In the comic shop Raj and Amy are browsing while Penny picks up the comics she and Sheldon have on monthly order.
Stuart looks depressed. Raj asks "Stuart, what's up?"
Stuart sighs and rests his head in his hands "I know more women are buying comics than ever , but for some reason I can't get more of them in here. You two are it so far."
Amy looks round then points to the posters on the wall "For starters you might want to rethink some of this artwork, This woman is actually on a leash like a dog…" In the picture a blonde woman in a skimpy leather bikini and spiked thigh boots kneels, wrists cuffed with a collar round her neck in front of a huge muscular man in an half hood and a black mesh shirt who's holding a whip and the chain on her collar.
Stuart shakes his head "That's a signed Amanda Connor original I got in specially for a very good customer."
"Who? "
Penny coughs behind her "Erm. That's mine. It's a present for Sheldon, he really likes this comic."
"He does? Really doesn't seem his thing." Amy says disapprovingly
"Yes, but I doubt I'd ever get him into a mesh shirt like that."
Penny stops and looks around, lost in thought. she mutters "Homeostasis" under her breath, then turns to Stuart.
"Stuart, you've hardly changed the layout of the comic book store since I've been here, have you?"
he looks confused and scared. She continues. "In fact, it looks almost exactly the same". something clicks for her. "Sheldon's a really good customer of yours, isn't he? In fact, he probably is all that keeps this place afloat."
Stuart looks embarrassed and nods.
"he asked you not to change anything, didn't he?"
Stuart mutely nods again
"what did he give you?"
"Well, he helps by doing my taxes and stuff for free. And sorts my small business loans and taxes.
and he does rent the basement from me which helps cover costs"
"he rents your basement?"
"yes, he keeps all his computers and stuff down there"
Penny looks at him curiously. "Mind if I take a look?"
Stuart looks terrified for a moment, the rabbits in the headlights look of a nerd caught between a beautiful woman and the possible rage of a Sheldon.
"Come on Stuart, I'm his fiancée. "
"Well, ok. Just a quick look, don't touch anything and don't tell him I told you."
leading her to the back of the shop he stops in front of a plain white door and fusses with a bunch of keys.
He opens it and stops short. "Oh, that's new. he's put a new door in..."
just inside the plain door was another, heavier door with a keypad instead of a lock.
Stuart shrugs again "can't help you with this one"
She puts her shoulder to the door and shoves hard, but it doesn't budge an inch. A steel reinforced fire door?
Then she felt the door judder with the thud - thud - thud of magnetic bolts pulling back.
The display lit up "Penny".
Ok, she thinks. what the hell? Sheldon's door recognised me?
She pushes it and it smoothly swings open. The steps beyond are clean, painted white and softly lit.
slowly, step by step she heads down the stairs. as she nears the bottom, the cellar lights come on, revealing the room is packed with row upon row of cabinets of electronics, all neatly arranged and wired together, cables bunched and arranged by colour and type.
Behind her Stuart whispers "it's like looking into Sheldon's brain.."
"But what's he thinking about?"
There's a desk near the door with a keyboard and screens, but no notes or any clues. Typical Sheldon, he keeps it all in his head. Looking round, careful to touch nothing, she spots a touch of colour in all the black plastic and steel; at the back of the room are several large steel cylinder with reinforced steel hoses going to them. On one is Sheldon's prized Mr Spock figure, his hand raised in the Vulcan salute.
Next to him a little digital display shows a few lines of text.
L. Nimoy. −321 °F
S. Hawking. −321 °F
C. Cooper. −321 °F
Penny. −321 °F
Her eyes go wide. "Ok Stuart, we should be leaving now. " She bundles him back towards the stairs.
"What's wrong? is it a bomb? or his super villain lair?"
Thinking fast, she reassures him "No no, nothing wrong, just some private stuff Sheldon is doing. Stuff for his work. We really shouldn't be down here. let's go, ok?" And she hustles him up the stairs.
Back at the Apartment.
Penny storms in and marches up to Sheldon. "Ok, boy genius. I don't know if I should kiss you or kill you, so start talking."
Sheldon calmly glances at Leonard, who's watching in surprise. "It's best discussed at your place, personally, in private" She swallows, suddenly nervous. "ok..." If he stressed 'personal in private' it mean he wanted submission and complete control.
Saving his work without a second glance Sheldon gets up, together they walk to her door in silence. She opens it and he walks in, heading for his spot. She locks the door behind her and tries to keep calm as he rushes into the bedroom to get her collar. Then she walks to the kitchen, gets a can of diet coke from the refrigerator and goes over to Sheldon. She puts a clean towel on the arm of the chair, puts her collar on it and then drops to her knees beside his chair, lowers her eyes and offers him the can with both hands, palms up.
He takes it and cracks it open, taking a drink and gathering his thoughts.
She nervously waits for him to speak.
"I can take it from your reactions you've realised I wouldn't leave something so important unmonitored, so I must have known as soon as you opened the door."
She nods.
"Clever girl. Do you know what you found?"
She looks up a little. "Lots of computers. repeating units connected together with special power supplies and cooling. So a powerful computer?"
"Yes, my server farm. I originally designed it for coin mining but as that got less and less cost effective and battles with people over work computer time became more heated I've turned it more to work calculations. What else?"
"At the back there were three large Steel flasks, connected to cooling systems. One was in use. the other two were empty" She frowns, fighting anger and fear "When were you planning on freezing my head exactly? "
"I've nothing in place yet, it's something we need to talk about."
"You're damn right it is! "
he takes another drink and nods. "If you're willing I'd like to set up a posthumous freezing plan for us. As I guess you'll not want to be frozen when live."
"have you really already frozen tissue samples of us?" He nods again.
She shivers and looks up with tears in her eyes "Oh God Sheldon. You realise that's a massive thing to keep secret... and the sweetest creepy thing you've ever done - you really want us to be together forever, don't you?
He nods and simply says "Forever"
