After the Giant Turtle Rock Platform left New Erem Star, it streaked southwest in a trail of fire—of course, southwest had no real meaning in space; it was just that saying it this way made things sound more imposing. Hao Ren and Lily were sprawled boredly over the bridge console, studying the constantly flashing data and the ship's structural diagrams. The former was studying them because he had self-taught himself to the point where he was almost capable of actually piloting the ship, while the latter was studying them because she felt it looked impressive.
After they had flown more than half the distance, with only a dozen minutes left before they reached Kuiper Station, someone finally remembered something. Izax rubbed his chin and muttered, "Why do I keep feeling like we forgot something?"
Hao Ren looked around. "Everyone's on board. We didn't even lose Lily. What else could we have lost?"
Even a husky, that notoriously careless creature that could vanish the moment you let go, was sitting obediently beside him. Hao Ren felt that they had brought back everything they were supposed to bring home this trip.
Izax thought for a long while before slapping his forehead. "Oh, right. Isn't there still a... what was it... a corpse lying in the medical bay?"
Hao Ren and Vivian immediately looked at each other, both blurting out, "Holy crap!"
"This, this, this..." Cold sweat visibly poured from Hao Ren's forehead. "Why didn't Hilda say anything about taking her back... Should we send her back now?"
Vivian made the decision immediately. "Call home and tell her first!"
Hao Ren remembered that he had left an Autonomous Mechanical Unit beside Hilda as an assistant, communications device, bodyguard, and construction worker, so he immediately connected to the machine and ordered it to find