Ghostbusters: Roz Venkman

Finding a New Place

After running away from the New York Library, they walk back to the boys' lab on the Columbia University grounds. As they walk, Egon makes rapid calculations on his calculator while Peter, Roz, and Ray argue. Egon was a few feet behind the trio, and Roz occasionally had to pull him forward for him to keep up with them.

"I can't believe that you guys didn't have a plan," Roz sighed in annoyance as she rubbed her temples.

"Oh, they had a plan, and it was 'get her'," Peter laughed before telling Ray, "That was your whole plan. Get her. It was very scientific."

"I just got overexcited. But wasn't it incredible, Pete?" He asked, "I mean, we actually touched the etheric plane. You know what this could mean to the university?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be bigger than the microchip. Ray, I'm very excited," Peter said Sarcastically.

"I wouldn't say the experience was totally wasted. According to these new readings, I think we have an excellent chance of actually catching a ghost and holding it indefinitely," Egon told them.

"Well, this is great! If this ionization rate is constant for all ectoplasmic entities, we could really bust some heads!" Ray exclaimed, "In a spiritual sense, of course."

"Spengs? You serious about this catching a ghost?" Peter questioned.

"I'm always serious," Egon replied with a serious, almost emotionless expression.

"Egon, I'm gonna take back some of the things I've said about you. You... you've earned it," Peter hands him a candy bar.

The four continued their conversation as they walked to the office of Peter, Ray, and Egon on the campus that was on the basement level.

"The possibilities are, are limitless!" Ray said. When they enter the office, Ray notices the Dean of the University, "Hey, Dean Yeager!"

The Dean looked up and turned around to them with a smirk on his face. The four of them noticed several men carting stuff out of the room.

"I trust you're moving us to better quarters on campus," Peter guessed.

"No! You're being moved off-campus. The board of regents has decided to terminate your grant. You are to vacate these premises immediately," Dean Yeager informed them.

"This is preposterous. I demand an explanation," Peter said.

"Fine. The university will no longer continue any funding of any kind for your group's activities," Yeager explained.

"But the kids love us!"

"Dr. Venkman, we believe that the purpose of science is to serve mankind. You, however, seem to regard science as some kind of dodge or hustle. Your theories are the worst kind of popular tripe, your methods are sloppy, and your conclusions are highly questionable. You, Dr. Venkman, are a poor scientist."

"I see," Peter said, a little hurt.

"And you have no place in this department or in this university," Dean Yeager turns his attention to Roz, "I have also heard that you are aiding your brother in his, Dr. Stanz, and Dr. Spengler's 'activities', Dr. Venkman. Therefore, I have no choice but to dismiss you from the university with the rest of you. Have a good day."

Dean Yeager walks out of the basement-level office. The four stood there, trying to think what they should do now.

Outside in the courtyard of Columbia University, Roz and Peter watched Ray pace back and forth while Egon went home to work on his experiments.

"This is a major disgrace. Forget MIT or Standford now. They wouldn't touch us with a ten-meter cattle prod," Ray said.

"You're always so concerned about your reputation," Peter told him, and Ray stopped pacing, "Einstein did his best work as a patent clerk."

"Do you know much a patent clerk earns?" Ray asked.

"No."

"15 dollars and 14 cents an hour," Roz informed the two. Ray and Peter looked at her, "A friend of mine is a patent clerk."

Ray continues pacing, "Personally, I liked the university. They gave us money and facilities. We didn't have to produce anything."

"Ray, if you keep pacing like that, in a matter of hours, your soles will be gone, and you could possibly be in China," She told him.

Ray continued talking to Peter, "You've never been out of college. You don't know what it's like out there. I've worked in the private sector. They expect results."

Peter hopped off the rail he was sitting on, "For whatever reasons, Ray, call it fate. Call it luck," He puts an arm around Ray's shoulder, "Call it karma. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that we were destined to get thrown out of this dump."

"For what purpose?" Ray asked.

"To go into business for ourselves," Peter hands Ray a bottle of whiskey.

Ray takes a drink before saying, "This ecto-containment system that Spengler and I have in mind is going to require a load of bread to capitalize. Where are we going to get the money?"

"I don't know, "Peter takes the whiskey and takes a sip, "I don't know."

Roz sighed, "I can loan you guys some money, and I expect to be paid back when you get the money, ok?"

"Oh my dear, sweet baby sister, you won't regret this," Peter said with excitement.

"And yet I feel like I've already had."

The next day, they walk out of the Manhattan city bank. Peter holds open the door for a miserably looking Ray, holding an envelope in his hands.

"You're never going to regret this, Ray," Peter told him.

"My parents left me that house. I was born there," Ray argued.

"You're not going to lose the house. Everybody has three mortgages nowadays."

"But at 19 percent? You didn't bargain with the guy!"

"Ray, for your information, the interest rate alone for the first five years comes to 95,000 dollars," Egon told him.

"Will you guys relax?" Peter asked, "We are on the threshold of establishing the indispensable defense science of the next decade. Professional paranormal investigations and eliminations. The franchise rights alone will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams."

"And if it doesn't work?" Roz asked.

"Oh, it will, it will," Peter answered confidently.

Roz simply rolled her eyes at him and sighed.

Not long after, the four of them began looking for a place to be their base of operations. A real estate agent took them to an abandoned brick, four-story fire station built by the city around the turn of the century.

"There's office space, sleeping quarters, and showers on the next floor, and there's a full kitchen on the top level," The real estate agent told them.

"It just seems a little pricey for a unique fixer-upper opportunity, that's all. What do you think, Egon?" Peter asked.

"I think this building should be condemned. There's serious metal fatigue in all the load-bearing members. The wiring is substandard. It's completely inadequate with our power needs, and the neighborhood is like a demilitarized zone," Egon voiced.

"What do you think, sis?"

"I agree with Egon. This place looks like it could cave in at any moment," Roz said.

"Hey!" Ray called. They looked up and saw Ray upstairs, standing by the fire pole, "Does this pole still work?" He slides down, "Wow! This place is great! When can we move in? You've got to try this pole! I'm gonna get my stuff," Ray runs up the stairs and then looks at Roz, Peter, and Egon, "Hey, we should stay here tonight. Sleep here! You know, to try it out!" He then went back upstairs.

The three knew that after Ray's little scene, they were not going to get the price down to fit their budget.

"I think we'll take it," Peter said to the real estate agent.

"Good," She smiled.