Experiment Gone Wrong! (Bedtime Story)

Captain EJ has a special superpower...his incredible voice!

When the Elder Knucklers’ lab turns into an accidental Antarctica, you and Captain EJ race to stop their malfunctioning machine from freezing Dormere solid. With every second counting down to disaster and frost creeping uncontrolled, the stakes have never been higher. Ice wasn’t the only thing breaking, though: secrets cracked open too, hinting at the Knucklers’ obsession with those mysterious tunnels. Together, we faced a cold, ruthless challenge, proving once again that when the chill sets in, we bring the heat.

Voices by: Captain EJ and Amanda Frye

Transcript

EJ 9-1-1,

Captain speaking.

This is Dr.

Mr.

Knuckler.

Um,

We might have a f***ing situation.

And I'm guessing by situation you mean something extremely dangerous?

Dr.

Knuckler,

The fractional distillation core in our lab has malfunctioned.

Malfunction?

How?

Well,

Uh,

Spreading.

Freezing everything?

Catastrophic!

We mean.

.

.

World ending?

Understood.

We're on it.

Transferring to dispatch.

Hero,

This is a chilling development.

Pun emphatically intended.

It seems like the Knuckler's lab is in the middle of a frosty fiasco.

Their experiments have gone from cutting edge to ice cold chaos.

They gave me remote connection to one of their labs,

So you'll be able to get in.

On a side note,

Did you know they have multiple labs?

Multiple!

What are they doing there?

We need to resolve this freeze over,

But also keep an extra eye out for anything you can see that will help us understand their real research.

One of their labs is very near to one of the strongest nodes in the tunnel systems.

Morpino would freeze his circuits if he heard about this.

But don't worry,

I'll keep things cool on my end while you and E.

J.

Warm things up.

Oh wait,

I've got one more.

Don't let their problems snowball,

Hero.

Let's nip this one in the ice,

But before we have an iceberg in our midst.

Get it?

E.

J.

Captain E.

J.

And Hero to the rescue.

Let's begin.

You are here with Captain E.

J.

,

Walking through the sun-dappled woods of Dormir.

It's the kind of warm summer day where the air feels thick with humidity,

And the scent of blooming wildflowers mingles with the earthy aroma of the forest.

But there's an unnatural chill in the air.

A frigid breeze cuts through the warmth,

Sharp and biting,

Like Antarctica itself is sprouting in the middle of the forest in the middle of spring.

Take a slow,

Deep breath in through your nose.

Feel the coolness of the air coming in through your nose,

Colder than usual,

As the warm sun shines on your skin,

Warming you from the outside in as a chill runs up your spine.

Then slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth.

Ahead,

A weathered stone archway looms,

Partially hidden by the creeping ivy and the shadows of the dense trees.

Frost clings to the edges of the arch,

Glistening unnaturally in the sunlight.

A metal door insert into the stone bears the unmistakable knuckler insignia,

An intricate K overlaid on a silver atom.

The knucklers really have a thing for dramatic buildings,

Don't they?

This thing must be frozen.

Shut!

The icy door cracks,

Then creaks open,

And a rush of frigid air spills out,

Curling into the warm forest like a ghastly hand reaching out for the sunlight.

Beyond the door,

A set of frost-covered metal stairs spirals down into the darkness.

The temperature drops sharply with each step,

The chill biting at your skin despite the summer warmth above.

Just as you begin to feel the sting of the icy air,

Your Battle Buzz helmet emits a soft hum,

And a glowing orb of warmth surrounds you like your own tropical beach.

The orb adjusts dynamically with the environment,

Shielding you from the frost as you descend deeper into the knuckler's frozen lab.

That's much better.

With the helmet keeping us at optimal temperature,

We're able to focus on the mission at hand.

First,

Find both Dr.

Knucklers,

Then make it spring again.

The deeper you and Captain EJ go,

The more the ice seems to take over,

Creeping up walls,

Consuming cables,

And distorting the once-advanced lab into a frozen wasteland.

The centerpiece of the chaos stands ahead,

The Fractional Distillator pulsing faintly beneath a thick casing of ice.

Frosty tendrils radiate outward from the device,

Spreading like plague.

Hero,

You see that machine right there?

That's the heart of this operation.

It's supposed to extract silver particles from the air,

Not turn the lab into the North Pole.

And this frost is not exactly life-supporting.

If we don't stop it,

The whole lab,

And more,

Could be lost.

We'll fix it,

Mr.

H.

The Knucklers aren't exactly known for tidy experiments.

There could be surprises.

Do you know where they are?

Let me fish around a bit.

I've never gone ice fishing before,

But today's the day.

You and Captain EJ move closer to the frozen machinery,

Careful not to disturb the equipment around you.

When things are this frigid,

There's no room to bend.

Things only break when it's this cold.

The air grows heavier with each step,

Thick with the metallic scent of silver and the biting chill of frost clinging to everything you see around you.

As you reach the central chamber,

The icy hum of the core fills the space,

Vibrating in your chest like a low growl.

Take another slow,

Deep breath in through your nose.

You bring in with you the force of balance,

The compassionate warmth,

The only thing that can restore order to this science experiment gone wrong.

Allow the cold air to sharpen your focus on this truth,

Then slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth.

A distant crack echoes through the lab.

Somewhere behind you,

The faint creak of metal suggests movement.

Some thing or someone that has not been frozen solid yet.

The sound reverberates through the icy halls.

Each creak and groan amplified by the stark,

Freezing air.

You pause mid-step,

Scanning the chamber with your BattleBuzz helmet,

Its sensors glowing faintly as they analyze the surroundings.

Picking up heat signatures that are few and far between with ease.

Hero picked up movement.

It's faint,

But it's coming from somewhere behind the machine.

Could be the knucklers.

Could be something worse.

Let's hope it's the knucklers.

Keep tracking them,

Mr.

H.

Hero and I will check it out.

You and Captain EJ tread cautiously across the frost-covered floor,

Every step crunching softly against the ice.

Right foot,

Left foot.

Right foot,

Left foot.

The glow of the helmet's warmth illuminates the path ahead,

Reflecting off the jagged,

Frozen surfaces like a guiding light in this icy abyss.

It's definitely getting colder.

Distillation is spiraling out of control.

We don't have much time to stabilize it before this whole place freezes over.

There,

Did you hear that?

Voices.

Over here!

Following the sound,

You make your way deeper into the lab,

Navigating around icy machinery and brittle cables that snap like icicles underfoot.

At last,

You spot a flicker of movement beyond a frozen console.

Dr.

Knucklers,

Are you there?

Captain EJ!

Behind the massive core of their state-of-the-art machinery,

You find the elder Knucklers huddled together inside an improvised shelter made from insulated panels and emergency space blankets.

Their faces are pale,

Their breath visible in the freezing air.

They've rigged a small heat lamp to stave off the worst of the cold,

But the frost encroaches steadily,

Creeping closer to their fragile refuge.

Hang tight.

Hiro and I will get you out of here.

Good news.

Your BattleBuzz helmet is detecting a way to boost the warmth around them.

Get close and let the heat from the orb thaw out their escape routes.

You approach the Knucklers,

The glowing orb of warmth expanding as you near them.

The frost melts away in shimmering revolets,

Revealing the frost mechanisms that lock them inside.

Oh,

Thank you.

Thank you.

I thought we'd be popsicles forever.

It'd be worth it for the research,

But it's so cold.

We didn't mean for this to happen.

The distillation core,

It's never done this before.

What were you experimenting on?

And don't leave out any details,

Please,

For all of our safety.

We were trying to boost the core's output.

Dormir's climate provides perfect conditions for extracting silver particles,

But the core.

.

.

Overloaded.

We cannot figure out why.

Nothing we did would have caused this chain reaction.

Something's interfering.

Or someone.

And now,

Instead of releasing heat,

It's drawing it in,

Amplifying the cold.

There are so many strange phenomena around this area.

We still don't understand it,

But that's why we're here.

Phenomena?

Hmm.

It's.

.

.

Complicated,

Captain EJ.

I wish I could say more.

Me too.

It would be helpful to know what you know about the.

.

.

The what?

Uh,

About the.

.

.

The malfunction.

The reversal of your distillation process,

I mean.

Captain,

Whatever they did,

It's destabilized the entire system.

Do not tell them what we know about the tunnels.

I don't trust that they won't tell their sons.

Focus on the mission.

If we don't shut down that core soon,

The cold could spread beyond the lab.

We're talking a freeze wave.

Dormir could be next.

And then,

Us.

Then let's not waste any more time.

Hiro,

Help me thaw them loose,

And then we'll take down that core.

As you,

Captain EJ,

And the Elder Knucklers move cautiously through the frozen labyrinth of their research lab,

The air seems to pulse with even more of a hostile chill.

The icy tendrils of this satellite Knuckler lab stretch in every direction,

An ever-expanding frozen wasteland threatening to consume everything in its path.

Somewhere in the chaos,

A distant metallic thud echoes,

Followed by muffled voices.

Thumb,

You stop tripping over everything.

You're going to make it worse.

How am I supposed to see where I'm going?

Everything's frozen.

You didn't think to invent frost-proof goggles,

Sir Genius McGee.

I'm all fogged up.

I can't see where I'm going.

Thumb,

Don't touch that.

I wasn't touching anything.

I was just,

Uh,

Inspecting.

Inspecting is touching with your eyes.

Knock it off before Mom and Dad see us.

We can all hear you and see you,

Knucklers.

Pinky!

Thumb!

What are you two doing down here?

Oh no,

They're coming.

Act natural during this catastrophe?

I knew it.

I knew you two had something to do with this.

What did you touch?

We didn't touch anything,

Dad.

I swear.

We were just,

Uh,

Checking on your experiment.

Making sure it was safe.

Safe?

Does this look safe to you?

The core is destabilizing,

The lab is freezing over,

And you two are lurking around like rats in a pantry.

We didn't mean to mess anything up.

Honest.

Thumb,

Shut it.

Don't make it worse.

Didn't mean to.

Doesn't cut it,

This is years of work.

Our work.

Teetering on the brink of disaster because you two can't keep your noses out of things.

Everyone,

Stop.

There's no time.

What matters now is stabilizing the core before the lab and everything else is lost.

He's right.

We can ground you longer than you've ever been grounded before.

Later,

Boys.

Hero,

We need that eagle-eyed focus of yours.

The core's main control panel is your target.

It's buried under all that ice.

But if you use the thermal pulse from your helmet,

You can melt your way in.

Uh,

That's a neat little trick.

Where'd you get that?

Can we get helmets like that?

They look useful.

Forget helmets.

You both sit there,

Quietly.

Let them focus on fixing your mess before it's irreversible.

Stand back.

Hero and I have this under control.

A beam of focused warmth radiates from the BattleBuzz helmet,

Cutting through the thick layer of frost like a blade through butter.

The ice begins to melt,

Steam rising as the controls are revealed.

Finally.

Now we can input the shutdown sequence before this turns into a full-scale Arctic disaster.

Hero,

Roger,

Robot,

And I have hacked into their lab.

But don't repeat that.

This is a form of ecological warfare,

So the rules are a bit.

.

.

Different.

According to.

.

.

Me.

I sent the override sequence to your helmet.

Input it exactly as it appears,

And we'll be able to deactivate the core.

No pressure,

Though.

It's only the fate of the lab and the town at stake.

Did you hear that?

Someone's talking into their ears.

What are they saying?

Pinky,

What did I say?

Quiet.

You think they'll ever let us out of the house again?

No,

Brother.

We're done for.

We're on the night watch forever again.

I was kind of liking being out in the daytime.

It's sunny.

And nice.

The hum of the core grows louder as you carefully input the sequence.

Each button press is a calculated step toward stopping the frozen chaos.

You did it!

The core is shutting down,

And the temperature's already stabilizing.

They did it!

Pinky,

We're saved!

Mom?

Dad?

Since your research isn't lost forever,

And the world didn't end due to our lack of mature foresight,

Do you think we can maybe only be grounded for a few years?

And able to see daylight again soon?

Hmm.

Fat chance.

Pinky,

I promise if there is one more snarky word from you,

I will turn you over to the proper authorities.

Thumb,

Can you seriously say this is saved?

Our experiment is ruined.

Setback exponentially.

You two are in the biggest trouble you've ever been in.

At least a year of tunnel duty,

And nothing fun.

Just night watch.

Okay,

Mom.

I understand.

The punishment fits the crime.

Tunnel duty?

Oh,

Don't you worry yourself about it,

Captain EJ.

Just science-y stuff.

We'll fill you in later.

There is something we'd like your and Hero's help with,

But now's not the time.

What could the Elder Knucklers want our help with?

They did mention wanting to collaborate some.

Hmm.

Maybe this will be the beginning of something.

Maybe we'll implant ourselves into the Knuckler compound,

And be able to finally curtail Pinky and Thumb's antics that way.

You continue to wander as the team begins their trek back up the frozen stairs.

The lab hums with residual energy,

Its secrets lingering just beneath the surface.

The Knucklers' experiments may be contained for now,

But you can't shake the feeling that this isn't the last time their work will cause chaos.

You step back into the warm summer sunlight,

The frozen nightmare of the lab now sealed securely behind you and slowly thawing.

The stone archway still bears a faint frost,

A testament to the chaos below,

But the biting chill in the air has already begun to fade.

Pinky and Thumb follow closely behind the rest of you,

Eager to get back into the sunlight,

Their voices rising in an all-too-familiar sibling squabble.

Their bickering carries into the open air as Dr.

Knuckler steps between them,

Silencing the argument with a sharp look.

Even without saying a word,

His icy glare freezes them in their tracks,

Ironic considering the circumstances.

Pinky and Thumb exchange uneasy glances before slinking off toward the far end of the woods.

The direction they're heading catches your attention immediately,

A faint trail leading into the dense forest.

You notice something strange as they approach,

A patch of frost clinging stubbornly to the ground near what looks like recently piled leaves,

Unnaturally put there on purpose.

Dr.

Knuckler adjusts his glasses,

His sharp gaze fitting toward you briefly before focusing elsewhere.

It's subtle,

But you can tell he hopes you don't follow up.

Why would they be sending Pinky and Thumb toward the tunnels as punishment?

What are they doing?

Dr.

Knuckler clears his throat and turns to address the group,

His tone shifting to something more cordial if not entirely sincere.

I'll admit,

Captain EJ,

That experiment was risky,

Perhaps slightly beyond the margins of what's considered safe.

But science isn't about playing it safe,

It's about progress.

Next time,

I'll simply adjust the margins.

There won't be a next time unless we reinforce the safety protocols.

That's what I was hoping to talk with you more about.

Having you in the lab more often might really help our progress and our safety,

Captain EJ.

I appreciate your kind words.

What would Hero and I help with?

We have some.

.

.

Hypotheses that could benefit from yours and Hero's expertise in the future.

I'll say this for now.

There's a lot more to those tunnels you unearthed,

And this town,

Than meets the eye.

We'll send an invitation when the time is right.

Bye for now,

Captain EJ,

And of course,

Our dear Hero.

Her words linger as the elder Knucklers turn back towards the satellite lab,

Their white lab coats thaw just enough to trail behind them in the warm breeze.

The faint shimmer of frost near the pile of leaves catches your eye again,

Sending a chill not from the cold but from something deeper down your spine.

Captain EJ feels it too.

I know what you're thinking,

Captain.

It'd be such a bad idea to ever collaborate with them.

Way too much proximity to those Knuckler boys.

Good thinking.

I wasn't thinking that at all,

Mr.

H.

Ugh,

I know.

I was trying reverse psychology.

Please,

Do not even consider going back to that compound.

Please!

You focus on that prototype I know you're building that will let you read my mind.

Then maybe you'll see I have a plan.

And it definitely involves that Knuckler compound.

As the springtime warmth returns to the forest,

You can't shake the feeling that this is far from over.

Whatever lies beneath Dormir's surface,

The Knucklers seem determined to uncover it.

And if they're inviting you back,

You can bet there's more at stake than they're letting on.

Hero,

Looks like this mission's led to an even bigger one.

But first,

You think it's too soon for ice cream?

I knew you'd say that.

I have your favorite flavors back at the command center.

Come on back,

Team.

E.

J.

That concludes our adventure.

I can't wait to see you again.

Captain E.

J.

,

Over and out.

Reviews

Plain awesome!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻.P.S.when I feel like it,in the winter I can go from hibernating brown bear to playing poler bear cub.Also,I get the feeling that a dragon or some other not so mythical creature has something to do with the energy in the tunnels.🐉/🦄/🐦‍🔥= Tunnels?

Oh, those Knuckler boys… great story, thanks! Got me to sleep five times last night 😻🙏🏼✨