I'd like to take that intern position!

[drhorriblesblog]

When: Tuesday, February 24, 10:00 AM
Where: Dr. Horrible's home
Who: Dr. Horrible and Jane Davenport, and later Tex (CLOSED)
What: A job interview
Rating: M for Mad Science

Comments

[drhorriblesblog]

Her acute interest was a bit of a surprise. Oh, sure, he knew the stuff was rare, but he really hadn't had anything to do with werecreatures before the other weekend, nor known much about them besides the occasional article in the trades.

"It isn't really my area, but I've come up with a few things. I'd be interested in hearing about your studies." He paused, seeing the need for what would probably be the first of many warnings. "Don't fiddle with the samples without consulting me first. There isn't much, and most of it is adulterated with tranquilizers." They were locked up, but he wasn't fooling himself that that would stop her for long.

"This model has an effective range of about three blocks. The effect is weaker further out, more suggestion than out-and-out manipulation." He patted the steel surface. "The later model uses a full globe and actually could, potentially, influence the entire nation. But I'd need a power source much greater than what's currently available. Pinning down that power source is at the top of my priority list right now."

[imnurgeenz]

"Lycanthropy is a big topic this year. Mom even tried her hand at weregerbils but..." She shook her head sadly, bright smile fading to somber horror. It only lasted a moment before she shook herself.

"But, right! Not messing around with your sample without your permission. Since I'll only be here with you that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Oh, and the tranqs won't mess up the genetic structure unless you're using some very strange tranqs," her voice trailed away as she contemplated genetic tranquilizers.

"A hypno-globe! Nice! Hard to make people go around assassinating your enemies, but an effective way of manipulating a vote to put you in office. Have you thought about using a contained, high energy explosion that's been slowed down with your freeze ray?"

[drhorriblesblog]

"I don't have any interest in taking office." It was just a lot of paperwork and public attention distracting from the real work, as far as Dr. Horrible could tell. "Putting a carefully selected candidate in office, on the other hand..."

He let that thought go, looking at the girl beside him with new admiration. "No. I hadn't considered that possibility." Obviously there was something to be said for growing up around mad science. And for having someone like-minded around to bounce ideas off of. He had never really had that and he hadn't missed it, but now he was starting to see that having her around could have more advantages than he'd first realized.

[imnurgeenz]

Which is what she meant, but it came out wrong. Still, much better for him to correct her; always make a mad scientist feel important. They really liked being right. Her thoughts usually were leaps ahead of her mouth anyway, so she was used to being correct. Hmmm, maybe that means I should take the cure.

"The only downside to using it are heroes. If it's obvious what's powering the device and it's easy to get to, the heroes will usually try to reverse it, making you and your lab explode. One mad scientist had the great idea of a decoy energy source and actually made the heroes believe that his doomsday device was run by a cat with buttered toast on it's back."

[drhorriblesblog]

Dr. Horrible did like being right. He liked it a lot better than being corrected, at least, which could have been because everyone always seemed to be chomping at the bit to tell him he was wrong. Several people had also suggested to him (mostly sarcastically) that he run for office back at election time, which was why he was ready to assume Jane meant the same.

He grimaced. "I'd prefer to avoid having my lab blown up again. I remember reading about the supposed 'perpetual motion cat'. About a year and a half ago, wasn't it? Ver-r-ry clever." Aided, of course, by the fact that heroes were a bunch of brainless jocks. He made a gesture toward his head. "The 'heroes' here in Aternaville are a little scattered. Plenty of people make threats, but they're not too proactive about actually foiling my plans. Which I appreciate."

[imnurgeenz]

She chuckled and continued to peer around the lab, making mental notes about various weapons and projects. "Well, that's only because you haven't done anything to really threaten them yet, right? When you start manipulating their thoughts or blowing up their houses they might not seem so scattered."

One round frame was magnified by the fizzing green liquid in a beaker on the worktop. "They always seemed hypocritical to me, heroes. I mean, they enforce their own beliefs on society and get applauded. Someone else tries to change things by enforcing a new belief and suddenly they're "evil" and need to be brought down."

With an exasperated snort, she straightened, the light glinting off her glasses. "Dad always says, 'You show me a hero and I'll show you an uptight, vigilante with public opinion on their side.'" A little, wicked smile curved her lips. "Now, Mom on the other hand says, 'You show me a hero and I'll show you what my orbital laser can do.'"