AN: Because I promised, here is the next chapter, ASAP! Hope y'all enjoy!

Please, please review!

Disclaimer: It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us. -Epicurus

Chapter 4

Carl was trying hard to listen, he really was. But Jimmy was rambling, and Sheen was nodding (thus fulfilling Jimmy's need for an attentive audience), and his mashed potato-derivative imitation looked a lot like a llama. He smiled. He liked llamas.

"So, in theory, it could end the world energy crisis!"

"Wow, Jimmy!" Sheen said, "That sounds…wait, what is it again?"

Jimmy smacked his forehead. (AN: Knowing his lack of athletic, and thus, hand-eye coordination, it was a good thing it was so big, because he might have missed otherwise. But, that's another story.)

Carl, who had been singing softy to himself, forgot himself and loudly announced in G major: "Oh, yyyyes, you are a llllllama face, you are there ooooon my plate, I shall always thiiiiiink you're great, you little llama-"

There was a pause throughout the cafeteria as he stopped short. He began feeling red in the face, and his embarrassment quickly spread as the silence was shattered by manic laughing, starting from the vicinity of the 'cool' table.

Jimmy jumped up, grabbing Carl by the arm, with Sheen close behind. "Come on, Carl, let's go." He said, softly, hoping that Carl could keep from crying.

"Yeah, okay, Jim." Carl said.

"Are you ready to be amazed?" Jimmy asked, clearly more at home in his lab.

"I don't know, Jimmy. The last time you unveiled an invention like this…" Carl shuddered.

Jimmy sighed. Perhaps the dramatic red curtain was too much.

Sheen glanced at his watch. Only 3.32 hours until Ultra Lord. "Oh, just show us what it is, Jimmy!" He demanded impatiently.

Jimmy nodded. "Right. Prreeeeeesenting!" He yanked away the cloth.

"Wow…" Carl said, breathlessly.

"Holy Ultra-Monkey!" Sheen added with a manic grin. "So…shiny…must…touch!" He prodded the metal side of the machine with an experimental finger. It made a refreshingly scientific metal sound (SMS (tm) ) at his touch.

"Cool!" Carl said.

Jimmy smiled. He was glad his friends were appreciating his hard work. "I think it's going to be a great help in the development of-"

"It reminds me of my old retainer." Carl broke in, as he pet the side of the machine.

Jimmy's eye twitched. "Retainer?"

Sheen looked at Carl. "How so?"

Carl pushed his glasses further up his nose. He was a little uncomfortable that Jimmy thought he meant the retainer comment in a bad way. "Well, you know, all shiny and smooth…and…well, it's not very bite size, but…it's looks…"

"Uh-huh. Whaaaatever." Sheen said, waving his hand. "How does it work, Jimmy?" He rubbed his hands together with glee, looking for a button to press.

The machine, however, lacked any such accommodating buttons. It was a simple, shiny square, a bit smaller than Jimmy. (A.N: Not counting his hair.)

Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "Well, all I have to do is…" He took a coin from his pocket, placing it on the machine. "Place an object on the top. Then I simply say the voice command. Convert-a-tronic, begin transfer!" He proudly stood, awaiting the transformation. Closing his eyes, he smiled, listening for the tell-tale beeps and metal pounding.

"Uh…Jimmy." Sheen whispered, leaning in toward his friend.

"Yes, Sheen." Jimmy replied in a simular whisper.

"Nothing's happening."

"What?" Jimmy opened his eyes, and, sadly, was able to corroborate this heinous accusation. "But…but it worked last night! I don't know what could be wrong with it!" He walked over to the Convert-a-tronic, taping it softly. "Hmm. Goddard!"

"Bark!"

"Roll back build footage from last night, 4 speed, last hour only."

Goddard opened up to accommodate the command, showing high-speed footage of Jimmy working late into the night.

Sheen and Carl squinted at the screen, trying to determine what was going on with the blurry image on the screen.

"There!" Jimmy said. "Play normal speed." He watched intently. "Aha! That's the problem."

"Of course. I knew it all along!" Sheen replied, absolutely certain in his declaration.

Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, not really. What the heck was that?"

"The tape of me working last night."

"Oh. I thought it was a small dancing chocolate ice cream cone. Must have been your hair." Sheen said, reflectivly, with a hand on his chin.

Jimmy sighed.Carl smiled. "I was hoping maybe it was a fuzzy little-"

"Please don't say llama, Carl." Jimmy said.

Carl looked torn. "I wasn't going to say llama." They looked at him in disbelief. "I wasn't!"

Sheen looked at Carl strangely, before moving a step away.

"Anyway, I know what the problem is. I was working so late last night, I was getting exhausted, and I forgot to dilate the amalgamation tabulator, which caused the fuse box to detonate. A simple thing, really."

Sheen rolled his eyes. Carl scratched his head. They waited for the explanation.

Jimmy chuckled. "Sorry. It means, basically, I need to replace a part. I blew out something in the machine."

"Ah."

"I might have the replacement here in the lab. Let's see…" He went to his computer, typing rapidly. "…just a quick inventory search…"

Suddenly, Jimmy spun around to the noise of a loud ZZZZAP! He found Sheen, black with smoke, laughing manically, and Carl coughing.

"What?-" He began.

"Whew! Jimmy, I love your lab!" Sheen said, blinking rapidly. His hair stood on end, and soft ripples of static electricity were flowing through it.

Carl took out his inhaler.

Jimmy smiled after a moment. He was used to Sheen frying himself quite regularly. Walking over to his friend, he helped him up.

"What did you do, Sheen?" He asked.

"He touched the bubble of pain." Carl answered helpfully, between coughs.

"Again? Sheen, remember what happens every time you touch it?" Jimmy asked, shaking his head with a smile. There was a pause while Sheen contemplated this.

"...No... No I don't." He finally answered, looking at Jimmy with widened eyes.

Carl and Jimmy looked warily at Sheen.

"What?"

"Nothing, Sheen. Nothing. Anyway, I got my answer from the inventory check. I don't have the part."

"Road trip!" Sheen laughed, dusting himself off.

"Right. I'll get the hover car."

Carl smiled. "Can we go to the Candy Bar, too?"

"Sure. Let's go!"