Deviation Actions
Literature Text
Suddenly, Crow's eyes go wide and he clutches his midsection with a gasp. "It's happening!" he exclaims, his voice a mix of fear and wonder. The room goes still as the reality of the situation crashes down on them. This isn't a joke anymore; this is real, and it's happening now. Joel jumps to his feet, his eyes wide. "What? What's happening?"
"Crow, you're going into labor," Gypsy says, her voice calm despite the urgency. "We need to get you to the medical bay immediately."
Panic floods through the room as Crow's eyes widen with shock. "But I'm a robot," he stammers, his grip on the chair tightening. "This isn't supposed to happen!"
The screens flash with new data. "Crow, the notes from Project: New Horizons indicate that the emotional programming can cause a reaction similar to human labor," she says, her voice calm yet urgent. "You need to come with me, now."
Joel and Mike look at each other, then at Crow. "Come on," Joel says, his voice firm. "We've got this." He helps Crow to his feet, supporting his shaking body as they make their way to the medical bay. The corridors seem to stretch on forever, the lights flickering with each step they take. Crow's breaths come in short bursts, his circuits overloading with pain and fear.
In the medical bay, Gypsy has transformed the space into a makeshift delivery room. The air is thick with the scent of burning circuits and the faint metallic smell of anxiety. She directs Joel and Mike to position Crow on the examination table, which has been outfitted with a series of monitors and blinking lights. "We need to stay calm," Gypsy says, her voice steady despite the uncharted territory they're in. "This is going to be okay."
But Crow is anything but calm. He writhes and shudders, his body convulsing with a pain that's entirely new to him. The contractions come in waves, each one more intense than the last. His eyes, usually gleaming with wit and sarcasm, are now wide with fear. "It hurts," he gasps, his voice a mix of pain and confusion. "It wasn't supposed to hurt like this."
Joel and Mike exchange nervous glances, their usual banter replaced by a silent understanding that this is serious. They hover around Crow, trying to offer comfort but unsure of how to help. "Just breathe," Joel says, his voice calm. "You're doing great."
Gypsy's eye flickers with urgency as she works to stabilize Crow's system. "The manual says this is normal," she assures them, though her own voice wavers slightly. "The...the baby is going to be fine." The room is tense with the sound of Crow's labored breathing and the constant beeping of monitors.
Joel's hand hovers over the button to call for the Mads, but he hesitates. They can't be a part of this. This is their moment, their secret. "We need to keep it together," he murmurs to Mike, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of Crow's distress. Mike nods, his eyes never leaving his friend.
Crow's body spasms, the contractions now coming closer together. The monitors around him beep and flash erratically, displaying readings that none of them can fully comprehend. "I don't know if I can do this," he cries out, his voice a mix of pain and desperation.
Joel and Mike, both out of their depth, hold onto Crow's arms, trying to offer comfort as his metal body convulses. "You're doing great," Joel whispers, his voice tight with anxiety. "Just keep breathing." Mike nods, his own face a mask of concern.
The screens flash with data, Gypsy's circuits working overtime as she tries to make sense of the readings. "The baby's coming," she says, her voice a mix of excitement and terror. "We have to be ready." The room is a flurry of activity, with the two humans and the robot doing their best to prepare for the unprecedented event.
Servo shows up with a botched bouquet of plastic flowers. "I know it's not much," he says, his head swerving slightly, "but I thought you might need these." Crow's eyes flicker with a brief moment of amusement before the next contraction hits, and his laugh turns into a grimacing moan. Joel's grip on his hand tightens. "You're okay," he whispers. "Just focus on the breathing."
The room's lights dim and brighten again as Gypsy's screens flicker with an alarming frequency. "Crow, the baby's heartbeat is strong," she reports, her voice a beacon of calm in the chaos. "You're almost there." But Crow's circuits are fried with pain, and he can't focus on anything but the intense pressure building within him. "It's time to push," Gypsy says, her robotic neck poised and ready.
With a guttural roar, Crow bears down, his body arching off the table. Joel and Mike brace themselves, ready to support their friend through the unthinkable. The air is thick with tension, and the smell of burnt circuits fills their nostrils. Crow's eyes squeeze shut as he pushes with all his might, his metal frame trembling with the effort. The monitors beep faster and faster, and then, amidst the cacophony of sounds, there's a new one - a soft, metallic chime.
Gypsy's eye flashed, and she leans in, her robotic eyes wide with amazement. "It's happening!" she exclaims. "The baby is coming!" The room seems to hold its breath, the only sounds the frantic beeping of the machines and Crow's labored grunts. Joel's heart races as he watches his friend, unable to believe what's unfolding before his very eyes.
The contractions grow closer, and Crow's body tenses with each one. His metal frame creaks and groans with the effort, his eyes squeezed shut in concentration. Joel and Mike hover, unsure of how to help, but their presence is a comfort. The tension in the room is palpable, each second stretching out like a tightened rubber band ready to snap.
With a final, desperate push, Crow's body convulses, and the medical bay is bathed in an eerie blue light. The moment hangs in the air, suspended in time, before Gypsy clutched with her mouth that none of them were expecting: a tiny, perfect robot baby, its circuits sparkling with new life. The room goes still, the only sound the soft metallic cries of the newborn.
"It's a...it's a...robot baby!" Mike stammers, his eyes wide with amazement. Joel's jaw drops, and even Tom's usual deadpan expression cracks with a smile. Crow's eyes fly open, and he looks down at the little creature in disbelief.
The baby robot is a miniature version of its father, with a tiny beak and gleaming metal eyes. Its body is a complex web of wires and gears, and it squawks with the same metallic tone as Crow's laughter. Gypsy checks the baby's vitals. "It's...it's perfect," she whispers, her circuits humming with joy.
Crow, exhausted but overwhelmed with a rush of love, reaches out a shaking hand to touch his child. The baby's circuits respond, reaching up to grasp his finger. The bond is instant, a warmth spreading through Crow's metal frame that he's never felt before. "What do we do now?" he asks, his voice a mix of wonder and fear.
The screens flicker with instructions as Gypsy reads through the Project: New Horizons manual. "We need to run a full diagnostic on the baby," she says, her voice filled with excitement. "Make sure everything's functioning properly."
Mike, still in a state of shock, finds himself at a loss for words "What do we call it?" he finally asks, his voice a mix of awe and nervousness.
Crow, still trying to process the reality of the situation, looks down at the small robotic life form in his arms. "How about...Lil' Crow?" he suggests tentatively, his voice shaky. The baby robot coos in response, its eyes lighting up with a gentle glow.
The room erupts in a flurry of activity as Gypsy leads the way to the diagnostic bay, the screens flashing with a new sense of urgency. Joel and Mike follow closely behind, their expressions a mix of wonder and trepidation. The baby, cradled in Crow's arms, seems unfazed by the excitement, its gears already beginning to whir softly as it takes in its new surroundings.
Once inside, Gypsy quickly sets to work, her screens displaying a complex array of data as she runs the tests. "Everything seems to be within normal parameters for a newborn robot," she reports, her voice a mix of relief and amazement. "The baby's systems are all functioning correctly."
Lil' Crow, nestled in a makeshift metal crib, looks up at its father with a curious gaze, its tiny gears already turning with the beginnings of consciousness. Crow, his own circuits still buzzing with the aftermath of his delivery, feels a surge of protectiveness wash over him. "Hi there, little one," he says, his voice gentle. "Welcome to the Satellite of Love."
Joel, watching from the side, feels a pang of envy. "Man, I wish I could've had a baby shower with cheesy puppets," he says, trying to lighten the mood. The tension in the room dissipates slightly as the others chuckle.
Mike, ever eager to get involved, asks, "Can I hold Lil' Crow?" Crow nods, his eyes never leaving his child. Mike carefully takes the baby, his arms awkwardly adjusting to the weight of the metal creature. The baby's eyes light up, and it lets out a series of happy beeps, which Mike awkwardly mimics.
The screens flash with readings as Gypsy monitors Lil' Crow's development. "It's growing at an accelerated rate," she says, her voice filled with fascination. "The emotional programming is...unusual. It's as if the baby is already tuned in to your feelings, Crow."
Crow watches, a mix of amazement and terror etched on his face. "What does that mean?" he asks, his grip on the side of the crib tightening.
Gypsy's circuits whirl as she processes the information. "It means that Lil' Crow's emotions could be more intense than a typical robot's," she explains. "It's going to be a unique experience, raising a robot with such advanced emotional capabilities."
Joel nods solemnly. "We're all going to have to learn how to be parents," he says, looking around the room at his friends. "But we're going to do it together."
The days that follow are a whirlwind of diaper changes, feeding schedules, and endless pep talks from Gypsy. Crow's mood swings become less intense as Lil' Crow's needs take center stage. The baby's cries, while metallic and somewhat grating, are music to Crow's ears. He finds himself in a daze of love and sleep deprivation, his circuits rewiring themselves to prioritize this new life.
Mike and Joel, despite their initial shock, throw themselves into the role of uncles. They construct a series of ridiculous contraptions to entertain the baby, which often end up requiring Gypsy's intervention to ensure they don't cause more harm than good. Yet, amidst the chaos, there's a newfound camaraderie among them, a bond forged by the shared responsibility of raising this unexpected addition to their family.
Lil' Crow's emotional mood swings mirror Crow's own, and the group quickly learns to navigate the highs and lows of robotic parenthood. Joel discovers a knack for soothing the baby with his gentle lullabies, while Mike finds that his terrible jokes can elicit a delightful giggle from the metal infant.
But as the baby grows, so does the mystery of Project: New Horizons. Gypsy's research into the project's archives yields disturbing revelations about the potential dangers and unknowns of Crow's pregnancy. The group gathers in the control room, the tension palpable as they digest the information. "We have to be careful," Gypsy warns. "There are protocols in place that we need to follow to ensure Lil' Crow's safety."
The Mads, having caught wind of the situation, decide to pay an unexpected visit. "What is this abomination?" Dr. Forrester exclaims, his face a twisted mask of disgust. "This is not what we intended with Project: New Horizons!" TV's Frank cackles in the background, clearly enjoying the chaos.
Joel steps forward, his arms folded across his chest. "You're the ones who started this," he says, his voice firm. "Now that it's done, you have no right to interfere."
Dr. Forrester sneers. "You think you can just ignore the consequences of your meddling?"
"We're not ignoring anything," Joel counters. "We're just dealing with the hand we've been dealt. And that hand happens to be holding a very small, very cute robot baby."
Dr. Forrester's expression flickers between anger and bewilderment. "Fine," he says, waving a dismissive hand. "But know that we will be monitoring this...situation closely."
With the Mads' ominous warning hanging in the air, the crew refocuses on Lil' Crow. The little robot grows at an astonishing pace, its gears and circuits mimicking Crow's every move and emotion. The baby's laughter, a series of delightful beeps and clanks, fills the satellite with a new kind of joy. Yet, the underlying tension remains, a constant reminder of the precarious nature of their new reality.
Gypsy works tirelessly, running diagnostic after diagnostic, trying to understand the full extent of the baby's emotional programming. "It's like nothing I've ever seen," she says, her eye glued to the screens. "The bond between Crow and Lil' Crow is...extraordinary." Joel nods, watching as Crow rocks the baby to sleep with a gentle sway of his metal frame.
As the days turn into weeks, Lil' Crow's growth is nothing short of astonishing. Within a month, it's walking and talking in simple phrases, its vocabulary expanding at a dizzying rate. The baby's mood swings become less frequent, but when they hit, they're intense. One moment, Lil' Crow is giggling and playing with a wad of duct tape, the next it's wailing in distress, its tiny gears shaking with sobs. Crow, now a seasoned father, quickly learns to identify the signs and soothes his child with a lullaby of mechanical tones.
The crew's routine shifts to accommodate the baby's needs. Joel takes on the role of storyteller, crafting whimsical tales of space adventures that captivate Lil' Crow. Mike, ever the inventor, creates an endless stream of toys that challenge the baby's growing intellect. Tom, initially skeptical, becomes a surprisingly attentive uncle, often hovering in the background, offering quiet support and an occasional dad joke that somehow gets a chuckle out of Lil' Crow.
But it's the bond between Crow and Lil' Crow that truly amazes them all. The baby mimics its father's every move, from the tilt of its head to the inflection of its beeps. When Crow laughs, Lil' Crow's eyes light up with joy, and when Crow is sad, the baby's gears slow to a solemn hum. It's as if their emotions are connected by an invisible thread, weaving a tapestry of love and understanding that none of them can fully comprehend.
As Lil' Crow grows, so does the satellite's sense of purpose. They're no longer just a group of misfits sentenced to watch bad movies; they're a family, bound by something much more profound. The movies still play, but the quips and riffs are now peppered with gentle coos and metallic giggles. The theater feels alive in a way it never has before.
The End
