this is the story of how we begin to remember
"Hokay. So," Peter said into the silence that fell over the room. "Summoning ritual, huh?"
"Mmmmmyep."
"Who's it summon, Ray?"
"I don't... know," Ray says. "Not for certain. I'd have to look it up in Tobin's."
"You do that." Peter turned back to the men in suits. "Okay. Dr. Stantz here's already on the case, but what else do you want from us? The space station's a little far away for our proton packs, and I don't think waving a PKE meter at the screen is going to do anything."
The President and the Secretary of State exchanged looks. Eventually, the President cleared his throat and leaned forward, hands folded neatly in front of him.
"We are aware," he said, "that you gentlemen- Dr. Stantz in particular- have access to some pretty extraordinary resources."
"Let's just assume for all our sakes that it's the stuff you took with you when you guys cleared out Foliage Census," Flaherty added.
"Even if it's people, Mike?"
"Especially if it's people, Mr. President."
"All right." He turned his attention back to the Ghostbusters. "We'd like the four of you to go up to the Space Station and investigate in person-"
"WHOA!" shouted Winston and Peter at the same time. They blinked; Winston won. "Seriously, Mr. President? Into outer space?"
"I'm told that the ISS's orbit only counts as 'space'. Outer space involves getting past the moon."
Winston would not be dissuaded. "As in, zero gravity? Don't people have to train for months to do that?"
"Yeah, ordinarily," said Flaherty. "But, uh... we don't have months." He gestured at the image still on the wall. "I don't even know if we have days. There's still five other people up on that station, and one of them probably did that to poor old Tom. We don't know what that nutjob's planning to do to the others."
"Whichever nutjob it is," the President added. "That's where you boys come in. Up to the Station you go, just as soon as humanly possible. Find out what's going on and put a stop to it before the Station and the other astronauts wind up bubble-wrapped too. You do whatever you have to in order to get this situation fixed, all right? You've got my official permission, wink wink nudge nudge."
"Uh, Mr. President?" Flaherty had a strained expression. "You're not supposed to say wink wink, nudge nudge."
"I'm not?"
"No, Mr. President."
"Oh. Forget I said that, then?"
The Ghostbusters looked at one another. "Well. . ." Peter began. "Egon? How're you with this whole idea, huh?"
"I'm beginning to think my choice of free diving as a hobby was a fortuitous one." Spengler slid his glasses back up his nose. "It's as close as an Earthbound human can get to microgravity conditions without bringing an oxygen tank. And I wouldn't mind finding out how the proton packs work in those conditions."
"Okay. Winston?"
Winston shook his head. "Mr. President, I'm going to need a lot of Dramamine for this."
"That can be arranged, Mr. Zeddmore."
"Great. Ray? What do you think?"
I think we're in over our heads just by being in this room and looking at what happened to that poor man, he wanted to say; but what came out was, "I've still got my PADI dive certification. That should help, right?"
Peter nodded. "I'm gonna pretend I understood what you just said. Mr. President, I assume the job pays well?"
Flaherty scribbled a number on a piece of paper and slid it in front of the President, who nodded and passed it to Peter.
"Wow," said Peter. "Would you look at all the zeroes. Okay, I'm good- let's do this. Houston, here we come."
"More like New Mexico," said Flaherty.
"Huh? Why New Mexico?"
"The, uh..." Flaherty glanced pleadingly at the President.
"We're a little low on working shuttles at the moment," said the President. "Virgin Galactic okay with you guys?"
"Mmmmmyep."
"Who's it summon, Ray?"
"I don't... know," Ray says. "Not for certain. I'd have to look it up in Tobin's."
"You do that." Peter turned back to the men in suits. "Okay. Dr. Stantz here's already on the case, but what else do you want from us? The space station's a little far away for our proton packs, and I don't think waving a PKE meter at the screen is going to do anything."
The President and the Secretary of State exchanged looks. Eventually, the President cleared his throat and leaned forward, hands folded neatly in front of him.
"We are aware," he said, "that you gentlemen- Dr. Stantz in particular- have access to some pretty extraordinary resources."
"Let's just assume for all our sakes that it's the stuff you took with you when you guys cleared out Foliage Census," Flaherty added.
"Even if it's people, Mike?"
"Especially if it's people, Mr. President."
"All right." He turned his attention back to the Ghostbusters. "We'd like the four of you to go up to the Space Station and investigate in person-"
"WHOA!" shouted Winston and Peter at the same time. They blinked; Winston won. "Seriously, Mr. President? Into outer space?"
"I'm told that the ISS's orbit only counts as 'space'. Outer space involves getting past the moon."
Winston would not be dissuaded. "As in, zero gravity? Don't people have to train for months to do that?"
"Yeah, ordinarily," said Flaherty. "But, uh... we don't have months." He gestured at the image still on the wall. "I don't even know if we have days. There's still five other people up on that station, and one of them probably did that to poor old Tom. We don't know what that nutjob's planning to do to the others."
"Whichever nutjob it is," the President added. "That's where you boys come in. Up to the Station you go, just as soon as humanly possible. Find out what's going on and put a stop to it before the Station and the other astronauts wind up bubble-wrapped too. You do whatever you have to in order to get this situation fixed, all right? You've got my official permission, wink wink nudge nudge."
"Uh, Mr. President?" Flaherty had a strained expression. "You're not supposed to say wink wink, nudge nudge."
"I'm not?"
"No, Mr. President."
"Oh. Forget I said that, then?"
The Ghostbusters looked at one another. "Well. . ." Peter began. "Egon? How're you with this whole idea, huh?"
"I'm beginning to think my choice of free diving as a hobby was a fortuitous one." Spengler slid his glasses back up his nose. "It's as close as an Earthbound human can get to microgravity conditions without bringing an oxygen tank. And I wouldn't mind finding out how the proton packs work in those conditions."
"Okay. Winston?"
Winston shook his head. "Mr. President, I'm going to need a lot of Dramamine for this."
"That can be arranged, Mr. Zeddmore."
"Great. Ray? What do you think?"
I think we're in over our heads just by being in this room and looking at what happened to that poor man, he wanted to say; but what came out was, "I've still got my PADI dive certification. That should help, right?"
Peter nodded. "I'm gonna pretend I understood what you just said. Mr. President, I assume the job pays well?"
Flaherty scribbled a number on a piece of paper and slid it in front of the President, who nodded and passed it to Peter.
"Wow," said Peter. "Would you look at all the zeroes. Okay, I'm good- let's do this. Houston, here we come."
"More like New Mexico," said Flaherty.
"Huh? Why New Mexico?"
"The, uh..." Flaherty glanced pleadingly at the President.
"We're a little low on working shuttles at the moment," said the President. "Virgin Galactic okay with you guys?"