“Is it raining?”, asked Jenny.
“No, that be nuts, boy”, replied Moulinex750, who was experimenting with a more nautical turn of phrase.
“I was only asking. No need to be rude.”
“No, those are nuts ye be hearin’, laddie.”
“Ow!” something small and pointy hit Jenny in the arm.
“Sharpened nuts”, said Moulinex as a little brown lump pinged off his polished carapace. “They used to have proper shuriken, but these later generations haven’t been trained, they’re just operating on the pre-programmed genetic imperatives that were bred into them. Er, yarr, laddie.”
“What are you – ow! – on about?”
“Ninja squirrels. You’d better get indoors before they start boarding. Ask the ship about them.”

Jenny ducked inside the conning tower, pulling the heavy steel door shut behind her with difficulty. She hopped down the open metal stairs two at a time, skipping along the corridor until she got to the mess.