the U.T.M.* tumbled out of hyperbole. something in the watbrane had stalled the engines, and i worried i'd lose connectivity entirely. i worked the controls frantically, trying to level out the descent and avoid plummeting into the singularity. my companions, a 20-something model and a sentient hotdog, were of little to no help. at least i'd managed to train them to not scream when things went pear-shaped. now, they drank tea like civilized individuals, even though i hadn't yet worked out how to disabuse them of that tense catatonic stare they tended to get.
thank god, the U.T.M.'s pincers latched onto the frayed neuron of some forgotten internet lore: the gonkites, my viewscreen informed me. it vaguely rang a bell; the flavor tasting distinctly of an early 90s usenet meme.
i threw a lever, activating caterpillar mode, and up the chain of references we went.
*Universal Touring Machine
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