The door creaked open, revealing a large man with messy brown hair, bright blue eyes mostly hidden beneath an extremely thick unibrow, and a prominent hairy mustache. He wore a simple light blue shirt and grey pants, looking every bit like a man who had long accepted the chaos of his household.
He looked down at Dexter with mild confusion. "Who are you, kid?"
Dexter adjusted his glasses and offered a polite smile. "My name is Dexter. I'm the CEO of Dextrotech Industries. I'm looking for Flint Lockwood. I came here to invite him for a potential collaboration."
The big man blinked slowly, then shrugged. "Well, I'm Tim Lockwood, Flint's dad. Come on in… or rather, come around back."
Tim led Dexter through the side gate into the backyard. The area was cluttered with random inventions, half-finished gadgets, and scattered tools. In the middle of it all stood a small cubicle-like structure.
Tim walked up and knocked firmly on the side. "Flint! Someone's here to see you!"
Suddenly, loud mechanical noises erupted from above, the distinct sound of a high-speed pneumatic tube elevator descending. The tube disappeared underground, then a Port-A-Potty positioned nearby hissed open with a dramatic puff of air.
Out stepped Flint Lockwood, tall, lanky, with wild brown hair and an enthusiastic, slightly manic energy in his eyes.
"Dad! Who's— woah, who are you?" Flint asked, staring at Dexter.
"I'm Dexter," Dexter replied calmly. "Do you mind if we talk inside your lab?"
Flint's eyes lit up. "Sure! Follow me!"
_____
Inside Flint's lab, the atmosphere completely changed. What looked like an ordinary structure from the outside hid a surprisingly advanced and glowing workspace. Holographic displays floated in the air, various machines hummed with power, and strange glowing liquids bubbled in test tubes. At the center of the room stood a complex machine that was clearly still under construction.
Flint noticed Dexter's interested gaze and grinned proudly. "This is my newest invention! It's called the Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator… or for short, the FLDSMDFR."
The machine was a chaotic but brilliant amalgamation of household appliances. A microwave served as the main UI interface, with a colander attached on top to absorb water. The front featured a large screen displaying potential food items, a keypad to the right for input, and a control panel below for adjusting flavor and texture. A USB port was visible, and a lever on the left side controlled the water intake level.
Dexter stared at it with genuine fascination. He knew exactly what this machine was capable of from his past life memories, the sheer absurdity and potential of it.
"Is it working?" Dexter asked.
"Weeeelllll…" Flint rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's still not fully done. I'm missing some critical parts and need to run more tests, so…" He quickly changed the subject. "So! What brings you all the way to Swallow Falls?"
Dexter reached into his pocket and handed Flint a sleek black business card. It read:
Dexter: CEO of Dextrotech Industries
"I'm building a team of brilliant scientists and engineers," Dexter explained. "People who want to push the boundaries of technology to genuinely help the world. Your work caught my attention. I'd like to invite you to join us. This Sunday, come to this address. Bring any inventions you want to show. If you decide to join, we'll handle transportation, salary, resources, everything."
Flint stared at the card, eyes wide with shock and growing excitement. For once, someone wasn't dismissing his inventions as crazy. Here was a real opportunity, not imaginary, but actual scientific recognition.
"Wow… I… I'll think about it," Flint said, though his voice already betrayed how thrilled he was.
Dexter stood up. "Take your time. Contact the number on the card if you're interested. We'll send a transport. I'll email you the full details."
____
Later that afternoon, Dexter stood in a dense forested area of Swallow Falls. A fresh crater smoked gently in front of him, the impact site of a recent meteor.
This was the real reason he had come to the island.
Another metallic capsule lay half-buried in the dirt, similar to the one that had contained Reuben. Dexter's expression was serious as he scanned it with his wrist device.
He hadn't come just to recruit Flint. News of the meteor strike had reached him, and he refused to let another Experiment fall into the wrong hands. Many of Jumba's creations were incredibly dangerous. Some, however, could prove useful if properly understood and guided.
He carefully secured the new capsule using his drones and loaded it into a reinforced case. With both business and collection complete, Dexter returned to his helicopter.
As the rotors spun up and the island grew smaller beneath him, Dexter allowed himself a small, satisfied nod.