The compromised experiment.
Three scientists — Papaia, Banani, and Ravioli — and their assistant Igor, who work at NASAL, begin to take an interest in creationism. Alarmed by this, their superiors send them to see a psychologist: Professor Faggioli, a questionable figure determined to get them fired by making them look insane.
We’re in Professor Faggioli’s office, where Ravioli is undergoing evaluation.
Faggioli: All right. We’ve noted the stress eating… and also the fish in your pocket.
Faggioli pauses and flips through Ravioli’s file.
Faggioli: But here I see a third issue to address. Let’s talk about the particle accelerator incident. Do you remember, Ravioli?
FLASHBACK — NASAL LAB, “PARTICLES & BREAKFAST” SECTION
A high-tech setting, full of screens, chrome pipes, and automatic pizzetta dispensers. The particle accelerator is ready for the most important test of the year. The technician in charge is Dr. Atomini: meticulous, bespectacled, slightly nearsighted even with glasses. Ravioli watches him from behind a column, with a hungry gaze… not for food, but for the glasses.
ATOMINI
(speaking into the microphone)
Cooling system: check. Synchrotron frequency: check.
Glasses? Glasses…? Where… are my glasses?
Ravioli, hidden in a corner, slips Atomini’s glasses out of his pocket. He examines them carefully, puts them on, glancing cautiously around.
RAVIOLI
(to himself)
Maybe… these are the right ones.
But the experiment is about to begin, and a technician warns Atomini.
TECHNICIAN
(urgently)
Doctor, time’s running out, we need to proceed now!
Meanwhile, Atomini approaches the console. He squints, sighs. He misreads the buttons. There are three: “START,” “COOLING,” and “OVERLOAD.”
ATOMINI
(uncertain)
I think it’s… this one.
He presses the wrong button, triggering a loud alarm. The entire accelerator lights up, buzzes, and smokes.
TECHNICIAN
(shouting)
Oh no! Irreversible damage! Quantum field compromised!
ATOMINI
(devastated)
I… I accidentally hit the overheating button!
TECHNICIAN
(panicking)
Fire! Fire! Call the fire department!
Ravioli pops out from behind, trying to look innocent, but the glasses are still on his nose.
RAVIOLI
(cautiously)
Maybe… the writing was too small?
ATOMINI
(staring at him in horror)
…My glasses.
Awkward silence.
IGOR
Ravioli’s done it again, stealing a colleague’s glasses and causing the usual disaster. But Ravioli, why can’t you get the urge to compulsively steal something useful? Like those piles of documents on my desk waiting to be photocopied!
🤣🤣🤣