Chapter 21: Some More Cuteness and Plot

Author's Note: Okay, writer's block is a jerk. But, after my I-Don't-Know-How-Long Hiatus, here is Chapter 21! Thanks for reading, guys!

Just keep walking, Amy. Just keep walking…

Amy had never known that it was possible to be stalked by an electrical current, but here it was. The lights above her crackled with energy as she walked beneath them, and with each crackle came another whisper.

She had been putting up with this for over two weeks, now. The ghost-virus, as she called it, had taken quite a liking to Amy, and for the life of her she didn't know why.

Clang!

Okay, so maybe the excess psychic energy radiating around her had a lot to do with it. Amy glanced back over her shoulder at the light that had mysteriously fallen down. I'm gonna have to see Jumba about that, she thought to herself as she kept walking. She turned back around when she noticed that others were starting to look at the broken light bulb. Just keep walking, Amy…

"Tag, you're it!" Amy jumped as a slight shock from the wall zapped her hand, and she glared at the general area it had come from. This is insanity, she thought as she shook her head. Why me?

"Amy, wait up!" Amy turned around and saw Sonja running up to her. Amy stopped until she caught up. "Did you hear? The captain thinks that the virus that's been messing with the ship-" She stopped, and looked around before leaning over to Amy's ear and whispered "was downloaded by somebody who was already on the ship!"

Amy raised an eyebrow, and was about to respond when the wall zapped her again. "Tag!" Amy shook out the static in her hand.

"Well, that would explain how it hasn't been detected by the antivirus system," Amy muttered as she rubbed her hand, "but what I want to know is why it's bothering me."

"Maybe it likes you?" Amy looked at Sonja with a raised eyebrow. "No, really! You give off psychic energy, you're smart, and you're pretty! It makes sense… why are you wearing a lab coat?"

"Jumba wanted me to help him with some of his experiments while Pleakley is sick," Amy responded, "so I'm spending today in the lab. No idea what he needs me for – he was over-charged on coffee and the only thing I could decipher was something about electricity. I think he's trying to do something about this viru- OW!"

"TAG!"

"That thing will not leave you alone, will it?"

"No, it really won't. Anyway, I need to get to the lab." Amy turned the corner.

"Alright, see ya at dinner!" Sonja called before skipping off to the gym. Amy shook her head in disbelief as Sonja vanished – and she wasn't even the one with super-speed. She kept walking, and punched in the code to the lab door, which slid open.

Jumba was happily mixing chemicals and muttering to himself, and failed to notice that Amy had walked in. Amy walked towards one of the tables, where a small, yellow creature was lying on his stomach. The poor thing looked sick – eyes half-lidded, tongue sticking out to the side, ears drooping. Amy frowned, and gently rubbed the top of its head. The creature turned to her, and smiled a bit.

"Doctor Jumba, who is this?" Amy asked, rubbing the creature under its chin, much to the yellow being's delight. Jumba turned around.

"Ah, is Experiment 221, also called Sparky. He is electric experiment, teleported to ship to help deal with virus. Unfortunately, 221 is under weather at the moment, and needs rest. Is about time to feed 221, actually. Amy, could you feed 221 batteries sitting on table? About four would be good, we are not wanting 221 to get ache of the stomach." He returned to his work.

"Batteries?" Amy looked up, and saw the large batteries sitting on the nearby tray. She carefully lifted four of them, before bringing them back to Sparky. He ate them slowly, one at a time, and smiled at Amy before falling asleep. Amy smiled, gently rubbing his head again. "So," she looked up at Jumba, "What did you need me for?"

"Mostly monitoring. I will be in meeting with Grand Councilwoman, and I am needing white-haired girl to be keeping an eye on lab while I am gone. 221 will be needing more batteries in half-hour." Jumba set some paperwork on the table. "And I am leaving list here for white-haired girl to retrieve certain tools and ingredients from around lab so that I may continue experiment when I return. Is that clear?"

"Aye-aye, sir."

"Good. I will be back." And Jumba walked out, with the door sliding shut behind him. Amy looked at Sparky.

"Sparky, huh? Sounds like something a five-year-old would come up with…" She walked over to where the list was. "Hm, I need two graduated cylinders, a heating plate, the Bunsen burner… sounds like the lab in a high school." She went about the lab, collecting the tools and organizing them on the desk. As she checked them off, Sparky would occasionally wake up in confusion, and she'd rub his head until he calmed down and fell asleep again. Finally, only one thing was left – the microscope. She quickly found it – on the top shelf, above her reach.

I could try to use my powers… Amy thought to herself as she looked at it, but I don't want to risk breaking concentration and dropping it. Now where is the ladder? She glanced around the room, and found a folded stepladder leaning against one of the walls. Perfect!

Amy frowned as the ladder wobbled from side to side. So much for a better idea, she mentally griped as she got to the microscope. She heard the door slide open, and heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, doc? Can ya check this sandwich I got from the cafeteria? I think it moved…" Reuben looked around in confusion at Jumba's absence. "Doc?" He walked in, and, seeing the ladder, looked up. "Amy?"

"What-ah!" Amy turned to face him, and in her surprise lost her balance, falling backward off of the ladder.