[spoiler]This ended up being a bit long longer than I anticipated lol. Anyways, happy reading![/spoiler] Captain David Thomas leaned back in his pilot’s chair and sighed into the cold recycled air, then spoke to First Mate Leonardo Moyano on his right, “All right, turn on the recorder.” “Yes, sir,” Moyano said, and then tapped a button his control panel. A chiming sound signaled that the recorder was ready. “At your leisure, sir.” “Thank you,” Thomas said, before clearing his throat and speaking toward the camera in front of him. “This is Captain David Thomas, commander of colony ship SR-378 on route toward planet C-24, sent from the Allied Forces of Earth, if it still exists. We woke from cryo-sleep 2 days ago, with the chronometer saying we had been inactive for 1,756 years. We will arrive at planet C-24 in 24 hours and counting. All systems are nominal, no collisions, plenty of fuel left. Recorded for posterity,” Thomas paused, then said to Moyano, “You may turn it off now.” “Yes, sir,” Moyano said, pressing the button again. He then looked over to see the captain spinning in his chair. “I would advise you don’t put it off any longer, sir,” the first mate said. “Yes, I know,” Thomas said. He spun a few more times, then sighed, “Let’s go meet the rest of our crew.” The two men walked down the winding hallways toward the nether part of the ship. Once they reached a large blue glowing door, they stopped. “Voice key, please,” the door intoned. “Captain David Thomas,” the captain replied, then watched as the door slid open. Beyond sat the “commoner” cryo-chambers, hundreds of them stacked on top of each other. To the surprise of the captain, there was a filthy robot waiting patiently in front of them. “Who are you?” Thomas demanded. “All of the robots should still be deactivated.” “Pardon me,” the robot replied. “My name is B0BBY, serial code 1873-5693. Primary function: gardening. I was just checking our frozen seeds to make sure they were still functional.” “Right, right,” Thomas said. “Do that. Come on Moyano, let’s wake these people up.” “Yes, sir,” Moyano said. “The console is right here. It requires a blood sample to unlock. If you’ll just place your hand right here?” Thomas walked over and thrust his hand inside the console, wincing as it pricked him. He then waited impatiently while it scanned the blood sample. “Blood sample unknown. Access denied,” it said. “What!?” Thomas demanded. “I give you some of my blood and you do this? Let me in!” “Blood sample unknown. Access denied,” the console repeated. “Um, sir?” Moyano questioned. “If you’ll pardon me, I don’t believe punching the console will do anything.” Thomas shook his head and stepped back. “Unfortunately, you’re right,” he said. “What do we do now? We only have a day before we reach the planet and by then all of these people need to be up and working.” Both men were suddenly startled by a loud clanking coming from behind them. Thomas whipped around, only to see it was B0BBY walking toward them. “What do you think you’re doing?” Thomas questioned. “I’ll see if I can fix it,” B0BBY replied. “After all, you did program me with some minor programming abilities.” “I… programmed you?” Thomas asked, his brow furrowed in thought. “Yes… the cryo-sleep process must have given you minor amnesia. Look at me for a bit and see if you can remember.” Thomas stared at the robot until recognition dawned in his eyes. “Right, you were my family’s gardener. I don’t remember bringing you with me.” “I invited myself,” the robot replied. “I snuck aboard with the other robots.” “I’ll overlook you being a stowaway if you can fix this,” Thomas said, then bragged to Moyano, “I programmed it, so…” He was interrupted by a loud BANG! The console was now showering sparks everywhere. It was clear it was beyond repair. “Oh dear,” B0BBY said. “I seem to have broken it.” “You think?” Thomas said, exasperated. “Any other bright ‘ideas’ of yours, robot?” “If I may chime in, sir,” Moyano said. “There is a tunnel leading directly from the cryo-chambers to the engine room. If we opened the door at the end of said hallway and redirected the engine exhaust over here, the heat that will flow through may thaw the colonists before we reach the planet. Even if it doesn’t they will all still be up before a week’s time is up.” “Good job, Moyano,” Thomas said, slapping the first mate on the back. “I can always count on you when we’re in a pinch.” “May I come?” B0BBY asked. “I do love warm places.” “Uh, sure,” Thomas said, giving the robot a strange look. “Just don’t break anything.” The two humans and the robot stood in front of a heavy metal door. Beyond it they could see the engines pumping out giant billows of steam. “This is it, sir,” Moyano told Thomas. “We will need hazmat suits when we go in. They should be in this locker here.” “Will I need one?” B0BBY enquired. “No, you won’t,” Thomas sighed. “You’re a robot, remember?” Thomas and Moyano finished putting on the hazmat suits, then walked up to the door. Thomas unlocked it and they stepped inside. The engines sat in the middle of the cavernous room, with the control panel on the far side. “Okay, sir, you go unlock the heat absorbers from the control panel, and then I’ll open them,” Moyano said. “Got it,” Thomas said as he started walking over to the panel. “Just tell me when.” Thomas turned on the control panel and unlocked the absorbers, then gave Moyano the signal. “Wait, let me do it!” B0BBY said as he knocked Moyano out of the way and opened the absorber. The boiling air poured out of the opening, right toward Moyano. “No!” Thomas yelled as he ran toward his first mate. Unfortunately, he was too late. Just a few shreds of cloth on the ground signified the existence of Leonardo Moyano. Thomas whirled on B0BBY. “What is your problem!?” he screamed. “Follow me to my room,” B0BBY said. “I’ll explain everything. [i]Continued below...[/i]