By: NightCat

Disclaimer: MST3K belongs to Best Brains Inc. I don't make a cent off of this.


Mike couldn’t believe his eyes, but there it was. Dr. Clayton Forrester looked quite a bit younger from when he had last seen him, but it was definitely him. Same unruly brown hair and mustache with the white streak, same green framed glasses, same man. The few lines that middle age had given him were gone, as was, oddly enough, that insane look in his eyes. He almost looked, dare Mike say it, sane.

Clayton shut the car light back off. “If I had told you who I was, would you have taken this chance Nelson?”

Mike, still looking at the doctor through the darkness, shook his head. “Definitely not.”

“Then you see why I didn’t,” Clayton responded knowingly.

“Wait a minute,” Tom spoke up, slowly getting over his shock. “I thought that you were dead! What’s the deal?”

Mike stole a quick glance at Tom before realizing what he had meant by that statement.

Clayton, on the other hand, sounded slightly confused. “Dead? Last time I checked I was still breathing.”

'Pearl hasn't killed him yet', Mike thought grimly. “Okay then,” he said. “What’s your story?”

Dr. Forrester pulled over for a second to let a few fire trucks, which were more than likely heading towards the crash site, pass. When they were driving on the mostly empty driveway again, Clayton began his tale.

“After I had disconnected the satellite a couple of rather… odd things happened, the end result being me getting turned into a Starbaby. Mother took care of me until I could walk and talk again, though I use the term ‘care’ very loosely. Anyway, one very odd thing about being a Starchild is that I didn’t age like a human would. I could age by years in a matter of weeks sometimes. I remember when I was around the ago of four a couple of years ago I woke up one morning to find out I had jumped up to about ten years old.”

Gypsy looked over the seemingly young man. “How old are you now?”

“Somewhere around twenty. It’s impossible to get an exact age.” Clayton paused for a second, as if he was trying to remember something. “Now where was I? Ah yes, about being a Starchild. In addition to the age thing, I also found out that I had some rather interesting powers at my disposal.”

Mike gulped, though he did his best not to show it. He remembered what the three Starchildren that Pearl, Observer, and Bobo had encountered were capable of. The thought of a man who wanted to conquer the world with those same powers was very unsettling.

“What kind of powers?” Mike asked him, a little wary of the answer.

Clayton shrugged at the question. “Nothing big really. I can move small objects with my mind and sometimes read people’s thoughts if I try hard enough. On rare occasions I have been able to control people, though that only seemed to happen when I got really angry or upset.”

Tom leaned forward a little to be heard better. “Does Pearl know you can do these things?”

Clayton seemed to hesitate before answering. “Up until a few hours ago, no.”

Mike did a double take. “What do you mean, ‘until a few hours ago’?”

“I mean that an hour or two ago Mother had received a phone call from someone who, I have no idea how, knows all about me, my experiments, and Mother. I only overheard part of the conversation, but I did pick up enough to know that you were still alive, for the time being at least. There was a little more about something that Mother is planning to do to me. I'm not sure what it is, but whatever it is it can’t be good."

If he saw Mike bite his lip and look down, which was a look that screamed 'I know something you don't,' then Clayton didn't pay any mind to it.

He continued, "She left shortly after that to rendezvous with whoever she was talking to and locked me in the house in a rather pathetic attempt to keep me from going anywhere. About half an hour later this little thing starts going off,” he nodded towards the small device on the dashboard. “It’s something I made when I built the Satellite of Love just in case it ever crashed back onto Earth. With this I could locate it fairly easily. So naturally, when it started to go off, I quickly thought up a simple plan, gathered a few things, took the spare car and went out to find you guys.”

The other human shook his head in disbelief. “Why would you, of all people, be concerned with our wellbeing?”

Clayton looked at him briefly before putting his eyes back on the road. “I never said that Mike. Besides,” he paused as he parked the car in a rather small parking lot. “I gotta go pay for the rooms.” Getting out of the now shut off car, he warned. “Don’t try to leave or anything funny. I can still see you from the window there.”

Mike nodded, though he knew that he really didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. As Clayton went the purchase the rooms, he turned to the robots in the backseat.

“So,” he asked them. “What do you guys think?”

Crow muttered, “I think we should pistol whip him with Cambot and run for it.” Cambot made what sounded like an irritated beep at this suggestion.

“I don’t know Mike,” Gypsy spoke up. “On one hand he is the reason why we all ended up in space in the first place. But on the other hand there isn’t anyone else we can really trust right now.”

“Hey,” Tom interrupted her. “What about Joel? Can’t we track him down and ask him for help?”

Mike’s eyes brightened at the suggestion. “Yeah, why didn’t we think of that before? He would help us out!”

Gypsy sadly shook her head. “But to track him down would take days, maybe even weeks. As much as I hate to say it, I think we’re stuck with Dr. Forrester for now.”

Mike’s uplifted mood took a nosedive, realizing that Gypsy was telling the truth. Even if they did find out where Joel was living now, getting to him is another issue. They had no car, no money, and almost no one they can trust enough to go to for help. In Mike’s mind, they were indeed stuck with Clayton.

“Speaking of which,” Crow growled. “Here comes the clown.”

Looking outside, Mike saw Clayton approach the car with two keys in hand. With a slight hesitation, Mike got out and walked toward the other man a little ways before stopping. He really didn’t feel comfortable with leaving the ‘bots, who were still in the car, out of his sight. He had also left Cambot on his seat, so he wasn’t carrying the little damaged robot with him.

Clayton handed Mike one of the keys. “My room is right next to yours,” he informed him. “Don’t you try anything ‘cause I’ll be watching.”

Mike gave the other man a sort of half-hearted scowl and motioned for the ‘bots to come out of the car. “Out of all the people in this world,” Mike muttered to Clayton. “Why did it have to be you that found us?”

The scientist let out a humorless chuckle. “Just got lucky I guess,” he responded as they make their way to their respective rooms.

***

“I don’t like this Mike,” Crow whined to the human. “I don’t like this one bit.”

Mike sighed, “Neither do I Crow, but we really don’t have much of a choice right now.”

“And what? Let Forrester perform experiments on us again? Or let us get killed or captured?” Crow practically screamed.

“Mike,” Tom broke into Crow’s enraged rant. “We have to find Joel. He’s really the only person we can trust at this point.”

“I agree with that Tom, but how are we going to find him?” Mike looked over at the large purple robot for help. “Gypsy?”

She looked up from the chair that the injured Cambot was laying on. “I already tried looking for a phonebook in here to contact Joel. There’s none to be had.”

‘Damn,’ Mike thought. Looking at the fourth robot, he bit his lip in worry. “How’s Cambot doing?”

Gypsy looked back down at him. “Well, he’s still alive, as it were, but without repair for any longer…” she trailed off.

Mike hung his head and closed his eyes tight. Feelings of frustration and exhaustion were really starting to get to him. On one hand he had the ‘bot’s welfare to worry about. On the other hand he had a mad scientist to keep an eye on.

“Alright you guys,” he announced, facing the four robots in from of him. “I’m going to have a talk with Dr. F and see what this is all about. You guys get some rest and keep an eye on Cambot. I won’t be long.”

Tom and Crow seemed to be ready to protest, but a look from Gypsy kept them quiet. Instead they watched as Mike left the room to find the doctor and some answers.

***

Mike didn’t have to look hard for the young scientist. Clayton, instead of staying in his assigned room, had found a perch on top of a rather rustic picnic table on the motel’s small lawn. Suddenly a little wary, Mike slowly made his way to him.

In the dim light, Clayton looked like just about any other young adult of that day and age. He had abandoned the neon green lab coat for an outfit of black cargo pants, dark green t-shirt and a black hooded jacket. It wasn’t limited to his physical appearance either; looking at him now Mike thought that the other man looked rather downtrodden and possibly scared.

For a second Mike even pitied him. Then he remembered what Clayton had done and what he had attempted years earlier. Hardening himself up, Mike walked up beside where the scientist was sitting and demanded, “Okay, what’s the deal?”

Clayton didn’t even look at him. He kept his eyes straight ahead, as if in deep thought. After a long silence he finally answered, “The deal is, if you guys help me with my little crusade, then I will in turn help get you back on your feet.”

Mike blinked, obviously not expecting that. He was so used to seeing the insane mad scientist with the fluorescent green lab coat and unruly hair. Seeing his former tormenter so drained and distant unnerved Mike very much.

“Why us?” he finally asked.

Dr. Forrester took a deep breath, giving the impression that he was forcing the answer from his lips. “Because right now, as much as I’d hate to admit it, I have no one else to turn to for help.”

Mike just looked at him, confused. “In case you’ve forgotten Dr. F,” he responded. “We really have no reason to trust you. You’ve even said it yourself on many occasions, you’re evil.”

“Was evil, Nelson,” Clayton countered, rather quietly. “And I know that you guys have no reason to help me, and that I do have a lot to answer for. But, in case you didn’t know, I’ve already saved your hinder once from being destroyed.”

“And when was that?” Mike asked, no such event coming to his mind.

Clayton finally looked his former test subject in the eye and said, “Who do you think sent Joel the plans for the SOL? How else would he have known that it would self destruct after ten years? How else could he have gotten the money to build a spaceship to go up there and save you guys?”

After Mike took a couple seconds to think about it, his eyes grew slightly wider, indicating comprehension. “You mean it was…”

“I mean that I sent Joel the plans and I gave a rather generous donation to his hot fish shop knowing what he would do with the money.”

“Wait a minute. If you helped him then why didn’t he tell us?”

“Probably because he doesn’t know that it was me,” Clayton muttered. “Do you remember that device I used to find you guys? It also shows if the satellite it in orbit or not. That’s how I knew that you all were probably still alive, though how I have no idea.”

“It’s a long story,” Mike told him, shaking his head.

“I’d imagine,” Clayton responded, turning away again. After a moment or two of silence he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small package and a lighter.

“Since when do you smoke?” Mike asked him as he pulled out a cigarette from the package and lit it.

“Since last year,” Clayton replied, exhaling some of the toxic smoke. “Trust me, a second childhood with my mother would cause anyone to reach for a sin stick.”

Mike shook his head, trying not to inhale the smoke. “Those things are going to kill you, ya know.”

Giving off a humorless chuckle, Clayton asked him, “Since when did you care about my health?”

Mike shrugged. “It’s just the kind of guy I am.”

“That you are,” the other man agreed, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

Feeling that that’s as much as he’s going to get out of the scientist for now, Mike began walking back to his room with a quick “See you in the morning,” to Clayton. He just responded with a dismissive wave of his hand.

‘That’s the kind of guy I am,’ Mike thought as he went. ‘But what kind of guy are you now Dr. Forrester?”

What Mike didn’t know was that Dr. Forrester was thinking the same thing about himself.

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