Chapter 2: The Job

(Flashback)

She didn't like it, not one bit. No details, no information just a sign that read: "Help Wanted, little to no experience required, for details visit the old moonliner rocket station or contact 256-479-1539." Not even the slightest hint to what she'd be doing or who for. It all seemed a little to fishy for the teenaged rabbit who at the moment was fiddling with a loose string on her dingy t-shirt. But options were limited and they were fresh out of E-tickets so it was either this or starve to death. To make matters worse all the phone lines were down and repairs weren't in the near future so she had no choice but to walk right in through the front door. Just perfect.

"Ruby, where are we going?" Her thoughts were interrupted by a small cartoon cat in a brown, slightly torn, dress staring up at her with those innocent eyes of hers.

"I just need to...uh, see someone about a job." She wanted to put off telling penny exactly where they were going for as long as she could, there had been rumors going around about toons disappearing by the old station and she didn't want to freak her out and honestly, she wasn't too fond of the place either. She wished she didn't have to take penny with her but it wasn't as if she could just leave her by herself, the small shelter/hideout she had managed to put together from left over rubble was far from safe, but she supposed neither was this, at least this way she could keep an on her.

"What kinda job?" She inquired,

"I don't know yet."

"Who you gonna see?"

"Don't know that either."

"...But where are we going?" The young toon persisted.

Ruby sighed, it was now or never.

"...and don' tell me you don't know that eider because I know we havin' just been walking 'round in circles...have we?"

"No we haven't." She replied letting out a soft chuckle.

"Sooooo", Penny continued, "Where 'er we going?"

"Wellll", Ruby started choosing her words carefully, "It'll just be a real quick trip but, uh...we're, uh...we're...we're headed for the rocket station."

"WHAT!?" Penny replied horror-struck,

"Now I know what you're thinking but just—"

"But just nothing! We can't go there! Everyone says it's haunted, nobody who goes in there ever comes out! Somebody 'll come and get us and, and..."

"No they won't be able to get you." Ruby said thinking fast.

"W-wa-why not?" Penny stuttered momentarily distracted from her doomsday rant.

"Because...I'm gonna get you first!" She said grabbing up the frightened cat in a fist full of fur and tickling her resulting in an eruption of laughter from Penny. Ruby continued on like this for as long as she could hoping it would make Penny forget about the station. Eventually she put her down and the small toon collapsed in a fit of giggles trying catch her breath. But by the look on Penny's face once she had she knew that was going to take a lot more than tickling to make her forget THAT.

"Uh, ok how about uh...oh! How about I let you ride on my back, I'll carry you the whole way!"

"OKAY!" Penny responded enthusiastically the smile back on her face.

Once again Ruby picked her up and placed her gently on her back. They walked on this for a while, Penny resting her head sleepily on her ride's shoulder while Ruby hummed what she hoped was a comforting tune until the small intruder riding on her back finally broke the silence.

"Will he be nice?" she asked.

"What? Will who be nice?"

"The man you're going to see, will he be nice?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't met them yet and it could be a she you know."

"You mean you don't even know if it's a boy or a girl?!"

"No not really."

"Wow, you really don't know anything about this do you?" Penny replied awestruck.

"Nope." She said with a sigh. "That's why I'm coming to see them."

"But I thought grown-ups was supposed to know everything."

"I'm only 14."

"Exactly!" Penny replied in an exasperated tone as Ruby let out a small chuckle.

"Huh!" Penny let out a quick gasp as they turned the next corner revealing the rather ominous looking rocket station.

"R-R-Ruby, I'm s-scared." The fragile cat whispered as she tightened her grip on the teenaged rabbit, trembling nervously.

"Don't worry, everything...everything's fine just, bear with me." Ruby reassured hoping she was right.

"But what kind of job would they need here? This place is all yucky and blech and creepy. Who would want to own a business here?" Penny inquired skeptically.
Ruby sighed, she had to admit the place did look pretty run-down not to mention rather creepy.

"That's probably why they need me," she said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone, "to help clean the place up and fix everything."

"Oh, well I guess that makes sense...sort of." The skeptical toon replied still not entirely convinced.
The eerie sounds of metal creaking in the dry wind could be heard as they cautiously approached the old station. The only other noises to be heard were the shallow breathes of the two nervous toons and the crunching of scrap metal under their feet of which Ruby collected as much she could.

"Well I, uh... I guess this is it." She said as they reached the door, " I kinda need you to get off my back now Pen."

"Fine." she responded with a sigh as she unwillingly got off of Ruby. "Can I ride up there again on the way back?" The small toon asked hopefully.

"Sure." Ruby replied even though she was already pretty exhausted from the last time.

"Should we, like, knock or something?" Penny asked.

"I guess so." The toon rabbit responded as she reached out a hand and tapped gently on the door...which came completely off its hinges and fell backwards into the station revealing an empty room that looked like it hadn't been touched in months.

"This place isn't just run down," Ruby thought a shiver running down her spine, "It's abandoned."

"That's it!" She said decisively, "We're getting out of here." With that she scooped up the toon cat and turned on her heel to go down the stairs they had come. But no sooner had she taken her first step than the stairs started to recline up towards the doorway forcing the two back inside the station. The stairs fit perfectly in the doorway and were secured by a small metallic click blocking their only way out. Ruby was having a hard time keeping it together now for Penny who at the moment was having a total nervous break-down.

"I'm scared Ruby, I'm scared! I'm scared I'm scared I'm scared I'm scarhahared!" The fragile toon whispered desperately, burying her face in Ruby's tattered shirt and soaking it with tears as she clung to the teenaged rabbit for dear life.

"Shhhhh, sh sh sh, it's ok it's ok Penny, everything's alright." Ruby said in what she hoped was a calming tone as she comfortingly stroked the velvety fur atop the frightened cat's trembling head. "Hey listen this place is old and rundown and...we probably just set something off when we walked in by accident." She continued reassuringly for herself as much as Penny.

"Oh I assure you that was no accident." Both girls nearly jumped out of their skin and spun around revealing what the two previously thought to be an empty chair now occupied, its inhabitant staring at them with obvious relish.

"Th-the Mad Doctor?" Ruby squeaked now almost as terrified as Penny.

"Why yes, it's nice to see that at least the good citizens of Wasteland haven't forgotten me, and that I seemed to have made a...lasting impression." He said taking in the toons's petrified faces.

"This can't be happening, this can't be happening!"Ruby thought as she slowly began backing towards the opposite wall throwing a protective arm around Penny, determined to keep the fragile toon out of harm's way despite her own overwhelming fear.

"I assume you're here for the job application?" The Doctor said in a matter-a-fact tone getting up from his chair and drawing himself up to his full height so that he towered over the cowering toons.

"Well," He continued a sickly smile spreading across his chapped lips, "You're hired." With that Ruby felt a sharp pain in her forearm as if something were trying to force its way up her veins. Suddenly she couldn't think straight her mind felt groggy and jumbled, her knees buckled no longer able to support the weight of the rest of her body. Her vision was blurring, she fell to her knees, her body about as useful as jell-O. Ruby fought for consciousness using every once of strength she had left but it was no use. The last thing she saw was the terrified expression on Penny's face and the petrified look in those wide, innocent eyes of her's before they roled into the back of her head and the two were plunged into darkness.