Chapter Six – 'Where are we'
"We are all locked in here now, it seems. Glad I could join you." Smithers tried to break the ice, however his entrance into the room was not welcomed. "I didn't think I would get to play. My name was not picked but here I am."
"Did you take your name out of the lottery machine or is this part of Burns' plan." Lisa asked, as she was the first to form a question.
"This game still seems rigged." Moe said to the others and was disagreed with by Smithers. He walked over to stand next to Comic Book Guy and Luann.
"Why does it seem everyone is standing over there? I was given a choice and I took advantage of the opportunity." Smithers explained to everyone. "This wasn't part of the plan. I know you all don't believe that, but there are seven of us now."
"We will see about that. I've been waiting for the moment that you were selected." Jasper said as he took his place beside the others.
"It really doesn't matter. Now that we have seven players, it can't be a game with teams." Comic Book Guy said as the attention turned to him. "With six players we could have played a game with two teams, or even three teams. With the unwanted addition of Smithers, we have seven people. This is not a game that need teams, and Burns planned this despite what you say."
"Whether or not this was planned, it's too late now. Let's get ready for some fun." Ned wanted everyone to get along. "This can be a chance to get to know everyone..."
"That's enough already." A loud voice interrupted Ned. "This isn't a team building experience. It's a death match to win a nuclear power plant." Burns reminded them. "I have never ran this power plant with a team. There is one leader and countless minions." Everyone now turned and faced the loudspeaker that projected Burns' voice through the room. "Welcome to my game. Now that we have the seven of you locked in my special game room, let the game begin. I shall push another button to get this started."
A table emerged from the floor of the secret room, and on it were seven MyPads. Everyone stood still as the table rose and locked into place. Lisa cautiously approached it as Luann and Comic Book Guy followed close behind.
"As you can see, this room is more than it seems. I have a desk top full of different buttons which I can use to do many wonderful and amazing things. This loudspeaker I hooked up works well too." Burns continued to brag about his setup for the game. "There are seven MyPads on the table before you. Everyone needs to grab one."
Everyone approached the table as more mechanical noises were heard. The back wall sank into the floor revealing seven capsules. There were many blank looks as it looked too advanced for the ancient power plant.
"Seven MyPads. Seven Capsules. This was planned for Smithers to play all along." Complained Lisa. "My mother was right, you can't be trusted."
"But you still showed up, and besides he will need to win the game and prove himself to me like the rest of you will." The loudspeaker answered. "He is a good assistant, but I don't know about his business skills. I shall watch and find out."
"Thank you sir. It will be an..." Smithers started before the deafening speaker talked over him.
"Don't be foolish. If you lose, the same fate will occur to you as anyone else." Burns warned Smithers. "Being an assistant and being a businessman are two different things. Do not confuse them or mix them together. Now if everyone has their tablet in hand, get in to the capsules and we shall begin."
"Last time I got into something like this was the Trekkie convention, but this is different. There are women here this time." Comic Book Guy joked as Ned and Moe appeared hesitant to approach the capsules.
"I promise the capsules won't hurt a bit. Just get inside and the fun will begin." Burns promised through the loudspeaker.
They all did what they were told to do and entered the capsules. The lights dimmed down, a loud humming noise was heard, and after a bright flash of light, the capsules were empty.
"What happened?" Lisa asked to the rest of the participants. "Is everyone here?" She sounded worried as did everyone who answered her.
"I think so. What was that?" Moe rhetorically asked. One by one the others started to calm down.
"I'm here. If my old body can take it, whatever that was, everyone else should be good." Jasper stated, knowing his body may not take another jolt like that.
"This could be the game. We may be finally playing the game. I hope so, because it's about time to beat you all and claim my prize." This caused some glares toward Luann and her constant arrogance. "Let's get started already."
"Everyone settle down. This is like my greatest dream. Those capsules we got into were like transporters and the flash of light was us being teleported to here." Comic Book Guy said as he put his science fiction knowledge into a real application. "It appears that Burns has invented a working transporter hundreds of years before the Starfleet did."
"I didn't know that Burns was working on any technology like that, but there seems to be many secret rooms in the mansion." Smithers explained. "Might be fun to explore if anyone needs a knowledgable assistant."
"So anyone figured out where we are yet? I don't like the look of this. We disappeared after a bright flash of light..." Ned worried, but a loud voice trumped his.
"You all have made it in one piece. It is good we didn't lose anyone through the transporter." Burns stated over the loudspeaker. "I should have tested it out, but I had to keep all my inventions secret."
"So that's where you have disappeared to every night." Smithers said as this made more sense to him.
"He actually built this? So where are we then." Lisa asked trying to find out what else Burns had built.
"Welcome to my world. I have designed and built this experience for you all to test your intelligence." The loudspeaker said again. It made more sense to everyone the more Burns explained. "This is where my game will be played. I hope everyone hung onto their MyPads. Those will be very important along the way."
"This is like every episode of Star Trek I have ever seen. The crew steps onto the transporter and are sent to another planet." Comic Book Guy compared what was happening to what he had seen on television. "I wish I had worn my costume. Alas, this is as close as I will ever get to being beamed up."
"Enough with your references. I came up with these ideas long before the television show. They were thought of by me, but Professor Frink actually did all the work." Burns laughed as he admitted this fact. "Any other science fiction you want to see, I'll have him invent it."
"No more references Comic Guy, I want to hear Burns get the game started. We have wasted enough time." Luann jumped in again with her attitude toward everyone.
"It's hard to start a game you don't even know..." Lisa started, but could not finish as everyone became quiet and listened in the distance.
The noise started as a small rumbling and grew louder until three or four loud booms were heard in the distance followed by the ground shaking. After a few seconds, everything was still and silent. No one wanted to say a word not knowing what had just happened.
"I've heard noises like that back in the days of the great war. It was in the distance so we are safe." Jasper tried to calm everyone again, but fear of the unknown was starting to show.
"I've never been in a war, but it seems there may be one in the distance." Moe nervously stared toward the horizon, but could see nothing.
"Do not be alarmed." The loud-speaker reassured them. "That was just another test. Many things are still untested as my quick game against Professor Frink could not play out all the possibilities. I came out victorious as Frink's luck ran out. He was a good test subject." Burns said snidely.
"That's twice you have mentioned the Professor. Where is he now? I never saw him enter or leave the manor." Smithers asked because he should already know the answer.
"The first person who loses will get to see where he is." Burns made this promise to everyone just to see if he could frighten them. "Now if everyone is ready, we shall start this event. Now to decide who goes first."
"First? I thought we were all playing." Luann wanted to start playing and had no more patience.
"Youngest goes first. Or that's how we play in the Simpson house." Lisa confidently said.
"I think the oldest should." Jasper countered.
"I shall decide this." The loud-speaker had the final say in this matter. "I shall use the order in which your names were drawn."
"That means me." Ned remembered. "Alright, what do I do?" He then looked confused as no one knew what they were even playing yet.
They all looked around and saw nothing before them until their eyes reached the horizon. "I guess I forgot to start the game. I think it was the blue button, or did he say the white button that says 'Start'. That must be it. Let me try that one." As Burns pressed the button, colors started to appear first in the background and then closer to everyone. Once the colors filled the landscape, a new sense of brightness filled the air.
"This looks promising, compared to the dull world from a minute ago." Ned thought. "I still don't see what I'm supposed to do."
"It's like the start of a book series, where the world grew around the people. Is that a lion in the distance? Let's follow it." Lisa happily said as she started to walk toward a shape at the horizon.
"We should follow Lisa." Comic Book Guy said. "Her and I believe in science and fiction. It may be part of the game, and besides it says 'Go' on the ground."
"With an arrow pointing that direction." Moe pointed out to the rest that stood watching. "It could be a sign..."
"Ow, that hurt." Lisa yelped as her walking away had stopped. She tried again but could not progress any further. "There is something here."
"This may be more fun than I thought." Burns sarcastically said through the loud-speaker. "I think now I can hit the blue button, and the game should play itself now."
"The MyPad turned on!" Ned exclaimed. The attention turned to him as he was the first to play.
"What does it say?" Luann started to walk back toward Ned, but he read what his screen said.
"Boot, Dog, Thimble, Iron, Cannon, Wheelbarrow, Racecar, Top hat, or Battleship." Ned looked slightly confused as ever. He looked at everyone just as a voice yelled from a distance.
"I've got it." Comic Book guy said as he and Lisa started walking back toward the rest of the group. "Over here. The word 'Go". The random items Ned just named off. They all go together. Those are the pieces used in a..."
"That is correct. A Monopoly game." Burns finished his sentence.
"Are we in the game?" Lisa quietly asked.
"Yes. I designed this game. You are all standing on the starting square labeled Go. You tried to leave the square before it was your turn and the invisible barricade stopped you." Burns explained as Lisa gasped. "I had to devise a way to keep anyone from cheating."
"Now everything makes more sense." Smithers started to think of all the reasons he could. "I have to prove myself as a businessman, the long hours I could never find you, and now this world we are in. What were the loud noises earlier?"
"Dice." Comic Book Guy said as calmly as anyone could at this moment. The shock of being in a life-size board game took a minute to comprehend. "We move around the board by rolling dice. Let's just try not to get ran over by them." He tried to chuckle but no one thought it was funny.
"Now that you all figured it out. We need to select pieces and we can get rolling." Burns laughed at his own joke. "Ned, you are first. Make your choice."
"I'll pick the Iron, because I love a freshly pressed shirt." Ned pressed the Iron button on the screen and a silver iron appeared next to him.
Comic Book Guy look surprised the game was more interactive than he first thought. "My name was picked second, so I shall pick the Wheelbarrow." He pressed wheelbarrow and it appeared. "Maybe after the game, I can use this wheelbarrow for the special at Taco Hut. One hundred tacos for one hundred dollars."
"I'm next." Luann spoke up quickly knowing there would be an argument since she was chosen to replace Lurleen. "Dog. Since we got the dog, Milhouse has had a friend." She laughed as she said this. No matter how true it was, it was still funny to her.
"My turn. I would look good in a top hat." Moe said, then realized his mistake. "This idea might not work as heavy as it is." The top hat appeared but was meant to be ridden in and not worn. "Oh well, I still have a top hat." Moe said disappointed.
"Only three of us left and it's my turn." Jasper pointed out. "And I pick the battleship. Reminds me of the good ole days of the great war."
"War is not always a good thing, but I'm too young to remember any wars." Lisa told Jasper as she pondered the remaining choices. "I'm too young for most things, but not this racecar. This will be fun."
"Lastly is me." Smithers said as the loud-speaker interrupted him.
"Unless you changed your mind." Burns asked his assistant.
"No. I will show you I can run your power plant. I pick the thimble." Smithers triumphantly said.
"Is that to sew your doll dress collection with?" Luann asked in a mean tone of voice.
"Maybe it is. There weren't many pieces left." Smithers said sadly. "Can I change my piece."
"No you can't change it." Burns groaned. "Now that is finished. Here is fifteen hundred dollars and good luck. There are many surprises in store, so pay attention. Any last questions?" A momentary silence fell before Burns continued. "Very well then. First to roll is Ned Flanders."
"Okilly-dokilly!" As Ned pressed the roll icon on his screen several loud booms were heard. "Six. I guess I'll see you all later."
The iron sped away with Ned perched on top.
