The Incredible Beach Adventure (that wasn't an adventure)

Artemis, Boyd, and Herbie had set up a small enclave near the others. Three chairs had been set up, two coolers in between the chairs loaded with food and drink of all varieties, a box of misc. items (including some backup Brain Gel for Artemis, DW-40 for Artie's kids, Boyd's medication, Herbie's surfboard, and a few weapons, just in case...trouble had a habit of finding the Dwarfers* with their pants down), a music player, and some toys to keep the Pritchard kids busy.

The children played near the enclave, building castles, terrorizing the local fauna, experimenting, and getting to know their "aunts and uncles". It was Artemis' turn to watch them, The Missus remained on Starbug to nap, having stayed up the night bringing the children to the Promenade for movie night.

"I cannot remember the last time I took a sabbatical...." Artemis said. "...after the Charon incident I went right into the Space Corps and worked non-stop for years until the accident...then there was the mayhem during my first months...and the encounter with that reprobate troglodyte Lindstrom...yeah, it's been a few million years"
Herbie took a drink of lager. "Eh, whatever, we're here now! Miles away from responsibility and moral values!"
"Boyd will drink to that!" Boyd and Herbie toasted and threw down the rest of their drinks.

Artemis grabbed a drink from the cooler.

"So...how does that work again?" Boyd asked.
"The unit processes the food or drink and feeds small amounts of it into the brain gel for absorption...the rest is burned in the power core to stoke it. Although this core is good for a century without being charged, so it's not like it matters" Artemis said, confusing Boyd and Herbie. "Long winded explanation short, yes, I can eat and drink in limited amounts"
"Well, drink up!" Herbie proclaimed.

Artemis took a swig of the beer, it hit him quickly, and hard, it kept him from noticing the frisbee smacking into his left eye monitoring, causing it to bluescreen.

"Hey! Hey..." Artemis looked around, spotting the small green frisbee at the foot of his chair.

"Who threw this!" Nikola looked down, and sighed, admitting his guilt.

"Time out! Ten minutes!" Artemis said, the little green Skutling meandered into the time-out circle that Artemis had drawn in the sand.

"So, what's it like being a dad?" Boyd asked.
"It's interesting...I never saw myself as an actual father, just the figurative father of an obscene amount of GELF's, clones, and robots. Seriously, I have a few thousand "children" and only eight actual offspring"

Herbie belched again. "Seriously though, if they misbehave don't send them to live with their aunt"

Artemis chuckled. "I won't, I promise. The only actual aunt they have is Alexis, and I'm entirely sure she's not going to take in any misbehaving children any time soon. Although I will need to pick godparents soon, just in case...well, you know...something happens to me and The Missus"

<tag: Luke, Tiberius, leaving this area open for you to carry on the conversation>

The trio watched Evelina's exchange with Jade and Cass, and didn't speak until they all went their separate ways.

"Geeze, she is really trying" Boyd commented.
"Yeah, I can see why they don't want to let Jaxx out though. That stuff at the mine was horrible as it was, the last thing we needed was one of our own trying to kill us." Herbie added.
"I can't believe he obeyed Lindstrom like that. I mean, I was 'helping' Lindstrom have kids, but I was never going to let that come to fruition. Even if I died in the process, Lindstrom was going to die before that project came to a close. But...god, seeing him turn on us, helping the man who single-handedly ruined my career and doomed the Charon facility...I can't forgive that" Artemis said, recalling both the fight at the mines (that he just barely stopped by appealing to Lindstrom's ego...something that Artemis will never forgive himself for) and the bullshit that his nemesis had done to him. "But...I do see things from her perspective, that is her husband. There is no lack of affection, but that is also the problem. Like Dr. Black said, he'd have killed everyone just to save her. The entire last bastion of humanity just for one woman. If Mr. Jaxx were returned to his body, perhaps we could start him on the same medication I was on before the ILIAD transfer, and that Boyd is taking"

Boyd looked at the small orange prescription bottle. "If it can make Chet stop talking even though he's been dead for like...ever, maybe it can make him stop trying to kill people"

"Either that or we can just lobotomize him, but we can wait on that issue until we get home. Right now, gentlemen, we are free men!" Artemis said.

The frisbee hit Artemis again. "I'M KEEPING IT NOW!"

The children whined, and looked for something else to play catch with.

<tag>

Just proposing a solution to this whole problem. Medication or lobotomy could eliminate, if not, reduce the aggression and make Jaxx more sedate.

*I'm not implying that I'm going to be causing trouble, this is just me having the characters be prepared as they've learned never to expect total safety. I have no plans to bring any monsters or anything in.