McMillan Tech Industries Lake Point Branch, Public Relations Department
Samantha Duncan was more or less in charge of this four-person Transformation Gun retrieval team, even though Doug Sallow technically was her immediate superior, being the current Department Head of Research and Development. Since Samantha knew more about the Transformation Guns than Sallow, or Teresa Talton or Milt Smukmeyer, it was generally agreed that she should take the lead in this mission.
All of them had their packs with them, where they stored the Transformation Guns when they found them. In addition to the Goth Gun and the Noitarotser (Un-Restoration) Gun, they had recovered the Steampunk Gun, the Hillbilly Gun, and the Nerd Gun without incident.
Samantha knew there was at least one of each type of Transformation Gun on the above-ground floors of McMillan Tech Industries headquarters. And if what she and her companions had just heard was any indcation, there were three of the stranger ones causing a disturbance in the Public Relations Department.
Samantha turned to her companions. Doug Sallow, she knew, was determined to see this through. He and PR Department Head Suzanne Sendletter got along pretty well, and since Ms. Sendletter was not in the building right now (apparently she was visiting the Pittsburgh branch and meeting with Denise Brewster, current head of the Pittsburgh branch), it fell to everyone else to make sure the PR Department did not just degenerate into chaos when it would be needed in the coming days and weeks. Sallow intended to do his part, on behalf of his friend as well as MTI.
Teresa Talton was reliable and dependable. A dark-haired, tall young woman in her mid-thirties, she was skilled with designing electronics. She was also good friends with Coach Felicia Berry of Lake Point High School, and as a result kept herself in good shape without the need for any Jock Gun zap enhancement.
Milt Smukmeyer was a brilliant technician, and good at both designing and programming. Though normally the things he designed were nowhere near steampunk-influenced, and instead influenced by 21st century technology. Despite still being under the influence of the Steampunk Gun, he still appeared as dependable as ever. Milt's son Walter was friends with Samantha's son Jay Duncan, so she would often see Milt outside of workplace settings.
Samantha trusted her companions to have her back, and they in turn trusted her. This was good, considering that they were going into yet another bizarre Transformation Gun-created situation.
As they crossed over into the PR Department, they were greeted by two clowns armed with squirt bottles, spraying random people. "Where did they get those squirt bottles?" Milt asked.
One of the clowns turned to Milt, and sprayed him in the face with a water bottle. This close, the group could see the squirt bottles were spray bottles meant for watering potted plants. Teresa Talton wasted no time, and zapped the clown with a Restoration Gun.
The clown turned into an ordinary middle aged man, and Samantha instantly recognized him. It was Owen Graison, a member of the PR Department who Samantha had seen now and then. "Thank God!" he exhaled. "I was getting tired of having to dress in that silly costume and pull pranks on people but ..."
He was interrupted by the other clown, who brought out a can of whipped cream and sprayed him and Teresa Talton in the face. Teresa staggered backward, and dropped her Restoration Gun.
Samantha had her own Restoration Gun ready, and quickly zapped the other clown. The clown turned into a balding middle aged man, who frowned at her. "What'd you do THAT for?" he said.
"We're here to make sure things are orderly and not at all chaotic here." Samantha said. "That means stopping people from causing trouble as a result of Transformation Guns showing up here."
"Hey, I was just kidding around!" the man said. "Where's your sense of humor?"
"That's Neil Nallon." Owen explained. "He's our office practical joker. The whole clown thing isn't far removed from how he acts normally."
"There's nothing wrong with the occasional whoopie cushion now and then." Neil said, with a smile.
"Practical jokes and clowning around are fine as long as they're not disrupting your co-workers in the course of their duties." Sallow said. "But everything I've seen of the Clown Gun tells me it causes most people to be nothing BUT disruptive. If you still have it, I request that you hand it over to us."
"I'm sorry. I don't have it anymore." Neil said. "After I zapped Owen and Nick with it, Jessie took it away."
"Ms. Clyborne is afraid of clowns." Owen Graison said. "But she's not afraid of cheerleaders. Look over there."
He pointed to an open area between a set of cubicles and three offices where a woman dressed in normal business attire was observing the actions of three young women dressed in cheerleading uniforms.
Oddly enough, the three cheerleaders were dressed in different uniforms, and appeared to be taking turns with different cheers.
Samantha knew right away that this was the result of the Cheerleader Gun in action. She turned to her companions, signaling them to follow her in confronting the cheerleaders.
