There was even more hubbub. Rin put her hand over her mouth in shock.
"Oh I nearly forgot. Somebody else wanted to come on board too so I gave him a hand!"
The onlookers exchanged glances as Rin reached down into the cargo hold and helped out whatever it was. She picked it up and carried it back to the group, placing it on the floor as it crawled away.
It was an infant.
Watts face turned a new shade of pale. Tesimal was going crazy next to him screaming something about nursery but he couldn't focus. This wasn't just a kid. It was a goddamn baby.
He was screwed.
Melvin patted him firmly on the back.
"Looks like even more mess to clean up." He said with a weary grin.
The toddler crawled across the floor and gurgled up at Rin.
"Rin." Said Freyja in a calm voice. "Why did you think it'd be a good idea to bring a baby on board the ship?"
Rin looked put out.
"He wanted to come! He was crawling around outside and nobody was paying attention so I just helped him out a little that's all. He's my friend!"
The infant gurgled incoherently.
"His name is Aldo. I don't know why but that's what I'm calling him. He looks like an Aldo."
He looked like a baby. Watts went for a lie down. This was all too much.
In the distance one of the three RAMSES units on board the shuttle sprang to life, marched over and cleaned up the vomit.
"Ah good to have servant!" Said Tesimal approvingly as the android slunk back into hibernation.
The ship was suddenly rocked with a bout of turbulence. Watts who was slumped down in the bridge looked outside. They were pulling into a radiation storm of some sort. Looked like a bad one. Auto-pilot wouldn't get them through this well but he couldn't override it. Damnit!
"Electrical interference incoming! Hold onto your butts!" Shouted Watts.
Tesimal proceeded to grab his rear in a timely fashion.
The ship rocked and tossed and turned this way and that. Aldo started screaming, adding to the already overwhelming noise from the storm.
"Looks like even more mess to clean up." Said Eliza under the racket.
Cassie screamed out as the ship tumbled around. Watts looked back over at the wall. Electricity was coursing through the hull of the ship.
"NOBODY TOUCH THE HULL!" He screamed out. Who designed this thing?
There was a loud pop as one of the Ramses droids exploded, leaving a gooey mess on the floor. Those things had biological...bits....it didn't help to think about it.
"MAKE IT STOP!" Shouted Rin. But there was no stopping it. Another pop resulted in the second RAMSES droid exploding all over the walls and floor.
"These things are useless!" Said Watts damningly.
Beneath them Kip was dashing around, looking for way to quell the storm. Morwena had her eyes closed in a calm prayer. Melvin couldn't really stop himself and threw up once more.
A surge of electricity pulsed through the third and final RAMSES unit. However this one didn't pop. Instead it lifted its hibernated head upright as its eyes glowed into life. The storm subsided slowly as the RAMSES marched forth a little uneasily. It looked around at the astonished crew. These things were only supposed to start up on command and they were buggy to begin with.
It outstretched a hand, as if learning to do so for the first time, and then another. Finally it looked up, in what could almost be described as satisfaction.
I'm not too familiar with RAMSES units, but I get the sense that this could be best described as a miracle.
A lot of improbable events stacked after each other, first the children, now this electrical storm and this RAMSES unit. Fate is directly intervening, I can not be more convinced.
