Prog #184: The Greatest Breakthrough Since Inflatable Kneecaps! (Monkey Business at the Charles Darwin Block, part 1)

Case File

A scientific discovery is causing trouble in a Cityblock, with the entire population de-evolving into apes.

The Big Meg (and Beyond)

The trouble at Charles Darwin Block starts with Professor E. Northcote Fribb, who uses a homemade lab to develop “the Fribb Enzyme”. This discovery can somehow “de-evolve” people into apes. Fribb was trying to solve the age-old mystery of whether humans evolved from apes or fish. Where exactly did he obtain his professorship?

The enzyme (which has a distinctive smell of spaghetti sauce) is accidentally released by Fribb, and it makes its way into the Block’s ventilation system. Soon the Block is overrun with apes, causing a lot of chaos – including destroying Caretaker Droids that are stationed in Cityblocks. As well as physically turning into apes, the de-evolved humans lose their intelligence and “primitive instincts” take over.

Things become more dangerous when the de-evolved Bob Kempinski discovers fire thanks to his oven, and a struggle with a Droid leads to a big explosion.

The Law

Judges quickly learn of the chaos and cordon off the block. Without their respirators, even Judges fall victim to the enzyme when they enter the Block.

Throwing Caretaker Droids out of windows is a reportable offence.

Block Mania

As you could probably gather from the title, the monkey business described here is taking place at Charles Darwin Block.

Resyk

Ape-ified unemployed executive Theodore Wainright plays around with his antique hunting gun – and shoots himself in the face.

Verdict

This one has a nice lightly comic touch, with the narration taking on a “Twilight-Zone”-esque detached style. McMahon delivers a fantastic opening two pages, with the apes swinging off and around the actual title!