Chapter One – Time
Zone: 1977 (Before Temporal Displacement)
Jive Talkin’
You’re telling me lies, yeah
Jive Talkin’
You wear a disguise
Jive Talkin’
So misunderstood, yeah
Jive Talkin’
You just ain’t no good
(Pop Culture Note: "Jive Talkin'" was released May 31, 1975 off the Bee Gees' album Main Course. It hit number one on Billboard's Hot 100. It was known as the group's "comeback song" after four years.)
(Authorial Note: The song metaphorically reflects the relationship between Sean and Joanie through not only in this story, but in the World of Disney series as a whole.)
The 1975 song from the Bee Gees practically exploded
through the speakers within the new brown Lincoln Versailles owned by Joanie
Navarro, as she drove it down the same street where the Muppet Theater was
located. In the passenger seat of the vehicle was her old friend, Scooter, who
was the resident “gofer” of the Muppet Theater and nephew of the theater owner,
J.P. Grosse. He volunteered to accompany Joanie and her cousin, Tracy, to their
trip in Africa where they got to know about
the culture and people. Joanie even met an African representative of the
program named Tomas (which was pronounced similar to “Thomas”) and was
instantly enchanted by him, offering a visit to the States whenever possible.
(Character Note: We receive more introductions to two important characters in this one paragraph - Tracy and Tomas. Tracy's role is feature predominantly through the latter half of this story, while Tomas plays a crucial part in the events of World of Disney 3.)
It was that reason why Joanie was in such a positive mood
on the way back to the Theater. After the plane ride home and dropping Tracy Tallahassee seven o’clock in the evening – just
about the right time for Scooter to hit the sack upon his return home.
(Character Note: While Scooter is the third Muppet to be sequentially introduced in the story, he is chronologically the first, making his introduction in this first chapter.)
“Joanie,” he said through a groggily voice, “Could you
possibly turn down the music? I can barely focus keeping my head up.”
She glanced at him, seeing how exhausted he was, and
turned down the music. “Sorry, Scoot. I’m just so…I just can’t express how
enlightening that trip was. Africa is such a
beautiful place, from the people to the culture to even the land. What was your
favorite pa…?”
(Authorial Note: The idea of Joanie visiting Africa was intended to set up a visit to the realm of The Lion King, believing she had returned and could look for Tomas again. Her mind would be warped into thinking she was still in the real world and unable to leave the realm. This idea was scrapped once it was decided to shelve the Tomas/Joanie relationship for later stories.)
A snoring sound filled the Lincoln
Joanie took it upon herself to carry the sleeping gofer
in her arms while heading through the stage door. In the reception area, she
was greeted by the elderly Muppet known as Pops, who worked as the stage
doorman at the Muppet Theater. Due to his failing eyesight and poor memory,
Pops asked the young brunette in the bright tie-dye t-shirt and bell bottom
pants, “Who’re you?”
“Pops, you remember me. It’s Joanie…Joanie Navarro…the
daughter of the Muppet Theater’s background artist, Diana Navarro?”
(Pop Culture Note: Pops was first introduced during the fifth season of The Muppet Show, known to commonly greet the special guests in the same manner as this scene. He's appeared in The Great Muppet Caper as the owner of the Happiness Hotel and was performed by the late Jerry Nelson until 2002. He is currently performed by Matt Vogel.)
Pops appeared to have been drawing a total blank. “Er…you
sure that you ain’t that little girl from Little
House on the Prairie?”
“Melissa Gilbert?”
The old Muppet then glanced down at the guest list,
reading all of the names and searching for the one that Joanie uttered. “Nope.
Don’t have a ‘Melissa Gilbert’ on here. Gonna hafta make a reservation with the
frog, missy.”
“Pops!” There came the voice of an older woman who
approached the area and Joanie and Pops turned to see that it was Joanie’s
mother, Diana. She was dressed just as hip as her daughter, wearing a silk
white blouse and bell bottom jeans. “Are you givin’ my little girl trouble
again?”
(Character Note: Diana's style of clothing reflects her appreciation for two eras - the 1970s, with the bell bottoms, and the 1940s, with the silk white blouse. She has lived through both.)
“For the fifth month in a row, he is!” Joanie remarked in
aggravation.
Pops glanced at Joanie again, adjusting his glasses. “Oh,
is that you? Heh! Didn’t even recognize ya.” He then glanced at the guest list
and confirmed her admission there. “Yep! Right here at the bottom of the list – right beneath Beauregard and Gonzo.”
Joanie flashed a sarcastic smile. “Gee, thanks.”
(Narrative Note: The joke of Joanie's place on the list pokes fun at the aspect of her status in society as an average, everyday young woman who doesn't seem very important to anyone. This is the ultimate contrast to her status in the final events of the story.)
She walked off a little peeved at the absent-mindedness
of the elderly Muppet, with her mother following at her side. Diana whispered
to her daughter with a smile, “Don’t worry about him. He’s just old.”
“What was that?” Pops asked.
“I said that you’re gold,
Pops.” Diana fibbed.
“Thank ya!”
Mother and daughter laughed on their way through the
backstage right area. Diana noticed Scooter being carried in Joanie’s arms,
sleeping and snoring away every second. “Aww, is Scooter all tuckered out?”
“Yeah.” Joanie confirmed. “The trip practically exhausted
the poor little fella. Mind taking him into one of the dressing rooms? I’ve
gotta talk to Kermit about something.”
As she took Scooter off her hands (literally), Diana
informed her daughter, “Might have to wait a while, ‘cause he and the band are
performing on stage right now.”
“They are?” Joanie remarked, just as she heard the
audience in attendance for that night’s performance roar with applause for an
onstage act performed by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem band with Kermit the
Frog.
“Yep. They’ve been performing for an hour.” Diana said.
“It’s a packed house tonight, too. We hadn’t gotten this many since Raquel
Welch popped in last year.”
(Pop Culture Note: The Raquel Welch episode of The Muppet Show had in actuality aired November 25, 1978, a year after the events of this story.)
She noticed the look of displeasure on her
daughter’s face and asked in concern, “What was it that you wanted to talk with
Kermit about?”
Joanie shook her head and responded, “Nothing that can’t
wait ‘til later.”
Diana stared at her for a brief moment and nodded before
going upstairs to the dressing room at the center, carrying Scooter along with
her. For a short time, Joanie was left alone backstage, lost in thought, which
was evident from the way she was staring off into space. It wasn’t until
Kermit’s nephew, Robin, arrived in the room did she snap out of her trance.
“Heya, Joanie! Nice seeing you again! How was Africa ?”
(Character Note: Robin's presence in the story begins a common theme in the World of Disney series in which the main hero is granted with the presence of a sidekick. This theme is shown in Tales of the Disneyverse with the presence of Russell from Up.)
“Hey, Robin,” she responded. “It was groovy. Got to see a
lot of great stuff, meet a lot of wonderful people, and learn some terms.”
“Really?” Robin said, genuinely intrigued. “Tell me
something in African.”
Joanie smiled. “Uh, okay…lemme see…” She thought
carefully, searching within her mind for that current knowledge she achieved on
her trip. Without even realizing it, she spouted out, “Wewe ni zuri frog,
Robin.”
Robin was clearly spellbound from the way she delivered
the speech so fluidly. “Wow. What did you say?”
“I said, ‘You are a beautiful frog, Robin’ in the Swahili
language.”
(Cultural Note: Swahili is spoken by various communities inhabiting the African Great Lakes region and other parts of Southeast Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. The total number of Swahili speakers vary widely, from 60 million to over 140 million.)
“And you learned all of that in one week?” Robin asked,
and Joanie nodded with a grin. “That’s amazing.”
“Yeah…it is,” she uttered, not sounding all too
impressed.
Robin could see how depressed she looked and, just like
her mother, he asked in concern, “Everything alright?”
She realized how obviously down she was making herself
look to everyone and quickly did her best to cover it up. “Oh, yeah. Of course.
I’m just…” She let out a phony yawn. “…I’m just tired. That’s all.”
Robin shook his head at her. “Joanie, this is me you’re
talking to…not Gonzo.”
Joanie saw no use in getting by the smart little frog –
he was definitely Kermit’s nephew,
not just from appearance but intelligence as well. So she came out and
admitted, “It’s just that I feel so darn useless around here.”
The tiny frog was surprised to hear that from her. “How
do you mean?”
“I mean that while I was in Africa
for that one week, I felt like I was doing something…magical. It was like I
belonged there and not here, watching my life pass me by.”
(Narrative Note: Joanie's Africa trip foreshadows much of the events in this story - the journey into new territory and discovery of self-importance to another world.)
“You mean that you’re not happy here?” He sounded a
little sad as he asked her that question.
Immediately she comforted him and clarified, “No, no. I love it here. I love you and everyone
who I work with. It’s just…” She let out a depressed sigh. “I don’t know what
it is I’m looking for in my life. I just wish there were some way I could look
ahead in the future and see what kind of destiny lies ahead.”
(Narrative Note: The last line in this dialogue by Joanie also functions as foreshadowing.)
Robin could see how distraught she was about this, and it
made him feel really bad for her. But when it came to down moments such as
this, the little frog was always good at bouncing back to the positive side of
things. He cheerfully asked her, in an attempt to change the subject, “Hey, did
you check out that cool new space movie that came out last week?”
(Pop Culture Note: The "cool new space movie" is a clear reference to Star Wars, which was released in 1977 - the year this part of the story takes place in. There is a known history between Star Wars and the Muppets, with Mark Hamill and some of the film's cast having made an appearance on The Muppet Show on February 23, 1980 and Muppeteer Frank Oz performing Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back.)
(Narrative Note: This reference to Star Wars also foreshadows World of Disney 3, in which its universe is classified as existing within one parallel to those of the Muppets and Marvel.)
Joanie smiled at him, seeing what he was doing and
blessing him for his attempt. Although she still felt a little distraught, she
put on her best performance (one that the smart little frog couldn’t see
through) and made it appear as if it worked to keep him satisfied. “Yeah! I saw
it! Had to have been the best sci-fi movie I’ve seen since…well…ever! What about you?”
Robin shook his head. “Nuh-uh. But Uncle Kermit got me
two tickets for a showing tonight.” He showed the pair of tickets to her for a
showing close to the time it currently was. “Though I think Uncle Kermit will
be too busy to see it with me, on account of tonight’s very special
performance.”
She felt really sorry for him and a little upset with
Kermit for forgetting his promise to take him. It seemed like the good host was
too busy to take care of anybody nowadays. Without even a second thought, she
offered her friend, “C’mon, I’ll go with ya. Got nothin’ else better to do
tonight.”
Needless to say, Robin was quite taken aback from her
offer. “W-What about Uncle Kermit?”
“Eh, I’ll pay him back. I owe him one anyway.”
Even though he was still unsure about the idea of seeing
the movie with his best friend instead of his uncle, Robin graciously accepted
her offer, mostly because he couldn’t take another second of his uncle’s
inability to provide him with the attention he wanted.
(Character Note: Not only is the aspect of Joanie and Sean's relationship explored throughout the story, but that between Kermit and Robin is also, as it appears to be just as much in trouble, evident in this scene.)
So he followed her out
through the stage door and into the back alley where the Lincoln
“Hey, Joanie, who’s that?”
She followed his gaze and noticed – at the end of the
alleyway near the collection of garbage cans – was a cloaked, shadowy figure.
The face was obscured heavily, making it practically impossible for Joanie to
make out who (or what) it was. “May I help you?” She asked the figure
curiously, as well as cautiously.
“Huwezi kuzuia kwepeka.” The figure responded with a
feminine tone and in Swahili – a language that Joanie had become familiar with,
but not as well as she admitted to Robin (the “beautiful frog” compliment she
gave was something she had been practicing with during her time in Africa ). Although what the woman just told her, and the
way it was delivered, almost came clear as a bell.
Robin looked back and forth between the two women. He
heard what the shadowy figure said and did not understand a word. However,
aware of Joanie’s recent study of the African language, he asked her, “What did
she say?”
(Narrative Note: Much like the prologue, this scene is later depicted again in Chapter Thirty-Two with the identity of this alley figure fully revealed.)
Joanie wanted to answer Robin, but she was too spellbound
to utter anything. But it was especially difficult when…
BOOM!
Everything practically shook at the loud noise, which
came from within the Muppet Theater. Alarmed, Robin hopped out of the Lincoln
It was a bizarre occurrence to Joanie, and as much as she
wanted to spend more time trying to figure it all out, she was too concerned of
what happened inside of the Muppet Theater. Yes, of course, an explosion here
and there in a chaotic atmosphere such as the one there was no big deal; but it
was still better safe than sorry to check to see if everyone was alright. She
bolted back inside the theater and ran right into the smoke-filled backstage
right area. Coughing and waving her hand in front of her to clear the smoke
from her nose and eyes, she realized that Robin had walked right into it and
couldn’t see him anywhere.
(Narrative Note: The explosion itself that caused the chaos in the Theater was due to Bunsen and Beaker's departure into the Disneyverse through the Magic Gateway, as we find out later from their return.)
“Robin! Where are you?!” She called, but there was no
response. Remembering that Pops was still in the room when they left, she
turned to his desk and saw that he was absent from the scene. The elderly
Muppet must’ve high-tailed out of there as soon as he heard the boom. She suddenly realized how the
smoke was starting to clear a little, allowing her to see where it was coming
from. Apparently the source of the chaos was none other than the basement – or
“Muppet Labs,” a more appropriate name for the two characters inhabiting it,
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker.
(Pop Culture Note: Muppet Labs was first introduced in the eighth episode of the first season of The Muppet Show, the first invention introduced being the "All-Purpose Tenderizer," which can make anything softer. Since then, it's been featured in other Muppet Show episodes, as well as episodes of The Jim Henson Hour and Muppets Tonight. During 2007, a Muppet Mobile Lab exhibit was showcased through the Disney California Adventure, EPCOT, and other Disney Parks, featuring Bunsen and Beaker in the form of advanced audio-animatronic remote-control-puppeteering technology.)
(Authorial Note: The idea of the lab being located in the basement of the Muppet Theater was inspired by Muppets From Space, where it was located in the basement of the Muppets' boarding house in the film.)
Joanie headed towards the basement and, upon entering, she
was consumed yet again by pillars of smoke. It was hard to see anything while she
was down there, and because of this, she had taken careful precaution going
down the stairs. She called out to Bunsen, Beaker, and Robin (whom she guessed
had to have been down there, as soon as he noticed the smoke seeping out).
There was no answer, which led her to believe that something was wrong.
Then, out of nowhere, Joanie felt her foot connect with
something that threw off her equilibrium and caused her to fall forward and let
out a large shriek. Joanie didn’t know what part of the basement she had fallen
into; but when her body connected to the floor, she was surprised to feel how
cold and metallic it was – as opposed to it being warm and cemented. There came
a loud noise, like a huge door coming shut, and Joanie got scared.
Between the smoke and darkness, Joanie had absolutely no
idea where she was or how to get out. It wasn’t until a light switched on from
overhead when she was given some information on her current location.
Apparently, she was standing inside a chamber with vanilla-colored walls,
ceiling, and floor. It looked like something out of Star Trek to her, which the giddy, geeky side of her was enjoying
more than her terrified, realistic side.
(Biographical Note: Joanie Mars is in real life a fan of Star Trek, once cosplaying as a female science officer from the old school series.)
(Authorial Note: The entire notion of the Magic Gateway chamber's function is based entirely off of the Star Trek transporter devices, from the atomizing process to the light that fills up in the chamber during it.)
With the light shining in the room, she could see the
door out of the chamber; however, there was no doorknob. It was one of those
automatic sliding doors that could only be opened from a computer, which meant
that Joanie was in extreme danger of losing air. Panicked, she pounded her
fists against its metallic structure, screaming for her mother or anyone else
that could hear her. She didn’t know if her voice could be heard from outside
the chamber or not; but she at least hoped for a miracle.
Of course, no miracle happened; but something bizarre
did. Joanie started hearing an unusual buzzing sound that accompanied the
growing intensity of the light shining over her. It became brighter and
brighter, until she was forced to shield her eyes from it. She felt a weird
tingling sensation through every section of her body, from her clothes to her
skin.
(UP NEXT: Joanie is in desperate need of a reality check!)
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