Rare scientist

On a dark and stormy night, two teenagers walk down the street.

Jodi prefers to wear clothes that are very provocative. She dates shady boyfriends and gets bad grades in school. She gives her father every reason to be an overprotective old nag.

Todd is a cool guy who likes to be seen with girls. He is very concerned with his appearance and fixes his hair for at least fifteen minutes every day before he is allowed to go out. Todd's mother likes to complain about him - he usually does the exact opposite of what his mother wants.

At the end of the street, Jodi and Todd see an abandoned old house.

They decide to go inside.

Little do they know that someone else lives in the dark, abandoned house.

Dr. Shock is a strange scientist who loves strange experiments. In his basement are cages in which he keeps animals. His favorite animal is a chimpanzee. The monkey is called Gertude.

When Dr. Shock hears two strangers walking through his house upstairs, he jumps for joy.

He quietly sneaks upstairs to see who has broken into his house. From a crack in the cellar door he sees what is happening in his hallway. Two teenagers walk through the hallway towards the kitchen. The boy walks in front and whispers to the girl that she need not be afraid.

As Todd walks into the kitchen, he suddenly falls through the trapdoor just behind the door.

Jodi screams as she watches Todd disappear into the hole.

Then Dr. Shock grabs Jodi by the waist and takes her into the basement.

The doctor reassures Jodi, and asks if she would like something to drink. Hot chocolate, or tea?

Give me some tea, she says. The professor offers her a chair and she sits down.

Dr. Shock introduces Jodi to the chimpanzee Gertude. The chimpanzee politely shakes Jodi's hand and walks back to her cage.

The tea makes Jodi very sleepy. Her eyes grow heavy and her arms droop. It doesn't take long before she falls off her chair.

Then Dr. Shock can begin his wild experiment.

He wants to swap bodies between Jodi and the monkey Gertude. To do this, he will transplant Jodi's brain into the head of the monkey Gertude.

***

Meanwhile, Todd slowly comes to in the hole he fell into when he walked into the kitchen.

Where's Jodi?

How dark it is here!

***

Over the past few days I received many emails looking back at 2020 and wishing me well for the coming year.

It's striking how many people think 2020 was a 'weird year'.

Oh, what's weird?

The above story is from 1986.

1986 was also a strange year.

In January, the Brain virus appears. It is the first computer virus in history, and spreads via floppy disks.

That's strange.

On April 17, 1986, the 335-year war between the Isles of Scilly and the Netherlands comes to an end. Not a shot was fired, making it the longest war without any casualties.

That's strange.

In 1986, manufacturer Bally makes a pinball machine.

The pinball machine is called Strange Science and is based on the story of Jodi, Todd and Dr. Shock in the story above.

As the game progresses, more and more of Jodi's brains are transplanted into the monkey. While Todd tries to save Jodi, the player must speed up the process by filling the Atom Smasher with the ultimate goal of getting a 5-ball multi-ball.

That's strange.

This pinball machine from 1986 has recently been on our branch in Maastricht.

Want to auto of van comes to rent, I would like to invite you to play the game. Feel free to ask for a coin at the counter.

If you also want to play pinball, but don't have a car or bus in the Maastricht region If you need any help, you are also very welcome at Heerderweg 37. I will provide coffee, pinball costs €2 for 2 games.

I can't make it weirder, but I can make it more fun.

At the end of this strange year, I wish you all the best for the next year.

On to a safe and travel-loving 2021!