Ghostbusters: Resurrection

2. Getting The Band Back Together

She was the only one who missed out on Ghost Egon's fully corporal manifestation on the night they caught Gozer in Summerville 2021. She probably wants to tell Egon a thing or two about the paperwork rats' nest his estate left her to sort out. Or maybe she just wants to hug him again.

"I don't know. He was earlier. I can't see him or hear him, but he leaves me messages and sometimes I can feel his presence," Ray answers. "Also he can write, just a few words at a time."

"Oh wow," Winston leans in, handsome face smiling, intrigued.

"This is what I do know," Ray goes on. "He's strongest at sunrise and sunset. He's able to affect our physical world more when he's feeling a strong emotion. Also, his connection to people makes him stronger. He could manifest more powerfully when Peter was with me than he can when I'm alone. I think he can hear me. And he can move small, light things, like books. I know he can read because of the book stack messages I told you about on the phone."

"That's amazing," says Janine, settling into Ray's sofa with a plate of snacks. "And sorta romantic, don't you think?"

"After he moves something, or communicates, he disappears for a while, has to build up strength again. I'm hoping with all of us here, maybe he can speak to us through automatic writing or the Ouija board. And I know what he wants- us to stop Gozer, find a way to stop It forever. He wants me to protect his daughter and grandkids," Stantz finishes.

"Tall order there, Spengs," Venkman says, eyeballing the air around Ray.

"Well," says Winston, sighing with old regrets. "I feel like I failed Egon in life and I don't want to fail him in death. I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to him for not believing him and not helping him before it was too late. I'll do it just to sleep better at night, Ray. So, what's the plan?"

Ray explains, "I'm not sure yet. It'll start with two things: getting straight with Callie-"

"Not that straight," Peter quips, waving a guacamole dipped chip for emphasis.

"Shut it," Janine tells Pete. Pats Ray's knee to get him to continue.

"Telling Callie the truth about my relationship with her dad, getting access to all Egon's notes, and getting my half of the equipment back, is what I mean, Venkman," Ray is affectionately pissy at Peter. "And the other thing is, we need to make Egon a more powerful ghost so that he can help us. He's been doing nothing but working on this problem for 29 years. He might have figured out how to solve this. We'll never make it without Egon's brain."

"So we make our ghost buddy stronger, talk to Callie, find out what Spengler knew, get our stuff back, and stop Gozer a third time," Venkman sums it up and pours out a second round of margaritas.

"And I think I might have to let Egon possess my body," Ray says, not sure how the others will feel about possession.

"You two dirty dogs," Peter teases. "One of you is dead and you're still at it."

Janine giggles at that, starting to feel tipsy, and then shushes herself out of respect for the dead.

"So Egon can communicate with me telepathically when he's used up too much energy to affect the real world. If he gets energetically drained, he can rest inside of me while I do the physical work," Ray says, giving Peter the sideye.

"Remember that time I walked in on him resting inside of you at the Firehouse, Ray? 1989, was it?" Peter says, unable to stop himself. Wink wink nudge nudge.

"Can it, Dr. V," Janine says, glaring at him sassily over her glasses, trying not to encourage him. Then turning sweetly to Ray, "I think it's very sweet of you to do that for Egon, Raymond. What do you need me to do?"

"Paperwork," Ray says, cringing.

"It figures," their former secretary throws her hands up, lamenting. "Left out of the action again."

"You'll be there for the action, too, if you want, Janine, but I need someone else who speaks Spengler to help me go through Egon's lab, somebody else who can read his handwriting," Ray explains, and then he says more softly, "And I could also really use a friend with me when I talk to Callie about Egon and me. I'm scared."

"You got one," Janine tells him. "I'll get a cat sitter and go with you to Summerville."

"How about me?" Zeddemore asks. "Besides kicking Gozer's ass for a third time, what else can I do?"

"Ivo Shandor," Ray says.

"Of course, good ol' Ivo is involved," Winston shakes his head. He starts to chew a cigar but doesn't light it. He's given up smoking, too, long ago.

"Can you use your finance connections to track Shandor's money? What businesses and buildings, outside of the ones we know about, could he have temples to Gozer hidden inside of? That may tell us where Gozer will pop up again. How is his estate investing and spending it's money these days? Can you track Ivo's financial footprint?" Ray asks Winston.

"Sitting at my desk, digging up dirt on Shandor? No problem," Winston is happy to oblige. "But call me when the real fighting starts and I'll be there."

"Welp. Sounds like you three have got this covered," Venkman says, brushes his hands together, pretends like he's about to get up and leave.

"Venks, I need you to help me make Egon's ghost manifestation stronger. He needs to go from a class 2 to a class 7. Your psychic abilities could really help me out," Ray tries the puppy eyes on Pete. They still work.

"Okay, ya got me, I'm in," Peter says, sitting back down. "I'm old, I'm retired, half my friends are dead, Dana dumped me again again, so what else have I got to do?"

"It feels good to be needed again," Winston agrees, grinning around the cigar.

"No one ever stops needing me," Janine pipes up. "It's a real pain in my ass."

"Now, let's see if we can talk to him? Take a seat at one of the points of the star," Ray directs everyone into their proper spots for the seance to begin.