The Final Countdown - Season I

Episode 3: Part 3: Don't Push My Buttons

Previously on The Final Countdown...

Our heroes are STILL floating through the empty expanse of space, while bits of exploded Earth fly past them. Their ship, the Final Countdown, is in dire straights. Straits? 

Whatever straight/strait/strayt thing you're looking for, it's dire. 

Fancypants tore open the box like a kid at Christmas.

Or a birthday.

Or Hanukkah. 

Come on, someone gives you a present, you're going to open the shit out of it, no matter what time of year it is. 

Ronnie snickered. "Is that how he opens everything?" 

Venti Chai just shot her a glare. 

"I just hope she's not damaged." Captain Fancypants carefully pulled out what looked like a jumble of scrap and tucked it under his arm. "That was a pretty rough launch."

"Pretty rough?" Ronnie bawled. "Three months on the road with Nickelback is pretty rough. The launch was a goddamned nightmare!"

Venti grimaced. "I don't even want to know why you were on the road with Nickelback."

Ronnie clapped and laughed, but the force of the clap sent her sailing across the yurt, where she smashed into the wall with a bone-shuddering crunch. The laugh was short-lived.

"She?" Venti asked, now that Ronnie was busy cursing her way through the alphabet. "Java's a she?"

Fancypants flicked his eyes away from the pile of scrap for just a moment, and for the first time since Venti had stormed out of the house that morning (had it only been that long?) they really saw each other.

"I...it's...I'm..." Fancypants spluttered.

Venti shook her head. "Don't worry about it. The last thing we need right now is a big jealous fight over...well, whatever the hell Java is."

"Java's going to save our lives," Fancypants said. He rolled the pile of scrap around until he found a big, blinking red button. "I hope."

He took a deep breath and pushed the button.

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