The Lab
11:25 AM October 30th, 2030
Seiko Karaoke Laboratory
Maya and Franziska followed Naomi to the back of Seiko Karaoke, where they saw a large metal door. Naomi typed in a code on the pad and the door opened with a loud creak. They stepped inside and were shocked at what they saw.
The room was dark with only a few dim lights, casting long shadows across the room. In the middle of the room was a large slab, covered in a white sheet. Surrounding the slab were various instruments and machines, all connected to the slab. The air was thick with the smell of chemicals, and the hum of electricity filled the room.
"This is my lab," Naomi said, with a smile on her face. "This is where I've been working on bringing Seiko back."
"How?" Maya asked, looking around the lab in amazement.
"I've been experimenting with dimensional travel," Naomi explained. "I believe I've found a way to bring Seiko back from the other dimension."
Franziska raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
"I've created a machine that can bridge the gap between dimensions," Naomi said, with a proud smile. "All I need is a willing subject to test it on."
"You want us to test it?" Maya asked, feeling uneasy.
"I can't think of anyone better," Naomi said, placing a hand on Maya's shoulder. "You're both spiritually sensitive, which makes you ideal candidates for this experiment."
Franziska crossed her arms. "And what makes you think that bringing Seiko back is a good idea?"
"Because I love her," Naomi said, with a sad smile. "And I know she would want to come back if she could. I can't let her be lost forever."
Maya placed a hand on Naomi's arm. "I understand how you feel, Naomi. But what if something goes wrong? What if Seiko comes back different, or worse?"
"I've thought of that," Naomi said, with a determined look in her eyes. "I've done everything I can to make sure the experiment is safe. I've tested it on animals, and they've all come back fine. I'm confident that it will work."
Franziska sighed. "I don't like this, Maya. It's too dangerous."
"But we have to help Naomi," Maya said, pleadingly. "We can't just leave her alone in this. What if she does something stupid?"
"Fine," Franziska said, reluctantly. "But I'm keeping a close eye on the experiment."
Naomi beamed with excitement. "Thank you so much, both of you. I promise this will be worth it."
With that, Naomi led them to the slab and began to hook them up to the various machines and instruments. Maya and Franziska exchanged worried glances, unsure of what was to come.
Naomi typed in some commands on her computer, and the machines began to hum to life. The room began to shake, and a bright light filled the room.
Maya and Franziska felt themselves being pulled in different directions as if they were being stretched thin. They screamed out in pain, but the noise was drowned out by the sound of the machines.
And then, suddenly, everything went black. Until Seiko opened her eyes and a disco ball emerged from the ceiling. Seiko opened her mouth. At first her voice is robotic and lacked warmth, untul the glithes died out a high-piched vocals echoed through the hall. Seiko stood up and started dancing to a glitched remix of Right Said Fred's club anthem. "I'm too sexy for this lab, too sexy for this lab so sexy it hurts."
Maya and Franziska felt awkward and out of place as they were pulled into Seiko's dance routine. They were both relieved to see Seiko alive and well, but the sudden burst of energy and eccentricity was a bit overwhelming for them. As Seiko continued to dance, Maya and Franziska exchanged uncomfortable glances, unsure of what to do. Maya tried to keep up with Seiko's moves, but she felt clumsy and out of rhythm. Franziska, on the other hand, was standing awkwardly to the side, refusing to join in on the dance.
"I'm too sexy for this lab, too sexy for this lab. So sexy, it hurts!" Seiko continued to sing, and as she finished the line, she turned to face Maya and Franziska, gesturing for them to join in.
"Come on, girls! Let loose and have some fun!" Seiko said with a big grin on her face.
Maya smiled nervously, still feeling out of place. "I'm not really much of a dancer," she said apologetically.
Franziska crossed her arms and shook her head. "I'm not dancing to this foolishly ridiculous song," she said sternly.
Seiko pouted for a moment, but then her mischievous grin returned. "Well, if you won't dance, then at least sing with me!"
And with that, Seiko grabbed Maya and Franziska's hands and pulled them in close as she continued to sing the lyrics to the song. Maya and Franziska reluctantly joined in, their voices awkwardly blending with Seiko's sultry tone.
As they sang and danced, Seiko's infectious energy began to rub off on them. Maya started to loosen up, feeling the rhythm of the music and moving her body in a way that felt natural. Franziska still refused to dance, but she began to nod her head along to the beat and hum the tune under her breath.
"I'm too sexy for my car, too sexy for my car. Too sexy by far. And I'm too sexy for my hat, too sexy for my hat. What do you think about that?"
As the song came to an end, Seiko let out a playful giggle and gave both Maya and Franziska a tight squeeze. "I knew you both had it in you," she said, grinning from ear to ear.
Maya and Franziska both let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the dance was over. But as they looked at each other, they couldn't help but smile at how ridiculous the whole situation was. For a moment, they forgot about the danger of the experiment and just enjoyed the absurdity of the moment.
12.05 PM October 30th, 2030
Seiko Karaoke Bar
Hallway
Larry Butz zoomed down the hallway on his roller skates, singing at the top of his lungs. "Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm a woman's man, no time to talk!" he belted out as he weaved past the ghouls that tried to grab him.
But the ghouls were relentless, and they chased him down the corridor. "Got the wings of heaven on my shoes, I'm a dancing man and I just can't lose," Larry continued singing, dodging a ghoul's outstretched hand.
As he skated past Detective Dick Gumshoe, he noticed the detective bobbing his head along to the beat. "Stayin' alive, stayin' alive," Gumshoe sang out loud, "Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive."
Larry grinned, glad to have found someone who appreciated his musical stylings. "You should join in, Gumshoe!" he shouted over his shoulder, "Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive."
Gumshoe chuckled, but he couldn't resist the infectious beat. "Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin', and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive," he sang as he followed Larry down the hallway, keeping a safe distance from the ghouls.
As they continued singing, Larry spotted an open window at the end of the hallway. "I'm goin' nowhere, somebody help me," he sang, picking up speed. "Somebody help me, yeah, I'm stayin' alive!"
With a final burst of energy, Larry leaped out the window and landed safely on a bed of roses. Gumshoe peered out the window and saw Larry skating away, still singing at the top of his lungs. "Well done, partner," Gumshoe muttered to himself, "That's one way to stay alive in this crazy place."