Hydroelectrical Power

by luiz4200

Summary:

Johnny Worthington III's scheme might have failed but now Monsters, Inc. faces a different threat: another alternative power source.

Chapter 1: A New Alternative

Disclaimer: I don't own the Monsters, Inc. franchise.

Hydroelectrical Power

Chapter 1: A New Alternative

Inside their office at Monsters, Inc., James Patrick "Sulley" Sullivan and Michael "Mike" Wazowski were watching tv show "I Scream! U Scream!", hosted by a pair of conjoined twin monsters named Jack and Jill. "And Monstropolis rejoices as fugitive Randall Boggs is recaptured." Jill commented. "In addition to his previous crimes working for Henry Waternoose and Johnny Worthington, Boggs was caught stealing props from jokesters and framing Mike Wazowski, known as the one jokester who doesn't need props to make children laugh."

"That's right!" Mike proudly exclaimed.

"With that, laugh energy is once again safe for use!" Jack exclaimed.

"At least until Scream Industries convinces the world to accept their alternative energy." Jill replied, shocking practically everyone who was watching their show.

"Another alternative?" Mike asked.

"It seems not everyone willing to seek alternative sources of power was willing to rely on ours." Sulley commented.

"That's right, Jill." Jack agreed with his sister. "Eugene Roberts, new CEO of Scream Industries, is introducing a new way to generate power. Let's talk to him."

A screen in their show features a Dilophosaurus-like monster. "Thank you, Jack and Jill." Eugene Roberts replied. "Two months ago, when Johnny Worthington III was caught stealing laugh power from Monsters, Inc. and trying to pass it as scream power generated by Fear Co., it looked like laugh power would completely replace scream power. However, we at Scream Industries were already working at another kind of power source."

"And how does that power work, Mr. Roberts?" Jill asked.

"At C.R.E.E.P., there was a monster running inside a wheel to generate power and it was noted that running there for 18 hours generated 1 hour of power." Roberts explained. "Seeing that made me wonder if there was a way to make that wheel spin faster and I discussed it with Scream Industries' then CEO and we devised a way to use a waterfall. I believe humans call it "hydroelectrical power"."

"Are you turning water into power?" Jack asked.

"No, the water remains being water." Roberts answered. "I'm only using it to spin the wheels that generate the power but we may call it "water power" for short."

"Catchy name." Sulley commented.

"Whose side are you on?" Mike asked his friend.

"Mr. Roberts, what do you have to say to those who accuse you of only seeking that alternative because you're no longer scary?" Jill asked and he quickly pulled a scary pose on the hosts. "Wow, you still have it!" She commented. "You even knocked off my brother's wig."

"My real hair." Jack replied.

"Anyway, why don't you just switch to laugh power or stay with scream power?" Jill asked Roberts.

"Human kids aren't easy to scare nowadays, which was what led Henry Waternoose the Third to abduct them." Roberts said. "Laugh power might be better and I'm grateful to Monsters, Inc. for opening people's minds to alternative energy sources, but children's mood changes. Not to mention the toxicity factor. Every monster grew up being taught that human kids are the most toxic creatures in existence."

"But are they?" Jack asked. "Nothing happened to those who got too close to the one they used to convince Monstropolis to embrace laugh power."

"There must be some reason for it to be dangerous to mix scream power and laugh power." Roberts said. "We even acquired a scream extractor in case of accidental mix-ups since we're using laugh power for now. Scream Industries' goal is to avoid the toxicity and the uncertainties of scare and laughter by eventually reaching a level where we no longer need humans to generate power."

"And people called us crazy for introducing laugh power." Mike said.

"Mr. Roberts, what about the scarers and the jokesters working for your company?" Jill asked.

"They will get a place at Scream Industries even if they're no longer needed as either scarers or jokesters." Roberts replied and then another monster approached him.

"Is that Professor Brandywine?" Mike asked Sulley.

"Who?" Sulley asked back, surprising Mike.

"Pardon the interruption, Mr. Roberts." Professor Brandywine stated in monotone. "We are ready to collect hydroelectrical energy."

"Yes, that's him alright." Mike commented, unable to forget how his former scream can design teacher sounded.

"He does sound familiar but I still don't remember him." Sulley commented.

"I'm glad to hear it, Professor." Roberts said and then addressed Jack and Jill. "Jack, Jill, this is Professor William Brandywine, teacher for Scream Can Design 101 at Monsters University."

"Now I remember him." Sulley said, still sore over being kicked out of Monsters University's scare program.

"Nice to meet you, Professor Brandywine." Jack politely said.

"Charmed." Professor Brandywine stated, still sounding dull.

"Professor Brandywine, how do you feel about the introduction of a new alternative power source?" Jill asked.

"Excited." Professor Brandywine answered albeit his tone didn't show any excitement. "Not only we are reaching another step towards avoiding the toxicity but we are hopefully also developing a newfound respect for can designing. Monsters, Inc. had to develop a new can model to contain laugh power."

Eugene Roberts then activated the power generation. "A new era of energy generation has begun." He declared.

At Monsters, Inc.'s mess hall, other monsters were watching the news. "Great. Just great." Tylor Tuskmon sarcastically said. "First I spend years at Monster University to qualify as a scarer only to learn scarers became obsolete and replaced with jokesters. Now that I'm finally getting the hang of it, somebody is threatening the new job as well. With my luck, once I learn how to collect water power, Monstropolis will switch to solar power."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Tylor." Tylor's co-worker and jokester partner Val Little said. "Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Wazowski didn't spend all that effort establishing laugh power to give up that easily. The real surprise was learning Professor Brandywine still teaches."

"You knew him in spite of only staying in Monsters University for one day?" Tylor asked, surprised at this. "I stayed long enough to graduate and I'm barely aware of his existence."

"That's because his course isn't popular among scare students." Val explained. "And I've heard of Professor Brandywine from my Dad, who took his class after being rejected from the scare program."

Another monster joined their conversation. "I wouldn't be worried if I were you, college boy." Duncan P. Anderson said.

"Why not, Duncan?" Tylor asked.

"Even if Monsters, Inc. does switch from laugh power to water power, the both of you can simply become MIFTers again." Duncan explained. "I am the one who needs to worry." He muttered, still afraid Tylor wanted to become head MIFTer.

"See, Tylor?" Val happily asked, oblivious to Duncan's feelings. "Even if the door closes, a window will open."

But Duncan wasn't done speaking. "And besides, the extra machinery might make Roberts need more SIFTers."

"SIFTers?" Tylor and Val asked in confusion.

"MIFT stands for "Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team" so it makes sense to assume our counterparts from Scream Industries are known as "Scream Industries Facilities Team", SIFT for short." Duncan commented.

"Makes sense." Val replied. Tylor refused to comment.

Another employee, Roger Rogers a.k.a. Henry J. Waternoose IV, couldn't help but overhear that conversation. 'Uh-oh, I must warn Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Wazowski.' He thought.

Back at the tv show, Jack and Jill weren't done. "On another news, Fear Co. is back in business." Jill said. "We are now doing an interview with its new CEO, Chet Alexander."

"Way to go, Chet!" Mike exclaimed.

"Jack, Jill, it's nice to be in your show." Chet commented.

"Thank you, Mr. Alexander." Jack replied. "Mr. Alexander, which kind of power will the company produce under your rule?"

"We're switching to laugh power, Jack." Chet answered. "All scarers were given opportunities to become jokesters."

"I refused." Joy said, appearing on the screen. "I'm a scarer and won't downsize myself trying to make kids laugh instead of scream so now I'm working as a janitor. Anyway, thanks for expanding the lunch time, Mr. Alexander."

"It's a pleasure, Joy." Chet replied as she left his office to clean elsewhere. "I couldn't simply fire her after all the screams she got for the company."

"And what do you think about Scream Industries' idea of using water power, Mr. Alexander?" Jill asked.

"I think they had already spent too much on it by the time laugh power became a thing, Jill." Chet answered. "I don't blame them for looking for a power source that doesn't require us to approach human children but it turns out they're not as toxic as we were led to believe. I wonder if it was a rumor started to make us have no moral qualms about scaring the kids."

"Good theory." Sulley agreed.

"So, you're not trying to use water power, right?" Jill asked.

"That's right, Jill." Chet answered. "It's one thing to start all the trouble of building a way to harness water power back when one doesn't expect children to provide enough power to supply the world's needs but we at Fear Co. believe that, like Monsters, Inc., we can convert enough laugh power to avoid needing the new alternative provided by Mr. Roberts."

"One last question, Mr. Alexander." Jack said. "What happened to Johnny Worthington's shares of Fear Co.? Does his wife own them now?"

"No." Chet answered. "Because of Worthington's crimes, the company's bylaws allowed the other stockholders to buy his shares, which were sold by a pittance."

"That's it." Jill commented. "Thank you, Mr. Alexander."

"Will we hire Mrs. Worthington?" Mike asked Sulley.

"Too soon, Mike." Sulley answered.

After the interview was over, Eugene Roberts was inspecting Scream Industries' recently-built facilities. "How's everything going, Professor Brandywine?" He asked.

"We're producing more than expected, Mr. Roberts." Professor Brandywine answered, still showing no emotions. "Add this to the fact we can collect power 24/7 instead of having to wait for human children's bedtime, and we'll be able to eventually eliminate the need for human energy scream and laugh alike."

"Excellent." Roberts said. "We can finally avoid the toxicity in a way even the scare games couldn't have prepared us."

Meanwhile, at the local prison, a routine check-up was being done. "Johnny Worthington?" A guard asked.

"Here." Johnny replied.

"Henry Waternoose?" The guard asked but heard no reply. "Henry Waternoose?" He asked again and, since he still heard no reply, he took a look at the cell Henry Waternoose should be sharing with Johnny Worthington. "Worthington, where's your cellmate?" The guard asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Johnny asked in reply. "It's not my job to keep an eye on him."

"We'll talk about that later." The guard stated with a frown.

End chapter.

Notes:

My OC Eugene Roberts was named after Eugene Falkenburg, engineer who worked on hydroelectrical power plants, and his son Robert, who introduced the concept of fast foods in Brazil.

For Eugene's face, try to picture Diego from Dino Ranch.

Chapter 2: C.R.E.E.P.

Summary:

Water power is introduced at the Convention for Reliable Energy, Efficiency and Power.

Chapter 2: C.R.E.E.P.

Several Monsters, Inc. employees were at the Convention for Reliable Energy, Efficiency and Power. "Are you nervous, Googley Bear?" Mike's girlfriend and coworker Celia Mae asked.

"No, Schmoopsie-poo." Mike answered. "I'm just looking forward showing Roberts how laugh power is better than water power."

"At least we don't need waterfalls to use laugh power." Sulley pointed out.

"That's the spirit, Sulley!" Mike agreed.

As they entered the place, they noticed they once again had as much space as they had before switching to laugh power. "Another sign we're finally being respected." Mike commented.

"We've learned to accept alternative theories." A receptionist said. "We're even giving Scream Industries enough space to present their hydroelectrical theory."

Mike was incensed. "We had all that work to be accepted and things are simply handed over to them?"

"Like I said during my interview, I'm grateful to Monsters, Inc. for making people open their minds to alternative power sources." Eugene Roberts said, surprising everyone.

"You're welcome, Mr. Roberts." Sulley replied, extending his hand for a handshake, which Roberts took.

"Mr. Sullivan, how do you feel about my way to avoid the toxicity?" Roberts asked.

"Believe me, Mr. Roberts." Sulley answered. "Had you presented it back when I still thought humans were toxic, I'd have jumped at the opportunity."

"And now?" Roberts asked.

"Now I see no danger in relying on children's laughter as a power source." Sulley answered.

"Mr. Sullivan, I know I didn't bring it up at my interview but using human children still risks exposure." Roberts pointed out. "What if the adults find out about us?"

"You're just scared." Mike accused Roberts.

"Oh, yeah?" Roberts asked in reply and pulled his scare routine on Mike, making the one-eyed monster back away in fear. "In case you forgot, every monster was taught to fear humans and that's what makes me proud of developing an alternative that produces enough power without the risk of accidentally mixing scare and laugh power."

Tylor lowered his head in shame upon hearing that part. Roger patted him as a sign of comfort.

"The scream extractors help preventing that danger." Sulley argued.

"Let's just make our presentations and then we'll see which energy source is the best." Roberts proposed and Sulley nodded.

This time, Monsters, Inc. had enough space for the "It's Laughter We're After" sign. "Better than saying "It's Later"." Duncan commented.

"Not necessarily." Fritz said. "That shorter slogan had potential." The others ignored him.

"Where's Val?" Tylor asked.

Val was at the Scream Industries display. "Excuse me, Mr. Roberts." She asked. "Is Professor Brandywine coming as well?"

"No, Ms..." Roberts replied.

"Little." She completed. "Val Little."

"No, Ms. Little, Professor Brandywine isn't coming." Roberts answered. "He's at Monsters University teaching about power cans."

"Okay, then." Val replied. "Goodbye, Mr. Roberts."

She then rejoined her friends at Monsters, Inc. "What happened, Val?" Tylor asked her.

"I was hoping to see Professor Brandywine again, Tylor." She answered. "I miss him."

"You knew him?" Tylor was surprised. "I don't recall ever meeting him during all my years as a student at Monsters University."

"That's because you were at the scare program." Val explained.

Roberts and Sulley eventually started defending their respective main ideas. "And that's why, no matter how much I respect Mr. Roberts for looking for ways to generate enough power to our world with no need to go to the human one, laugh power remains the best option. After all, we can use the doors wherever we want with no need to be anywhere near waterfalls." Sulley said.

"What makes a child laugh today won't necessarily have the same effect tomorrow." Roberts stated. "Children's emotions change and that's why scaring them no longer brought enough power to prevent an energy crisis. That and the toxicity are the main reasons we must look for sources that don't depend on them."

Val noticed the way Tylor is looking at Roberts. "What's wrong, Tylor?" She asked him.

"I can't help but be worried about Ben and the other kids we get laughs from stop finding us funny." He answered. "The donut act stopped working and that was one of my reasons to have worked as a scarer at Fear Co."

"Don't worry, Tylor." Val said. "We'll make through it."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." A new voice said.

"Chet Alexander?" The Monsters, Inc. employees asked.

"In the flesh." Chet replied and then looked at former coworker Skyler. "Skyler, are you sure you don't want to become a jokester at Fear Co?"

"No." Skyler answered. "Me happy at Monsters, Inc."

"I see." Chet stated and then looked at Tylor and Val. "What about you?"

"Tylor isn't leaving Monsters, Inc. again." Val replied with a frown.

"I wasn't talking to him." Chet told Val.

"Do you want ME to be a jokester?" Val was shocked.

"The whole Monsters University knows Tuskmon's act isn't funny anymore, Little." Chet explained. "The both of you might present yourselves as a team but everyone knows you're the real talent."

"Thanks but no thanks." Val firmly replied.

"Sorry for wasting your time." Chet said and left.

Tylor was sad at what Chet said. "What's wrong?" Val asked.

"Mr. Alexander reminded me that I'm not good at being a jokester." Tylor answered. "I wouldn't even have that job without you."

"Don't worry, college boy." Duncan said. "You can always return to MIFT for as long as you don't get in my way."

Later on, Eugene Roberts was back at his office and addressed his secretary. "Has anyone called for me while I was away?" He asked.

"Mostly the occasional hate mail from people accusing you of driving scarers and jokesters out of a job but another town wants to discuss having a water power plant, Sir." She answered and handed him an official letter.

"Thank you." Roberts replied and started reading the letter. "And the executives were reluctant to accept my idea."

Meanwhile, at Monsters, Inc., James Sullivan finished a phone call. "Bad news, Mike." Sulley said. "That town we're planning to expand our operations to decided to have their hydroelectrical power plant."

"Does Roberts have some sort of grudge against us or something like that?" Mike asked with a frown.

"Mike, don't take it personally." Sulley tried to comfort his friend. "They're just introducing another alternative."

Celia Mae then entered their office. "Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Wazowski, Dean Hardscrabble is here to see you." She said.

Monsters University Dean Abigail Hardscrabble swiftly entered and scared Mike, Sulley, Celia, and Celia's snake hairs. "You may leave now." Dean Hardscrabble said so firmly that Celia left even if Hardscrabble had no authority there. "Mr. Wazowski, Mr. Sullivan, do you know why I requested this meeting?"

"Uh, to scare us as a revenge for discrediting scare power?" Mike guessed.

"Incorrect, Mr. Wazowski." Dean Hardscrabble replied. "I'm here to request for a joke teacher to train students going to Monsters University to learn to be jokesters."

"Are you joking?" Mike asked, not believing what he'd just heard. Sulley was just as skeptical but didn't say anything.

"If only, Mr. Wazowski." Dean Hardscrabble replied. "Ever since that video of Mr. Tuskmon and Ms. Little with that human child convinced the world to embrace laugh power, my scare students either transfer to can design or leave Monsters University altogether. I have to introduce a laugh class to have a chance of keeping those who desire to be jokesters."

"Dean Hardscrabble, as flattered as I am that you presented me with this job offer, I'm afraid my responsibilities as the company's SCPOMICE-VDADOCREM keep me too busy." Mike formally replied.

"Not to mention how painful it was to teach comedy to the company's jokesters." Sulley added to tease his friend.

"Anyway, I have laughter to collect. Bye." Mike excused himself.

"Mr. Sullivan, are there any jokesters here with enough spare time to teach comedy at Monsters University?" Dean Hardscrabble asked.

"I'll talk to them and send you a reply later, Dean Hardscrabble." Sulley answered.

"Thank you." She replied and left.

Later on, Mike and his fellow jokesters failed at their job because the kids they were assigned to were too scared to laugh. "What's going on?" Sulley asked.

"Maybe a company that still scares did too much of a good job scaring them." Tylor suggested. "I had a door to Ben's room back when I worked for Fear Co."

"No, that alone would only be an issue during the early days of laugh power." Sulley replied. "Someone must be sabotaging us."

"Could it be Dean Hardscrabble as a revenge because I refused to teach comedy at Monsters University?" Mike suggested.

"She wants someone to teach comedy at Monsters University?" Tylor was shocked by it.

"People did lose their interest on scare power and no, I don't think she'd do it, Mike." Sulley answered. "I suspect Waternoose is behind it."

"Roger?" Tylor asked.

"No, his father." Sulley answered. "He escaped prison recently."

Almost everyone gasped. "The Crime Detection Agency had just informed us." Mike added.

"But how could he be involved?" Roger asked. "It's not like the Master Door really exists."

"The what?" Tylor and Val asked.

"Rumor says that, as an alternative to abducting children to forcefully extract their screams, Henry J. Waternoose the Third had a team of scientists develop a door that could lead to any room in the human world." Mike told the others.

"One would think having such a door would make Waternoose believe there was no need to carry on the abduction scheme." Duncan commented and almost every monster in the room nodded, even Waternoose's son.

"It still wasn't ready by the time he was caught." Sulley replied, shocking everyone.

"The Master Door is real?" Mike asked in shock.

"Waternoose needed progress reports to convince the board to keep him in charge of the company until the scream extractor was finished." Sulley explained. "They remained convinced enough of the door's potential to threaten to use it had laugh power failed."

"If there's an operational Master Door, where would it be kept?" Tylor asked and Sulley scratched his chin.

Sulley led them to an unfinished scare floor where they found a door that resembled a bunch of doors assembled together. "Is that..." Mike started to ask.

"I think so, Mike." Sulley answered.

As if there were any doubts, Waternoose came out of it and gasped upon seeing the other monsters. "Alright, you found me." He said. "Now what?"

"Your revenge scheme failed, Waternoose!" Mike exclaimed in triumph.

Waternoose chuckled. "You think it's about revenge?" He asked and smiled.

"Well... I did." Mike uneasily answered. "Right up until... you chuckled like that. And now I'm thinking you're about to tell us your real motive. Why does this scene sound familiar?"

"I don't know about the last question but, my plan is about discrediting laugh power so the monster world will be desperate enough to give me a pardon so I'll be running Monsters, Inc. again." Waternoose explained.

"Newsflash, Waternoose." Sulley said. "Even if laugh power is discredited, Eugene Roberts is introducing another alternative. Your plan will never work."

"An unforeseen complication, I admit." Waternoose calmly said. "But I still can be useful. I can show you how the Master Door works so you can get even more laughter than before."

"Don't do it, Sulley!" Mike quickly exclaimed. "That door is too dangerous!"

Every other monster there shared Mike's sentiment, even Roger. "Et tu, Junior?" Waternoose asked.

"My name is Roger Rogers, Dad." Roger said.

"Your name is Henry J. Waternoose the Fourth and you should stop saying otherwise now that everyone knows you're my son." Waternoose replied.

"Either way, Waternoose, no deal." Sulley firmly said.

End chapter

Chapter 3: The Fate of Laugh Power

Summary:

It's time for the question to be answered. Will laugh power survive?

Chapter 3: The Fate of Laugh Power

Months have passed since Eugene Roberts introduced hydroelectricity to the world of monsters and a lot has happened. After Henry J. Waternoose was recaptured, Monsters, Inc. thought he wouldn't cause any more trouble but he not only escaped again but also allied himself with Randall Boggs (again) and a human named Sid. They were defeated but temporarily made it harder to make children laugh.

"It's a good thing the rivers are limited or Roberts would have put us out of business by now." Mike commented.

"Yeah, but we still have to keep our quota or we lose our Monstropolis contract to Fear Co." Sulley declared. "Again."

"What?" Mike asked angrily. "Are they going to trust Fear Co. after everything Johnny did?"

"They trust us after what Waternoose did." Sulley nonchalantly replied. "Anyway, we need to do what we did that day. Luckily Randall Boggs isn't here to steal our power like last time."

Meanwhile, in Chet Alexander's office, he is planning how to take advantage of recent events. "The trouble caused by Waternoose and his friends may have given us a great opportunity." He told the board of directors. "If Monsters, Inc. is unable to continue generating enough power to meet the needs of Monstropolis, we're back. And this time we'll have our own laugh power."

The directors applauded the decision. "But what about Scream Industries?" One of them asked.

"All the hydroelectric power they are generating at the moment is focused on the customers they already have and the laughing power they provisionally use is not enough for the job." Chet explained.

"There is an advantage in having a CEO with connections to the Government." Another director whispered and Chet pretended not to hear.

Meanwhile, Eugene Roberts was out of town with Professor William Brandywine overseeing the construction of a new hydroelectric power plant. "It's a shame we're not yet ready to be Monstropolis' new power providers." Eugene commented.

"Patience is a virtue, Mr. Roberts." Professor Brandywine said. "As soon as the new plant is ready, we will be able to take advantage of the next opportunity."

"You could sound a little more enthusiastic about that." Eugene said.

"But I don't need to." Professor Brandywine replied, sounding as boring as usual.

Hours later, at Monsters Inc., the jokesters had enough laugh power to meet their quota. "And we still have a little extra power for tomorrow." Sulley commented. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you very much, Mr. Sullivan." Jokester Tylor Tuskmon said.

"Thank you." Sulley replied. "All of you. Now please hand in your reports and we'll see you tomorrow."

After the others left, Mike and Sulley headed to their office. "Hopefully this will be enough to appease the company's directors." Sulley said.

"What can they do?" Mike asked, not caring. "Scare is over and Roberts has a patent on the method that threatens to make laugh power obsolete."

"They're already talking about negotiating with Scream Industries or, if necessary, closing Monsters, Inc. to avoid further losses." Sulley replied.

"What?" Mike asked angrily. "How could Roberts do this to us?"

"Mike, don't take it personally." Sulley said. "He was simply looking for his own alternative. If our use of the laugh power drove our competitors out of business, would it have been on purpose?"

"I understand what you mean, but what will happen when hydroelectric power overwhelms the power of laughter?" Mike asked.

"If hydroelectric power overwhelms and then I'm afraid we'll have to look for other jobs, Mike." Sulley replied.

The next day, the day started normally at Monsters, Inc., although magazine covers with the message "Water vs. Laughter" left employees worried. "We'll just keep working and hope that Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Wazowski continue to keep the company going." Val said to Tylor.

As usual, Val and Tylor entered a child's room together. Little did they know that it wouldn't last long. Later that day, they were called to James P. Sullivan's office. "You must be wondering why we called you here." Sulley commented to his friend Mike next to him.

Both Tylor and Val nodded. "Did we do something wrong, Mr. Sullivan?" Tylor asked.

"Nothing that bothers me, but the board considers it unnecessary to pay two jokesters to enter the same rooms." Sulley replied. "Especially when, as far as they know, Val does all the work and all you have is a donut joke that's gone out of date."

"What will happen to me, Mr. Sullivan?" Tylor asked.

"You can try to go back to being a solo jokester, assuming you can make kids laugh, or, if you fail or decide not to try at all, you can go back to being a MIFTer." Sulley explained. "What's your choice?"

"I'm going to try being a solo jokester again, Mr. Sullivan." Tylor said.

"Good luck." Sulley replied.

"We regret having to do this but the board is cutting expenses so we can withstand the competition." Mike added.

"It's all good." Tylor said.

During the lunch break, Val and Tylor continued to talk about the recent development. "I hope you can remain a jokester." Val said.

"Me too." Duncan said, intruding into the conversation. "I'd hate to see the college boy taking a promotion that's rightfully mine."

"No need to worry, Duncan." Tylor replied, tired of Duncan thinking he wants to succeed Fritz as head MIFTer.

"We'll see about that, college boy." Duncan replied.

Meanwhile, at Fear Co, Chet Alexander had just returned from another child's room. "I can't believe my dance was such a hit with the kids." He commented. "I just want to know why so many kids think my name is Sebastian."

"Must be because of some stupid movie." Joy theorized.

"What are you doing in my office?" Chet asked.

"Cleaning it up, Mr. Alexander." Joy replied. "I'm done. Is there anything else I can do?"

"Thank you but you may leave." Chet said.

"I hate this job but I think it's better than playing the clown to a bunch of human children." Joy muttered as she left Chet's office. "I'm a scarer, not a jokester."

"This transition is harder than I thought but it's better than ending up like Worthington or Waternoose." Chet commented once he was alone in his office.

A secretary entered his office shortly after Joy left it. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Alexander, but this message from Monstropolis City Hall has just arrived." She said.

"Thank you, I was waiting for this." He responded with a smile. A smile that disappeared as soon as he read the message. "Something wrong?" The secretary asked.

"Monsters, Inc. still continues to supply Monstropolis's power needs." Chet responded. "It was already very difficult for us to recover the contracts we lost due to Worthington's actions."

"Should I worry about my pay, Sir?" The secretary asked.

"Things aren't that bad." Chet replied, resisting the urge to add, "For now."

"I'm going back to my table, Sir." She said.

Back at Monsters Inc., Tylor entered a child's room and tried to recreate his donut act. During the attempt, he tripped and the child began to laugh at his misfortune. "It brings back memories." Mike commented, remembering how Boo used to laugh at his misfortune and nothing else.

"Poor quality humor but a deal is a deal." One of the board members said and the others nodded. "Mr. Tuskmon, you're still one of our jokesters."

"Just remember not to break anything." Miss. Flint warned him.

"Yes, Miss Flint." Tylor responded.

"So all he needed was to refine the donut joke?" Smitty asked.

"Go figure." Needleman commented.

After Tylor Tuskmon's employment situation was resolved, Mike and Sulley went to their office and turned on the television they keep there. Once again, Eugene Roberts was giving an interview for the program "I Scream, You Scream". "Mr. Roberts, despite your expectations, laugh power is still in use." Jill stated. "Do you have any comments?"

"Jill, the transition from screaming to laughing was relatively easier because both means of gaining power used human children." Roberts responded. "We at Scream Industries are exploring a new and untapped source of power and it takes time."

"Well, the results like the construction of the new dam speak for themselves." Jack said.

"Thank you, Jack." Roberts responded.

"Mr. Roberts, what do you have to say about claims that our world's hydroelectric potential is not sufficient to meet power needs?" Jill asked.

"Even if it isn't, and it's still too early to know for sure, I'll be satisfied with reducing dependence on human power as much as possible." Roberts declared.

"That's the spirit!" Jack exclaimed.

As time went on, it became clear that hydroelectric power really wouldn't be enough to meet the needs of the Monster World. "Maybe it's time to add other alternative sources of power." Eugene Roberts commented.

"Maybe we can use solar power." His assistant suggested. "I know even the monsters who suggest this in C.R.E.E.P. admit it's crazy but even hydropower and laugh power were considered this in the beginning but it's worth a try."

"Actally, I've already consulted with Professor Brandywine about this and he told me that solar panels generate so little power that consumers would need to install them in their homes, businesses, or anywhere else they want or need to use energy." Roberts replied.

"I thought the idea was to make the world no longer need humans to generate power." The assistant said. "Don't get me wrong, I just want to understand, Mr. Roberts."

"The board does not consider solar panels to be economically viable." Roberts explained. "They believe we make more money selling energy than selling ways for monsters to make their own. I tried to explain that the owners of the panels would eventually pay for maintenance, repairs and/or replacements but that didn't convince them."

"Stupid corporate greed." The assistant said. "No offense."

"It's okay." Roberts commented. "I understand that corporate interests are the thorn in the side of everyone trying to make the world a better place."

"And what about wind power?" The assistant asked. "I remember seeing something like that at C.R.E.E.P."

"We don't have enough wind to get even more than we used to get with scares after the crisis, unfortunately." Roberts said, lamenting that an idea that looked so good on paper was so bad in practice.

That night, Tylor Tuskmon told his family the good news. "Now I'm a solo jokester again." He said proudly.

"I thought all the jokesters were going to be unemployed." His dad commented.

"No, Dad." Tylor replied, still happy. "Hydroelectric power was not enough to make laugh power obsolete."

Meanwhile, at Scare Masters, the company's CEO presented his new idea to the board of directors. "We've already discussed this." One of the directors said. "We won't make much profit selling solar panels."

"Then let's rent them." The CEO responded and showed some papers. "I took the liberty of asking the accounting department to estimate the minimum amount we can charge and still make a profit."

This got the directors interested.

THE END