It's time for another alternate version of a character! The version of Dr Science from Captain Zan Zheng's sci-fi setting! A science squirrel... IN SPAAAAAAAACE!

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Middle schooler Joy Ismini was abducted from her backwater planet by the Universal University when she tested as a very smart cookie.

The Universal University does that sometimes. They say to keep rare intellects from wasting their talents on planets that don't have the means to nurture these talents. The next Dr Doppler could be born on New Farmtopia and think of no loftier thoughts than crop rotation. Nay, says the Universal University! We'll take all the smartest cookies and teach them! No need to thank us!

Young Joy Ismini was taken to one of the Universal University's college planets and proved one of their brightest students. She aced all her classes. She wowed her professors. She brought her thesis committee to a standing ovation. She innovated big advances in rocket science, artificial intelligence, and space-faring technology.

Dr Joy Ismini dabbled in darker sciences too: killbots, mind control, war himbo cloning. Sciences not officially endorsed by Universal University. But for such a luminary, they looked the other way.

Around the various Universal University planets, she began to be known as the biggest brain in the universe. Did it go to her head? Yes.

Ismini demanded the finest lab facilities, resources, and free reign to study and got it. She demanded tenure and got it. She demanded to be made the head of the rocket science development department and she got it.

And there she learned that administrative paperwork bored her.

She started to long for her college years when she was dragged around by her thesis advisor to explore and experiment and learn. That's where science was! Out in the bigger universe, not in her extravagant office!

So, shortly after accepting a new graduate student to advise, Dr Joy Ismini launched the entire rocket science development department building into space. She'd turned it into a mobile scientific facility in her free time instead of doing administrative paperwork.

The building was abandoned except for her grad student, Nella, and the hottest intern, Jesse. These two Dr Ismini took with her to help in her new life as she floats around space studying strange phenomena and performing experiments.

Between stealing an entire building and the collateral damage Dr Ismini caused as she recklessly scienced her way through the universe with no concern for bystanders, the Universal University has disavowed her.

Well, as much as they could. She does have tenure.

But they've also assigned Agent Nemesis of the Science Police to track down Dr Ismini and bring her in for Scientific Recklessness.

So how does Zan Zheng come into this?

Well, in Dr Ismini's tireless pursuit of knowledge she became concerned that sexual frustration might be interfering with the workings of her mighty brain.

And 'don't screw your intern even if he's god-tier hot' is one of the few ethical rules of the Universal University that Dr Ismini acknowledges.

At the time, Dr Ismini was in a solar system that had not progressed to space travel yet. Observing the panda-populated planet, she saw Zan Zheng. A college student but nothing special academically. But hot enough to work for her.

So she abducted him.

Zan went through "HOLY CRAP I'VE BEEN ABDUCTED BY ALIENS, HOLY CRAP LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS EXISTS!" and then once Dr Ismini explained why she abducted him, he moved onto "oh sweet, life on other planets wants to bone me, specifically."

It validated his secret belief that he was the universe's gift to women.

Since Dr Ismini's long term plans were to stay in that solar system and could return Zan if things didn't work out, he agreed to be her boy toy.

Zan didn't just want to lounge sexily all day so Dr Ismini had him help out in her experiments. She also outfitted him in a spacesuit, a laser pistol, and a custom spaceship so he could run errands for her.

While he's on one such errand, Dr Ismini loses interest in Zan's solar system and sets course to new adventures, leaving Zan Zheng behind.

Seemingly given the choice to go back to his old life or to chase after Dr Ismini, Zan decided to become a gentleman adventurer in his own right. And that's the start of all his adventures.

Dr Ismini continues to float around the universe, seeking knowledge, performing experiments and being a figure of dread among the normal populations.

Agent Nemesis continues to pursue.

Sometimes, Zan does cross paths with Dr Ismini again when she's doing something particularly reckless like building an army of killbots. As a gentleman adventurer, he does his duty and uses his masculine wiles to distract her from her dangerous ideas long enough for her to lose interest in them.

That's life in space.

It's crazy, it's dangerous, there's mad scientist squirrels out there. But it's the only place to get a good cup of space coffee.

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It's a space squirrel theme week. There's going to be another picture of Dr Ismini and a picture of her support staff Nella and Jesse. Enjoy this expansion of Captain Zheng's universe!

Dr Science owned by me
Art by  Glitter
Outfit inspired by image by Ethan Stubbs