[This is Rex, looking a lot, umm.... healthier than usual. And dressed like a normal human being instead of Darth Vader. Really, the only way to tell that this is the ~mysterious~ Doctor (aside from the Network ID) is the fact that he's recording this from the same spartan apartment as his other posts are filmed from. He's holding up some blueprints of various weapons, armors, more nanomites... Not that it's easy to tell unless you're paying attention; he doesn't hold them up for very long.]

These schematics, they're... They're incredible! But they're not-- I didn't make them. [He furrows his brow.] The handwriting's the same, but some of these designs are decades off from even being possible. So I don't know if someone was in my apartment last night, or if it's a curse or... or I made some kind of trade with the deities and now my memory's swiss cheese.

[He flips through some of the blueprints and stops on one, holding it up. It's the one for lemonade-delivering nanomites, from last month's curse.] I can't even begin to make sense of this one. It's kind of deranged. But I was thinking, with the right adjustments, nanotech like this could be developed to remove certain elements from the body. Toxins and venoms, for example. [Well, it makes more sense than lemonade. He shrugs and sets the blueprints down.] Not that it's anything more than a pipe dream right now. I can't even begin to imagine how much R&D for something like this to cost.

[His mouth quirks into a smile and he jokingly adds:] But hey, if you've got the money, we should talk.

Anyway, I was thinking of exploring the City's nightlife tonight. Anyone have any recommendations?

[OOC: This is "The Years That Never Were" Rex! Unlike in canon, he didn't get blown up by the US army, so he made it out of his mission healthy and intact, and thus didn't work for Destro and become a supervillain. He's just a regular army scientist and still a little evil, but he's much better at hiding it, and he's a lot more sociable now. The downside is he's not as advanced a scientist, because he hasn't been exposed to awesome MARS tech.

He thinks he's been in the City like this the whole time. He'll be affected for both days.]

[Enjoy the sight of 98lbs of manliness. Rex is naked, except for his ventilator, his body mostly covered in scar tissue. Lucky you, you only see him from the waist up as he lounges decadently on his couch. And now he pulls off the ventilator, revealing his totally handsome face for the first time. Although his breathing is rough and his voice raspy and strained, he seems totally chill.]

Ah, that's better...

I don't think I'll be coming in to work today. Nudity and... [Wheeze, gasp] heavy machinery make poor bedfellows.

[And on goes the ventilator again, because breathing trumps his desire to be totally naked.]



[ooc: at work, so tags on this post and his last will commence in the evening!]

I'm afraid you won't find any announcements from me today, City. [Thankfully.  He has no idea what he'd reveal if he was affected. The man likes his secrets.]  I know, it's such a disappointment.

What I do have is questions.  Specifically concerning trades-- "deals with the devil," so to speak.

[What can he say?  Piglet's post got him interested.]

To those of you with experience in the matter: what have the so-called deities procured for you?  And what have they asked for in return?  Did you think it was worth it, your... sacrifice?

Ah... visitors. [His eyes say he's smiling.] Always a pleasant surprise. Allow me to offer you a warm welcome to the City. You'll find your way around, I'm sure.

Now, I don't suppose it would be too optimistic to hope that a James McCullen is among you. [Murmuring:] Or even Mr. Zartan...

[OOC: DESSSSTRO, COME IN, DESSSSTROOO. Or anyone. EXCEPT FOR JOES >CCC (No, Joes would be awesome) Just don't tell him he's fictional.]

[Rex is standing in his neat and sterile apartment, before a work table with a pitcher of totally normal and innocent looking lemonade on it.]

Ah, lemonade. Its ability to refresh, to quench one's thirst, is undeniable-- in those of us who are human, at any rate. There's something about it that can even elevate the mood, foster feelings of relaxation. Why, it's something of a... summertime panacea. [A muttered aside:] Or placebo, if we really want to be honest.

[Hey, shut up and sell your lemonade, Rex.]

Now, it tastes delicious, I'm sure. But what of those of us with certain... difficulties that make drinking quite an ordeal? What about those of who can't handle the tartness, or who are dieting, or who simply want the satisfaction of lemonade without drinking it?

I have a solution.

[Excitably, he picks up some blueprints off the table. They feature some designs and schematics for these precious babies.]

Nanomites. Capable of delivering lemonade directly to your system! They could even be programmed to stimulate the particular cranial nerves that carry taste information, as well as the cerebral cortex, to simulate the flavor of the lemonade. And, for those of you worried about your figures, this method is entirely calorie-free.

All it takes is one injection. And, ah... seed money for equipment, research and development. [Murmuring:] Something in the range of several billion...

[Now, while the purpose of these nanomites is absurd, those who are scientifically-inclined may note that the blueprints feature some, well, sound science and engineering. Rex knows his stuff, even when his stuff is selling lemonade via robot injection.]

I look forward to hearing from potential investors.

Dear City,

I have something of a hypothetical dilemma, purely for the sake of discussion. Say one has been HYPOTHETICALLY beaten to a pulp by a child no older than eleven.  What would be an age-appropriate retaliation?  This obviously calls for some manner of revenge, but I suspect killing a child would be frowned upon by the populace-- not that I ever would kill a child, even in a completely fabricated situation with no bearing on reality. [Haha... ha... Yes.] Turning the other cheek is out of the question, as both cheeks are quite bruised (not literally).  What would you do if you were in my this hypothetical situation?

Yours,

Beaten and Bitter

[OOC: So Mindy beat up Rex during the Grab Bag Weekend :CCC  ALSO HI, I KNOW I'M SUPER BEHIND ON TAGS, I WILL GET TO THEM THIS EVENING WHEN I RETURN FROM WORK.  This muse just sort of got away from me for a while, but now he's back.]

[Rex is back, only this time his creepiness is offset by the fact that he's currently cradling a... hairless sphynx cat in his arms. Somebody's found himself a soulmate! He's idly rubbing its belly with one gloved hand, and the cat looks at the communication device with its wrinkly, scowly face, as if to say "You got a problem with this?" Rex's eyes are red-rimmed and a bit watery, thanks to, WHOOPS, A CAT ALLERGY. It turns out sphynx cats aren't hypoallergenic.]

I still don't believe there's anything magical about this. With the right stimuli, people can be compelled to do anything.

[Hmph. As if on cue, he cuddles the cat even more. Ughhh, this disgusts him.]

Anyway. The reason for this transmission is... I'm in need of a job. I'm a scientist-- an engineer by trade. I have a PhD in Biomedical Engineering and-- [The cat bats at his wig. He scowls and swats its paw, causing the cat to play-bat at his hand and snag its claws on his glove. WHY CAN'T HE STOP HUGGING IT.] a degree in computer programming. I've also provided my share of medical services. [Both in the army and, uh, to his... human test subjects.] As you can imagine, such versatility has given me a wide range of experiences that would suit any employer well. A full resume can be provided upon request.

If there are any openings for jobs in the sciences, I'd be most grateful if you let me knew.

[The cat yowls and Rex shoots it a scowl.]

I hate cats...

[Well, hello, City. Have a creepy man standing near the creepy carousel. He's peering closely at the device, fiddling with it a little, then his eyes light up with interest once he realizes it's on. A new toy! When he speaks, his voice is raspy and obviously modified by the device on his face. He drags his s's out, just a touch.]

There we go. How kind of my kidnappers to leave me with this device.

Now, this entire scenario is inconvenient, to say the least. I was in the middle of something. But it would appear I'm hardly the only one in this situation, so I won't bother asking for a way out of the City; I'm sure nobody here has that particular answer. Rescue will come eventually. [Because he's way too valuable to MARS Industries, yup. They'll just send Storm Shadow in to break him out or something.]

In the meantime, I suppose I'll make myself comfortable, provided nothing in the water turns me into a talking, ah. Equine. Would anyone be so kind as to tell me what there is to do to while away our captivity?

Ah, and you can call me... [He smiles, corners of his eyes crinkling.] Doctor.

[Just a helpful doctor. There's nothing villainous about him at all, nope.]