(A/N: Alright, then next chapter is here, And we have a bit of surprise at the end of it. In the meantime, Janet and Dr. Scott are going to get some more Transylvanian alien culture. By the way, if the song that appeared in this chapter feels forced and/or out of place, it's because I didn't know how else to work it into the story. I just knew it was going to be in the canceled sequel, but had no information of how, why, or the events surrounding it, so I worked it in the best I could.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Second Disclaimer: The song that appears in this chapter is the unused and unreleased song intended for the canceled Rocky Horror sequel. It's called Never Let Your Daughter Date An Alien, by Richard O'Brien, all credit goes to him. Since the song was never released, it should be ok to use.
Chapter 4: Dinner and Dungeons
This was not how Janet thought this day was going to go. But then, who exactly woke up thinking that they were going to be abducted by aliens? At the very least she wasn't being anal probed or made to be a host for a chest-bursting alien parasite.
Still, being stuck on another planet knowing that the queen was planning on taking your child and possibly killing you once you gave birth wasn't much better. And while Janet could understand why Magenta did what she did, that didn't stop her from being absolutely furious with the Transylvanian woman.
Before she had the opportunity to properly express her displeasure though, there had been a knock at the door and a group of Transylvanian servants arrived with a change of clothes for Janet and Dr. Scott. Neither were all that inclined to have to change into the Transylvanian attire, but Magenta assured them that it would be wise not to displease the queen. They didn't have much of a choice though as the Transylvanians swarmed around them, stripped them, and forced them into the new clothes.
"The queen also wishes for the two of you to join her for dinner," one of the servants told them before they left.
At the mention of food, Janet's stomach growled, reminding her that neither she nor Dr. Scott had eaten lunch. "Well, I am hungry."
Dr. Scott's stomach growled in agreement. "As am I, my dear. I just hope that Transylvanian food is edible for us."
"Have no concern of that," Magenta told them. "I had the cook base your meals off of Earth food. They're artificial versions of your dishes, but you shouldn't be able to tell the difference."
Janet sighed in relief. "Well, that's a relief. I just hope it's something that agrees with me." She rubbed her stomach. "Ever since I got pregnant, I haven't been able to eat certain foods."
"Merely a side effect of your pregnancy," Dr. Scott told her.
Janet nodded knowingly. "Yes, several foods I once liked became unappealing. But I also had the strangest cravings for foods I never ate before too. I drove poor Brad up the wall by constantly sending him to the grocery store."
The scientist chuckled. "Perfectly normal, my dear. You'll find your standard tastes returning after you give birth." He suddenly looked disappointed. "I have to admit though, I was curious to try some exotic alien foods."
"In that case, I could request a side dish for you," Magenta told him. She hesitated a moment and glanced around, as if she were worried that someone might be hiding. "I would like to make a request of you as well. Janet, during dinner, could you ask the queen to allow you to visit Riff Raff in the dungeon?"
Janet blinked in surprise. "You want us to visit your brother?"
The Transylvanian woman nodded. "I have not been allowed to see him since we were arrested. The queen has no reason to let me visit, but if you requested it, she might say yes to you."
"We could ask," Dr. Scott replied, "but for what reason would we give? And why would the queen allow it?"
Apparently, Magenta had already thought of this. "The queen is under the impression that Riff Raff and I are good friends of yours. If Janet expresses unease at being in such an unfamiliar setting and requests to speak with someone else she knows, other than myself, for a peace of mind, the queen might be inclined to allow it for her grandchild's sake."
Janet supposed that made sense. "Ok, I'll ask. But even if she says yes, I doubt she'll let us stay long. And honestly, I don't want to be in the dungeon for that long anyway."
Magenta gave her a grateful look and nodded. "Thank you. We won't need to stay long; I just want to talk to him a bit and tell him what the plan is."
Dr. Scott raised an eyebrow. "What is the plan?"
"To escape."
He let out a frustrated sigh. "Obviously. I meant what is the plan to escape."
Janet had been wondering that herself. With her carrying what everyone believed would be the royal heir to the throne, she doubted that the guards would leave her alone long enough for them to escape. Maybe Magenta was planning on breaking Riff Raff out and then pretend to take her hostage so they could all escape. Whatever the plan was, she gave the Transylvanian woman an expectant look, waiting to hear what she had to say.
Much to her dismay though, Magenta frowned. "I don't have a plan yet, but I'll figure something out."
The color drained from Janet's face. "You don't have anything planned!?" she snapped as she realized that they were gambling with their lives while Magenta made things up as they went along.
"I'm improvising," the Transylvanian woman told her. "The situation isn't exactly something I could plan out in advance. We'll just have to use whatever opportunities present themselves."
Janet exchanged a look with Dr. Scott, and she could see that he didn't like this any more than she did. So she gave Magenta a hard look and spoke in a voice as serious as she could muster. "I'll go along with this for all of our sakes, but protecting my son is my top priority. If I get the chance to get out of here alive, even if that means leaving you and Riff Raff behind, I'm taking it."
She meant it too. While she was furious with the Transylvanian woman for putting her and Dr. Scott in this situation, she liked her well enough, even if she couldn't call her a friend. But she would do whatever it took to keep her child safe. That also meant leaving behind Dr. Scott if she had to. She loved him like a second father, and she wouldn't abandon him if she could help it, but if it came down to it and she had to make a choice, then she had to put her child first over anything, even her own life.
A quick glance at the scientist let her know that he already knew this himself, and what more, he agreed with it. And he made that known by saying, "As you should. A mother will do anything to protect her child. And I shall do my best to make sure you get home safely as well."
Janet gave him a grateful smile and looked at Magenta. The Transylvanian woman simply nodded in acceptance. "I understand. Hopefully, it will not come to that. Now, let's go, the queen is waiting."
She led the two of them out of the room, and the four guests standing outside the doors followed. Janet felt somewhat self-conscious wearing her Transylvanian attire, but did her best not to show it.
They were eventually led into a grand dining hall, at which the Old Queen sat at the head of the table, and Lord De Lordy sat at the other, already stuffing his face. The queen had changed her clothes as well, though her attire was still scantily clad. As Janet and Dr. Scott approached, she motioned for them to sit down beside her.
Janet slid into a seat, but Dr. Scott chose to remain standing. "If you don't mind, I've been sitting for so long, I would prefer to stand for now."
The Old Queen rolled her eyes and gestured to the chair. "Sit."
She said it dismissively, but her tone left no room for argument, so Dr. Scott slid into the seat beside Janet as Magenta stood behind them at the ready. The Old Queen then snapped her fingers and a group of Transylvanian servants came over and began setting up dishes, utensils, glasses, and such.
Janet wondered what would be on the menu. Magenta had said that they would be simulating Earth food and was curious as to what she and Dr. Scott would be having.
"I hope it's not meatloaf," she commented to the scientist. "Ever since I got pregnant, I haven't been able to touch the stuff."
Letting out a laugh, Dr. Scott patted her hand. "Seeing as this is a dinner for royalty, I think we can expect something a little grander."
The meals were brought out a few minutes later, and much to Jante and Dr. Scott's relief, they did indeed look like normal meat dishes, complete with rice and Earth vegetables on the side, or at least simulations of it anyway.
Dr. Scott dived in with a child-like curiosity while Janet was more hesitant. She tried the vegetables first, and then the rice, and when both tasted like normal Earth food to her, she tried the meat, and found that it tasted like greasy pork. And while she tried to avoid greasy foods, she thought it best not to be picky in light of her situation, and so proceeded to eat.
"How is your meal?" the Old Queen asked a few minutes into dinner.
Dr. Scott gave an approving nod. "Very well, thank you. I say, you've managed to simulate Earth food quite nicely."
Janet nodded in agreement. "Yes, it tastes like pork."
The scientist pointed at her. "Yes, that's what I was thinking as well."
The queen just gave a nonchalant shrug. "I do not know what pork is. I simply had the cook simulate whatever it was you ate the night you had dinner with my son."
At the same time, both Janet and Dr. Scott froze in the middle of making to fork more of the meat into their open mouths. They glanced at each other, then simultaneously set down their utensils, took a drink from their glasses, and wiped their mouth with their napkins in perfect sync.
The Old Queen seemed oblivious to their reactions and synchronization as she enjoyed her own meal, nor did she seem to notice or care that they only ate the vegetables and rice after that while leaving the rest of the meat untouched.
"So then, Janet," she said partway due dinner, "tell me, what exactly is it you do on Earth?"
Janet was surprised by the question. Thus far, the queen had seemed completely dismissive of her, seemingly only caring about the fact that she was carrying what she believed to be her grandson. Was she actually curious, or just was she merely feigning interest? Most likely the latter. Yet Janet decided to play along.
"Oh, well, right now I'm a waitress," she explained. "But I've taken time off for maternity leave."
The queen lifted an eyebrow. "A waitress, you say? How quaint. And that pays well?"
Janet tried not to feel dejected by the disdain she heard in the queen's voice. "I do well enough. My parents and Brad's have offered their support should I need it, but the money I received from the settlement from my husband's accident will help me through any potential problems I might run into."
From the other side of the table, Lord De Lordy scoffed as he took a moment from eating to speak. "How very admirable for the mother of the future heir to the Transylvanian Empire. Making a living serving others like a common servant." He eyed his cousin. "Is that really the image we want to paint for the royal family?"
Dr. Scott cleared his throat. "With all due respects, while royalty does rule, is it not their job to serve the people? I for one believe that having a ruling party with a parent from a humble background would be rather useful." He looked back at the queen. "Don't you think so, your majesty?"
"Hmm," the Old Queen muttered, still looking unimpressed as she returned her attention to Janet. "And when are you due?"
Her dismissive tone told Janet that the queen was in fact not actually interested in her life, and so didn't even know why she had bothered sharing. It was obvious that she had only asked as a conversation starter to lead to inquiring about the baby.
"Any day now," Janet replied honestly. She glanced at Dr. Scott, then at the queen, wondering if she could convince her to return to Earth. "I was so hoping my parents would be there for the birth."
Expectantly, the Old Queen just waved this off. "You don't need your parents. It will be better if you give birth here anyway. We can make the process much faster and easier."
Lord De Lordy cleared his throat. "Begging your pardon, my queen, but perhaps her giving birth on Earth would be better. The expectant mother is not Transylvanian after all. We don't know what complications would arise. Perhaps their own birthing methods would be better. For that matter, we don't even know if this child is worthy of being the future ruler since it's a half-breed."
A spark of hope flashed through Janet at his words, and she glanced at the queen, but her hopes came crashing down. "Nonsense. We have superior technology and medical equipment here if there are any complications. And since earthlings are genetically similar enough to us that conception between the two can occur, there should be no issues. As for being a half-breed, royal blood is all that matters."
Janet sighed. She figured that her subtly request would go unheeded, but she'd had to try. On the bright side though, a faster and easier birth did sound appealing.
She felt Dr. Scott place a comforting hand on her shoulder and give it an encouraging squeeze. "Don't worry, I'll be here for you."
The Old Queen looked as if she were resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, how very sweet. Now, tell me, Dr. Scott, what is it exactly you do? Magenta said you're a scientist. One that works for your government doing investigations on UFOs."
Janet's eyebrows rose. Was this the reason she had inquired about her job? Because she wanted to interrogate Dr. Scott about his career and asking Janet about hers had just been the conversation starter?
She glanced at him and saw that Dr. Scott was caught off guard by the question. He recovered quickly though and regained his composure. "Um, yes, well, if unidentified flying objects or beings from another world came to your planet for unknown reasons, I'm sure you would look into it as well."
"Indeed," the Old Queen replied. She paused for a moment before giving him a hard look. "And what have you learned? Anything interesting?"
Janet inhaled slightly as she realized that the queen was trying to learn how much Dr. Scott and the organization that he worked for knew about Transylvania. Dr. Scott apparently realized this as well and was trying to dodge the question.
"Ah, my deepest apologies, your majesty, but I'm afraid that I can not divulge that information. It's highly classified. I'm sure you understand."
The queen didn't reply, but it was clear from her body language that she was displeased with his refusal to speak on the matter. She didn't say anything for several long moments, but then eventually she leaned forward and rested her chin on her clasped, gloved hands and gave him a hard look.
"Tell me, Dr. Scott, did Magenta speak to you and Janet about us?"
The two of them looked back at Magenta, then turned back to the Old Queen. "She did," he replied honestly.
The queen cocked her head to the side. "Then you're aware of what we do?"
"You mean how you take over other worlds by indoctrinating its inhabitants and converting them to your way of life until you absorb enough of their society and then take over any that oppose you by force?" he asked, making it clear that he did not approve.
The queen raised an eyebrow. "Would you prefer an all-out war and hostile takeover that will result in many lives and a great deal of destruction?"
"Don't you do that anyway?"
"As you pointed out, only to those who don't choose to convert. In the long run, our method saves lives and reduces destruction."
Janet's eyes narrowed at the queen's words. The way she had said it made it sound like it was the more peaceful solution, but she had a feeling that it wasn't so much about saving lives and avoiding destruction and was more along the lines of what was easier and more beneficial to Transylvania.
"But why invade and take over at all?" she asked.
At the other side of the table, Lord De Lordy gave a bark of laughter. "Come now, girl, don't be so naïve. Are you honestly going to tell me that none of the nations of your world would ever invade each other, or that you haven't already? Are you really suggesting that you don't understand how or why the conquering nation would benefit from its takeover?"
"I'm afraid my cousin is right," the queen replied in amusement, looking entirely too smug as she sat back in her seat. "I will not lie to you, Janet, although my son's mission failed, your world has not escaped our radar. We will be coming for your planet one day, and there is nothing that you can do to stop it or convince us otherwise."
Janet felt a queasy feeling settle in her gut, and it had nothing to do with her pregnancy, or the meat part of dinner that had been served. She glanced at Dr. Scott and saw that he looked a little pale at the prospect of an invasion in the future.
Apparently finding their reactions humorous, the Old Queen chuckled. "I'm sure the idea is off-putting, but it won't be as unpleasant as you think. My son's methods were… unorthodox and extreme, but you may find that you like living under our rule."
Dr. Scott gave a grunt of doubt. "I don't care for indoctrination, and you'll find that we humans greatly value freedom and independence.
The Old Queen simply shrugged at this. "It doesn't matter. We have been working on a new way to subdue any resistance we may face, and our efforts have finally bore fruit. In fact, I intend to reveal what it is tomorrow during a big announcement. I will expect you both to be there. It will be quite revolutionary. And there will also be a big surprise."
Janet didn't think she could take any more surprises, nor did she think she would like any that the queen would give out. "What is it?"
The queen's smile widened. "Now, if I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, would it?" She let out a little chuckle, as if she had a juicy little secret that she was happily hanging over their heads, but she said no more on the subject and clapped her hands. "But enough talk for now. It's time for some entertainment. Lights!"
The room suddenly went dark, and a few moments later, another area lit up, illuminating a stage on it where several Transylvanians, men and women alike, stood wearing skimp clothing, their faces heavily caked with makeup.
"A floorshow?" Dr. Scott asked.
"My son did love them," the queen replied, and motioned to Lord De Lordy. "My cousin chose the theme. He felt it would be appropriate given the situation.
Lord De Lordy nodded. "The waitress part is just a coincidence though."
Janet gave him a confused look. "Waitress?"
"Oh, just watch and see," he replied impatiently.
Both Janet and Dr. Scott watched the stage. The scene seemed to be set up to reflect a diner. The lead seemed to be dressed as a waitress, and was serving an elderly customer, while the remaining six Transylvanians were playing the parts of other customers. As music began playing, the waitress turned her attention from the elderly customer to the audience.
"Creeping horror from the eerie depths of time and space."
The elderly costumer looked from her to the audience as well and sang the next line.
"Heaping horror on the fairer sex of a finite race."
Then the other customers turned their attention to the audience.
"They want our land, they want our air.
The Rio Grande, our savoir faire.
Our casual wear, our simple flair.
Our solitaire, our Medicare."
The waitress suddenly tossed aside her notepad.
"Our tableware!"
Suddenly, all the customers got up except for the elderly one. They came together, former a line in front of the waitress and the elderly customer. They hooked their arms together, and began walking forward and back as they began to do the Can-can as they sang.
"So…
Never trust a creature from outer space.
We've never met a good one yet.
They just thrust their evil features all about the place.
And that's about as good as they get."
The line broke apart in the center as the waitress stepped forward and took over the song.
"No…
Never let your daughter date an alien.
You never know just where they've been.
A worse than death sort of fate with a scaly one,
could even turn your family green."
The customers reached out, scooping the waitress up and holding her high in the air as they joined her in song once more.
"And we don't mean with envy.
So don't tell us that they're friendly."
Janet and Dr. Scott looked on in bewilderment. There was something rather off-putting about the performance. On this planet, the two of them were the aliens, and the message of the song, not to mention the lead being a waitress, it was hitting just a little too close to home, as if whoever had put the floorshow together were trying to imply something.
Up on the stage, as the customers proceeded to toss the waitress in the air and catch her, the elderly customer stepped out from around them, making his way to the front of the other dancers as he began singing.
"Never take the word of a man from Mars.
Don't go falling for his eulogies.
You'd think we'd never heard of their absurd boudoirs.
And we'd just fallen out of the trees."
The dancers in the background set the waitress down, and two of them stepped out from around the elderly customer to stand in front of him as they took over the song.
"It's terrifying, getting tactile
with a Martian pterodactyl."
Two more customers stepped up beside them and joined in.
"You get no sympathetic touches
once they get you in their clutches."
The last two customers stepped up on either side of the other two, and all six sang.
"For every now and then you
are gonna wind up as the menu."
Three of them stepped to the left and the other three stepped to the right, allowing the waitress and the elderly customer to step forward between them, and they all began singing together.
"No… No… No… No…
Never let your daughter date an alien.
It's a warning no one should reject.
They only contemplate the bacchanalian.
And in the morning, they got no respect."
The two customers at the end of the line stepped forward to sing.
"Let's get globally alerted,
because they're totally perverted."
The other four customers stepped forward to sing along with them.
"Yes, they'll get us all disrobing,
and then they'll start this probing."
The waitress and elderly customer stepped forward, and they all sang together once more.
"Then degraded and persuaded,
we'll have every space invaded."
All the dancers took a step back and motioned to the waitress, who sang a solo line.
"So if you're a great supporter of mammalian."
She was suddenly scooped up by the six customers once more as the elderly customer dropped to his knees beneath her as they all threw up their hands and sang out loudly.
"You'll never let your daughter date an alien!"
The song came to an end as the dancers all struck a pose. The Old Queen, Lord De Lordy, and the servants all applauded. Janet and Dr. Scott exchanged uncertain looks before they too began timidly clapping. That aside, the whole floorshow brought back uncomfortable memories for both her and Dr. Scott at how they had begun to succumb to Frank's brainwashing, getting lost in the sensation of the experience to the point where they hadn't even recognized themselves any longer.
The feeling that Janet had been getting earlier during the song of how she was subtly being told that a relationship between an earthling and a Transylvanian wasn't meant to be was now stronger than ever, and it didn't sit well with her. Did the queen disapprove of her that much, or was this all Lord De Lordy's doing; he was the one who had planned the performance after all. Not that she was seeking either's approval, but she still didn't like the insinuation.
Up on the stage, the dancers set down the one playing the role of the waitress. A new song began playing as the performers began a new dance. And so the evening went on as they proceeded to watch the show. In the midst of it though, Magenta slowly inched closer to Janet and gave her a nudge. When Janet glanced up at her, she subtly nodded to the Old Queen.
Remembering that Magenta had wanted to go see her brother, Janet gave the Transylvanian woman a nod. She waited a few minutes longer though before addressing the Old Queen. "Excuse me, your majesty, but I think I would like to retire for the night."
The queen raised an eyebrow at this. "So early?"
Janet nodded. "It's been a long and eventful day," she rubbed her stomach, "and my condition makes me weary enough as it is. I think a good night's rest is in order."
The queen seemed to consider this for a few moments before nodding. "Yes, I suppose that's best. Very well, you are dismissed. I'll have Magenta wake you for breakfast tomorrow."
Janet bit her bottom lip, wondering how to make her request. "One last thing though. Regarding Magenta, do you think it would be possible that we could go visit her brother?"
The Old Queen's face instantly darkened; she was clearly not happy about the request. "Why would you want to see that traitor?"
Janet internally winced. This had definitely not been the best way to ask; she should have led up to it. But it was too late now, so she went ahead with the plan. "Forgive me, your majesty. I understand that he killed your son, and you have all the reason in the world to be angry with him and want him to rot in prison. But please understand that during our time on Earth together, we bonded and became good friends, so I can't help but care and worry about him. I know he can't be released, but I would like to be able to at least see and talk to him again after all this time, even if it's just for a little while. It will be such a load off my mind."
For a cherry on top, she rubbed her stomach, drawing the queen's gaze to it. The Old Queen frowned in irritation, and Janet knew she had gotten her point across without actually having said anything. It was clear that the queen wanted to leave Riff Raff to rot in the dungeon, but she didn't want Janet to worry about him in her condition.
"I can assure you," she said, "Riff Raff is perfectly fine. You don't need to see him."
Janet nodded. "I believe you, your majesty, but I would still like to see it for myself. It will certainly make me feel better and prevent me from worrying. And I will also feel better getting to know that Magenta will get to see her brother again. And even though he's a criminal, it would still be nice to see another familiar face. I do feel rather alone here, even with Dr. Scott and Magenta present."
At that, Dr. Scott joined in. "Surely there could be no harm in a quick visit. I'd imagine a race as technologically advanced as yours would have it impossible for someone to escape. He would have gotten out by now if he could, wouldn't he?"
The queen's bottom lip thinned and she began drumming her fingers on the table. Finally though, she waved her hand through the air in frustration. "Very well, take them down. Five minutes though, that's all I'll allow."
Janet let out a sigh of relief and gave a small bow. "Thank you, your majesty."
But the Old Queen had returned her attention to the floorshow and merely waved her off. The four guards appeared and escorted Janet, Dr. Scott, and Magenta from the room as Lord De Lordy eyed them suspiciously. From there, the guards led them to a different part of the palace that took quite some time to get to. Eventually though, they came to a gloomier part of the palace, coming up to a pair of double doors that six guards stood in front of.
Here, one of their escorts held up a hand for the others to stop, and then approached the other six guards. "The queen has granted them permission to visit Prisoner Number 41003."
The other guards glanced at each other and then stepped aside. Magenta, Janet, and Dr. Scott entered the double doors with their guards following close behind. Magenta marched forward with purpose while Janet and Dr. Scott looked around at all the prison cells, and the stone occupants inside behind the laser bars. They had seen and even experienced the MEDUSA firsthand, but it was still unsettling to see all the prisoners in their stone states, and they wondered how long they had been here like this.
Magenta didn't so much as glance at them as she hurried onward until she reached her brother's cell. She came to a stop in front of it, looking at the statue inside sadly. Janet and Dr. Scott caught up, as did the guards, and Janet averted her eyes from Riff Raff's nude form. For some reason, the nudity of the other stone prisoners hadn't bothered her when she saw them, but Riff Raff's did; most likely because she knew him personally, which left her feeling awkward.
Magenta stared at her brother for a few moments before glancing at the guards. "Would you mind stepping back and giving us some privacy?"
One of the guards raised his chin. "It is our job to protect the–"
"The heir is fine!" Magenta snapped. "Honestly, what do you think is going to happen? We're just going to talk to my brother for a bit. And if anything happens to the heir, I will be the one to suffer for it, so it's in my best interest that nothing happens. Now will you back off!"
Janet could see that the guards were still hesitant, so she spoke up on Magenta's behalf. "You don't have to worry about me. Riff Raff and Magenta are my friends, they wouldn't hurt me. We're just going to talk. If it makes you feel any better though, I'll keep away from the bars.
The guards exchanged looks before one of them addressed them. "Five minutes. That's all the queen allowed."
"Fine," Magenta agreed impatiently, "now leave us alone!"
The guards backed off, retreating about ten feet away. Magenta scowled in irritation, but didn't bother with them any further. She grabbed one of the levers on the wall beside her brother's cell and activated the DE-MEDUSA.
Inside the cell, Riff Raff became flesh and blood again. His clothes, however, did not reappear, and Janet gasped and looked away. Letting out a sigh, Riff Raff closed his eyes, a look of resignation on his face.
"So the time has come, has it?" he said quietly. "What method of execution has the Great Furter chosen for me?"
"You shall not be dying today, brother," Magenta told him.
Riff Raff opened his eyes and looked at his sister, seeing her standing on the other side of the laser bars. Magenta carefully reached through them for him, and he reached out and grasped her hand.
"Magenta, what's happened?" he glanced down the corridor and saw the heavily pregnant Janet and the standing Dr. Scott wearing Transylvanian clothes. He looked shocked to see them, then slowly returned his gaze to Magenta. "Oh, sister, what have you done?"
"Whatever I had to in order to save us," she replied. "I told the queen that Janet was pregnant with the prince's child, and said that I would help the queen find her and help her adapt while she was here if the queen would spare you. I have been reduced to a slave, and I cannot get you out of this cell, but at least I've managed to hold off your execution and prevent my imprisonment for now."
Riff Raff looked confused at first as he tried to make sense of what she was telling him. Magenta could understand his confusion; he too knew good and well that the child that Janet was carrying wasn't Frank's.
"How did you manage to convince her of that?" he asked, unable to figure out how she got around the Honesty Juice.
Magenta glanced at the guards standing a distance away, then lowered her voice. "I used clever wordplay. There was footage of Janet and the prince in bed together, but not of her and Rocky, and the footage didn't reveal that their intimacy only involved oral play. I told the queen that Janet had gotten pregnant that night, which is the truth, and led the queen to believe that the child was her grandchild by telling her that Janet's first sexual experience was with the prince, which was also true. She just assumed the rest, and I led her to that assumption without actually lying."
Riff Raff closed his eyes. "Oh, Magenta, you play a dangerous game. Do you realize what the queen will do to us if she discovers that you have deceived her?"
Magenta let go of his hand and pulled her arm back. "What other choice did I have? To allow us to be locked away and executed? At least this will buy us some time until we can find a way to escape."
Looking back at Janet, Riff Raff noted how late into her pregnancy she was. "It looks to me that we do not have much time at all."
Noticing his gaze on her, Janet approached the cell while keeping her eyes above Riff Raff's lower body, Dr. Scott right behind her. "Riff Raff, are you well?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I think I should be asking you that." He then glanced at the scientist. "And why are you here?"
"I was brought along for the ride," Dr. Scott replied simply.
"You don't say," Riff Raff replied before seemingly dismissing the scientist entirely and looking back at his sister. "Magenta, you should know that no one has ever managed to escape from the dungeon, nor has anyone managed to successfully break them out without getting caught."
"I will figure something out," she insisted.
"It's a fool's errand. It would be wiser for you and the earthlings to escape on your own and forget about me."
But Magenta just shook her head. "I'm not leaving you here, brother. We're in this together. I shall find a way to get us all out of here, or die in the attempt."
Riff Raff sighed. "You overreach, Magenta, but I know better than to try and convince you otherwise. Do be careful though, you know what the queen is capable of."
At that moment, one of the guards approached. "Your time is up."
Magenta turned to him. "Just a few more minutes."
The guard reached out and grabbed the lever. "I said your time is up."
He activated the MEDUSA once more, and Riff Raff was turned to stone again. He then took hold of Magenta's arm and pulled her away from the cell. Magenta cast one last longing look at her brother before she allowed herself to be escorted away. The other guards instructed Janet and Dr. Scott to follow after them, and they all left the dungeon, the doors slamming shut behind them.
"We're to take you back to your room now," one of the guards said.
Janet gave him a smile and said as innocently as possible, "That is not necessary, I remember the way. And I really don't need you hovering over me. I'm sure I'm perfectly safe here, so you can go."
"We are not to leave you alone," the guard insisted. He then nodded at Magenta. "Especially not with her."
Sighing, Janet gave the Transylvanian woman an apologetic look, as if to say that she tried. Magenta barely acknowledged it as she looked back at the doors leading to the dungeon. She knew that unless they figured out a way to escape that that would be the last time she interacted with her brother, and that the next time she saw him, it would be at his execution.
And very likely, hers, Janet's, and Dr. Scott's as well.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
Janet had no idea what this was all about. After retiring the previous night after visiting Riff Raff, she and Dr. Scott had been awoken for breakfast the next day. They'd dined with the queen and Lord De Lordy again before heading back to their room, the process being repeated for lunch. At least they'd been able to eat different dishes from the previous night's dinner.
Magenta was still trying to figure out a way to break her brother out of the dungeon and have them all escape, but so far she had nothing. Janet had had another hormonal kick and ranted at the Transylvanian woman about not even having come up with a plan after all this time.
"I haven't had the chance," Magenta had retaliated. "From the moment I told the queen about you, she's had me making preparations for your arrival, and once they were done, you were brought here."
Janet had countered by saying how it was Magenta's fault that she and Dr. Scott were in this predicament, and thus were her responsibility, and Magenta had responded at how Janet would have done the same thing to save herself or someone else she loved.
Before the argument could escalate further, Dr. Scott had intervened and brought the argument to an end by pointing out that regardless of what had happened that they were wasting time arguing when they should be focusing on escape. That had effectively shut both of the women up, and Magenta had gone back to trying to find a way to escape while she pretended to attend to Janet.
And then dinner had come, and with it a feeling of discomfort. For all the previous meals, it had just been Janet, Dr. Scott, Magenta, the Old Queen, and Lord De Lordy, along with a handful of guards and servants. This time though, they had been led to the throne room, which had been made up to host a big event. There were several tables filling the room, and countless Transylvanians were present. Janet and Dr. Scott were seated at the head of the table closest to the throne, but the Old Queen was absent.
"What do you suppose is going on?" Janet asked her scientist friend.
Dr. Scott shook his head. "I haven't the foggiest idea, Janet." He glanced at their attendant. "Magenta?"
The Transylvanian woman shook her head. "I do not know. I know that the queen is planning on making a big announcement and is planning on revealing something, but I do not know what, and no one will tell me. I actually don't think anyone knows."
Janet and Dr. Scott exchanged a look, and the former placed her hands on her stomach. "Do you suppose she plans on announcing my son as the new heir?"
Dr. Scott wobbled his head. "It's possible, but she did say yesterday that they had been working on something revolutionary that would force other worlds that resist them to submit. Oh, and she also mentioned a surprise."
Yes, now that he mentioned that, she did remember the queen saying something along those lines, but in light of everything that had happened, it had slipped Janet's mind. "What do you think it is?"
At that moment, the lights went out, the whole room going dark. But a few moments later, several spotlights came on, focusing on one part of the room. There, the Old Queen stood, dressed in a lab coat, her now brown hair made up into a bun. She was surrounded by what seemed to be portable laboratory equipment, and a feeling of déjà vu hit Janet, the scene feeling oddly familiar.
She didn't have long to dwell on it though before the Old Queen spoke. "Thank you all for being here tonight. I assure you, this night will be a night long remembered."
There were cheers from the Transylvanians as Janet and Dr. Scott exchanged a look. They glanced at Magenta, but the Transylvanian woman just shook her head, not knowing what to expect.
"As all of you know," the Old Queen continued, "some time ago, my precious son, Prince Frank-N-Furter, took on his first mission to take over a planet called Earth. Nine months ago, he met a tragic end at the hands of one of our own."
This was met with boos and jeers from the crowd. The only ones who didn't show their disdain were the two earthlings and Magenta, but in the dark room, their silence went by unnoticed.
"Yes, yes, thank you," the queen told them. "All of your condolences are greatly appreciated. But it was not enough to murder my son. The traitor sought to cover it up and point the finger at someone else!"
More boos, more jeers, and Magenta scowled as she looked around at the Transylvanians. "They would not be reacting this way had any of them suffered underneath the prince the way my brother and I did."
The queen raised her hands, silencing the crowd, and spoke in a loud, dramatic voice. "But there was something this killer did not count on, and that was a mother's love for her son, and her desire to see the hammer of justice come down on them."
Her eyes searched the crowd, somehow landing on Magenta in the crowd in the dark room, and she smirked. Magenta's fist clenched, and at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to shout her side of the story to everyone. But she and Riff Raff had already done that the day they had been arrested, and their words had fallen on deaf ears.
"So," the Old Queen continued, returning her attention to the crowd, "I had a team of technicians look into every last detail of what happened that night. And through their efforts, we managed to find and arrest the true culprit!"
This time, her words were met with cheers and applause. Janet and Dr. Scott continued to remain silent, but after glancing around, Magenta placed a hand to the side of her mouth and let out a small cry of "Boo!" that went by unheard over all the clapping and cheering.
The queen let them cheer for a short while, then held up her hands to silence them again. "Yes, justice had been served. But more than that, it seemed that Fate decided to reward us for our hard work of trying to bring the traitor to justice. For you see, as my technicians searched, they found something else, something astounding. My son had been doing his research and experiments, and in doing so, he managed to discover the power to do what was believed that only God alone could do. He managed to discover how to create life!"
At her words, excited murmurs began spreading through the crowd. This news was no surprise to Janet, Dr. Scott, or Magenta though. The queen was talking about Rocky. Janet had been there to witness him being given life, and Magenta had assisted Frank in his creation. As for Dr. Scott, Janet and Brad had told him everything that had happened that night, including Rocky's creation.
As the crowd muttered excitedly, the Old Queen waved some servants over. They arrived pushing a large cylinder-shaped object on wheels that was covered by a white sheet. They rolled it up to the queen and then hurried off. The Old Queen smiled and stepped up beside whatever was beneath the sheet, then turned back to the crowd.
"Of course, what use is discovering how to create life when it is something that women are already perfectly capable of," her smile widened, "with a little help from men of course." This got a chuckle from the crowd, but she quickly moved on. "However, this did open the door to something else, something that would be most beneficial. If we could discover the secret to creating life, then perhaps we could discover how to recreate it, and in doing so, return life to those that lost it."
An uneasy feeling filled Janet's gut that once again had nothing to do with her being pregnant. She glanced at Dr. Scott and Magenta and saw that they too were beginning to look nervous. Surely, the queen wasn't implying what it sounded like she was implying.
"And so, she announced loudly as she reached out and gripped the sheet, "I had a team of scientists secretly work tirelessly to achieve this goal. And finally, they discovered it. And now that my son's killer is in custody, and the mother of my grandchild is present, I shall once again give my son," she gave the sheet a yank, "life!"
The sheet fell away, revealing a giant canister attached to a mechanical device. It was filled with a yellowish liquid, and floating in it was none other than the body of Frank-N-Furter. He looked the same as he did the last time Janet, Dr. Scott, and Magenta had seen him, unchanged by death and whatever preservation fluid he was in, and he was still wearing his stage show outfit; even his makeup was somehow intact and in place.
A feeling of dread gripped Janet as she once again glanced at her companions. They too looked shocked and horrified at the prospect of what the queen was suggesting. Not just because of the abuse Magenta had suffered and because of what he had done to Dr. Scott and her, but because he would know the truth, he would know that Janet's child wasn't his, and he would expose them. When that happened, any hope of escape would be lost, and they would be at the queen's mercy.
(A/N: Well, this just took an unexpected and unfortunate turn. It looks like the queen has taken Frank's method of creating life and is now going to bring Frank back to life. This certainly doesn't look good for Janet, Dr. Scott, and Magenta. But will the queen really be able to resurrect Frank, and if she does, will he expose them? You'll have to stay tuned to find out. Oh, by the way, if you were wondering about the dinner scene, yes, the simulated food was that of "Eddie". And according to an account of a convicted cannibal, human meat tastes like very greasy pork. Keep that in mind the next time you decide to eat some, sorry, not sorry.)