Honey, I Shrunk the Audience

by Scott SPACE ACE Oliverson

(In this story, taken from attraction at DisneyLand's TomorrowLand Imagination & Beyond, Annabelle the angel whippet guardian is hosting the INVENTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD presentation at the Imagination Institute in heaven, where else? Charlie Barkin is about to receive his award and demostrate one of his new inventions, the Shrinking-Enlarging Laser when something goes wrong and the audience, other angels get ZAPPED and SHRUNK to miniature size!)

Our story begins with news reporter David Sevile Jr. the boy and friend of Charlie Barkin and son of David Sevile Sr. the single parent & song-writer (Also the single parent of Alvin & The Chipmunks!) who is doing a live broadcast on the air interviewing other canine scientists or inventor non-angels. They are none other than Killer, Carface Caruthers and the witch Belladonna!

DAVID: I'm here at the Imagination Institute in heaven where Charlie Barkin will soon receive the prestigious INVENTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD. But with me now are three other inventors, two from heaven, now on Earth and one from UnderWorld, who are working under a Kodak scholarship. Killer, Carface and Belladonna. (Calls to bulldog, hound dog & whippet) Yo Carface! Thanks for talking with us.

CARFACE: Oh, my pleasure, hehehehehehehe. (Giggles, grins evilly)

DAVID: Now, we all know that Kodak is a supporter of the INVENTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD, but I didn't realize they do research here as well.

KILLER: Oh yeah, and we're doing some real cutting edge stuff too.

DAVID: (Curious) Like what?

BELLADONNA: (Points to her wrist) Like, um...like this.

DAVID: (Almost laughs) A stupid watch?

BELLADONNA: (Gives angry stare) What do you mean stupid watch, boy? Grrrrrrrrrmph! (Eyes narrow, teeth bared) This ain't no ordinary watch, it's MAGIC! (Sneers)

CARFACE: Right. It's also a camera. Check this out. (Camera-watch makes small clicking sounds)

DAVID: Ah, what did it do?

KILLER: It activated a highly photosensitive semiconductor that converted your image into digital information.

Unfortunately David does not understand Killer's language since he always uses scientific knowledge in his words.

DAVID: (Confused) Would you mind repeating that, in English?

BELLADONNA: Of course, hehehehehehehmhmhmhmhm. It just took your picture. A bunch of them actually.

DAVID: Wow, a watch that takes your picture? Cool!

CARFACE: C'mon kid, let's check out the results on the witch's crystal ball.

DAVID: Terrific. Okay with me.

With that, Bella commands her crystal ball to appear and using her dark magic, begins to cast a spell or instruct the ball to show David his photos. Within seconds images start to appear inside the silvery surface of the ball.

DAVID: What's happening now?

BELLADONNA: We're downloading. (A bad photo appears) Whoa, now that's what I call brutal, ha-ha! We'll save that one for your driver's license.

DAVID: (Glowers) I'm too young to drive yet.

KILLER: Hahahahahahaha, David dosen't know how to drive a car.

CARFACE: I didn't find that funny, sucker!

KILLER: Sorry boss. (Shrugs, smiles innocently)

CARFACE: Ah, let's go through them again shall we?

BELLADONNA: Be my guest, fatso! (Pulls one-liner joke on him)

So the bulldog commands the crystal ball to scan through the list of pics until he finds one he likes.

CARFACE: Okay, hold that frame. Much better, don't you think?

DAVID: Yeah, I like that one myself.

BELLADONNA: Okay. Now that we have your picture, (Grins at him) we can take it further. (Again she works her magic) Uh-oh, oops, hehehehehe...

What happens is the image changes colors several times, and the hair falls out. David doubles over in hysterical laughter, as does Killer & Carface while the witch tries keeping a straight face herself.

BELLADONNA: Whoa, uh, heh-heh, maybe a bit too far. Let's try something else. (Image returns to normal state) If you could have any artist paint your portrait, who would it be?

DAVID: (Thinks quickly) Oh, ah...(Gives answer) Michaelangelo.

CARFACE: Good choice kid. (Gives thumbs up)

KILLER: Me too, I kind of like Leonardo Da Vinci.

So the witch selects Michaelangelo from a series of pull down menus on the ball.

BELLADONNA: Grab one and two. Make one a background. Add brushstroke filter number three. Sharpen resolution. Now crop it.

DAVID: You may not be a wickid witch, but you sure know how to do art.

BELLADONNA: (Smiles) Why thank you David, how nice of you to say that about me. (Almost blushes, turning red) I think...hmhmhmhmhmhmhmmm...

CARFACE: (Gestures) And whalla...your own masterpiece. It's that simple.

DAVID: That's amazing.

KILLER: And you can transmit this image instantly to anyone around the world, or make as many copies as you like for yourself.

DAVID: Great, in that case I'll take 20 wallet-sized, HA!

BELLADONNA: You got a deal boy.

DAVID: Thanks Bella, Killer, Carface. Who knows? Maybe sometime in the New Millenium you might be honored as the next INVENTOR OF THE YEAR.

KILLER: Really? (Looks excited) Wow!

CARFACE: I didn't know that. (He too looks happy)

BELLADONNA: I never thought I'd receive an award someday. Thank you.

Then in a flash of light and puff of purple smoke, the witch whippet dissapears, cackling her evil laughter. Killer and Carface decide the time is right to SPLIT! They both take off running as David watches them go, then turns back to the camera.

DAVID: In the meantime, we'll be right back with more from the IMAGINATION INSTITUTE after these words from your local sponsors.

After some commercials, or a brief delay, the WORLD NEWS NETWORK uplink is restored, and David continues again.

DAVID: I'm back, live from the IMAGINATION INSTITUTE. At the moment, we're trying to track down the chairwoman or should I say chairgod of the Institute, and hostess of today's festivities, Annabelle. (He activates his magic watch/communicator Anna gave him for X-Mas) Oh, there she is. Annabelle, come in, do you read me? Over.

Anna's beautiful face appears on the monitor as she replies.

ANNABELLE: Oh, hello David. Welcome to the IMAGINATION INSTITUTE. Or, as I like to say around here, we don't know anything. (She is interrupted by sound of something falling down behind her) Oops! (Gives suprised look)

DAVID: Ah, heh-heh. What do you mean, you don't know anything?

ANNABELLE: Oh, ah, that cannot be imagined. Our slogan here in the kingdom: WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING THAT CAN'T BE IMAGINED.

DAVID: I see. Ah, Annabelle, the activities of your Institute are normally kept under lock and key. Can you tell us why your TOP SECRET doors are open today?

ANNABELLE: Oh, well, each year the KING and I invite the public in to help us pay tribute to the world's leading inventors, thinkers and dreamers with (She holds up trophy or plaque) the INVENTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD.

DAVID: And this year's recipient is Charlie Barkin?

ANNABELLE: A truly remarkable dog, David. I always like to call him Charles...(Grins or smirks) As Albert Einstein once said, imagination is more important than knowledge or logic.

DAVID: Yes, but didn't an invention of his accidentally shrink Itchy, Bess, Sasha, Timmy & Lance?

ANNABELLE: (Looks frightened) Oh my, oh, oh! Well...(Tries covering up)

DAVID: (Interrupts her) And didn't he also loose his friends in the backyard of my parents' house?

ANNABELLE: (Looks real scared now) That really isn't quite the way it...

DAVID: (Continues) And didn't Charles accidentally enlarge me? (Points to himself)

ANNABELLE: (Almost laughs) Now the media blew that out of proportion.

DAVID: But I almost destroyed San Francisco!

ANNABELLE: Huuuuuuuuh?! (Terror) You did what?! Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! (Screams in fear)

The angel whippet can almost see David, 10-feet tall, towering above the skyline of San Francisco looking like Godzilla or King Kong. Quickly, she decides to change the subject.

ANNABELLE: (Calms down) Er, um. Sorry, and your, ah, your question is what?

DAVID: Well, considering the accidents in Barkin's past, are your angel guests really safe today?

ANNABELLE: Ahahahahahaha, hahahahahahaha! (Laughs uncontrolably) David, my boy, hehehehehehehe...(Tries hard to control herself) the IMAGINATION INSTITUTE is the safest place in heaven.

Machine in background sparks, causing some static to appear on the screen. Anna grabs safety mask from nearby angel assistant.

ANNABELLE: Uh, as you can see, we ah, always insist on wearing industrial density, heavy duty safety goggles around all new inventions. And for our visitors, offer these. (Holds up another pair of 3D glasses) They will protect you from flying debris which can occur at anytime during a demostration.

DAVID: (Shocked) Great Scott! (Sounds like Doc Brown) Did you say flying debris?

ANNABELLE: (Also looks suprised) Oh, did I? Ah, well, gosh. I'd love to stay and chit-chat with you for hours, but unfortunately, I can just see one of my assistants is, ah, is calling me over...over there, ah. I'll see you later, Sevile Jr. Bye-bye, ta-tah, too-da-loo! (Blows goodbye kiss, and vanishes)

DAVID: Well there you have it. Today all eyes will be on Charlie Barkin as he demostrates his new and improved Shrinking & Enlarging Laser before all the angels in heaven and receive his INVENTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD at the ceremony tonight. This is David Sevile Jr., for WORLD NEWS NETWORK, signing off. (And the signal goes off-line)

With that the scene now shows us traveling up from Earth, into the skies and higher still, beyond the heavens until we arrive in the kingdom and pass through the HEAVENLY GOLDEN GATES. Were the events shown on WNN an isolated incident, or were they foreshadowing the flow of events yet to come???

END OF PART 1

Go to Part 2!