Last we left off, our protagonist, the infalliable private investigator MoltonMontro, had just been threatened over the phone by the nefarious Benson Bexton, who appears to be mastermind behind the theft of Nelson Sexton’s shipment of tea.
Nelson Sexton: So, who was that on the phone?
MoltonMontro: Some guy calling himself Benson Bexton. Friend of yours?
Nelson Sexton: Oh, that guy. He’s been sending me threats for the past week or so. Seems to be going by a parody of my name, from what I can tell.
MoltonMontro: Mhm. Is there anyone in town that would happen to have access to military-grade explosives?
Nelson Sexton: I’d say either Pork, he runs the military mueseum and frequently hosts competitions that involve explosives, or Harvest, he has a large personal collection of weaponry over at his ranch.
An explosion would sound several blocks away, followed by copious amounts of profanity.
MoltonMontro: That doesn’t sound good. I’ll go check it out.
Nelson Sexton: It’s dangerous to go alone. Here, take this.
He hands Molt the golden katana that was in the living room.
MoltonMontro: (raises an eyebrow) Why do I need this again?
Nelson Sexton: (sighs) It’s an item that will be of use sometime later in the story, as a supporting character I’m supposed to hand it to you and as the protagonist you’re supposed to take it so the story can progress, just like how that explosion you just heard was a scripted event that was meant to introduce brand new characters and unlock a new portion of the narrative. Understand?
MoltonMontro: Wait, what?
Nelson Sexton: Just…take it. Don’t make this any more complicated than it has to be.
MoltonMontro: A-alright then.
He accepts the katana, and exist through the hole in the garage.
Screen slowly fades to black as the setpiece changes.
Scene Two
Molt arrives to see TopHatPesky and DeusExMachina, both in full-body hazmat suits and frantically trying to put out a fire with woefully ineffective fire extinguishers.
DeusExMachina: Dammit Pesky, I told you specifically NOT to put the lab rats in chlorine trifluoride! Now look at this mess you’ve made!
TopHatPesky: Hey, I was just trying to see if it was any better at dissolving bodies as opposed to hydrofluoric acid!
Interestingly enough, their suits are contructed out of what appears to be gold with abestos underneath. How can Molt see this? Impossibly, the gold, which is supposed to be resistant against acids, is being eaten away, and the abestos, which is supposed to be resistant to temperatures up to 1000 °C, is on fire.
MoltonMontro: What’s going on here?
DeusExMachina: This IMBECILE (he glares at Pesky), decided to put organic matter in a chemical that reacts explosively with water!
TopHatPesky: And the results are fantastic! This will be a perfect treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome!
DeusExMachina: Treatment? That’ll blow their hands off!
TopHatPesky: Exactly! Just get rid of the problem! Trust me, I’m a doctor.
DeusExMachina: (exasperated) You don’t even have a license!
TopHatPesky: Who needs a medical license when you got style?
MoltonMontro: (interrupting) If water won’t work, shouldn’t sand and soil put the fire out?
DeusExMachina: (sighs) This chemical sets water on fire, sets sand and glass on fire, and as you can see, even sets abestos on fire.
TopHatPesky: It also sets people on fire.
MoltonMontro: (steps closer) Is there anything I can do to help?
DeusExMachina: Stop right where you are! Don’t come any closer! You see those white fumes? That’s gaseous hydrochloric acid! And those yellow fumes? That’s chlorine gas!
TopHatPesky: Please, by all means, take a deep breath and give me something to treat.
DeusExMachina: Pesky…shut up.
Molt recalls that chlorine gas was a chemical weapon used during the First World War, and that that anything that ends with “acid” probably isn’t good for anyone. He is suddenly aware of a sweet, sickly suffocating odor as well as a vague metallic smell of pepper and pineapple. He backs off and immediately covers his mouth and nose with his sleeve.
MoltonMontro: (muffled) There must be something I can do, otherwise the gas will spread!
DeusExMachina: If you really want to help, get a gas mask from Pork, and also ask for one of his copper-based fire extinguishers. You’ll find him over at the mueseum, tell him I sent you.
MoltonMontro: (he turns to leave) Will do!
DeusExMachina: And please, hurry!
Curtains close as the setpiece changes.
