Hatching the Plan

"Is that what you said to Pickle? Make him think he was doing what he wanted? Like he was heard?"

"Hatching the Plan" is the 14th episode of Inanimate Insanity II and was released on August 1, 2020. It is the 32nd episode overall.

Synopsis
Fan’s egg is hatching! Or wait- is it Test Tube’s? Cobs’? When friends and threats return from all corners of an eggcellently mysterious conflict, it’s harder than ever to tell who is in the right anymore. And when the contestants are left on their own with a pressing rescue mission ahead of them, working together to navigate between right and wrong has become more important than ever!

Prologue
The episode opens up to reveal a dark and foggy scape. After a brief pause, the egg falls and Fan reaches out desperately, but Test Tube catches the Egg first. A sudden large crack appears on the screen, separating Fan from Test Tube and the Egg. After a bright flash, Fan appears within the Egg, which emits a loud, screeching noise.

Suddenly Fan awakens in his bed in Hotel OJ from the nightmare with a scream. Across Fan's bed sits Baxter. Fan speaks to Baxter about losing Test Tube's trust over taking care of the egg in the previous episode. Baxter hops off Fan's bed and scuttles away, confusing Fan. On the other side of the bedroom, Paintbrush, half-asleep, presumes Fan is sleep-talking. Fan shushes Paintbrush and focuses back on Baxter, who stops at the open bedroom door. Inspired by Baxter, Fan excitedly runs out the room, bumping into Trophy off-screen and causing him to spill his herbal tea, and later his cacao nibs when Fan runs the other way. Paintbrush sighs and lies down as Tissues knocks on the wall to tell them to quiet down.

In Gemory Cave, Microphone wakes up from being tranqulized and is revealed to be dragged by Taco. As the two banter, they come across MePad watching one of MePhone4's gemories. MePad takes a seat next to MePhone4, who summons the painting of Steve Cobs. MePhone4 reminisces about regaining his memories and recognizing Cobs, saying all he wanted to do was something other than his assigned tasks. MePad offers that the show belongs to him, but MePhone4 angrily disagrees and explains that he left to the island to rebel against Cobs and create a reality show because Cobs hates them. MePhone4 goes on to say that Cobs created A.D.A.M., tricked MePhone4, hired him and Toilet, and nothing he has done has been out of Cobs' control. MePad questions why Cobs would allow MePhone4 to save him. As MePhone4 ponders the question, a loud noise enters the cave, causing MePhone4 to glitch out. Taco produces a blaster instinctively in response to the noise. Throughout his glitches, MePhone4 generates a living room set, then questions where the noise came from. MePad opens up Meeple Maps and locates the source: Contestant Grounds. The two teleport out and appear at the Contestant Grounds and begin to walk towards the Dr. Fizz Machine where Test Tube anxiously clutches the egg.

Baseball questions what they should do about the egg, but Test Tube remarks that they can't do anything, but she's prepared. She places the egg down next to the Dr. Fizz Machine and proceeds to enter in a long passcode, confusing Baseball. Meanwhile, Fan sneaks up and slowly grabs the egg. Test Tube notices him when suddenly the egg emits a loud noise. The sound travels and causes MePhone4 to glitch once again, creating a plethora of random items and recovering Lightbulb in the process. The noise travels far into outer space but stops immediately when Fan grabs the egg. As Fan holds the egg close and calms down, a sudden beam of light is cast upon him. He slowly lifts into the sky clutching the egg, heading towards an Egg Spaceship. Fan's body glitches and he drops his phone, which cracks upon impact with the ground. Test Tube calls out to Fan as he slowly enters the spaceship, the doors closing behind him.

Challenge
Following the intro, Test Tube picks up Fan's cracked phone and looks at the spaceship in horror. MePhone4, thinking the spaceship is actually Cobs, panics to MePad. The spaceship begins to target and shoot lasers at MePhone4, who generates a shield in defense. MePhone4 quickly tells the contestants to get Fan back, then he and MePad teleport away. The spaceship begins to take off, Test Tube quickly assembles a weapon combining the Temporary Paralyzer and Telescope and fires at the spaceship, immobilizing it.

Test Tube notes the paralysis won't hold for long and they need a plan to get up to the spaceship. Baseball jokingly asks if anyone has a big ladder, but quickly detracts from the conversation. Suitcase recalls they've been to space before, so the task should be easy, however, Knife doesn't agree since MePhone4 had ditched them again without giving any tools. Microphone suggests to Test Tube to use her secret laboratory, accidentally revealing the secret and causing Test Tube to snap and punch a hole in the Dr. Fizz Machine. She then gets the idea to utilize the soda machine as parts and encourages the others, after a pep talk, to help her save Fan.

On the spaceship, Fan sits with the egg in an empty room and reassures himself that he and Egg are "masters of their own fate", and follows up with a complaint about the room's unappealing simplicity. The Egg cracks further and lets out a short screech, Fan calms the egg then sits down, holding the egg close. As he tells himself to stop talking to himself, a loudspeaker in the room turns on.

Back at the Contestant Grounds, Knife tears pieces of metal out of the vending machine off and tosses it to Suitcase, who carries it over to the others as they begin to assemble the rocket. Test Tube begins ordering them to up the pace but continues to scold Microphone for stealing from her lab. Microphone mutters angrily and gives a thumbs down. Behind a bush, Taco speaks to Microphone through her gain ability and hints at a plan involving MePad's teleportation, noting how far he could go with "our touch". Microphone, unsure of what Taco meant, questions the plan, though Taco tells Microphone to buy her some time, pointing her away.

Meanwhile, as Suitcase carries and tosses metal into a pile, she begins to hear voices from the previous episode echo in her head. A crack appears stemming from Fan's broken phone, creeping towards Suitcase. Test Tube calls out to Suitcase and snaps her back to her senses, and then questions if she's going to keep sitting there. Upset by the claim, Suitcase demands if Test Tube thinks that she doesn't care, only for Test Tube to accuse Suitcase of causing Fan's elimination, only upsetting her further. Before Suitcase can retort, Baseball cuts in and attempts to break the two up. Suitcase interrupts, saying that it was funny how Fan wasn't worried by the fact he had been eliminated from his favorite game in the world and asks if Test Tube knows what hurt him the most. Test Tube, misunderstanding, states that the Egg is none of her concern. Suitcase then walks off angrily, saying she thought Test Tube was smarter than this.

In Gemory Cave, MePad looks off at the spaceship in the sky and notes that isolating themselves would not prevent the arrival of Cobs. MePhone4 agrees that his arrival was inevitable and suggests to MePad that they remove their memories of the reality show, Cobs, and put it all behind them. MePad, horrified by the suggestion, asserts that it's exactly what Cobs wants and declares that the contestants and Toilet have always had his back and that trusting each other would be their best chance at survival. MePhone4 interrupts, revealing that he knew that MePad had allowed Marshmallow to leave, and tells him not to lecture him about trust. MePad doesn't argue further and teleports away, leaving MePhone4 alone in Gemory Cave.

On the docks, Suitcase visualizes herself underwater, slowly getting closer to the surface. Baseball appears, ending Suitcase's illusion, and asks if she's okay. Suitcase expresses she thought standing up for herself would make her feel better, and though it did, it was harder. Baseball reassures her, saying that everyone, especially Test Tube, was on edge, and not to take it personally. Suitcase answers, "Nothing personal... right?" Uncomfortable, Baseball agrees then says that he wishes he knew how to fix it. Suitcase scoffs and affirms that Baseball "can't fix it. It doesn't just go away." and tells him that the fact he was there, and trying, was enough. She thanks him, stands up, and tells Baseball they should get back to work. Zooming out, Knife, looking suspicious, watches the two walk off the docks.

As MePad teleports into the Contestant Grounds, Taco, hiding behind a bush, loads her blaster, eyeing MePad maliciously. Meanwhile, Microphone peeks into the forming rocket and pulls a wire out. Knife sneaks up behind her and startles her, laughing, but Microphone quickly realizes it was only him, much to Knife's offense. Knife reprimands Microphone and suggests to stop and have some dignity. As Microphone defends herself, telling Knife that she and Taco were on equal levels, Taco pulls an incapacitated MePad out from behind a bush further away. Microphone affirms that she has a voice, as Taco mutes MePad, and that no one was shutting her down, as Taco shuts MePad down. She then says that she wasn't being dragged along, while Knife watches Taco drag MePad offscreen, though he shrugs and walks off, agreeing that they were pretty "in-sync.", much to Microphone's confusion.

Test Tube rants to Lightbulb about how Suitcase was painting her as the villain for doing what was right. In response, Lightbulb snatches the hammer she was holding and imitates Test Tube at Fan's elimination in "Mine Your Own Business". She then smashes part of the rocket wing Test Tube was working on, startling and confusing her. Lightbulb then proclaims it's not just about what you do, but also HOW you do it. Test Tube smiles and thanks her, then demands that Lightbulb go get some tape to fix the wing. Lightbulb, surprised by her own damage, departs, leaving Test Tube to gaze up at the Egg Spaceship and reassure Fan they were almost there.

On the Egg Spaceship, the loudspeaker confirms Fan's language and a scanner emerges from the wall to scan his threat level, which measured to be Threat Level 1. Fan, offended by this, expresses his blog makes him more threatening, which the loudspeaker denotes as Threat Level 0.5. The speaker commands Fan to put the Egg down or they would attack. Fan refuses to let the egg go, though the loudspeaker notes that the Egg will let itself go as it cracks further and begins to spin and float out of Fan's hands. Stunned, Fan watches as the Egg begins to glow bright and lower back to the ground, revealing a hole has broken in the shell, and two white eyes open from inside. The newfound alien notices Fan and screams in fear, quickly flying to the opposite side of the room. Fan attempts to reassure the baby alien when a door opens and another alien enters the room, confusing Fan. A ball of light hovers over to Fan before shapeshifting into a chain and wrapping him up.

Back on the ground, Lightbulb slaps a piece of tape on the broken wing, noting to Suitcase that she thought it was a bit trashy but still an improvement. Test Tube happily exclaims that they had completed the rocket ship and states that it's built for one pilot. Microphone questions if she could have built one to fit all of them. Test Tube agrees, but says that she didn't, confusing Microphone. Test Tube then asserts that she needs to be the pilot, which Knife agrees to, surprising Test Tube. In the meantime, Lightbulb paints on an insignia and names the ship "The Flying Buddy". As Test Tube prepares the ship, Suitcase approaches and compliments Test Tube on her intelligence and ability to create the rocket, and asks if she knows what she'll do up there. Test Tube confidently responds, "I'm gonna get him back.". Suitcase nods as Test Tube closes the door and activates the rocket ship, which propels into the air for a short period of time before backfiring and hurdling towards the earth. Lightbulb quickly realizes the situation and recruits the others to help her form a ladder together so Lightbulb, at the top of the ladder, can electrocute the rocket ship, which reboots and launches once again into the air towards the Egg Spaceship. MePhone4, seconds away from deleting his memories again, spots the ship from afar at Gemory Cave and smiles.

The contestants cheer at their victory together, though as Microphone walks off, Knife tells Baseball and Suitcase listen up, much to their disappointment, and begins to pepare in case Test Tube fails her mission. Though Baseball is not too keen on the idea, Knife exclaims that Test Tube was their biggest threat left. Baseball attempts to defend Test Tube for being his friend, but Knife presses that, like Suitcase previously said, Test Tube threw Fan away like trash. The two continue arguing, until Suitcase pitches in and sides with Knife, saying that Test Tube would understand it was only part of the game.

Microphone travels back into Perilous Forest where Taco sits on a tree stump with a cup of tea. She reveals MePad, who has been zapped and incapacitated, horrifying Microphone who demands to know why she murdered MePad. Taco reassures he's merely in sleep mode, allowing the duo to teleport freely. Microphone clarifies it's to save Fan, and Taco begrudgingly agrees. Not convinced, Microphone asserts that there would be no violence involved, which Taco obliges to.

On the Egg Spaceship, Fan is brought to a large throne room with several Shimmer Guards. Several lights join together in a large shell and form The Prime Shimmer, who demands to know who Fan is. Fan gives a lackluster response, annoying The Prime Shimmer who asks Fan where he found their youth. Fan explains they were found on Mars, and he wanted them to be safe. He quietly accuses them of leaving them stranded, but The Prime Shimmer, engraged, shouts that they were stolen, and angrily questions what right Fan had to take them and asks, beyond the reality show, who Fan was. Fan is unable to answer this.

Test Tube's spaceship suddenly crashes through the floor, and she quickly jumps out, cocking her telescope and looking for the egg, but is quickly surrounded by the Guard Shimmers' spears. The Prime Shimmer begins to reintroduce themselves, but Fan interrupts, catching Test Tube up with the situation. Test Tube then goes to give Fan's phone back to him, but as The Shimmers notice the Meeple logo on the phone, and disperse fearfully, The Prime Shimmer noting the symbol of "the oppressor". Confused, Fan asks what Meeple did to them.

The Prime Shimmer tells a story of three MePhones that arrived at their planet and, curious to learn more, offered to trade technology for information on their unique source of organic energy. The MePhones sought to harness their light, but The Prime Shimmers refused to comply. The MePhones attacked their planet, broke through their shell, and stole their youth. The Shimmers were able to destroy two of the three MePhones, and were able to retrieve all youths, except two, which had been stolen by the one surviving MePhone.

The Prime Shimmer asks if Test Tube and Fan knew where the second egg was, but Test Tube, saddened by the story, declines, and sadly apologizes. Attempting to console her, Fan explains its Cobs' fault, but Test Tube notes that they all stole the egg when they belonged to The Shimmers. She askes if Fan is ready to say goodbye to the Baby Shimmer, but he instead goes to say hello. Fan approaches the Baby Shimmer and apologizes for wanting to keep them safe, but reassures them that they'll still have each other. The Baby Shimmer's eyes glow red and green in response. The Prime Shimmer expresses their happiness that Fan and Test Tube have embraced what they don't understand, though they jokingly quip that would've preferred if their children weren't abducted. Surprised, Fan notes they understand humor, but The Prime Shimmer confirms that they do, but simply didn't find them funny. After a moment of laughter, Test Tube is suddenly shot by a red beam and shattered and Fan is electrocuted knocked out by Taco. The Shimmers begin to panic as Microphone attempts to calm them, scolding Taco for not following the plan. Taco dismisses this and orders Microphone to steal Fan back. She quickly snatches him up as one of the Shimmer Guards hits a button.

The Egg Spaceship charges and takes off quickly as Lightbulb watches nervously, though Suitcase assures her that Test Tube is okay. MePhone4 sneaks out from behind a bush and is greeted by Baseball, agitated that the spaceship is gone with Test Tube and Fan. MePhone4 receives a notification and recovers Test Tube, who is confused and panics when she also notices the spaceship is gone. Microphone then walks in holding Fan, still knocked out, and tosses him on the ground, causing the rest of the group, except Test Tube, to cheer and applaud her. Taco speaks to Microphone over gain, embellishing their victory, but Microphone strikes back asking if Taco said the same thing to Pickle. Microphone denounces her partnership with Taco, determining she gained nothing from their relationship, and turns off her gain, leaving Taco in silence.

MePhone4 excitedly asks for details about taking down Cobs, but Test Tube exasperatedly goes off to explain that it was an alien species and Microphone had obliterated her. However, with no raw evidence with only Test Tube giving her testimony, along with her antagonistic mood that gives her her already bad reputation in front of all of the contestants with MePhone, and with Fan (even as a trustful contestant) knocked out from Taco; everyone refuses to believe the truth from Test Tube that Cobs is still planning. MePhone4 seemingly ignores Test Tube and is relieved that there was no Cobs, happily giving Microphone immunity. Microphone remorsefully looks to Test Tube carrying Fan, who snaps "I hope it was worth it.", and walks off with Lightbulb.

At the Elimination Area, MePhone4 prepares to read the elimination votes but notices MePad is missing and summons an old printer. After commending the group for their work, MePhone4 readies the first vote, only to be stopped by a "replace ink cartridge" warning. Microphone interrupts MePhone4 and announces she hasn't been listening to her heart, and instead to a "voice in her head" that told her to go further than she was willing. She decides that she never heard herself anymore, and wants to quit the game. Baseball is confused by Microphone's choice, but she clarifies that she's making her first good choice and it's what she wants, becoming the fifteenth contestant eliminated from Inanimate Insanity II. MePhone4 attempts to console with her but quickly gives up, and instead moves on with the elimination, no longer counting Microphone's vote, much to the surprise of the contestants. After reading off the votes, Test Tube is determined to have the most and is consequently the sixteenth contestant eliminated from Inanimate Insanity II.

Baseball immediately apologizes to Test Tube, remarking it was "nothing personal". Test Tube scolds Microphone one last time before Knife separates the two and walks Microphone to the Rejection Portal, noting that she looks relieved. Microphone enters the portal after warning Knife that Taco is still out there, unbeknownst that Taco was watching and teleports away with MePad. As the sun rises, Test Tube approaches Fan, startling him awake. After Fan calms down, Test Tube hands him a new phone and formally apologizes, insisting that despite other's comments about her intelligence, she still has a lot to learn, and worries that things won't be the same. Fan agrees but decides it's okay, insisting affirming that they "got it" and so do, presumably, The Shimmers. Test Tube concludes that she trusts Fan, but is suddenly interrupted by Lightbulb, who quickly goes from positive to upset once realizing that both Test Tube and Fan are eliminated. Test Tube says goodbye to Lightbulb, asking her to "stir up some chaos" for her, before joining Fan to walk through the Rejection Portal together. Lightbulb retains her smile briefly before frowning. Lightbulb, Baseball, Suitcase and Knife all look despondent after the episode's events until MePhone4 excitedly announces the Final Four contestants, startling them and wraps up the episode with fireworks.

Epilogue
After the credits, Toilet is seen walking with a bindle along a beach at night time and comes across MePhone4's sailboat. Toilet mistakes a noise inside for aliens, but the door opens, revealing a sillhouette of a MePhone, which Toilet believes is MePhone4. An alarm sounds as MePhoneX marks Toilet with an X and approaches a terrified Toilet. The camera shows MePhoneX and the video ends.

Pre-release Information
According to Justin Chapman on February 3, 2019, one word of the episode's transcript would be "Oh".

An update video on June 8, 2019 confirmed the episode had begun development.

Three screenshots of the episode's storyboard were released on the official Inanimate Insanity twitter.

On April 1, 2020, a teaser for the episode was released on Inanimate Insanity 's ninth anniversary.

For Easter 2020 on April 12, 2020, an image was released on the II twitter showing Test Tube's, Fan's and Steve Cobs' silhouettes in front of the egg, possibly hinting that Cobs might play a role in the episode. However, that has since become false.

A sneak peek of the episode was released on June 20, 2020.

A trailer revealing the episode's title and release date premiered on July 25, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. PT.

According to the trailer, Episode 14 would be titled "Hatching the Plan", the runtime would be 30 minutes, and that it would air on August 1, 2020.

On the Inanimate Insanity Twitter, the time for release was confirmed to be 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT. The tweet listed EST and PST, although technically the episode's release was according to daylight saving time.

Contestants

 * Test Tube
 * Microphone
 * Baseball
 * Lightbulb
 * Suitcase
 * Knife

Meeple

 * MePhone4
 * MePhone3GS
 * MePad
 * Steve Cobs (mentioned only)
 * MePhoneX (debut)

Supporting

 * Fan
 * Baxter
 * Paintbrush
 * Trophy (voice only)
 * Tissues (voice only)
 * A.D.A.M. (mentioned only)
 * Taco
 * Marshmallow (mentioned only)
 * Baby Shimmer
 * Light Shimmers (debut)
 * The Prime Shimmer (debut)
 * Pickle (mentioned only)
 * Toilet

Locations

 * Hotel OJ
 * Gemory Cave
 * Crappy Cliff (cameo)
 * Idiotic Island (cameo)
 * Idiotic Island 2 (cameo)
 * Dr. Fizz Machine
 * Elimination Area

Non-Living Objects

 * Alien Egg
 * InvisiBow
 * Gemories
 * Egg Spaceship

Continuity

 * Episode 14 continues the events of "Mine Your Own Business"
 * Microphone and Taco notice MePhone4’s memory being transitioned to MePad.
 * Lightbulb says that she "drinks when [she's] oppressed", which is similar to a line in "Alternate Reality Show".
 * Lightbulb reenacts Test Tube's reaction to Fan's elimination.
 * Gemory Cave, Hotel OJ, Crappy Cliff, Idiotic Island, and part of Idiotic Island 2 can be seen on MePad's Meeple Maps. However, only the first two are physically seen in the episode.
 * This episode marks Ian Woodside's debut appearance in the show.

Cultural References

 * Lightbulb's "that's no good" line is a direct reference to the Sonic Says PSA segment from the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog episode "Lovesick Sonic".

Trivia

 * Before the episode released, Taylor Grodin said this episode would absolutely be the hardest they've ever made.
 * This is the longest Inanimate Insanity II episode (excluding the combined "Kick the Bucket" episodes).
 * This episode was released on the same day as "The Stacker" nine years later, also making it the first Inanimate Insanity II episode to share its release day of the year with a past episode.
 * With Microphone and Test Tube eliminated, Suitcase is the highest-placing newcomer in Inanimate Insanity II, as the rest of the remaining contestants all competed in the first season. This also makes Suitcase the highest-placing female member of The Grand Slams.
 * With Test Tube eliminated, Lightbulb is the last original member of the Bright Lights in Inanimate Insanity II, as the rest of the remaining contestants are on the Grand Slams.
 * If not counting team captains, this will be the second time the winner is not in Lightbulb's team.
 * This makes half of the Final Four:
 * armless/have arms
 * team captains/non-team captains
 * male/female
 * have yellow/grey parts in asset
 * Test Tube's telescope, the item that appeared in "Let Er' R.I.P.", appears in this episode.
 * This is the third episode where the setting takes place entirely at night. The others are "Sugar Rush" and "Let Er' R.I.P.".
 * After Microphone turns off her gain from Taco, Taco can be seen mouthing the word "Mic?".

Deaths

 * 1) 2 MePhone3GS s are impaled by Light Shimmers with spears.
 * 2) Test Tube is shattered by Taco with a laser gun.