Chapter 4: Terminated & Fixer-Upper
(Meanwhile…)
Spencer, Hanna, and Aria entered Room 205 A mid-conversation.
"The possibilities were limitless. Hey, Logan Gear." Hanna replied.
A man, by the name of Logan Gear, was present. Several movers were also in the Paranormal Studies Laboratory. Logan stood in the middle of the room and turned to Spencer, Hanna, and Aria. A man in a rolled up long sleeve wearing headphones carried a cardboard box. Music from the soundtrack "I Can Wait Forever" played. A man in a checkered collar shirt carried a piece of equipment out of the lab. He walked between Hanna and Spencer.
"I trust you're moving us to better quarters on campus." Spencer replied.
"No, you're being moved off campus. The Board of Regents decided to terminate your grant. You are to vacate these premises immediately." Logan replied.
"This is preposterous. I demanded an explanation." Spencer replied, as she closed her eyes then stated the situation.
Aria's face conveyed she was mortified. Logan wound up and obliged Spencer.
"Fine. This university will no longer continue any funding of any kind for your group's activities." Logan replied.
"But the kids loved us." Spencer replied.
"Dr. Hastings, we believe that the purpose of science was to serve mankind." Logan replied, as he sat at the edge of a metal desk.
The mover with headphones carted the Medrad Mark IV Angiographic Injector Injection System between Spencer and Hanna.
"You however, seem to regard science as some kind of dodge or hustle. Your theories are the worst kind of popular tripe. Your methods were sloppy, and thought his conclusions were highly questionable. You are a poor scientist, Dr. Hastings." Logan replied.
The mover in the checkered collar shirt started taking the camcorder and module equipment Hannah had on his person.
"I see." Spencer replied, as she nodded yes.
Hannah took the Nikon camera off himself and handed it over.
"And you have no place in the department or in the university." Logan replied, as he stood back up and turned away.
(Meanwhile, later…)
Hanna paced outside while Spencer lied on the stone left of the exterior of the Low Library and drank a swig from her liquor.
"This is a major disgrace and uttered they should forget employment at MIT or Stanford now. They wouldn't touch them with a 10-meter cattle-prod." Hanna replied, as she turned around.
"You're always so concerned about your reputation. Einstein did his best stuff when he was working as a patent clerk." Spencer replied.
"You know how much a patent clerk earns?" Hanna asked in concern.
Spencer was not aware.
"Personally, I liked the university. They gave us money and facilities. We didn't have to produce anything. You've never been out of college. You didn't know what it was like out there." Hanna replied, as she turned around.
Hanna reminded Spencer.
"I've worked in the private sector. They expected results." Hanna replied.
Spencer got on her feet, placed her arm on Hannah, and walked her to the top of the stairs.
"For whatever reasons, Hanna, call it fate, call it luck, call it karma, I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that we were destined to get thrown out of this dump." Spencer replied.
Spencer walked Hanna over to the top of the stairs looking out at the courtyard.
"For what purpose?" Hanna asked in concern.
"To go into business for ourselves." Spencer replied.
Spencer offered Hanna a drink. Hanna drank and calmed down.
"This ecto-containment system that Aria and I have in mind is gonna require a load of bread to capitalize. Where are we gonna get the money?" Hanna asked in concern.
Spencer drank then replied twice.
"I don't know. I don't know." Spencer replied.
(Meanwhile, later…)
Some time later, Spencer, Hanna, and Aria emerged from the Manhattan City Bank at 489 Fifth Avenue in suits. Spencer opened the doors. Hanna stared at a manila envelope in her hands. Aria ran some calculations on her Casio Micro-Mini Calculator. The score was triumphant sounding.
"You're never gonna regret this, Hanna." Spencer replied.
"My parents left me that house. I was born there." Hanna replied.
"You're not gonna lose the house. Everybody has three mortgages nowadays." Spencer replied.
"But at 19 percent? You didn't even bargain with the guy." Hanna replied.
Aria finished a calculation and flashed it to Hanna.
"Hanna, for your information, the interest rate alone for the first five years came to $95,000 dollars." Aria replied.
"Will you guys relax? We are on the threshold of establishing the indispensable defense science of the next decade: Professional paranormal investigations and eliminations. The franchise rights alone would make them rich beyond their wildest dreams." Spencer replied, as she gestured 'rich' with her hands.
Hanna shook her head.
(Later, at Rosewood Heights Fire Dept…)
The exterior was adorned with "Building for Sale" signs in red letters. The windows were whitewashed. A real estate agent inside was talking. She told Aria and Spencer.
"There's office space, sleeping quarters and showers on the next floor and there was a full kitchen on the top level." Realtor replied.
Aria and Spencer looked around the garage bay.
"It just seems a little pricey for a unique fixer-upper opportunity, that's all. What do you think, Aria?" Spencer asked in concern, as she turned around to Aria.
"I think this building should be condemned. There's serious metal fatigue in all the load-bearing members. The wiring was substandard, it was completely inadequate for their power needs. And the neighborhood was like a demilitarized zone." Aria replied, as she grazed Spencer's right arm.
Aria stepped by a locker covered in cobwebs. Hanna called out to them from upstairs.
"Hey, does this pole still work?" Hanna asked in concern.
They looked up at Hanna. Hanna slid down the fire pole. Hanna was excited.
"Wow, this place was great. When can we move in? You gotta try this pole. I'm gonna get my stuff." Hanna replied.
Aria looked up. Hanna ran up the stairs to get his stuff and paused. The real estate woman turned to Aria and Spencer with a smile.
"Hey, we should stay here tonight, sleep here. You know, to try it out." Hanna replied, as she continued upstairs.
Spencer looked at Aria. Aria slowed shook his head 'no' as the real estate woman took some steps closer to them. Spencer turned to her.
"I think we'll take it." Spencer replied.
"Good." Realtor replied.
The real estate woman was pleased.
To Be Continued…
