Training Time

5 months later…

February 3001

Silva: Hey, quit shoving me into the snow, Dante! It's too cold!

Dante: How can you be raised here your entire life and complain about the snow!

Silva: (frowns) I always hate being cold.

Dante: Whatever ya big wuss.

Uncle Rob: Knock it off you two! You both aren't done with today's schedule yet.

Silva: What's next Uncle Rob?

Uncle Rob: I want you two to work on your smearing.

Writer's Note: (Smearing happens when you don't have an actual foothold, so you rely on your shoe's rubber for friction against the rock. Smearing is useful in slab climbing, when you're on low-angle rock without many defined footholds).

Johnny Rocket: Yes, it would be best if you upgraded to this rock over here. (Johnny Rocket points to a large sized boulder to climb).

Dante: No problem, Johnny! (Dante rushes towards the boulder)

Silva: Hey wait up! (Silva follows Dante)

Silva and Dante begin climbing the boulder, however, Uncle Rob and Johnny Rocket fly up top with the power of Johnny's inherited item power.

Silva: No fair!

Dante: Yeah, you are certainly cheating, Johnny and Mr. Baywest!

Johnny Rocket: Listen here runts, we earned this luxury to be able to do this through intense work from when we were young.

Uncle Rob: That's right, seems we must be going a little too easy on you lads to hear such complaining all the time.

Johnny Rocket: Hey Baywest are you thinking what I'm thinking? (slightly smirks)

Uncle Rob: (slight smirk) Indeed, Johnny I am.

Uncle Rob and Johnny Rocket begin pouring oil down parts of the boulder.

Johnny Rocket: Try not to fall.

Dante: You ain't gettin the best of me Johnny!

Silva begins to struggle with his space being surrounded by oil.

Silva: Uhhhh, Uncle Rob! I don't know if I can do this.

Uncle Rob: Find your footing Silva! Remember to rely on your footwork as a base and use them to find small areas of friction. Then hoist yourself up.

Silva: (begins smearing) Okay I think I got it!

Uncle Rob: Great. Now gain momentum to get yourself out of that oily area!

Silva attempts several times until he really goes for it but slips. Just as Silva begins to fall, Dante lowers his position and catches his hand.

Silva: (surprised tone) Thanks Dante!

Dante: Don't thank me yet Silv.

Dante attempts to pull Silva up to where he is. They both lose their balance and fall on the ground.

Dante and Silva: Ouuuch.

Uncle Rob: Not too bad you two.

Johnny Rocket: (notices the sun beginning to set) Yeah we will pick things up tomorrow.

Dante: (lowers his head) But we failed the last exercise Johnny.

Johnny Rocket: That may be true, but that's bound to happen my man.

Uncle Rob: Thing is, you would've failed even if you had reached the top without one another.

Uncle Rob: The most important rule of climbing with others is… what gentlemen?

Silva: (innocently) Keeping your arms straight?...

(a minute of silence)

Dante: (picks his head up) Never leave your mate behind.

Johnny Rocket: Bingo.

Uncle Rob: As long as you both understand that, I'd say today was a success. Learn from your technical mistakes you both made today but the climber's cold is most important to learn.

Johnny Rocket: Alright Baywest, let's allow that to sink in for them. I say we set up camp here for the night.

Uncle Rob: Suppose you're right about that Johnny, Silva and Dante you know the drill. Go make yourselves useful.

Silva and Dante sluggishly drag their feet away from Johnny Rocket and Uncle Rob.

Johnny Rocket: (playfully teasing) First one with the most firewood gets the last marshmallow to roast.

(Silva and Dante then find a second wind and are gone before the narrator can finish this sentence)

Uncle Rob: I think you know what time it is Johnny?

Johnny Rocket: (cracks open two brewskis) You betcha Baywest!

Uncle Rob: Least it will make setting up the tents a bit more bearable.

Johnny Rocket: Indeed.

Scene fades.

5 years have passed.

February 3006

Johnny Rocket wakes in the middle of the night to a signal from his headset that he uses for communication via his astronaut powers. He picks up the signal and begins secretly communicating with someone.

Johnny Rocket: (whispers softly) What is the meaning of this call? You know I still have a few more months left, right?

Anonymous: I know but this is an urgent matter. There was an incident yesterday that hasn't reached the north yet. The Palutists were involved.

Johnny Rocket: (speaking in code) No way, the painting was red! What shade?

Anonymous voice: Southeast.

Johnny Rocket: How many people were there at the gallery?

Anonymous voice: About 2,500 victims.

Johnny Rocket: That's a real shame. I will be over to support soon.

Anonymous voice: Make sure this also gets to-

Johnny abruptly ends the call.

Johnny Rocket: (sighing) What a mess.