As Twilight began examining her new gadget, the computer spoke up. "Attention minions, you have not been certified for Vac-U operation. Initiating tutorial program Alpha 2-4."
"Ooh!" Twilight squealed happily. "This is going to be fun!" She raced forward, leading the way to the activation platform. Qwark, Nefarious, and Alister followed with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Once the platform was activated, the four were surrounded with bright light.
As the light faded, Alister glanced around at the similar yet different surroundings. "So...VR or teleported?" he asked curiously as the group followed the only path.
"Not sure," Twilight replied. "I don't feel like we've moved anywhere, but then again that's been out of whack since we arrived here, so we might have. Nefarious?"
"My Personal Locator isn't doing much better," Nefarious replied. "And my sensors don't extend too far beyond organic range of detection due to the roboticization process, so your guess is as good as mine."
"I think it's VR!" Qwark proclaimed firmly.
"That confirms it, we teleported," Nefarious sniped back.
"Hey..." Qwark complained, pouting.
"Be nice," Twilight chided Nefarious.
"Never!" the robotic doctor proclaimed.
"For me?" Twilight wheedled, using her most winsome tone.
"Nope!" Nefarious countered. "I draw the line at to you."
"We need to use the Vac-U's to launch spheres into an incinerator," Alister pointed out, stepping back in from the next room. "Are you all going to lend a hand, or should I do this myself and leave you three to your banter?"
"Very Aperture Science now," Twilight murmured, stepping inside.
"Only if they're Edge-less Safety Cubes!" Nefarious countered.
Rolling his eyes, Alister continued clearing the 'training' course. Once the group made it past the incinerator room, they found that the force of the Vac-U's worked well for breaking crates and drawing in bolts, though none hesitated to put them on Twilight's account. Beyond there, they discovered a gadget specifically designed to interact with the Vac-U, called a Power Plunger. Drawing the plug out of the Plunger with the Vac-U activated - or deactivated, as the case might be - the connected device.
"Okay, it makes sense to have power couplings designed to interact with these," Twilight murmured. "Well, as much sense for so many devices scattered around to need an Omniwrench to activate when so few people actually have one...but really? Power Plunger?"
"What else would you call it?" Qwark asked curiously.
Twilight paused, her lips moving as she sounded out a few other possible ideas. "...okay, fair enough. The only other ideas I can come up with are either overly technical or even worse."
"What's wrong with the Torsion Turbine?" Nefarious asked. "The suction does go in a twisting motion, after all."
Twilight grinned widely. "Good one, Nefarious!" she praised, making the not-so-good doctor rub the back of his dome, embarrassed.
As Qwark and Alister activated the Power Plungers to move forward, the computer spoke again. "Objective complete. Well done, minions. You are almost ready to go forth and oppress the Farpods."
"Just a shot in the dark here," Alister murmured, "but I think Susie might be a Farpod."
"Maybe," Twilight replied.
In the next room, strange fuzzy creatures of unidentifiable origin bounced around. "These creatures have been released from their pens," the computer intoned. "Use your Vac-U's to capture them."
"Is that...safe?" Twilight murmured worriedly.
"Your Vac-U's will store critters using the Master's patented Zepto-shrink technology," the computer replied.
"First Portal, now Pokemon?" Nefarious demanded. "What next, Mech Warriors?"
"Oh, I hope so!" Twilight squealed out eagerly.
"Me too!" Qwark agreed happily as he scooped up a critter.
"I hope we make it out of this facility soon," Alister grumbled as the group stepped onto another pad.
A bright flash of light later, the group found themselves in yet another new location.
"Ha!" Nefarious proclaimed. "Called it! We teleported!"
"And now it's a dead end," Alister pointed out, approaching a wide gap without swingshot targets.
"Your Vac-U's can also be used to launch other minions across wide gaps," the computer informed them.
"...I walked right into this-OOOOONNNNEEEE!" Alister's groan turned into a scream as Qwark launched him across the gap, the remaining trio using their swingshots to pull themselves after Alister. Grumbling, Alister smashed a nearby robot.
"Attention, minion," the computer intoned, "you have now been scheduled for anger management class."
"Up your exhaust!" Alister snapped angrily.
"That is the correct location," the computer replied, leaving a flabbergasted Alister and a highly amused Twilight and Nefarious.
One last 'training' obstacle awaited them, a switch similar to what they'd encountered back on Igliak that required being slammed into the ground, but projected up high from the wall. Twilight dealt with it by launching Qwark upwards, letting him slam the switch down.
"Well done, minions," the computer intoned. "Your Vac-U training is almost complete."
"What's left?" Twilight inquired curiously as the group stepped onto another platform, teleporting to a new location.
"I doubt it'll be pleasant," Alister grumbled.
"Your Vac-U's contain a rechargeable nanotech dispersal unit," the computer intoned. "This enhances your ability to make fellow minions less dead."
"So if one of us is running low on nanotech," Twilight interpreted, "we can recharge them by holding them in the Vac-U?"
"Sounds like it," Nefarious mused. "Interesting..." He stroked his chin as he stared at the gadget in his hand.
"And you were worried it would be unpleasant," Qwark teased Alister, gently bumping him on the arm.
At that moment, Qwark was zapped by a jolt of electricity, rapidly draining his nanotech to critical levels.
"Qwark!" Twilight called out worriedly, locking her Vac-U onto Qwark and pulling him in. Within moments, Qwark's nanotech was restored and he recovered.
"Ooh...tingly..." Qwark murmured as he steadied himself.
"Told you so," Alister grumbled under his breath.