shrugged, "I never traveled here before, but I heard they don't really like rabbits. Probably because of our, eh… prodigious fecundity."

"Yikes," Melanie winced a little, before sending a more playful question his way, "You wanna hide in my purse in case something goes south?"

Milo waved away dismissively, with a chuckle, "Nah, I'm not scared of them. How long until we get to the sanctuary?"

"Not for a while," Melanie took a peek at her GPS, showing her the way, "We still have a few miles to go."


Steve Ermine Zoological Research Center

8:32 AM

Even though the aforementioned wildlife expert and television legend usually spent his life in Australia, he always wanted to spread his influence wherever he could manage. Given the following he had in the United States, he became interested in making Outback Island, the most recently finished district in Zootopia, a place where his mark would be left. His wife Terri, born in the US, helped the most with setting up this animal rehabilitation and research center, and the vast majority of the wildlife to be found was, by in large, not native to North America. Most of the rehabilitated animals were former exotic pets that escaped their confinement, and were being nursed back to a healthy life.

Today, the sanctuary wasn't being visited by anyone else. The gusts of hot air coming from Sahara Square's climate wall could be felt to an ever so slight extent on this insular district and, consequently, made it slightly warmer than the regular temperature of the continent. Nevertheless, work needed to be done.

As Melanie wheeled the car over to her parking spot, she was treated with the sight of a rather irate-looking male red-necked wallaby who hopped over vigorously, his arms folded and his gaze discriminating. As both mammals got out of their cars, he began to shout as he approached ever more closely, "Aw, mates! You're two minutes late, ya bloody seppos!"

Melanie and Milo were quite dumbfounded by such an uncouth welcome. Looking upon the wallaby closer, they could see that he was wearing a khaki shirt and shorts, with a fedora adorning his head. Soon, his initially demeaning appearance gave way to hooting laughter, "Oh, I'm just bloody faffin' about, eh. How's it goin'? I'm Wallace."

The wallaby warden's handshake greeting was offered to Milo first. As per the norm, the rabbit obliged, "Milo Rabberts. Pleased to meet you."

"And your friend over there - with her scuffed height?" Wallace lifted the brim of his hat ever so slightly to have a better look at the female giraffe.

"Melanie," she waved politely.

"Now, let's show you around, shall we?" Wallace patted Milo on the back and led the duo on, "Gotta get you acquainted with the space, I reckon."


Harpy eagle aviary

9:02 AM

Before Milo and Melanie began their work shift, they settled into their respective rooms at the Eucalyptus Motel, with Melanie's being a slightly loose fit due to the rarity of giraffe visitors.

The sky was clear and the sun shone all the brighter, as temperatures soared. Even Milo donned a cap to shield his eyes and help him concentrate. Regardless of the intense heat, he had to keep his cool in order to do his work well. The first animal Wallace led Milo towards was an enormous species of eagle from South America.

"All right, then, mate," Wallace propped the aviary door open, "Just go and hop in when you're ready. The eagle will probably come over."

Milo was unconvinced by the implied simplicity, "Just like that?"

"Exactly like that, mate," Wallace winked with a smug grin adorning his face, "Won't even get a nick on ya."

For all the doubts Milo had, he had always been taught to abide by whomever was the main caretaker of the object, or in this case, creature, that he had to record. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to compromise his equipment on the first entrance, because he needed Melanie's help for miking. He walked inside, treading lightly and observing the environment around him. Tall, tropical vegetation was the main sort to be found, with kapok trees being the tallest of the vegetation dispersed here. Due to the greenhouse-like construction of the aviary, it was humid here. Unbearable for the rabbit, but for the animals contained here, it was just like home.

Before he could marvel at the vegetation any more, he saw a slice of flesh being thrown into the pen. Not just a few short seconds later, the harpy eagle swooped down from the heights towards it. However, its gaze turned with a rapid twitch not to the meat, but to Milo. An enormous female, the curious bird ogled the rabbit that had just walked into her space and began to approach him slowly. Suddenly, Milo felt more than slightly threatened, as a nervousness awoke within him. It wasn't just a fear of the unknown; it was almost as if a primordial fight-or-flight instinct was kickstarted deep within his psyche – back before the days of sapience, eagles used to eat rabbits.

Soon enough, the raptor lunged at Milo with her sharp beak, but the buck was quick enough to binky, screaming in fright, as he dashed away on all fours, panting faster than ever before. Much to his dismay, the bird took flight after him. He raced on, his heart throbbing and the leaves of the underbrush slapping him in the face. Then, when he turned back for a slight second, he could see the raptor's talons reaching for him. With a yell of horror, Milo made one last jump for the door from which he entered and avoided the bird, then frantically scurried to close the door.

"Oi!" Wallace suddenly shouted, "Bloody hell you think you're doing?!"

A frazzled and dazed Milo couldn't let this kind of frivolity go, "You told me it was safe to go inside!"

"Nah, mate - bloody hell ya talkin' about, eh?" Wallace sounded quite offended, "Not during bloody feedin' time! Little drongo bastard…"

"Why… Didn't you tell me about that?" Milo pressed, ever more unnerved.

"Yeah, well… ya didn't think to ask, now did you?" Wallace turned back to the rabbit with a half-lidded smirk, before looking to his meat can again, "Anyway, now that I've had my fun, we'll leave em' for a while. When they're all filled up, it should be bloody right-o' for ya."

Milo couldn't believe what he was just a part of. The park warden seemed to be an unhinged wallaby who took amusement in potentially dangerous pranks. Whether this was a test of Milo's will, or simply a quirk, he couldn't tell. All that became clear to him at that moment was what Stagart told him earlier – this marsupial was quite the wild card. Milo's palm slid all over his face, in hopes of wiping off the frustration and shock that was going through him now.


Thirty minutes later…

"Right, mate…" With feeding time finally over and the birds well-fed, Wallace wanted to help start Milo's recording session proper, "First thing you should know: never talk to the animals. They don't understand ya, so don't bloody bother."

"Right," Milo nodded with the utmost attention.

"Yep, I'll be hanging around the back - givin' the Eagle something to squawk at," Wallace turned to leave, before waving at the rabbit, "Good luck, eh?"

"Thanks," Milo acknowledged half-heartedly, now joined by Melanie as his boom operator, "All right, take two…"

Going back inside, Milo didn't notice anything different to the last time he was in. The same female harpy eagle that had lunged defensively at him before was perched high on a kapok tree branch, observing her environment. So far as Milo remained out of her sight, he had the opportunity to record. However, getting the sound out of the eagle was easier said than done.

With Milo sitting on a small rock and gain-staging his recorder for the session, Melanie slowly moved the fishpole boom towards the giant raptor. The fluffy textile windshield immediately sparked the bird's attention. She ogled the device with curiosity, tilting her head every few seconds, each time a little closer. Fortunately, she wasn't in a defensive, or aggressive stance. This was a purely inquisitive examination. Little was the animal aware that this was where the microphone was housed.

Suddenly, what sounded like an amateur recording was heard from outside the pen. It was Wallace, playing back the sound of the raptor's kind via a small speaker. Not remarkably loud, but loudly enough to be heard within the confines of the aviary. The bird's gaze and attention were drawn away from the windshield to the direction from which the sound came. It inspected, tilted its head around, and then, it finally happened.

The harpy eagle let out a melodic call in the direction of the amateur playback – a very flute-like sound, sweet in texture and nothing like the hawk screeches mainstream viewers were accustomed to hearing whenever a bird of prey was on screen. Melanie used this opportunity to adjust her miking position to make the absolute best of this event, because if there was anything that was paramount to field recording, it was speed. Milo adjusted the gain level to a satisfactory amount; one where he'd be sure the signal would be rich enough to be processed properly. The eagle gave fourteen takes of that call at this moment.

It was wonderful to Milo's ears. Not only as a job well done, but as something that would make an excellent ingredient in Milo's sound design soup – unrecognizable to most mammals and striking in sonic character.


Goose pen

2:51 PM

With the eagle off the checklist, it was time to continue, and it took quite a fair share of time. The second animal that was to be recorded was the Cape vulture – or, more precisely, a group of them. Unlike the eagle beforehand, these birds didn't have a proclivity for attacking anyone that came near their kill without the intent to eat it. With that in mind, Milo had an easier time setting up a close miking position, even though the occasional cacophony of multiple vultures at once was somewhat of a hindrance. The vulture's raspy squawks and screeches lent themselves well to any kind of dinosaur.

The next place Wallace took Milo was probably the least exotic, or enticing location he'd seen in the sanctuary so far. It was a small pen walled off by a short chain link fence and featuring a small house-like shelter. At first glance, Milo was worried that these might be ducks, and yet another tasteless prank at the hands of the warden. However, when they approached more closely, it was revealed that these weren't ducks, but geese.

"Here-we-bloody-are! Welcome your sorry self to Jurassic Park!" Wallace dramatically introduced the pen, raising his arms in its direction with a proud grin.

Milo couldn't help a chuckle, "Jurassic Park?"

"Well, it ain't gonna be much fun in tellin' ya why, now, is it?" Wallace beamed, urging the rabbit on.

"What? Are you setting me up for another attack?" Milo retorted.

"The hell ya' goin' on about? Bloody, no!" Wallace waved aside, "Mate, if something does happen anyway, it'll be your own bloody fault. Like gettin' too close to the big bastard over there."

Milo, taking a good look at the large male goose in question, seemed to be understanding enough, "Too close? Got it."

That being said, he entered the pen. This time, he was alone – given the size of these birds and the short fence, he could hold the windshield himself. There were several females to the left of the shelter, with their respective goslings next to them. For about a good minute, the geese honked and squawked communicatively. A very bizarre sound and one that could lend itself to more unusual animals, like the duck-billed herbivorous dinosaurs.

However, these honks were cut off by something else – a quiet, but ever so discernible and frightening hiss. At first, the buck rabbit thought he came too close to a snake, so his eyes darted down. Then to the sides, and finally behind. The male that Wallace was talking about was already throwing a literal hissy fit, angrily sizing up the rabbit. The spine-chilling hisses continued, but this time Milo wasn't going to give in to fear: he adjusted his miking position as much as he could to record precisely these sounds. Slowly, but surely, Milo walked towards the exit of the pen. The goose followed, hissing as he went along. This raspy sound was precisely what the warden was talking about – these hisses were indeed edited in for the Velociraptors seen in Jurassic Park. With himself outside the pen, Milo rushed to close the gate. He hung around for as many more hisses the male goose was angry enough to give, before he had a total of over 20 individual takes.

"Wow…" Milo removed his cap to scratch his head.

"You see what I mean now, eh?" Wallace beamed from behind, his hands on his waist, "That's the "Clever girl" sound, am I bloody spot on or what?"

"Yup," For all the annoyance the wallaby rent on him earlier, Milo had to give credit where credit was due, "That's pretty much it."

It turned out that Wallace wasn't as antagonistic as early impressions would let on – he only seemed to have an incredibly roundabout method when it came to helping sound effects recordists. Mostly, it was for his own amusement, but Milo also grew to like him.


Emu pen

4:51 PM

The next hour-and-a-half was spent recording smaller birds in interior spaces: kookaburras, parakeets, macaws and similar-sized birds. They were relatively tame and didn't have a proclivity for evading microphones, and the interior environment meant that Milo could do without a windshield.

After that, it was back outside, with the largest recording subjects of the day – emus. Slightly smaller than ostriches, emus were also different from them in terms of attitude. These were generally placid birds that didn't mind the company of other creatures, so long as they weren't intrusive. Melanie's attentive eye and Milo's keen ears worked in sync once more to bring more sounds to the table. And bizarre sounds, they were – throbbing booms of very low frequency that would normally make smaller mammals like mice fall ill, and threatening hisses, as an alert that someone was too close. The recording process was made all the easier by offering the birds food as encouragement.

The only time Milo was let inside the enclosure was when the adults headed to rest and their six chicks were up and running around. Even they made great recording subjects. Just as Milo was recording them, he could feel a number of seeds falling over him – the last thing he saw before he hit the ground.

As the chicks tried to peck off any seeds that were caught in Milo's fur, they tickled him awfully. His hooting laughter, mixed with the occasional begging to stop, made Wallace smile from ear to ear, happy to know that another attempt at whimsical humor succeeded.


Milo's motel room

6:53 PM

With the recording work done for the day and gigabytes of audio material secured, Milo could finally have a moment to himself. It was in this modest room, with but a bed, a TV and a balcony, that he'd spend the night.

Slouching, covered in a dried mixture of bird saliva and dust from head to toe with his cap crookedly sitting on his head, he wasted no time in setting up all of his files to be backed up. A cold shower followed by a hot drying were precisely what he was up to, what with all he's been through, so his next stop was the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, he was back in his main room, albeit shirtless with jeans. Given how hot it was, he'd prefer to stay that way, but he agreed to have a walk around the district with Melanie in order to pass time before the night, so he had to get dressed. Looking into his suitcase with attention, he finally found a shirt to match – blue and plaid. Just as he donned it, he heard his Viper beep.

Dashing over to his phone to see who it could possibly be, Milo smiled warmly when it turned out to be his father:

"Hi son

I'm hosting a radio show on Podunk Daily and in talks for doing voiceover in an animated movie

Yippeeeeeeeee!

How about you"

Milo chuckled in both amusement and pride; with the genuine talent Gerard possessed, there was no doubt that he'd deliver his utmost to make it work. Milo slumped into his bed and replied:

"You go, pops! I'm sure you'll nail it.
As for myself, I've had a long day on Outback Island. I've recorded about 10 different animals today, and I've got a few more coming up tomorrow. I'm going out with Melanie tonight, to check the District out. And yeah, I know they don't like bunnies, so I'll be careful."

Not before long, Gerard replied:

"I know that you will

Pikc up some chicks whiel you're at it

Pcik*

PICK*

Dammit"

Milo couldn't help a rather manic laugh; some things were, indeed, better off left to the young'uns, and Gerard's temper was no exception to humor. As for the opposite sex, Milo really wasn't all that excited or hopeful. It wasn't his looks that bothered him – Milo was considered handsome by most of the girls he'd come across. It wasn't that he was afraid of approaching them – they were mammals, after all. It was that in his experience thus far, the does of Zootopia were more chaff than wheat, discomforted by the prospect of long-term commitment or high parental investment, all of which Milo valued, and more concerned with materialism and instant gratification.

"Milo?" The mention of his name in Melanie's voice initially took him by surprise, until he turned towards the balcony.

"Oh, you're ready?" Milo came to the balcony.

"Yeah, I was wondering where we should go," Melanie conceded cluelessly.

"Well, Beanie told me about that one place…" Milo scratched his chin, talking to himself, "What was the name?"

"What place?" Melanie tilted her head.

"Dream World?" Milo raised his eyebrow. He then shook his head, "No, no, Dream Time."

"What's that?" Melanie inquired.

"I don't know… Let me look it up," Milo took his smartphone out, in hopes of figuring it out quickly. As he went through his browser, he could see a dark space engulfed in colored lighting, with a large crowd, "Oh, it's a nightclub," he sighed in exasperation. However, a few more swipes down turned that exasperation into utter revulsion, as he cringed, "Without clothes?! Nope!" And so he closed his browser.

"Huh?" Melanie was caught off guard.

"Sorry…" Milo rubbed his nape with an apologetic gaze, "I've got nothing."

As far as Melanie was concerned, this was one less place to go, "Anyway, I was going to ask about this cookout they have somewhere in the district square. Wanna check that out, maybe? Try some new stuff?"

At a loss for options and finding a good meal more than warranted, Milo shrugged, "Why not? What is it, Aussie food?"

"I think so," Melanie conceded.

"Hey," Milo begged, "Mind if you pick me up from here and put me down? I don't feel like using the stairs."

At this child-like request, Melanie couldn't help a chuckle, "All right." She gently picked the buck rabbit up from the balcony and propped him onto the sidewalk.

"Let's get going!" Milo declared with a sudden onset of excitement as he began to lead the way.

"It's gonna be a good hour's walk to the square, by the way," Melanie noted, tagging alongside him.

Milo rapidly shook his head in perceived dismay, "Wait, really?"

"Yup," Melanie nodded nervously.

While at first miffed, Milo eventually concurred, "Oh, well. I can deal with that."

And so, they went away, as the sky above soon began to turn into a shade of crimson with the Sun's fading rays of light.


Earlier that day…

Stagart Studios Parking Lot

9:00 AM

Earlier that day, back in the studio building, work continued as per usual. For the likes of Bevis, it was the beginning of another busy early shift. As he walked out of his fittingly stocky and short car, the muskrat stepped forward in a manner more relaxed than usual.

However, he turned to his left in surprise – it was Xander. A simple look at the cat was surprisingly telling of how his days went. The normal swagger in his walk was replaced by a slight slouch of the back, and his smug grin was replaced by a disaffected scowl.

"Xander? What are you doing here?" Bevis asked, not best pleased with his newly made company.

"What, do I need a permit to take a walk around town?" Xander snapped back, shaking his head in offense.

"You shouldn't be here," Bevis lowered his voice into a quiet, yet intelligible whisper, "Somebody will call the cops if you're spotted!"

"Actually, I very much should and will be here whenever the frick I want," Xander laid his hands on his waist, with a noticeable quiver in his voice, "Whatever it takes to get back at Rabberts for making me lose my job."

Of all things, the formerly proud sound effects editor came here to make excuses and project his foulness onto others, which was something Bevis wasn't going to tolerate this time, "He made you lose your job? No, Xander. This is on you."

"On me, huh? What the hell does everybody want from me?!" Xander turned away from him, raising his voice and grasping his head with his hands in a frantic manner, "I can't get out of bed in the morning without my parents smothering me about this whole mess, and I can't even talk to my lawyer without him saying "oh, no, that's an unlikely scenario" – to everything I ask from him! As if I stole those sounds, or something. Jesus, don't these folks ever get that when you're in a large session, accidents can happen?"

"Yo, what's going on?" The third party in this conversation was Dallgren, who was quick to come in front of Bevis when the Iberian lynx was running his mouth a little louder than normal, ready to protect his friend if the former got any ideas.

"And Rabberts? Where's that little fascist?" Xander's face was beginning to contort into a crazed mess at the notion of the rabbit, "Next time I see him, I'm gonna carve him up like a Thanksgiving turkey…"

"Oh, that's rich!" Dallgren couldn't help a sarcastic, scathing chuckle at such incredible entitlement, "Get yourself fired by stealing stuff and then take it out on someone else, why don't you?"

By this point, Xander's composure had utterly withered, as he began to shout and pump his fists, "The game sounds were a mistake, you meathead! I didn't do it on purpose! Dammit, I feel like a broken record repeating this…"

"You ain't fooling me with that," Dallgren's voice, by contrast, remained low and calm, but no less brutal to the lynx's ears, "I knew you weren't cut from the right cloth the minute I laid eyes on you – you were taking sounds from other people for a very long time," Even as the cat was beginning to bare his fangs, trembling and unable to even keep his claws sheathed, the ram continued, "You got Grunt and Roarre fired just because they didn't want to hold your hand on projects. You wanted to dupe Rabberts just because he realized you were lying to him all the same. All because you knew, deep down… that they are all better than you. Rabberts was right. You really are a scoundrel."

After this diatribe, Xander was unable to control what he was – underneath the facade of a fast-talking, suave gentleman there was naught but a spoiled kitten who only sought comfort and found it exclusively by subjugating others to his whim. There was nothing worse for him than others doing anything against him, Terrence Xander, who was so pure and without sin that he could toy with others without consequences – or so his deluded mind would see things. Especially now, when it was so painfully obvious that Dallgren, who would kowtow to his every whim until not too long ago, wasn't even fazed by him.

"Come on, man," the ram nudged Bevis, "We'll be late for work." Soon enough, the two mammals trailed away, leaving the lynx practically digging his feet into the concrete, sweating profusely.

As they left, Xander's head flew around the street like a bee trapped in a jar, salty tears dripping down his muzzle. And then, without provocation or cause, he started to jump around his own axis, before resorting to punching the studio building's wall while caterwauling at the top of his lungs. After a few seconds of panting, whatever small shred of reason was left in him reminded him that he was close to Stagart Studios, and that there were other mammals around him. Thus, he hastily returned to his car and closed himself inside for a while.

He wanted to relax at least a little bit. He darted for the first source of instant gratification he could reach – his smartphone. Everyone he was seeing was happy and the blue checkmarks definitely weren't helping, given how his career had practically fallen apart. And then, he saw what appeared to be Melanie, holding a fishpole boom in one hand, in a selfie on Outback Island. Upon more careful inspection, it seemed that below her, in the far right corner, was Milo.

Taking a look at this photo started to make Xander think more concisely. At least in a way that didn't involve screaming and shouting. He calmed himself as he took in the sight of what appeared to be a mammal whom he'd grown to consider an enemy, prospering and doing meaningful work while he was wallowing in self-pity. It was self-pity that he had to cure…

…and suddenly, a thought dawned upon him. Since the rabbit was still working, it meant that there was something he could do about it.

Terrence Xander's mind was filled with a dreadful thought – if Milo was still working, there was time yet to ruin it, in order to turn the table on him and make him suffer the same fate, in retaliation for scathing his pride. His inquisitive squint turned into a maniacal grin, as he started his car and began to move out of the parking spot.

"Looks like my old buddy's going to need some help backing up all those files…"


Well, here's another fun episode for you!

Recording animals is one of the most difficult assignments a sound effects recordist, and I wanted to show all that difficulty right here. I can safely say that there will be more animals, and yes; there will be reptiles.

Also, what could Xander possibly be up to now? We'll have to see for ourselves.

Wallace's Australian accent couldn't have been more authentic without Ugg Ugg the Great, who helped me a great deal with the dialect and choice of words.

In any case, let's run down the voice actor suggestions from last chapter:

Otis Sam Elliott (you, my friend, have a very good ear!)

Rick Josh Brolin, Kevin Michael Richardson, Kevin Conroy

Kenny Jeff Bridges, Cedric the Entertainer

Silas – R. Lee Ermey

SamanthaGrey Griffin

Anyway, that's all I have for you now. Catch ya later on, down the trail!