From College To Cradle - A Toddler’s Want For Intergalactic Exploration

Chapter 4
Hunting Frustration & My Crew

Chapter Description: I’ve been on Ayodele Prime for a while now. My base has grown. I love my new big family and sometimes I have frustrations when hunting for something. Still…having a big family makes those frustrations all the more bearable.

Date: 16:00 36th Cycle, 2022 (16:00 Hours/27:00 Hours, Cycle 36 of 368, Year 2022)

Location: 15 minutes away from Ayodele Prime Imperial Base Alpha, Planet Ayodele Prime, Ayodele Alpha System

I sigh as I waddle through the snow whilst my purple T-shirt flutters and my ATC Cruisers diaper crinkles. It’s been four cycles since I’ve been on this planet and since then I’ve expanded the Secondary Maintenance Wing with a Resident Sleeping Wing in front of it. Now I’ve been tasked by our new farmer to help him in cultivating Frostwort.

I growl as I aim my multi-tool Ayodele’s Bane at the giant oval shaped rock jutting out of the snow in front of me. I dart my eyes between the forest of trees surrounding me and rub my eyes as I take aim at the rock, “I called this rock Dioxibon because of it containing dioxite, the mineral for Frostwort and the universal need: Carbon.”

I smile when the rock bursts into dust from my Pulse Splitter fire and sends five of the dioxite minerals and ten of the carbon minerals into my inventory. “Well…how much do I need for the Frostwort again?” I glance to my watch and navigate to the Frostwort plant, “Okay so I need two Frost crystals and twenty-five dioxite.”

I switch my watch’s inventory and giggle at the readout of the needed minerals to plant the Frostwort in a new Hydroponics Tray: Frost Crystals: 50/50 | Dioxite: 25/25. “YES!” I waddle-run through the snow toward the beacon that’s reaching the sky signaling my base in the distance. “Now I can finally farm my next plant.”

……

Date: 18:00 36th Cycle, 2022 (18:00 Hours/27:00 Hours, Cycle 36 of 368, Year 2022)

Location: 15 minutes away from Ayodele Prime Imperial Base Alpha, Planet Ayodele Prime, Ayodele Alpha System

My ears flicker and pick up the rustling of snow. I spin around in the opposite direction of my base beacon and spot a Magnesaur crawling from beneath the snow, “COOL!” I waddle-run over to the creature as it stops in front of a patch of Happy Fruit Trees and munches on some of the fallen fruit.

I kneel in front of the creature, oblivious to the hissing echoing around me from my excitement of finally being able to be up close with one of these majestic creatures. I rub my hand on his head and giggle when he licks my hand in return. I glance down to my watch while Ayodele’s Balance vanishes and I grab some creature pellets. “Here ya go.”

I toss the pellets in front of his head and smile as he devours them, “So cool!” When the Magnesaur lightly bumps my chest and sends me onto my padded bottom, I giggle and boop its snout, “So cool.” I rub its head and smile, “Imma call you…” I rub my chin as I stand up, “Floofers.”

I giggle when the Magnesaur licks my cheek, “I guess you like that huh? Come on, let’s go back to my home.” I glance down to my watch and turn around to the direction of the blue dot on my watch. I smile toward Floofers and waddle toward my base.

……

Date: 18:28 36th Cycle, 2022 (18:28 Hours/27:00 Hours, Cycle 36 of 368, Year 2022)

Location: Ayodele Prime Imperial Base Alpha, Planet Ayodele Prime, Ayodele Alpha System

I stop in front of the door inside and turn toward my starship landing pad to find Floofers sitting next to my starship, “You don’t want to come in?”

“The Magnesaur can’t come in.” echoes the reptilian voice of a Gek. Yet, I can’t place which Gek at the moment.

I train my eyes toward the Gek who spoke and I see the green suit of Farmer Kriptu, “Hi, Farmer Kriptu. I was just about to come get you actually.” I turn toward Floofers, “Why can’t he…” and my eyes widen. “OH! He thrives in the cold environment outside.”

Farmer Kriptu nods, “That’s right.” and heads down the hallway toward the Secondary Maintenance Wing.

I giggle as I turn toward my door and step into the warmth. “Now to plant my…” I stop in my bedroom and dart my eyes across the hydroponics tray sitting to the left of the door. I blink twice at the red multi-stemed seedling of my previous plant, the Gutrot Flower “Um…I don’t think another plant can fit in here.”

Brian chuckles as he glances from his book atop his bed and scans the hydroponics tray, “Yeah, Stacinator. I think you should have built a bigger one.”

I dart my eyes around my bedroom and chuckle at the small space that permits us to walk around the room between the two doors, “I think I should have made a dedicated wing for hydroponics plant growing.” I turn toward my empty couch, “I could use that space.”

I snap my fingers and smile as the couch disappears whilst its composed minerals of condensed carbon appear and fade inside my watch, “Now I can place the second hydroponics tray here.” I turn to Brian right as Farmer Kriptu appears in the doorway next to Brian’s bed, “This would work right?”

Farmer Kriptu nods fervently, “Of course, Toddler-Interloper Stacey.”

I turn back to the space where I’m going to place my hydroponics tray and select the device from my watch’s build menu. My right hand is surrounded by a golden aura as the outline for the hydroponics tray appears in the attached space where it will manifest, “Okay…” I move my glowing hand into a fist…yet nothing happens. “What the…”

I glance toward the space where the outline is residing and straightaway it turns red. “Wha…”

CANNOT BUILD. MISSING COMPONENTS. echos my watch’s AI with the obvious.

I growl, “WHAT COMPONENTS?!”

Farmer Kriptu walks over and pats my shoulder, “Calm, Toddler-Interloper Stacey. It’s not that big of a deal. We don’t have to plant it right away.”

I growl again and stomp my foot as I spin toward Farmer Kriptu, “EASY FOR YOU TO SAY! YOU’RE NOT OUT THERE FOR HOURS HUNTING FOR THE BLASTED MINERALS!” Tears swim in my eyes and I bow my head, “I…I’m sorry. I…I just…AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ALL THAT TIME WASTED!”

I hiccup and sniff as my emotions reign themselves in and I notice I’m being hugged by the Gek Farmer. I rest my head over his shoulder and sniff when it dons on me that we’re the same height. Wow…the Gek people are the shortest of the three races I’ve encountered in this galaxy. 

I sigh as Farmer Kriptu releases me and pats my padded bottom, “Thanks. I…” I sigh as I dart my eyes to the empty space where my second hydroponics tray was going to reside, “I was looking forward to it.”

Farmer Kriptu ruffles my hair, “I know. Like farming, building takes time. Just have to find the materials tomorrow.”

“But I wanted to make the…” I sigh and cross my arms, “Humph!”

Farmer Kriptu ruffles my hair, “It’s alright. I’m not on a schedule, I just wanted to see if you could grow the Frostwort like you did the Gutrot flower.” Farmer Kriptu pulls me into a hug and releases me seconds later, “We can go searching for the resource you need tomorrow. Two heads hunting is better than one after all.”

I smile at Farmer Kriptu’s suggestion, “Thanks.” My belly growls and I poke Farmer Kriptu’s beak, “Now you said something about food?”

Farmer Kriptu rushes into his farming sector of the Secondary Maintenance Wing and returns with a bowl containing what appears to be an Earth steak. The difference to me is that the entire thing is purple.

I dart my eyes between the purple steak and Farmer Kriptu, “Um…what is it?”

Farmer Kriptu smiles, “It’s one of my plant-based meats.”

I pull a piece of the steak-like purple meat and bite into it. My eyes widen at the sweet and tangy flavors caressing my tastebuds, “It’s good.”

Brian sets his laptop on his respective table and walks over to pull a piece of the purple steak. He smiles within seconds of the food contacting his tongue, “Delicious.”

Farmer Kriptu bounces from one foot to the other, “YES! It was my first dish that I made with the local plants here. I used the Happy Tree Fruit and the Gutrot flower and combined them to make this purple steak.”

Overseer Drogra and Ensign Hapoton walk into my shared bedroom and sit down on my bed. Overseer Drogra waves at me, “Toddler-…Stacey, what’s going on with my Gek friend?”

I waddle over to Overseer Drogra and smile as I crawl into his lap, “He mastered his first food with the plants and fruits native to this world.” I turn toward Farmer Kriptu as he runs from my bedroom and darts past the Primary Maintenance Wing into the Secondary Maintenance Wing. “I think our food selection is going to widen quite a bit.”

Ensign Hapoton pumps his right fist, “Grah! Glorious! More food variety.”

I giggle as Overseer Drogra bounces me in his lap, “Yeah!” I dart my eyes back to the doorway to find Farmer Kriptu handing everyone a small plate of the purple steak, “So Farmer Kriptu, what have you decided to call the steak?”

Farmer Kriptu walks over to me and boops my nose, “Since you’re our leader, Stacey. I figured you could name it.”

I giggle at Farmer Kriptu’s nose poke and smile, “Mystery Meat. It’s cause it’s a mystery as to why it tastes so good!” I giggle and jump out of Overseer Drogra’s lap while Ensign Hapoton shakes his head.

I dart my eyes toward Ensign Hapoton as he takes his plate back to the Secondary Maintenance Wing, “What did I say?”

Brian chuckles and sets his empty plate on his computer station desk, “Ensign Hapoton isn’t amused by your puns, Baby Brother.”

“Oh…” I glance down to the floor and giggle as I wiggle my toes, oblivious to the hissing carrying the bottle I had during my hunting journey out of my body. When the hissing dies down my ATC Crusiers diaper’s wetness indicator is yellow-green. I waddle into the Primary Maintenance Wing and sigh as I sit down beside Scientist Uzlovsk’s Terminal.

Brian tilts his head at my behavior and turns to Overseer Drogra, “What’s wrong with Stacey?”

Overseer Drogra turns to Brian and shrugs his shoulders, “I’m uncertain, but I think it has to do with what he perceives as him having upset Ensign Hapoton with his puns. Don’t worry, Brian. I’m sure they’ll resolve it amongst themselves.”

……

Date: 19:00 36th Cycle, 2022 (19:00 Hours/27:00 Hours, Cycle 36 of 368, Year 2022)

Location: Ayodele Prime Imperial Base Alpha, Planet Ayodele Prime, Ayodele Alpha System

I dart my eyes around my bedroom and glance down to my ATC Cruisers diaper. I blink twice at the yellow wetness indicator and turn to Brian’s bed to see him fast asleep, “Wow…he fell asleep quicker than I thought. I guess that Mystery Meat was a powerful sleeping agent.”

I waddle into the Living Room and spot Ensign Hapoton watching the display screen. I blink twice at the Earth show Rugrats that he’s watching, “Ensign Hapoton?”

Ensign Hapoton turns to me and ruffles my hair, “It’s one of my favorite shows from your home galaxy. And before you ask, I wasn’t mad at you.”

“You weren’t?” I swallow the lump in my throat and rise to my feet so I can waddle into Ensign Hapoton’s lap. “I’m glad.” I wrap my arms around his neck and giggle, “So why did you leave?”

Ensign Hapoton returns my hug and pats my padded bottom as he rises from the couch and carries me toward my bedroom, “Well I wanted to talk with my family. Since I didn’t want to broadcast that, I chose to leave.” He sets me on his shoulders and kneels to grab a fresh diaper, wipes, and powder.

“Now then,” Ensign Hapoton walks back into the living room and lays me down on the couch while Rugrats continues playing. “let’s get you changed.”

I giggle as I watch Tommy and his friends enjoy their pretend adventure of Indiana Jones while Ensign Hapoton unfastens my wet diaper. “Ensign?”

Ensign Hapoton smiles as he lifts my legs and works on getting me dry with the baby wipes, “Yeah?”

I smile as the episode proceeds to Tommy and his friends running from a giant rock, “What’s your family like?” I giggle while Ensign Hapoton lowers my legs so he can roll my old diaper into a ball and toss it into the air to be converted into carbon by the base’s storage container.

Ensign Hapoton chuckles he unfolds a new diaper and slides it under my bottom, “My wife is strong and powerful amongst our people, and my son is much like you, Stacey.” Ensign Hapoton grabs the baby powder and lifts my legs so he can powder my uplifted bottom.

“So…why don’t you visit them?” I rub my eyes as Ensign Hapoton brings the circle decorated shell up to my belly, “What happened?”

Ensign Hapoton secures the left diaper tape and sighs, “I don’t want to burden your little mind with my past, Stacey.”

I poke Ensign Hapoton’s helmet as he secures the right diaper tape, completing my diaper change. “We’re all family on the planet, Ensign Hapoton.” I kick my legs allowing my fresh diaper to crinkle and I giggle and smile toward Ensign Hapoton, “Now tell me.”

Ensign Hapoton withholds a chuckle at my toddler behavior and sanitizes his hands. After he returns the supplies to the drawer under the couch, he scoops me into the air. Once my leg kicking stops, he cradles me and sits down on the couch. Ensign Hapoton gently rocks me in his arms and his smile fades to a neutral gaze, “I’ll never be able to see them again. My ship crashed on that space station you saw me at when we first met.”

“Wha…” My eyes widen and my smile fades, “What?”

Ensign Hapoton nods and continues to gently rock me, “I’m able to keep in contact with my family, but I’ll never be able to see them again because the pulse engine drive my ship had was rare. It’s especially rare in this system and well…”

Ensign Hapoton walks back to my bedroom and tucks me in. He caresses my hair and smiles down at me, “I won’t travel through the stars and risk losing another child that I care about.”

I smile toward Ensign Hapoton, “Okay. I’ll hold you to that.” and stand in my bed so I can kiss the forehead of his helmet, “I’ll always come back, no matter what adventure I go on. Promise.”

Ensign Hapoton smiles and pulls me into a hug, “Promise. Now sleep well, Stacey.” He pats my padded bottom and tucks me back in.