Get Scrapped

Chapter 2: I Want To Break Free

Chapter theme: I Want To Break Free by Queen

At the sound of her voice, Junjie stood and looked to the door, where the woman he had just been speaking to closed her phone with a snap.

"Uh..." Trixie said awkwardly, "...hi?"

"Mornin'," Perry said cheerfully, and then leaned to look past her.

Junjie didn't care how foolish he looked as he sprang forward, sprinted to the door and swept her up in a massive hug.

"WhoAAAH!" she yelped, and laughed in delight as she returned the embrace. "Good to see you too, crivens!"

"You had me worried sick!" Junjie said as he set her down. "And yes, it is good to see you're alright."

"Uh, do you guys want some privacy?" asked Trixie.

"Nah, lass, I didn't come here for cuddles," said Perry. "Tipsy, right?"

"...Trixie," Trixie said flatly.

"Blue, what the heck are you doing here?" asked Junjie. "What's so important that you couldn't even speak about it via video chat?"

"Well, uh," Perry said, "it's a bit-"

"Just tell them, P."

Junjie stared as a familiar blue-skinned, green-clad girl came into view around the corner of the doorframe.

"Lenny?!" he exclaimed. "You're here too?"

"Of course!" Lenny replied. "You didn't think I'd let this one come here by herself again after what happened last time she did that, do you?"

"I have not even seen this lady yet but I like her!" Pronto said, sticking up his hand and not looking back at the door.

"I'm hardly a lady," Lenny commented. "Seriously, Perry, get to the point. We don't have all day."

"Fair enough," said Perry, and she reached further into her vest than should have been possible. "The point..."

She pulled it out.

"Is this."

O-o-O

"Dude," said Eli, "I feel like I'm looking, like, 20 years into the past."

"Same here," said Kord. "I didn't even know any of these still existed!"

"Obviously they do if we're all standing here looking at one," Trixie pointed out.

"And would you mind explaining what it is to those of us who were absent for various reasons for the past 20 years?" Junjie asked bitterly.

A few seconds passed as eyes of various colours and nationalities were fixed on him in amazed bafflement.

"Well, um," Trixie said hesitantly. "You know how videos are recorded and uploaded onto the Slugnet?"

"Of course I know that," said Junjie. "That was one of the first things I found out after my release."

"I don't know what could have kept you from knowing," said Lenny, "but before the Slugnet was at a point that it could handle worldwide distribution of video footage, it had to be recorded and stored on tapes. It still happens from time to time, but that's incredibly rare and mostly it's in digital format. What you're looking at is an analogue video tape from a period..."