Votchnic Industries

Votchinc industries is the second episode of Mr Mallard. It introduces the final of the four main characters

## Summary

Because the last worker's outing ended in Mr Mallard accidentally sending all of Professor Shelduck's employees to chernobyl, Professor Shelduck decides to take control of the worker's outing, as it is a rule in the middle of nowhere that every employer gets to know his employees at least once every year. Shelduck and Mr Mallard decide to go to a science lab to meet one of the most innovative scientists in the city. Professor Shelduck's purpose of going there is to steal their ideas and run them out of business. Mr Mallard tells Junior Mallard he's going to be gone for a while and tells him to behave himself.

The two of them crash into a robot who seemed to have jumped in front of Shelduck's car. Because of the crash, Shelduck instantly repairs it with a kit he keeps around, not noticing Votchnic approaching him from the enterance.

Votchnic welcomes them in and walks them around his lab, showing them his robots and talking about how he has been researching them for years. Mr Mallard is amazed but professor Shelduck is bored, knowing he has already far surpassed Votchnic's skills. Mr Mallard tries to ask questions but is ignored as Votchnic tries to impress Shelduck. He then talks about how he needs test subjects, before knocking Mr Mallard and Professor Shelduck out cold.

The two of them find themselves chained up in a room where Votchnic tells Professor Shelduck he is creating these robots as an example of his new philosophy: Nihilism plus. His idea is not only the complete rejection of god but also the complete rejection of living. He wants Professor Shelduck and Mr Mallard to interact with his robots and test out their ability. Professor Shelduck is furious but plays along, solely for the reason of seeing if Votchnic is a threat to his work.

While Professor Shelduck and Mr Mallard travel through the rooms and talk to the robots, Votchnic talks to a Jim Jones wannabe who wants to start a suicide cult using Votchnic's robots as preachers in order to raise the value of the middle of nowhere's prices. Votchnic is hesitant about this way of thinking but agrees only because it may please a man very important to him.

When Professor Shelduck solves a complex riddle in seconds, he realises that the robots envy the dead. He gives Mr Mallard instructions then creates a makeshift sedative and uses it on Mr Mallard in order to lower his heart rate. It works and Mr Mallard is knocked out, fooling the robots into thinking that Mr Mallard has killed himself.

As Professor Shelduck is about to escape the lab, as the robots believe that he has accepted their ideal, Mr Mallard wakes up, asking if he's doing a good job at playing dead. The robots turn hostile, realising that Professor Shelduck has tricked them. Before being fully cornered, Professor Shelduck hacks into their core, making them follow their philosophy, as Votchnic has made a programming error. The hack works and the robots instantly commit suicide, as their programming instructions required them to do.

As there are no robots left to look after Professor Shelduck, he leaves the room by hacking into the door. He comes across a shrine based on him, revealing that Votchnic has spent his entire life trying to impress him. Professor Shelduck is stunned and impressed at Votchnic's complete disregard for human rights. After skimming through Votchnic's manuscript, he rates it a four out of ten.

Votchnic appears and is overjoyed by Professor Shelduck's rating. He then admits he no longer believes in Nihilism plus because Professor Shelduck is a god to him. Professor Shelduck offers Votchnic the position that Mr Mallard has and tries to fire Mr Mallard. Votchnic jumps up and down with joy before suffering from an astmha attack and choking to death.

Professor Shelduck is annoyed. Not because Votchnic died but because he wanted to fire Mr Mallard and he can't because he needs at least one employee. Mr Mallard responds by asking what Nihilism is?

They are interrupted by the Jim Jones wannabe who is confused as to why Votchnic is dead and why the robots aren't there to greet him. Professor Shelduck spitefully tells him that the deal's cancelled and the robots are dead. He says he's taking the money in Votchnic's stead and that the wannabe should leave.

The Wannabe is furious and gives an evil speech about how a mass suicide would be beneficial for him as he could gain control of people's houses and sell them for insanely high prices. Professor Shelduck agrees that that is a good practice and agrees to make the robots more successful, in exchange for a large percentage of the profit. Mr Mallard, assuming that this guy is trying to kill professor Shelduck, tries to recreate professor Shelduck's sedative, but instead launches an extrememly toxic poison at the guy, killing him in horrible agony. Professor Shelduck is even angrier, as he could have made a large amount of money.

As they leave, Professor Shelduck destroys the building behind him, so nobody else can compete against him. Mr Mallard asks if Votchnic is okay and Professor Shelduck asks who Votchnic is.

The episode ends with Mr Mallard going back home to check on his son, who has eaten too much ice-cream and feels sick. Things are finally back to normal.