Cliff stares with bleak indifference as he pushes a fork into the back of his metal hand and watches the prongs as they bend outwards, failing to penetrate his harsh metal skin. He scrapes the fork along his hand and continues to watch absentmindedly as it leaves a small mark in its surface. His deep red eyes stare up at the kitchen door suddenly with an empty nothingness as he hears the sound of R.A-2 clattering down the hall and into the kitchen. He looks away from the piece of metal in his hand and watches as R.A-2 enters and makes its way across the room.
R.A-2: Good morning, Clifton. Are you in need of, assistance?
He says nothing as he looks back at the table and scrapes a thick metal finger along its surface. The robot nods its head clumsily as it produces a bowl and begins to fill it with Fruit Loops, then, once satisfied its portion is adequate, lays it at the head of the table.
Cliff: Niles ain’t comin’ for breakfast, R.A.
R.A-2 cranes its neck to look at Cliff.
R.A-2: I see. Would he like me to, take it to his study?
Cliff: He’s not in his study.
R.A-2: Perhaps, his lab then?
Cliff: Look, he’s gone alright? He’s fuckin’ gone. Leave me, and the fuckin’ Fruit Loops, alone.
R.A-2 says nothing for a moment, processing Cliff’s outburst as Cliff goes back to the fork. R.A-2 turns around and puts the bowl and cereal away, just in time for Larry to enter in a hurry.
R.A-2: Good morning, La-
Larry: Yeah, good morning. Whatever.
Larry grabs a couple of oranges from the fruit bowl and grabs himself a glass of water. He turns to look at Cliff, still staring aimlessly at his hand, but says nothing. He finishes filling his glass and turns to go as Rita walks in purposefully and smiles.
Rita: Oh good, you’re all here.
Cliff and Larry both look at her silently.
Rita: Now then. It’s no good moping about. Here’s the plan.
She pulls out a notepad and lays it excitedly on the table. Larry looks to Cliff, who in turn looks back at him. The pair of them say nothing.
Rita: I’ve been having a think, about how we can find Niles and get him back. And I’ve come up with-
She flips the notepad open.
Rita: This!
Larry and Cliff crane their necks to look at the pad. Decorating the page are a series of neat lines and circles, each intersecting and crossing over one another, surrounded by scribbled out words and drawings. In the centre, written inside a large oval, are the words: NILES’ LAB?!
Larry and Cliff look at each other for a moment as Rita beams at them excitedly.
Larry: Umm…
Rita: Well?
Larry: Well…
He looks at Cliff, who shrugs.
Larry: What exactly are we looking at here?
Rita: My idea!
Larry looks back to Cliff for a moment and neither of them make any attempt to try and come up with a reply. Rita watches them for a second and then snatches the notepad back in a huff.
Rita: Look, how many times have we been down to the lab?
Larry: I mean, I’ve been down there a few times…
Cliff: I was built down there…
Rita: Yes, fine. But how many times have we been down there and actually had a proper look around? Do we really know what Niles is hiding down there?
Larry: Just, old equipment and stuff, really…
Rita: Fine, if you don’t want to follow along I won’t bother!
Rita scowls and rises from the table. She pulls the notepad to her chest and goes to leave.
Larry: Rita, wait!
She stops and turns to look at Larry.
Rita: Go ahead.
He goes to say something but catches himself. His shoulders slump a little as he speaks.
Larry: Okay. What do you think we should do?
Rita takes a breath and sits back at the table.
Rita: Well. There must be a ton of stuff down there that we know nothing about, correct?
Larry nods.
Rita: So, perhaps there is something down there that could help us find wherever Mister-
She goes to say his name but catches herself. Larry looks away.
Rita: Wherever Eric may have sent Niles. Perhaps there’s a… a manual, or something, about that machine? Maybe some kind of… research on it?
They say nothing.
Rita: Oh come on, work with me here!
Cliff: Forget Niles. If I get my hands on that freaky little shitbag…
Rita ignores Cliff and turns to Larry.
Rita: Come on Larry! You were the one so eager to go to Colombia in the first place! What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with both of you? Why am I now suddenly the only one who cares?
Cliff: Can I ask somethin’?
Rita gives a quick nod of approval.
Rita: Of course.
Cliff: Is this even worth it?
Rita looks over at Larry with an open mouth.
Rita: What do you mean?
Cliff: I’m just wonderin’ if we should even bother, y’know?
Rita: No Cliff. We don’t know.
Cliff: Well, look. Brain said somethin’ to me, before, and it got me thinkin’-
Rita scoffs.
Rita: Oh, honestly Cliff…
Cliff: I know how it sounds, but listen! When you guys were taken away; when I was left alone with him in that place… he said somethin’ to me: You are what I was promised. He – a literal fuckin’ Brain in a jar, told me – a brain in a fuckin’ can – that I was what he was promised.
Rita: What’s your point?
Cliff: Don’t you get it? Two dudes, who wind up as brains, both linked to Niles Caulder. Who, by the way, told us himself there was stuff about him we’d never know. Don’t you think there could be some kinda link there?
Rita leans across the table and folds her hands.
Rita: Cliff, look. Brain and Niles clearly have history together, no one’s denying that. But you must remember, Brain sent two people to kidnap Niles under his own roof, one of whom turned on the other under the Brain’s request. He had Niles taken all the way back to Colombia, right where he wanted him, to enact some kind of crazy revenge. Then we show up – friends of his number one enemy – to rescue him, and he starts babbling on about how we are wrong to trust Niles; how we were stupid to come all this way for him. Don’t you think that a little suspicious?
Cliff: Well…
Rita: Brain was bluffing. He was trying to get into your head. He saw what you were and tried to make up some lie to turn you against Niles. Can you honestly say you’d trust that ape-loving maniac more than the man who saved your life? Who saved all our lives?
She looks eagerly at them.
Cliff: No.
Rita: Exactly!
She sighs.
Rita: Look, I know I was reluctant to go rescue him last time. I can admit I was wrong. But we can’t just let all that be for nothing, can we? We can’t let the words of a crazed madman and his monkey undo all this! It’s like you said Larry, we owe it to Niles to try. We need to find out what Eric did to him and we need to rescue him! Again.
No one says anything for a while, mulling over Rita’s words. Larry tries the best he can to avoid all eye contact with either of them. Cliff, after what seems like a rather uncomfortable eternity, eventually breaks the silence.
Cliff: What about Senec?
The others both look at him. Rita frowns.
Rita: What’s that?
Cliff: It’s what Chief said, before he got dragged away by that fuckin’ monkey. He was gettin’ ready to go somewhere, wasn’t he? Before shit hit the fan, he said he had to go somewhere and do somethin’. And he told us in that cell to find Senec; that’d he’d know what needed to be done. Maybe we should focus on that?
Rita: But we have absolutely no idea who Senec is. What we do know right now is that Niles Caulder is relying on us to save his life, and that the solution to finding him may be right under our feet.
Cliff looks down at the floor, confused.
Rita: In the lab, Cliff.
Cliff: Oh yeah. Right.
Rita leans across the table and looks at Larry.
Rita: Well Larry, you’ve been pretty quiet. What do you say?
Larry shrugs.
Larry: Sure.
Rita smiles.
Rita: Brilliant.
She pushes away from the table and stands.
Rita: Gentlemen, follow me.