Fifty Eight - BF
They arrived home.
Scott was so excited he barely acknowledged his family and rushed off down to the lab to get Brains.
"I take it that it went well." Jeff said wryly.
"Professor Bunsen is a bit of an odd-ball, but he thinks he can do it." Virgil dropped the folder containing the plans on the desk.
"You believe him Virgil?"
"Yes I do. He seems to know his stuff. My arm had stiffened up again and he showed me how to relax the muscles." He held out the arm and rotated. "It feels great."
"Your arm is a fair distance away from Scott's eyes though." Alan noted.
"He just needs the necessary equipment built." Virgil said. "He's given me the plans for Brains to look at. I think between the two of us we should be able to manufacture what's needed."
Gordon picked up the folder. The sheet music fell out. "Trust you Virgil. How are these going to help Scott regain his sight?"
"Give them here." Virgil put the music on the piano as Scott, practically dragging Brains along, re-entered the room.
"Where's those diagrams Virg.?" Scott asked eagerly.
Gordon handed them to the little scientist who started flicking through. "Yes. Yes. This s-seems straight forward enough." He looked at Jeff. "We could even m-modify some of International R-Rescue's equipment, it'd save time. The procedure could p-probably be carried out here on Tracy Island."
"Good." Jeff stated. "You and Virgil get started as soon as possible. What did the Professor say about payment?"
Virgil coughed embarrassedly. "You don't have to pay unless the operation is successful."
Jeff stared at him. "You're kidding?"
"Only because Virgil very nearly blew it." Scott said. "Now the Professor's got the idea that when it comes to your sons you're a bit of a tightwad."
"What!" Jeff stared even harder at Virgil.
"I just wanted to make sure he wasn't taking us for a ride. So I told him you wouldn't even consider paying unless he was 100 percent sure he'd be successful."
"And how sure is he?" Grandma Tracy asked.
"80 to 90 percent." Scott grinned.
"Good odds Scott." Alan said. "You going for it then."
"If we can make the equipment, you bet!"
"I'll have to meet this Professor B-Bunsen." Brains was still scanning the schematics.
"Oh, you already have Brains." Scott said. "You were at university together."
Brains looked up. "W-We were? I don't remember a..." he glanced at the folder's cover, "Onslow Bunsen."
"He said he had a nickname for you." Virgil said grinning.
"Everyone c-called me Brains." Brains said his face creased in confusion.
"Apparently not this guy." Scott said.
Brains confusion cleared. "Not Bunny Bunsen!"
Virgil nearly choked.
"Bunny." Scott said thoughtfully. "Figures."
"He didn't!" Brains was aghast. "Not the r-rabbit suit." Virgil was nodding.
"What..." Jeff said slowly, "...is this about a rabbit suit."
"Bunny Bunsen had th-this theory that if you w-were going to take him seriously th-then you would be able to see past the r-rabbit suit and see how clever he was. His family l-left him plenty of money and h-he was able to indulge his passions for m-medical research. He's not afraid to think o-outside the square and has come up with some quite b-brilliant innovations. He kept on at me to t-take up medicine, said I'd s-save more lives that way... He's nearly as much of a genius as I am." Brains added as an afterthought.
It was Scott's turn to choke.
Virgil grinned at Brains' lack of humility and the obvious rivalry that had existed between the two men.
"So you managed to see past the rabbit suit?" Gordon asked Virgil with an impish grin.
"I couldn't see it." Scott shrugged. "So it didn't worry me. At least not until Virgil told me about it on the flight home."
"Y-You know Mr Tracy." Brains said slowly. "Bunny B-Bunsen could be an asset to I-International Rescue. W-We could do with a d-dedicated medical researcher. It w-would free me up to..."
"Be a typical 'Technologist'?" Virgil asked laughing.
"I suppose he told you off f-for choosing that c-career, did he?"
"I got the feeling he wasn't too impressed with me, yes." Virgil acknowledged.
"At least he warmed to you." Scott said. "I thought he'd refuse to have anything to do with me just because I'd been in the Air Force."
"Ah! Th-The Killing Machine." Brains said. "To B-Bunny Bunsen human life is sacrosanct."
"Imagine his reaction if he knew we were International Rescue?" Virgil said.
"So Brains." Alan said casually. "Just what was your nickname?"
"N-Never you mind." Brains flushed.
"Virgil will tell us later anyway. Won't you Virg.?"
"No way. Us 'Technologists' have got to stick together."
"You'll tell us won't you Scott."
"And jeopardise any chance of getting the equipment made? Sorry Gordon."
"I'd like to c-call him and get a few th-thing clarified Mr Tracy. If I may?" Brains asked his employer.
"Be my guest Brains." Jeff vacated the chair so that Brains could sit in front of the videophone. "Tell him I'd like to meet him whenever he's ready. He can visit us on the island. We'll pick him up in the jet."
Brains made the call.
Professor Bunsen answered with the video turned on. "Robot Head is that you?"
Alan and Gordon looked at each other and mouthed the words "Robot Head?" in astonishment.
"I-It is, B-Bunny."
"Have you still got that stutter, Robot Head? I could fix it you know."
"I-I have no doubt that you could B-Bunny. About th-these plans for Scott. We should get together and d-discuss them. Mr Tracy suggested th-that we could send a p-plane to pick you up. Y-You could come to Tracy Island and m-meet the family."
Bunny Bunsen seemed a trifle surprised. "Visit Mr Tracy? But of course, just tell me when."
"Whenever would s-suit you. B-But please Bunny. Leave the r-rabbit suit at home..."
Alan and Gordon looked disappointed. They'd been looking forward to seeing the Professor in his costume.
***
The Professor visited the next day. "You lied to me." He said accusingly to Virgil. "You said your father wouldn't pay."
"Call it the curse of the Technologists." Virgil said easily, although his stomach was knotted up with worry. "We're always very careful with money. Besides I was testing you... just as you were testing us with the rabbit suit."
Professor Bunsen laughed. "Touché. Very clever my friend. How's the arm."
"Haven't had any problems since you showed me that massage."
"Good, good." Professor Bunsen turned back to Brains.
Virgil mimed wiping sweat from his brow and grinned sheepishly at his father...
They arrived home.
Scott was so excited he barely acknowledged his family and rushed off down to the lab to get Brains.
"I take it that it went well." Jeff said wryly.
"Professor Bunsen is a bit of an odd-ball, but he thinks he can do it." Virgil dropped the folder containing the plans on the desk.
"You believe him Virgil?"
"Yes I do. He seems to know his stuff. My arm had stiffened up again and he showed me how to relax the muscles." He held out the arm and rotated. "It feels great."
"Your arm is a fair distance away from Scott's eyes though." Alan noted.
"He just needs the necessary equipment built." Virgil said. "He's given me the plans for Brains to look at. I think between the two of us we should be able to manufacture what's needed."
Gordon picked up the folder. The sheet music fell out. "Trust you Virgil. How are these going to help Scott regain his sight?"
"Give them here." Virgil put the music on the piano as Scott, practically dragging Brains along, re-entered the room.
"Where's those diagrams Virg.?" Scott asked eagerly.
Gordon handed them to the little scientist who started flicking through. "Yes. Yes. This s-seems straight forward enough." He looked at Jeff. "We could even m-modify some of International R-Rescue's equipment, it'd save time. The procedure could p-probably be carried out here on Tracy Island."
"Good." Jeff stated. "You and Virgil get started as soon as possible. What did the Professor say about payment?"
Virgil coughed embarrassedly. "You don't have to pay unless the operation is successful."
Jeff stared at him. "You're kidding?"
"Only because Virgil very nearly blew it." Scott said. "Now the Professor's got the idea that when it comes to your sons you're a bit of a tightwad."
"What!" Jeff stared even harder at Virgil.
"I just wanted to make sure he wasn't taking us for a ride. So I told him you wouldn't even consider paying unless he was 100 percent sure he'd be successful."
"And how sure is he?" Grandma Tracy asked.
"80 to 90 percent." Scott grinned.
"Good odds Scott." Alan said. "You going for it then."
"If we can make the equipment, you bet!"
"I'll have to meet this Professor B-Bunsen." Brains was still scanning the schematics.
"Oh, you already have Brains." Scott said. "You were at university together."
Brains looked up. "W-We were? I don't remember a..." he glanced at the folder's cover, "Onslow Bunsen."
"He said he had a nickname for you." Virgil said grinning.
"Everyone c-called me Brains." Brains said his face creased in confusion.
"Apparently not this guy." Scott said.
Brains confusion cleared. "Not Bunny Bunsen!"
Virgil nearly choked.
"Bunny." Scott said thoughtfully. "Figures."
"He didn't!" Brains was aghast. "Not the r-rabbit suit." Virgil was nodding.
"What..." Jeff said slowly, "...is this about a rabbit suit."
"Bunny Bunsen had th-this theory that if you w-were going to take him seriously th-then you would be able to see past the r-rabbit suit and see how clever he was. His family l-left him plenty of money and h-he was able to indulge his passions for m-medical research. He's not afraid to think o-outside the square and has come up with some quite b-brilliant innovations. He kept on at me to t-take up medicine, said I'd s-save more lives that way... He's nearly as much of a genius as I am." Brains added as an afterthought.
It was Scott's turn to choke.
Virgil grinned at Brains' lack of humility and the obvious rivalry that had existed between the two men.
"So you managed to see past the rabbit suit?" Gordon asked Virgil with an impish grin.
"I couldn't see it." Scott shrugged. "So it didn't worry me. At least not until Virgil told me about it on the flight home."
"Y-You know Mr Tracy." Brains said slowly. "Bunny B-Bunsen could be an asset to I-International Rescue. W-We could do with a d-dedicated medical researcher. It w-would free me up to..."
"Be a typical 'Technologist'?" Virgil asked laughing.
"I suppose he told you off f-for choosing that c-career, did he?"
"I got the feeling he wasn't too impressed with me, yes." Virgil acknowledged.
"At least he warmed to you." Scott said. "I thought he'd refuse to have anything to do with me just because I'd been in the Air Force."
"Ah! Th-The Killing Machine." Brains said. "To B-Bunny Bunsen human life is sacrosanct."
"Imagine his reaction if he knew we were International Rescue?" Virgil said.
"So Brains." Alan said casually. "Just what was your nickname?"
"N-Never you mind." Brains flushed.
"Virgil will tell us later anyway. Won't you Virg.?"
"No way. Us 'Technologists' have got to stick together."
"You'll tell us won't you Scott."
"And jeopardise any chance of getting the equipment made? Sorry Gordon."
"I'd like to c-call him and get a few th-thing clarified Mr Tracy. If I may?" Brains asked his employer.
"Be my guest Brains." Jeff vacated the chair so that Brains could sit in front of the videophone. "Tell him I'd like to meet him whenever he's ready. He can visit us on the island. We'll pick him up in the jet."
Brains made the call.
Professor Bunsen answered with the video turned on. "Robot Head is that you?"
Alan and Gordon looked at each other and mouthed the words "Robot Head?" in astonishment.
"I-It is, B-Bunny."
"Have you still got that stutter, Robot Head? I could fix it you know."
"I-I have no doubt that you could B-Bunny. About th-these plans for Scott. We should get together and d-discuss them. Mr Tracy suggested th-that we could send a p-plane to pick you up. Y-You could come to Tracy Island and m-meet the family."
Bunny Bunsen seemed a trifle surprised. "Visit Mr Tracy? But of course, just tell me when."
"Whenever would s-suit you. B-But please Bunny. Leave the r-rabbit suit at home..."
Alan and Gordon looked disappointed. They'd been looking forward to seeing the Professor in his costume.
***
The Professor visited the next day. "You lied to me." He said accusingly to Virgil. "You said your father wouldn't pay."
"Call it the curse of the Technologists." Virgil said easily, although his stomach was knotted up with worry. "We're always very careful with money. Besides I was testing you... just as you were testing us with the rabbit suit."
Professor Bunsen laughed. "Touché. Very clever my friend. How's the arm."
"Haven't had any problems since you showed me that massage."
"Good, good." Professor Bunsen turned back to Brains.
Virgil mimed wiping sweat from his brow and grinned sheepishly at his father...