Chapter 228: Dr. Primitive: What a Pair...
"Oh! A reserve genius with an overflowing sense of justice? Or perhaps a brilliant mind who simply hasn't caught Nous's gaze yet? A rare sight indeed. To think even Polka can't do anything about you... You possess magnificent potential."
Dr. Primitive's comical, exaggerated tone crackled through the comms, accompanied by a grating, eccentric laughter that echoed off the walls.
"This is just too much fun—how did that old saying go again? Truly..."
"Cease the incessant clatter of your tongue."
A cold, imperious voice cut through the channel, slicing Dr. Primitive's amusement in half. It was entirely unclear which member of the Genius Society had just spoken, but the sheer weight of their presence was suffocating.
"Hello? Testing, testing? Hmm, I hear you all loud and clear." Rekka tapped the side of his console, running a quick debugging sequence to stabilize the signal. "Sorry about the intrusion. I'm just here to look up Dr. Primitive's exact coordinates. This little hunt has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of you. My sincerest apologies for crashing your private channel."
He swiped across the holographic interface, his eyes tracking a rapidly compiling string of data. "Hmm... Ah, there it is! Dr. Primitive, I've successfully pinpointed your location. I'll be forwarding these coordinates to the Galaxy Rangers immediately."
A heavy silence descended over the communication line.
Then, a sudden, explosive burst of laughter erupted from Dr. Primitive's end.
"Hahahaha!"
There was not a single shred of urgency or fear in the mad scientist's voice. It was pure, unadulterated mockery.
"Too interesting! Simply too interesting!" Dr. Primitive wheezed, his voice dripping with morbid fascination. "What a delightful surprise. I haven't laughed this genuinely in ages! Please, by all means, go right ahead! Report it! Let those pathetic Galaxy Rangers come. Let them bring their little guns, their self-righteous justice, and their gnashing, desperate desire for revenge!"
The mad genius paused, his tone shifting into a condescending sneer. "Since you genuinely believe that tattling to the Galaxy Rangers will achieve anything, tell me... why haven't those mindless monkeys—oh, my deepest apologies, I meant those heroic Galaxy Rangers—succeeded in catching me until now?"
"I'll be shipping a fresh batch of custom weapons to the Galaxy Rangers in just a moment," Rekka replied, his voice perfectly even. "I sincerely hope you can still laugh this happily when they arrive at your doorstep."
Rekka wasn't angry. Dr. Primitive wasn't angry either. On the contrary, the threat only seemed to amuse the wanted criminal further.
"Good, good, excellent! No problem at all," Dr. Primitive chuckled. "Appropriate recreational activities are highly conducive to one's physical and mental health, after all. Oh my, I really must wonder just how many esteemed colleagues have tuned in to attend this little gathering. A Genius Society meeting forcibly initiated by someone who isn't even a genius... truly unheard of. Wouldn't you all agree?"
"Indeed, there has absolutely never been such a precedent," Aha's voice chimed in, practically vibrating with chaotic amusement. "Polka, I certainly didn't expect this little kid to be the one making you run around outside all day... Is that little invention of his, the so-called Brain Development Potion, really that powerful? Oh my, I remember very clearly that time you lost a bet to me."
"I must remind you all," Herta's crisp, impatient voice cut through the chatter. "Although this society has always been as cohesive as a pile of loose sand, we at least observe one basic rule of etiquette. Never interfere with the research projects of others."
"That works out perfectly," Rekka said, leaning back in his chair. "I am not a member of your little club, nor am I a recognized genius. Therefore, I will do whatever—"
"You had best think very clearly before you finish that sentence." Polka Kakamond's chilling voice interrupted him, carrying a lethal edge. "I do not want to be forced to live on the Astral Express just to stare you down all day, you brat of Akivili."
"...You are genuinely the first person capable of leaving the Lord of Silence looking so utterly helpless," Aha noted, the smile practically audible in the entity's voice. "Tell me, Polka, how many times have you killed him now?"
"Excluding the first two times," Polka replied flatly, "he has proven quite difficult to kill."
With that, the bizarre, impromptu meeting came to a close. Dr. Primitive's grating laughter echoed one last time before the communication line went dead. Through the lingering holographic static, Polka's piercing gaze remained fixed on Rekka, her invisible hands making a very deliberate, threatening gesture across her own neck.
A certain avatar of Genius Society 1, Zandar, remained entirely silent throughout the exchange, observing the chaos with mild puzzlement. As the brief projection of the conscious 7, Chadwick, flickered and faded from the screen, Rekka was suddenly reminded that the late genius's Memory Zone was still locked away somewhere within Penacony.
Rekka turned his attention away from the console and looked over at the cyborg cowboy leaning against the wall. "Can you contact the leader of your Galaxy Rangers?"
"That's mighty hard to say..." Boothill clicked his tongue, adjusting the brim of his Stetson.
"I just managed to crack one of the meme viruses," Rekka explained, tossing a small, sealed vial into the air and catching it. "Assuming the degenerative meme hasn't mutated or been completely altered by Primitive, this medicine will be highly effective."
"Don't you worry about a thing. Even if it ends up costing me my head, I swear on my iron hide that I'll deliver this stuff straight into the Boss's hands!" The cyborg cowboy stepped forward, carefully accepting the vial as if it were made of spun glass.
Boothill squinted at the tiny container. "Hold your horses, is this really all of it? This little bit of medicine seems awfully sparse for an entire faction."
"It isn't a conventional pill you swallow," Rekka clarified, crossing his arms. "It's a localized conceptual cure meant to directly reverse the influence of the meme. When you need to use it, just unscrew the cap. Do not shake the bottle under any circumstances. Just aim the opening directly at the infected person, and they'll be able to speak normally before long."
Boothill blinked his mechanical eyes. "...Just speak?"
"It's only a temporary measure, but it's enough to use for now. Later, once I have more data, I'll research a way to completely reverse the degenerative effects of this thing. I have to warn you, though—even after a full recovery, their overall physical fitness will be significantly worse than it was before the infection."
"Hey, as long as they can go back to living like normal humans..." Boothill scratched the back of his neck, a fierce grin spreading across his face to reveal a mouthful of sharp, shark-like teeth. "That's more than enough for us."
"Also, remember one crucial detail," Rekka warned, his tone turning serious. "Before they fully turn back into humans and inevitably try to go hunt down Dr. Primitive for revenge, they need to come to me first. I'll provide them with the proper anti-meme equipment and his exact coordinates. If they charge in blind, they'll just get turned into monkeys all over again."
"Just set your heart at ease, brother! I've got it covered!" With a sharp salute, Boothill spun on his heel and hurried out of the room, his metallic spurs clinking against the floorboards.
Rekka stroked his chin, watching the cowboy depart.
Alright, the pieces were falling into place. Now Rappa and Boothill were both actively responsible for escorting the medicine to treat the devolved Galaxy Rangers. Meanwhile, Dan Heng, Stelle, Rozaliya, and Liliya had already returned to their respective hotel rooms to prepare.
Happy hour was finally about to begin.
First on the agenda: heading back into the Dreamscape to strike directly at that second-rate research ape. The bastard was currently conducting illegal experiments and actively spreading the memetic virus throughout Penacony. Rekka couldn't just ignore it, mainly because the virus itself was genuinely potent enough to cause widespread disaster if left unchecked.
"Rekka."
A soft voice broke his train of thought. March 7th stood just behind him, her hands clasped together as she called out his name with a hint of unease.
He turned around, his chaotic demeanor softening slightly. "What's wrong, Senior March?"
"...You've been calling me Senior quite a lot today," she murmured, looking away as a faint dusting of pink touched her cheeks.
"If I call you Senior, it makes you happy. It puts you at ease," Rekka replied simply. He didn't bother explaining the complex psychological principles behind grounding techniques or positive reinforcement; he just gave her the honest, straightforward truth that she could easily understand.
"You're okay... That's all that matters. That's good." March stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a sudden, tight hug. She buried her face into his shoulder, taking a deep breath of his familiar scent. The lingering tension in her shoulders melted away, her anxious mind finally setting itself at ease.
A short while later, they lay back into the Dreampool's soothing embrace. The gelatinous fluid enveloped their senses, pulling them beneath the surface of reality.
When their boots touched solid ground once more, the vibrant, sun-drenched atmosphere of the Moment of the Sun greeted them. The sprawling campus of Origami University was fully decked out in festive decorations. Brightly colored lanterns and shimmering streamers hung from the architecture, while massive, colorful balloons and celebratory banners floated lazily through the sky. A lively, cheerful melody echoed throughout the academy grounds, completely masking the sinister undercurrents lurking beneath the surface.
"You probably haven't had the chance to properly tour the school's anniversary celebration yet, right?" March asked, taking in the vibrant sights.
"Right now, compared to enjoying the school anniversary, I'd much rather peer-review that rogue research ape's thesis," Rekka said, cracking his knuckles. "If his skull can withstand thirty seconds of my physical inspection, I'll generously consider his defense passed."
The entire purpose behind that disguised monkey spreading the memetic virus was simply to fanatically emulate Dr. Primitive's twisted work. The creature was deliberately seeking out the most crowded, festive areas of the campus to use unsuspecting students and tourists as free test subjects.
Rekka tapped his comms earpiece, his voice shifting into a commanding, theatrical tone. "Rozaliya, Liliya. Status?"
"Ready to smash!" Rozaliya's energetic voice cheered over the line.
"Dan Heng."
"...Present," the stoic guard sighed softly.
"March 7th! Stelle!"
"Ready!" March beamed, summoning her bow of six-phased ice. Stelle simply hefted her baseball bat over her shoulder, giving a firm nod.
The Astral Express Trailblaze Team had officially assembled.
Without bothering to knock, Rekka kicked open the heavy oak doors to the principal's office.
Standing behind the grand desk was a bizarre figure. The person was dressed in academic robes, but their entire head was concealed by a massive, cartoonish Sleepy Banana Monkey mask. Startled by the sudden intrusion, the figure spun around.
"Dear students!" the masked figure greeted, attempting to sound authoritative. "Although you neither made a proper appointment nor bothered to knock, you are still welcome in my office, ba-na-na—oh? Wait a moment. You look a bit strange, student. Who are you?"
Rekka stepped into the office, his chaotic energy flaring as a wicked grin spread across his face.
"I'm not here to attend school," Rekka declared, drawing his weapon. "I'm here to conduct a thorough, peer-reviewed investigation on you, Professor Banana-Primitive."
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