Ash Lander, Krate Azimuth and Dock Galaxy woke to a beautiful Martian morning. Dock packed up his belongings while Krate and Ash breakfasted leisurely and contemplated their work on this mission with all it’s setbacks and accomplishments.
That’s about it Dock finally chimed in except for Wormhole. I’ll stow him aboard just before liftoff. Dock flipped his computer open and input his flight plan while munching a breakfast tablet.
MEANWHILE…
Flash awoke to an alarm siren that signaled the outermost asteroids in the belt. He was amazed to find that he had passed Jupiter while he slept and that nothing had been in his path before this. Radar showed a few tiny bleeps, the nearest of which was approximately 500 miles off to his left. close enough to be aware of, but there was no cause for alarm.
MEANWHILE…
Raygun led Snowpants into his home and revealed the Nebula X, which sat, exactly as ever, starting blankly at nothing in particular. You’ve got to be kidding Snowpants stated, at a complete loss for other words. I know Raygun responded, picking up the copy of the manual. It imprinted on someone else, and now I can’t get it to respond. There’s nothing in this information about reformatting it to a new owner.
Snowpants approached Nebula X and peered into its eyes. A soft, mechanical buzz accompanied the dilation of one pupil as the X unit looked for its master.
I’m having such deja-vu right now Snowpants said, a little creeped out by the droid. Try rebuilding the protocol card he suggested, as he opened a panel and entered a sequence of keys. Suddenly the droid became animated and her dormant eyes seemed alive.
I thought you’d never seen an X unit before – how did you do that – and without even looking at the manual?
Don’t ask me. I have no idea Snowpants insisted. It’s like I knew her in a dream or in a different life
MEANWHILE…
Dock was ready to leave Mars. All that was left to do was to load Wormhole and enter the ship himself. Employing Azimuth and Lander to lift Sly, he leaned over to grab him by the shoulders.
Wormhole’s body suddenly blazed with light and vanished. He was gone. All that was left was a pair of Nomicon restraint cuffs and a smoldering hole in the ground where for nearly a week, Wormhole had lain.