The Orville Online

Ed grabbed Dr. Fen by the shoulders. “How do we get it to spit us out?”

Kelly clapped a hand on his shoulder. “It was a noble sacrifice, Bortus. We’ll have Gordon replicate you a case of something.”

The Orville plunged into the amber haze. Inside, the cloud was less a digestive system and more a chaotic, slow-motion tornado of space debris and regret. They found the science vessel, the Sagan , its hull coated in a sticky, glowing goo. The Orville

“It is the only logical choice,” Isaac stated.

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Ed muttered. “Red alert. Alara, get a security team. We’re going in.” Ed grabbed Dr

They jury-rigged the Sagan ’s comm array into a disperser. Bortus, with a single, sorrowful tear rolling down his stony cheek, uncapped the bottle and poured its foul, viscous contents into the emitter. The smell alone made Alara gag.

“A hundred-year aged Moclan fermented seaweed-malt liquor,” Dr. Fen read the label. “With notes of burnt tires, regret, and ‘a finish that lasts longer than a Union-Danube war.’ It’s perfect.” “It was a noble sacrifice, Bortus

And then, the cloud spat them out.

As if on cue, the Orville shuddered. Alarms blared on Ed’s communicator. “Captain,” came the voice of Ensign Turco, panicked. “The cloud is… licking us. Very enthusiastically.”

“You idiots!” Dr. Fen shrieked, not with fear, but with academic rage. “You’ve ruined it! We were this close to proving the ‘Great Flavor Hypothesis’!”