Chapter 395 (1/2)
The little Terran immature female held tightly to P'Thok's right foreleg, looking up with wide frightened eyes.
”Mister P'Thok, there were plans I fear,” she said. P'Thok tapped his translator. ”The Goober Boys kidnapped Baby New Year!”
”The who did what now?” P'Thok asked.
A bright colored paper wrapped package quivered, the lid shot off, sparkles and confetti shot out, and the sides fell down to reveal an infant Terran male wearing a tall cylinderical black hat with a wide brim, a diaper, and a sash that said ”HAPPY NEW YEAR” in holographic letters that scrolled around the sash.
”He's the one who rings in the New Year with a bow!” Little Windy-Wu said.
”HAPPY NEW YEAR!” the baby crowed out in a high pitched voice.
P'Thok just shrugged, figuring his translator had given it up, then moved over and picked up the human infant, who held his arms up in eagerness to be picked up.
”Let's get the two of you back to the sled so we can get you both home and to bed,” P'Thok said, maneuvering around the flickering fires and the puddles of water.
The elevator gave a cheery ding and P'Thok got into it, surprised when less than a second later the door opened and he found himself on the ground floor again. The Rigellian female was sitting in the red sleigh, waving him over. P'Thok ran through the snow, spraying up a wave on either side of him as he hurried over, and stopped next to the sleigh.
”HAPPY NEW YEAR!” the infant crowed out.
”The children should be home all snug in their beds,” he said. ”With visions of sugar-plums and ice cream dancing in their heads.”
P'Thok tapped his translator again.
”Climb aboard and let us be off,” the Rigellian sang/spoke. ”We'll get there with nary a sneeze or a cough!”
P'Thok climbed on board, holding tight to the two Terran children.
Windy-Wu gave a large yawn and rubbed her equally large eyes. The infant laughed and clapped his hands with glee as the Rigellian shook the reins and the sleigh suddenly flew over the trees. P'Thok held on as tight as can be, looking around to see what he could see. Through the air they flew as fast as a sparrow, the Hannah Somme SqueeWark keeping the path straight as an arrow.
”Oh Dasher, Oh Dancer, Oh Smasher and Fixins! On Comment, on Stupid, on Ronald and Fitzen! Dash away dash away dash away all!” the Rigellian sang out as P'Thok reached up and held tight to his moomoo carer hat with one bladearm, holding the children close with his hands so they could stay warm.
”HAPPY NEW YEAR!” the baby yelled out.
”To the top of the roof, to the top of the mall, crash away smash away bash away all!” the Rigellian sang. She turned to P'Thok. ”Start throwing out the presents for good little girls and boys, we have much to deliver, all presents and toys.”
”Um, OK,” P'Thok turned and looked at the back of the sleigh. He chittered in anxious shock when he saw there were miniature humans with huge eyes and pointed ears and beards all attaching balloons to the brightly wrapped gifts. He was handed one and curious, he tossed it up. The balloon caught the wind and flew away, dancing on the winter wind, beeping a tune as it made it way.
P'Thok kept tossing balloon lifted presents out the back, even as Windy-Wu covered herself and the wide-eyed infant with a red blanket with white fuzzy trim. They flew into the night, setting presents aloft to go where they may, the Rigellian, the Treana'ad, the immature human and the tiny baby.
We Will Return Right After These Messages!
CYBERNETIC ORGANISM CONSENSUS
You aren't going to have a stroke, are you?
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
I don't think so.
Wow. When I realized I could order a dehydrated moomoo farm everything kind of gets hazy.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
Man, BobCo had you guys hooked, didn't they?
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
Like you have any room to talk.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
I was never that bad.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
MANTID FREE WORLDS
Less than a dozen words.
”BobCo Full eVR Twenty Flags Self-Learning Procedurally Generated Amusement Park”
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
WHERE?
IT'S MINE!
I SAW IT FIRST!
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
ALL> LAUGH
DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
OK, fair point.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
LEEBAW CONTEMPLATION POOL
Wait, they have an entire section of their merchandise store entirely devoted to amphibians and amphibious reptiles?
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PUBVIAN DOMINION
Yup.
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LEEBAW CONTEMPLATION POOL
Well, since they never met us I doubt they'll have anything we'd be interested in. These are probably tailored specifically to you...
Is that a self-installing seasonally adaptive micro-ecology relaxation pool with a water fall and real plants? Wow! Bio-luminescent fish! Hypo-allergenic pollywogs and musical singing frogs! Glittersand? Wow! That looks amazing? Holy crap, only three easy payments?
OH MY GOD THEY'RE STILL IN STOCK!
MY ORDER WENT THROUGH FOR WORMHOLE DELIVERY! IT'LL BE HERE IN ONLY A FEW HOURS!
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---