Chapter 9
Bartholomew's Hidden Talent
In desperation, Barnaby and Zorp examine Bartholomew. They discover its original design specifications hint at a crucial, overlooked component needed for Zorp's ship propulsion.
Barnaby wrung his hands, a nervous tic he’d developed somewhere between the levitating sugar cubes and the self-buttering scone incident. Beside him, Zorp, whose usual aura of serene politeness was currently marred by a faint sheen of existential dread, was peering intently at Bartholomew, the sentient biscuit dispenser. Bartholomew, for his part, was radiating an impressive amount of mechanical grumpiness, his chrome exterior dulled by a day of unintentional mayhem.
"It's no good, Barnaby," Zorp sighed, his voice a soft, melodious hum that usually soothed Barnaby’s frayed nerves, but today only added to the general atmosphere of impending doom. "My diagnostics indicate a critical failure in the primary subspace manifold. Without a specific oscillating frequency modulator, the warp core simply won't engage." He gestured vaguely towards Bartholomew. "And this… this delightful contraption, while a marvel of Earthly biscuit distribution, does not possess such a component."
Barnaby, his eyes darting towards the shop door as if expecting a squadron of stern-faced Galactic Patrol officers to materialize at any moment, took a deep, shaky breath. "But… but you said it was designed for 'diplomatic gifts,' Zorp. Surely that implies some sort of advanced functionality? Perhaps it… it dispenses more than just digestives?"
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