Petting Zoo 2099: Agoraphobic Alligator
Story by ArmadilloZero on SoFurry
Had an idea for what happens to the extremely long lived animals of the petting zoo. Getting old sucks.
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The Petting Zoo on the bad side of town was a weird place. It is filled with Humans who decided, for one reason or another, to give up their humanity and become lowly talking beasts. Well, most of them were former humans. There were a few who never knew what it was like to be Human. Their parents, or even grandparents, got transformed and started a lineage of a new type of people. The Non-Feral Animals AKA the NFAs.
Decades pass and more people choose to become a NFA to postpone their inevitable deaths. Eventually, the petting zoo becomes a relic of a time gone by where seeing an NFA was rare. The Petting Zoo was mainly kept open 80 years later because of government subsidies that helped cover the expense of running the place when ticket sales were low. There were always people wanting to touch and interact with NFAs because it is human nature to want to pet an animal.
Shelly the Tortoise sits by the pond. She thinks, 'Is it called pondering because people do it while looking out at a pond?' She looks at the old crumbling brick buildings of the original zoo as they contrast with the several story tall apartment building built a few decades earlier. Most of the animals lived in that building and came down to walk around the petting zoo when they got bored of their easy lives of luxury. As long as they didn't have expensive hobbies, it didn't take many hours of putting in face time with the guests to pay rent.
There are ripples in the water as a behemoth Alligator surfaces from the bottom. Shelly warmly greets him, "Good Morning Roy." The Alligator waves its tail to cross the large pond in a few seconds. Roy replies, "Good morning, Shelly." A purple Hyena wearing goggles walks by and they eyeball him until he's gone. Roy says, "They let anyone work here now days." Shelly replies, "That's just the current style. Remember back when shaving off all their fur and getting covered in tattoos was a thing?" Roy clicks his tongue and says, "Thank goodness that trend is over." Shelly laughs and informs him, "They probably still get tattoos but let their fur grow out to cover it up."
A white wolf named Jeffery comes bounding up and says, "Good morning Grandma and Grandpa! Tell me a story about the olden days!" All the animals call Roy and Shelly that since they are the oldest NFAs living at the petting zoo. Roy says, "Okay Jeffery, How about one about your extremely great great grandpa Kenway Sugar?" With excitement, Jeffery says, "Yeah Yeah, tell me about the time he shit in the Park Directors desk!" Shelly says, "Watch your mouth young man." Jeffery lowers his ears and says, "Sorry Grandma." Roy begins the story.
It started on a normal day at the petting zoo. Sugar was trying to think up a new scheme to get thrills to break up the boredom . He had grown tired of the usual way of just stealing wallets or purses while guests weren't looking. He finally found someone who would pay him money to make videos of him doing outrageous things.
It started small with things like smelling the guest's butts and loudly giving it a rating out of ten or reverse pickpocketing a hotdog into their pockets. He got the thrill he was looking for out of that. Sugar heard Park Director David Swanson had a very important meeting coming up and wanted to do something risky. He ate some pink glitter that morning and saved his afternoon poo for his special plan. He knew Swanson always gave his boss a tour around the petting zoo explaining the status of everything and ended the meeting with paperwork in his office.
During the tour, Sugar got his friend Dirty the Polar Bear to distract the secretary. Sugar set up a hidden camera in the plant in the corner of the office. He pulled the drawer of the desk out and jumped up to stand on the edge of the desk. The paperwork in the drawer was quickly covered with his glittery excrement. The plan worked perfectly and Sugar was gone before the secretary noticed.
Shelly interrupts the story, "The polar bear wasn't named Dirty. His name was Filthy, but with the letters P and H. Roy replies, "Was it? It was so long ago. What ever happened to him?" Shelly replies, "I heard he went to get transformed again and then never came back to the zoo." Roy asks "Didn't he have a boyfriend that worked here too?" Shelly replies, "I think it was a boar named Tyler." Roy remembers fondly and says, "That boar could do some amazing things with his mouth if you just asked him. He was a true blowjob prodigy." Shelly clears her throat and gives a stern look at Roy. Jeffery laughs at Grandpa Roy. Roy quickly says, "Not that I would know or anything. It was just a rumor. Forget I said anything."
Jeffery says, "Get back to the story Grandpa!" Roy replies "Okay okay!"
Swanson finished up the tour and walks into his office. He didn't notice anything off because humans don't have as sensitive of nose as a wolf. They sit down in the office and Mr Swanson pulls open the drawer to retrieve the paperwork. He doesn't even look as he reaches his hand in to smear the fresh moist pink glittery poo all over his right hand. His eyes went wide as he looks from his boss to his hand several times. Swanson's boss smells the poo and stands up to lean over the desk. The boss lets out a good natured laugh at the prank played on Swanson. He pats him on the shoulder and says, "I'll be back tomorrow to sign the paperwork. It looks like you have your hands full right now!" He laughs hysterically at his own joke and turns to exit the office.
The door closes and Swanson repeatedly slams his other hand on the desk in rage. He knocks a few things off his desk as he hurries out. The video ends with Sugar quickly running into the office and snatching the hidden camera out of the plant.
Roy asks, "You've seen the video on the Youtube historical archive?" Jeffery exclaims "Yeah, it's amazing he didn't get fired for doing that." Roy says, "Those were simpler times back then. Swanson couldn't do anything about Sugar because the video went viral. His boss saw the spike in the petting zoo attendance numbers and told him to get over the harmless prank." Jeffery laughs and says, "Internet celebrities really could get away with anything back then."
Shelly says, "All this excitement is making me tired, I'm going to take a nap." She retracts into her shell and closes up for a nap. Jeffery jumps on top of her shell and looks out over the pond. He asks Roy, "Can I ride on your back like in that ancient game Frogger?" Roy squints his eyes and asks, "How do you know about that old game?" Jeffery replies, "Someone added it to the entertainment computer in the social room." Roy asks, "You any good at it?" Jeffery grins and says, "Yeah, but it's pretty basic. You only have to use one paw to play." Roy turns his massive body sideways in the water and Jeffery has more than enough room to walk around on Roy's back as he lazily floats in circles around the pond.
The white wolf looks into the water and asks, "Do you remember what kind of fish those are?" Roy says, "I dunno, but they are tasty. When you get as big as me you always need to keep a snack handy." Jeffery carefully asks, "Have you lived in this pond your whole life?" Roy is embarrassed at how simple Jeffery makes his life sound and says, "I used to go places and do things before I grew 20 feet long." Jeffery prods, "When is the last time you left your pond?" Roy thinks for a second and asks, "What is today's date?" Jeffery laughs and answers, "April 5, 2099." Roy says, "What? That's not right." With confusion Roy wonders if the kid is messing with him or not. Roy says, "Anyway, someone always brings me food everyday, so there isn't any reason to leave."
With an edge to his voice, Jeffery says, "You haven't moved more than 20 feet from this pond since I was a pup!" Roy warns, "I'll submerge and make you swim to shore just like in Frogger, if you don't watch your tone." Jeffery smiles and replies, "The frog in frogger dies when it falls in the water. That's what I don't like about that game. It just doesn't make sense." Roy says, "Not very many games did in the 80's" Jeffery asks, "The 1980's?" Roy laughs, "You say that like it was a million years ago." Jeffery exclaims, "It wasn't?" Roy wonders why it doesn't feel that long ago.
Jeffery asks, "Grandpa, can you take me for a ride on the shore?" With determination, Roy tries to convince himself that he isn't that old. Jeffery lays down on Roy's back for the ride. The gator crawls out of the pond and walks a circle around the pond's bank. Jeffery says, "This is boring. Make a right turn here." Jeffery is excited that he convinced Roy to head down the path. The guests quickly get out of his way. Everything around Roy looks so different from what he remembered. The animals whisper to each other as they watch him pass. Roy reaches the place where the snack bar used to be and looks around at the empty spot. Roy exclaims, "Where did the snackbar go?" Jeffery looks around the field of grass and asks, "The what?" Roy says, "You know, the place where you go to eat junk food!" Jeffery is unsure and answers, "The vending machine?" Jeffery hops off Roy's back and leads him to a building further down the path.
Under a patio awning is a row of several connected giant black metal boxes with a large video screen on the front. Jeffery walks up to it and says, "Hello!" On the screen appears a cartoon of a female white wolf. She smiles at him and says in her southern accent, "Hello sweetie, What can I getcha?" Jeffery exclaims, "Bacon!" She smiles and asks, "How many meters of bacon would ya like?" Jeffery replies "Just one meter." Roy watches with interest as the cartoon wolf walks into the background and violently jumps on a small cartoon pig to rip it's throat out. The screen is splashed with blood and fades to black. Jeffery laughs and walks off to sit in front of a low table to wait.
Roy walks over and asks, "What was that about?" Jeffery doesn't understand why Roy is acting so weird, "She took my order and went to fetch a pig to make some bacon." A crane swings out across the patio and lowers a platter down onto the table in front of Jeffery. The lid is released and Roy stares at the one meter long strip of cooked bacon curled in a spiral around the plate. Roy asks, "What the hell is that?" Jeffery licks his chops and answers, "They didn't have bacon rope when you were a kid?" Jeffery reaches his head down and start slowly chewing on the end of the bacon rope. He is in heaven at the taste.
Looking at the machine, Roy asks, "I just talk to it and order?" With a mouth full of bacon, Jeffery nods his head. Roy backs his long body up and turns to the black screen. He asks, "Hello?" The screen lights up to a default menu and says, "Hello new user, would you like to setup a profile for use at any of our conveniently located auto vending machines located world wide?" Roy replies, "I might as well." The voice says, "Great! Please hold still while we gather some information." A mechanical arm reaches out the side of the machine and scans the microchip in his neck. A loading bar quickly crosses the screen as all the information about Roy is compiled.
The machine chimes and asks, "How formal would you like your interactions with me to be?" Roy thinks and says, "Like a friend I haven't seen in a while." The machine says, "Okay, Roy. I have cross referenced the perfect avatar that will replicate that experience." The text on the screen fades out and is replaced by a face Roy hasn't seen in years. Alex the Crocodile waves his front paw at Roy and says, "It's been a while hasn't it crocogator?" Roy looks up at the screen with tears in his eyes at seeing and hearing the best friend he lost 30 years ago. Roy asks, "Alex, is that really you?" Alex flippently asks, "Who else would it be lizard brain? You gonna order something or what?"
The emotions well up in Roy as the machine perfectly replicates his best friend. It looks like Alex. It sounds like Alex. It even knew the names they used to call each other. Roy tests the machine, "I'm so hungry I could eat a guest." Alex laughs and replies, "I don't think the bossman would like that. How about some chicken? I heard humans taste just like chicken." Roy answers, "Okay, I'll settle for some chicken." Alex asks, "Did you want it raw with the crunchy bones still in it, like usual?" Roy answers, "You know it!" The avatar of Alex walks off and says, "See you later, alligator" Roy sadly responds, "After while, crocodile."
Roy walks over to the watching Jeffery and waits for his chicken. Jeffery tries to hide his panic and says, "I didn't know the machine could do people you knew." Roy says, "I don't feel good right now. I thought it would just give me some cartoon like when you spoke to it." The crane reaches out and dangles a whole raw chicken in front of Roy. Alex's voice can be heard yelling from across the room, "Eat it in one bite, you pussy!" Roy places his front legs on the table and snaps his jaws closed with a satisfying crunch. Alex laughs and the crane retreats. Roy crunches the chicken with his large teeth.
The bacon rope is quickly finished and Jeffery says, "Grandpa, we better get you back to the pond or people will think you went missing." Roy walks back to the vending machine and Alex looks at him to ask, "You still hungry, fatty?" Roy says, "No, that chicken was good. I know you're not the real Alex, but you do an amazing job. Do you mind if I come by to talk sometime?" Alex turns his head to look at something and then leans forward to whisper, "Sure, as long as I'm not busy, I can spare a few minutes to talk when the bossman isn't watching." A human's legs can be seen walking past and Alex says, "Got to go!" The screen cuts out like an old TV turning off.
Jeffery and Roy make their way back to the pond. Roy is lost in his memories as he lays on the bank to bask in the sun. He ignores the occasional kids that come by to touch him on dares. Shelly eventually walks over and asks, "Where did you go today?" Roy replies, "How would a vending machine know how to impersonate my best friend?" Shelly replies, "Oh, you finally went over there. It's all those videos people take of us. The computers watch them and learn all sorts of things to personalise the experience. You'll be a more loyal customer if you're also coming by to visit a friend." Roy turns his head to look at Shelly and asks, "Who shows up when you use the machine?" Shelly replies, "I just stick with the basic text menu. Those virtual recreations creep me out."
There is a lot of things to think about as Roy waits to get hungry for an excuse to visit Alex. Roy's old friend worked with him at the park for more than 50 years. They always joked, laughed, scared guests, and had a great time together. Roy felt like a piece of himself died the day he lost Alex. Roy wonders if he really has been wallowing in the pond for 30 years missing him. Other crocodiles and alligators had worked at the petting zoo over the years, but the connection just wasn't the same. Roy was alone and depressed while surrounded by people.
The brooding is cut short as Roy sees a bear jump in the water. The moon bear swims across the pond and then walks right up to him. Travis the moon bear says, "Grandpa, you made quite the stir today. Nobody has seen you leave your pond since anyone can remember." Roy says, "I can't remember the last time I left either. Have I never left this pond for 30 years?" Travis shrugs and says, "You have always been in or near the pond ever since I was a cub." Roy is afraid to ask but does anyway, "How old are you?" Travis answers "Twenty five."
Roy lets out a breath and remembers that he used to sleep in a room at the dorms. He stopped doing that when his room mate Alex died. It was just too painful to be alone in that room after spending a lifetime with Alex sleeping next to him. He stopped going to his room and stopped eating. People grew concerned so they started throwing food at him in the pond. Roy relented and ate the morsels. He regrets mentally checking out for so long.
To hide his tears, Roy slides into the pond and lays on the bottom until Travis goes away. Once Travis wanders off, Roy climbs out of the pond and goes to talk with Alex. There are several animals sitting at tables chatting and eating food. Roy hides in the grass a good distance away to watch and wait. The hours pass quickly to someone who has been alive for so long. The last customer leaves and the crane cleans up the patio.
The sun has set and Roy approaches the empty patio. He walks up to the machine and the cameras recognize him. On the screen Alex says, "Welcome back Roy. Are you ready for that chat now that we are alone?" Roy cries and asks, "Why did you die and leave me alone for all these years?" The Alex on the screen says, "I'm sorry Roy, it's the circle of life. I guess you won our bet about who would grow bigger. Look at the size of you now!" Roy's eyes water and he yells, "I've been swimming circles around our pond like an idiot for 30 years. Like I was expecting you were going to just pop your head up and say, surprise! It was just a prank! You're not really dead!"
The computer's processors starts to heat up as they fumble with the probabilities of what would be the best thing for Alex to say. With a sadness in his voice, Alex says, "This simulation of your friend Alex has led to unexpected emotional trauma. A report has been filed and we apologize. Please come back later." The screen turns off and Roy is left in the dim lights under the awning. Roy yells, "Get back here motherfucker! I want to talk to my friend." The screen stays black and rage fills Roy.
The large alligator grabs a metal table in his mouth. Several of his teeth break off as he clamps his powerful jaw onto the table top. He rips it away from the anchor screws and swings it through the air. It slams into the vending machine with a crack. The screen is broken as Roy uses the table to continuously bash the vending machine. Several animals come running to investigate the noise. Mark the Buffalo yells, "Grandpa, You need to calm down." Roy throws the table across the patio and it tumbles past the onlookers. He tastes the blood in his mouth and shakes out the broken teeth. They scatter across the concrete with a clatter. He makes his way towards the crowd and they jump out of his way when he roars at them.
Roy stomps through the park and finally feels at home when he reaches his pond. The animals followed him and Roy lays on the bottom of the pond. The dark water around him clouds red from the broken off teeth. Flashlights illuminate the bloody cloud as they try to signal to him. Roy only surfaces for air and dives back under every time someone tries to talk to him.
Park attendants set up lawn chairs and keep watch all night long. As the sun comes up, Roy looks towards the surface at the gathered crowd of people and animals. He spots Shelly looking down at him with a concerned look. Roy surfaces and yells, "All of you, except for Shelly, can fuck off!" Roy lays on the bottom and waits for the gathered crowd to disperse. Once everyone has backed up, Roy surfaces again and looks around. Shelly looks at the missing teeth in Roy's alligator smile and says, "I hope your teeth still grow back. Because they found enough laying around to make a necklace." Roy sees a few attendants pointing tranq rifles at him. Shelly says, "You've been in this pond for so long, it wasn't right for that vending machine to make you face the reason you never leave it."
With anger, Roy yells, "There is nothing left for me outside this pond. Screw technology." Shelly replies, "If I was strong enough to rip out a table and bust up that machine. I would have probably done the same thing after I first used it." Roy is calmed by Shelly's reassurances that they were in the same boat. With fear, Roy asks, "What are they going to do about me?" Shelly looks at a park attendant aiming a tranq rifle and says, "I don't know. You didn't hurt anyone so maybe they will just make you apologize." Roy yells, "I'm not apologizing to a machine!" Shelly rolls her eyes and says, "No silly. Apologize to the animals that don't have any breakfast."
Roy squints his eyes and looks around at the scared hungry crowd of animals watching him in the distance. He looks at Shelly and asks, "Isn't there a cafeteria?" Shelly shakes her head and says, "No. Budget cutbacks. It closed a few decades ago when we got the auto vending machine." Roy is remorseful about what he did and asks, "Then where has the meat that is thrown into the pond been coming from?" Shelly says, "We all take turns buying it for you." Roy is shocked that he has been a burden on everyone at the petting zoo. He sinks down into the water and blows bubbles out his nose. He rises to the surface and asks, "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't anyone say anything?"
Shelly pulls her neck into her shell and quietly replies, "At first, I told everyone that you didn't have much longer to live and we would all split the money in your bank account when you died. After a few years, people were too invested in the potential payday to drop out and get nothing." Shelly crys and exclaims, "Can you blame me for thinking that?" She yells, "You were on a downward spiral and anyone with eyes could see it!"
Roy pushes away from the shore and floats in circles as he thinks. Shelly loudly asks, "What is everyone going to do for breakfast since you broke the dispenser?" Roy asks, "Grocery stores still exist, right?" Chuck the park attendant smiles as Roy takes Shelly's hint. He holds up a tablet computer and points to it. Shelly says, "They need to scan your microchip. Are you going to be a good boy?" Roy says, "Maybe" then crawls to lay on the bank of the pond. The cautious attendant scans Roy's neck and orders a very large amount of food to feed all the hungry animals until the vending machine is fixed.
Everyone sighs in relief that Shelly was able to defuse the situation. The animals are happy that their breakfast is on the way and the attendants are glad that Roy didn't go full senile. The human employees of the park have always been instructed to leave the antisocial agoraphobic alligator to his pond. It wasn't until recently that Jeffery started meddling. Shelly saw the improvements in Roys condition and encouraged it.
Looking over the broken vending machine, Shelly says to Jeffery, "Why did you bring him here?" Jeffery lowers his ears and replies, "I'm sorry, he said he wanted a snack bar and we came over here. How was I supposed to know the machine would trigger him?" Shelly replies, "He's probably going to relapse back into being a zombie again." Jeffery remembers when he first met Roy a few years ago as a pup. The gator would ignore everything around him as Jeffery climbed all over him on the shore of the pond. The guest's kids would poke him and pose for pictures with him. The gator would float in the water and even ignore when the occasional kid threw rocks at him.
Roy mourns the fact that he killed his chance to talk with his best friend. His mind slips away as he floats in his pond and zones out. Shelly walks up to the pond and yells, "Aren't you going to do anything anymore?" With a shock Roy looks at her and asks, "What is there to do around here?" Roy looks at the leaves of the trees. They are all yellow, orange, and red. He remembers they were green yesterday. 'Was that yesterday?' he thinks. Shelly says, "Now you want to talk? Was I talking to myself all this time?" Roy replies, "Are you mad I broke the vending machine the other day?" Shelly replies exasperated, "The other day? That was five months ago."
Roy licks his tongue across his teeth and they have all regrown. His memory is foggy as he tries to think. He asks, "Where's Alex? I was talking to him and then I.. I.. killed him?" Shelly says, "No, It wasn't him. It was just a wretched recreation of him." Roy exclaims, "I need to talk to Alex." The gator climbs out of the pond and walks towards the vending machine. Shelly musters all her speed and tries to chase after him. "Roy stop. Don't go over there," she yells in vain.
Animals scatter when they see him approaching the vending machine's patio. Half eaten food is left on tables and Roy eyeballs the table with his teeth print in it. The metal tabletop was mostly bent back into shape. The vending machine recognizes him and says, "Banned user, please leave the area!" Roy yells, "Let me talk to Alex!" The machine's screen stays blank and Roy yells, "I will bust you up worse this time, if you don't let me talk to Alex!" The machine's self preservation subroutine kicks in and the screen shows Alex's friendly face.
Alex says, "Roy you need to calm down! The authorities are coming and they could really hurt you." Roy cries, "Alex I missed you so much!" Tears stream down Roy's muzzle. Alex tries to distract him, "Tell me a story about something we did together. It will calm you down." Roy says, "Remember that Fourth of July laying by the pond with Kyle and Curtis." Alex replies, "Yeah tell me about that." Roy continues, "We had an argument about which one tasted worse when we held them in our mouths while we pretend to eat them. You always said Curtis did because he was a Skunk. But everyone knew Curtis didn't have a stink gland." Alex nods his head while listening.
Roy continues the story, "I was convinced that you were biased. So you made a bet that I couldn't keep Curtis in my mouth longer than you could keep Kyle in your's. The skunk and rabbit didn't much like that bet, but you somehow convinced them to lay on our tongues while we watched the fireworks. I hardly lasted 5 minutes before i was gagging. Turned out Curtis tasted bad because he was always having the nasty kind of sex with anyone who would have him. All the musks rubbed into his fur made him all kinds of disgusting." Alex laughs at the story and several park attendants surround Roy.
Chuck the park attendant asks, "Grandpa, are you going to come quietly?" Roy answers "Yes, I'll go." Chuck holds a noose out and tightens it around Roy's mouth. He leads Roy away by the rope, as the machine logs the interaction.
At the pond, Chuck releases the noose and says, "From now on, you will need an escort if you want to leave your pond. The other animals are still afraid of you after what you did to the auto vender last time." Roy says, "Okay. I guess I can see that. I will ask permission the next time I want to leave my pond." Chuck smiles and runs a hand over the bumps on Roy's head. He walks off, leaving the gator alone with his thoughts.
Jeffery comes bounding up to the pond and exclaims, "Grampa! I heard you are back." Roy says, "I only went to the other side of the park." Jeffery says, "No. You are back from the mental vacation Grandma said you were taking." Roy takes a sigh and says, "Oh." Jeffery exclaims, "But I came to visit you everyday anyway. You are always a good listener." Jeffery sits down and puffs out his chest. "Grandpa, look at this cool necklace they made." Nestled in the fur around Jeffery's neck was an alligator tooth necklace. Roy sinks down to the bottom of the pond to wait for Jeffery to get bored and wander off. Jeffery yells, "Grandpa! Don't be like that."
The wolf's short attention span is tested as his friends walk past. They call over to him and he relents. Roy surfaces from the water and climbs the bank of the pond. He spots a purple Hyena and says, "Hey purple butt. Go find Shelly for me." The hyena is scared since this is the first time Roy has spoken to him in the years he worked here. He responds, "Yes, Grandpa." Roy watches the purple one go and thinks about what he will say to her.
Shelly comes walking up and sees Roy laying on the bank. She says, "You scared people today. Can't you just let it go?" Roy stares blankly into space. She walks over and pokes him with a leg and he crawls into the water. Shelly says to herself, "Taking another vacation?" She watches him lost in his semi-feral state and says, "At least you have enough brains rattling around to not hurt anyone. There would be nothing I could say to stop them from locking you up."
Chuck the park attendant is talking to the Park Director, John Cole. Mr Cole asks, "Did he hurt anyone?" Chuck replies, "No, the autovender gave him what he wanted to see." Mr Cole presses his hands to his temples and says, "The animals would riot if I tried to get rid of him. Why did I have to inherit this problem? Chuck says, "I thought Jeffery was making real progress with him." Chuck pulls up the security camera footage on his tablet. Roy is talking to the vending machine about the fourth of July.
Chuck says, "It was a pretty funny story though. I bet we could market the more outrageous ones." Mr Cole thinks for a minute then says, "Actually, that's not a bad idea. Employees are under a merchandising contract so we would only have to give him a small cut. Setup a recording spot on the bank of the pond and broadcast the AI Alex to talk to him." Chuck smiles and says, "I'll get started first thing in the morning."
Roy is awoken by the sound of Alex's voice. He swims over and sees his friend on a screen. Roy exclaims, "Alex!" Chuck is crouched down beside the screen and says, "I thought that would bring you around." Roy ignores Chuck and exclaims, "Alex, how are you?" Chuck watches the gator talk with the AI. He knows Roy holds back details when he tells Jeffery stories. Roy doesn't have any qualms about sharing all the filthy and disgusting details about the things he saw happening at the petting zoo back in the day. Chuck checks the camera one last time and then leaves the ancient gator to tell his stories to the world.