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Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet & Clank, or any of its associated characters and lore. That right belongs to Insomniac Games.
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Rivet's Whisperer
[RW]
Phonica Moon, Polaris Galaxy
To say that it had been a stressful day for Rivet and her unlikely team would be an understatement. Having been abducted from Planet Igliak and stranded on the distant world of Magnus that was terrorized by wild animals from across the universe as much as by the killer robots that had abducted them all in the first place, Rivet, her best friend, Kit, their ever-helpful ally, Captain Carl Lepton Quantum, and the worst archenemy for all three of them, Emperor Nefarious, were all forced to unite if it meant escaping Magnus at least and saving the planet at most.
As the quartet explored the planet together, they picked up clues on the circumstances that led to the Creature Collectors coming into being, which eventually led them to the Phonica Moon orbiting Magnus where they hoped to find the one scientist that could help them take down the Collectors for good. Fighting their way past a different batch of robots separate from the Collectors, Rivet and her party soon found themselves in an odd laboratory packed with monitors of many critters either natives to Magnus, or forcibly moved there, as well as that of a world Rivet did not recognize by appearance or titled name alike.
"Planet Toranux," Rivet said aloud the location's identity in confusion before turning to her small robotic friend, Kit, who was observing a photo of two Tharpods, the native sophont species of Magnus, and asked her, "Does that name ring a bell to you, Kit? Cause I never heard of it."
"I am not really sure, Rivet," Kit replied before turning to the taller beings in the room with them. "Do either of you know," she asked.
Adopting a contemplative facial expression, the orange spandexed Quantum soon answered, "Well, I do remember chatting up with our pirate associates about Polaris folklores, and Pierre actually told me of an old Cragmite story about one of them being stranded on a haunted planet called Toranux before he eventually escaped and then came back with a weapon that destroyed it."
The skeletal robot beside Quantum released a mocking snort. "Figures that the man-child among us would acquaint himself with silly old fables instead of actually becoming the focus of newer history books," turning his gaze back to his annoyed enemies, the self-proclaimed Emperor Nefarious added, "It is a good thing that I always aim for bigger heights in reality."
Before any of the more heroic members in the group could retort Nefarious's words, they soon heard excited murmuring coming from further in the lab which prompted Rivet to lead the team to find an elderly Tharpod apparently experimenting on rocks.
"They can't survive outside, so they need vessels," the Tharpod declared in a recording device of his before Rivet felt the need to interrupt upon recognizing the man's appearance and voice from the few holo-diaries they found on Magnus.
"Doctor Croid?"
Turning his attention to his back, Frumpus Croid's wondering expression soon changed to absolute amazement upon noticing Rivet and declaring, "My stars! A female Lombax!" He then quickly and surprisingly placed his hands around Rivet's head as he examined her, saying, "What a remarkable specimen, shiny coat and all!" Noticing Rivet's yellow cybernetic prosthetic of a right arm, Croid gasped with sympathy as he patted the creeped out Lombax on the head, adding, "Oh, I'm so sorry about your arm, you poor thing," then turning to an unsure Kit and noticing her own yellow color scheme, said, "I believe we can thank you for her continual survival, though."
"Well, I-," Kit's awkward response was then cut off when Croid handed her a business card which she then proceeded to read aloud. "Doctor Frumpus Croid. Astrophysicist, paradoxologist, and," her awkwardness then returned before confusingly adding, "Lombax whisperer?"
"What," Rivet uttered just as confused.
Getting the idea very quick, Quantum began to delicately tell his companion, "Rivet, don't get mad, but-," before he was interrupted by Nefarious's obnoxious laughter.
"He believes you're an animal to translate," the evil tyrant cackled to himself with a finger pointed at Rivet, who was incredibly unpleased by the news.
With a groan, Rivet turned back to Croid, saying, "Dr. Croid, I don't need a translator. We're all here because your "old friend", Nevo Binklemeyer, has been using your work to bring monsters to Magnus, and you might be the best help we'll get in stopping him."
Upon the end of Rivet's explanation, Croid seemed to have understood the whole speech as his look indicated before he pulled out a treat from his pocket, announcing, "She's saying she's hungry."
"Of all the whacky-," Rivet's rant was interrupted right then when Croid placed the whole thing into her mouth and patted the embarrassed Lombax on the head again much to the restrained yet visible amusement of Kit.
"Let me try reasoning with him, girls," Quantum volunteered with a strained smile before turning to Croid. "Listen, Doctor, I think speak for everyone when I say that I completely respect that you've lived a trying isolation here on the moon. But my friends and I are trying to save your planet, so why don't we all act calm, and you can tell us how to stop Nevo?"
Croid's only response was to stare at Quantum with mind-numbed look that shortly brought Quantum's hopeful grin into a worried frown.
"That's how we do it," Nefarious himself declared, having moved to look over one of Croid's computers while the three heroes were trying to talk sensibly with the Tharpod. He then breakdanced and exclaimed, "Score one for Emperor Nefarious!"
Joining him at the console to look over Nefarious's findings, Kit was sufficiently impressed at the information she saw. "You found Ephemeris's charging dock on Magnus via triangulating the sonar ping it emits to keep ships from flying into it," she noted to the smug villain. With arms folded, she then added, "If it was not for the fact that Quantum, Rivet, and I know you, we would probably bump fists with you in congratulations."
"Your loss, Kit!"
Moving on from Nefarious's boasting, and having a clear destination in mind, Rivet tried once more to get through to the senile Tharpod in the room, saying, "Dr. Croid? We're going to stop Nevo from hurting anyone else, but we could really use your help." Handing him the photograph of himself and Nevo in their younger and better days to see if it would have an effect, she then asked, "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
After a long moment of silence, Croid finally gasped in stunned surprise. "Of course, how could I not see the signs," he exclaimed which got expectant looks from the three heroes and villain alike before bringing their hopes crashing down as he added, "This young lady is a mother to be!" Croid then moved away, saying, "I'll have to find my notes about Lombax newborns for just this moment."
Another long moment passed before Rivet, in sheer horror at the implications, turned to Kit desperately asking, "Kit, have I been gaining weight?"
Before Kit could respond to the question, Nefarious uncontrollably began to laugh again, prompting her to angrily tell him, "Grow up, Nefarious!"
Exhaling in sheer annoyance, Quantum then suggested, "Maybe we should ask the doctor for things we do need while we're here and then be on our way, like real food, water, ammo, and baggies, I guess?"
"Baggies," his three companions all yelled in unison before Nefarious laughed even more.
Rivet herself growled before turning to an embarrassed Quantum with an accusing finger. "Now you're doing it," she practically screamed.
Gesturing for calm with his arms, Quantum then said, "They wouldn't be just for you, Rivet. In my defense, it's been a long trip in just one day."
Hearing the emphasis in his tone of voice, Rivet, Kit, and a more relaxed Nefarious all turned away as they all replied in unison, "True."
[RW]
Figuring out what to write next had been very stressful for me lately, but then I figured that a Rivet & Kit version of one of the funniest cutscenes from Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One would not be a bad idea to write about to pass the time.