Brit usually went about the Gerbert's establishment in a regular cycle. If she didn't have to visit the bathroom upon arrival she would first see how things were in the playroom, If the lines for the crawl tunnels or slide or ball pit were too long then it was onto the arcade. There were several arcade games she liked, either because they were easy or they were a prime source of tickets. Tickets which she saved up for prizes at the prize counter. And after that circling back to the main room for something to eat. Preferably the ooey-gooey breadsticks, while she watched the animatronics perform a stage show.
The attempted routine hit a few snags this time. When traveling the hall to the playroom Brit was almost run over by someone on the kitchen crew in a mad dash to get a pizza off to a private party room. It made Brit pout. Her birthday was still ages away and she didn't know of anybody with a birthday who hadn't invited her! And then in the playroom two boys had been thawing orbs from the ball pit at each other, other kids caught in the crossfire. Like Brit, as she shrieked and ducked, arms over her head so neither she born her beloved toys would get smacked with a ball. A security guard was hoofing it to break up the commotion.
With a huff she emerged in the arcade, kicking a wayward pit ball back towards the rowdy kids. She needed a moment to recheck the contents of her overfilled backpack, setting it up on a prize display case as she double checked and triple checked everything.
And that was when she saw it.
Standing in a private display case was a toy of Gerbert Gerbil. Not just any toy, because it was a toy Brit hadn't seen before. It was almost authentic to the regular animatronic in a small scale, yet that was only the beginning of its features displayed on a nearby poster. The astronaut gerbil was in an improved version of his spacesuit, it looked like, with buttons everywhere that made it do different things. One cycled his helmet through opened, closed, and reflective layers. Another caused the lights on his suit to light up. Ones activated different functions on his space pack, like pop out jets or the hiss from the pressurization nodule. Another set of triggers activated punch and kick actions with Gerbert's limbs. And finally (so many buttons!) ones that spouted Gerbert's noted catchphrases. All while grinning even bigger with his trademark buck teeth.
Like a child at Christmas Brit went up to the toy and tested a few buttons.
"I'm Gerbert Gerbil, heroic astronaut!"
"Always have fun with the Cosmic Crew."
"Going farther than any gerbil has gone before."
Brit was giddy with glee as she went to get her stash of previous tickets. "How many tickets do you trade for the new Gerbert toy?" she asked the lady at the prize counter.
"None," came the bored reply.
You might as well have told Brit the Easter Bunny was dead. "No tickets!!"
"Nope, Gerbert here isn't won with tickets."
But this was the prize counter! Everything here which Brit had at least one of if not two or four of was gotten with the tickets earned in the arcade games. Dangling a prize you couldn't win with tickets right here should be against the law. The toy was unique! Yes, Brit still loved her own toys but her regular figurines of the Cosmic Crew were barely posable. The new Gerbert toy was dynamic and cool!
Noticing how much Brit was fuming, the lady at the prize counter said, "He's a special prize for the winner of a contest we're going to have at the restaurant."
"Contest?" Brit parroted, some of her dashed hope returning.
The prize counter lady rolled her eyes, having gone through this same spiel a few times already. "All you have to do is win a set challenge and the toy is yours."
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