ã€ŠThe Medusa&#x27;s Listã€‹


 Chapter One: Reunion

    Jack woke in his own bed, to the sound of his phone ringing. It was a ringtone he dreaded hearing after months of vacation time, especially while sleeping. He crept out of bed, following the instructions given to him. He yawned, grabbing a cold brew coffee and chugging it. He wiped his rust-colored beard before heading to the weight room, where someone was waiting for him. He arrived and sat down. Right when he sat, he tilted his eyes up, noticing the metal cone directly above his head as he sat in the chair. He was facing a woman just shy of his own 6 foot 2 height. She also had corn, silk blonde hair, and vivid blue eyes.

    ¡°You broke into my house, and you brought the cone¡­that¡¯s never a good sign.¡± He said while getting settled.

    ¡°We have a problem, Jacky boy.¡±

    ¡°Seems like we always do, on this little moon.¡± He yawned.

    ¡°Oh no, this is an off-world matter." She sighed.

    ¡°That explains the cone. You don¡¯t want me remembering this conversation, in case it goes poorly and I tell you to eat a dick and leave. Deniability, offworld, 2AM call in the weight room. Must be some heavy shit I already feel disinterested in.¡±

    ¡°Jack. I have an ultimate mission so important it overshadows everything we know, and I can¡¯t tell you the mission, because it sounds so insane that you won''t believe me.¡±

    ¡°Then why tell me that part?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s gonna get lonely being the only sane person who knows, so I¡¯m gonna tell you, see if you get it, and if not, cone your memory and then do it again differently.¡± She said, looking high.

    ¡°Okay, just try it.¡±

    ¡°Everything we know is a simulation, the entire universe is just code and computation and the computation is in the form of a novel on some guy¡¯s computer in another universes Earth, and I think I know how to break the 4<sup>th</sup>wall and get there, thus immortalizing our universe and becoming god.¡± She said with a dead serious look.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re on drugs, because you always are on drugs, are you on anything new and cosmically powerful?¡±

    ¡°No but I know where the 4<sup>th</sup>wall is, we just have to open it.¡±

    ¡°Yea, cone me. This is too insane even for you. Do the cone, try again, but don¡¯t lie to me, just omit details.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± She said, getting out her phone, and hitting the memory wipe cone app.

    ¡°You broke into my house, and you brought the cone¡­that¡¯s never a good sign.¡± He said, quickly getting settled in a second time.

    "Jack, I have a mission that is more important than anything we¡¯ve ever done, and I¡¯ve been sent by someone so high up you wouldn¡¯t understand. So I can''t give much detail. There¡¯s a place we need to go, things we need to collect, and the universe is at stake¡­maybe more then one universe.¡±

    ¡°Fuck. I was afraid you¡¯d say that.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Too heavy? I can cone you, and try again.¡±

    ¡°I can tell by that look you have already. How many times?¡±

    ¡°If I told you, I¡¯d have to cone you again.¡±

    ¡°Is it time sensitive?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Eh, not really. I don¡¯t wanna dick around, but it¡¯s not like we all die in 7 days or something. We have time to work. Probably a 6 month mission or better.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Well don¡¯t be so quick to turn down an Operation. You haven¡¯t performed surgery in a long time.¡± She said, as he drew a suppressed 9mm from his back, and placed it on the table.

    ¡°Long enough that my scalpel is getting rusty, and I¡¯m itching to operate. But I have a job here. I¡¯m married now. I have a wife, with medical needs, and friends who depend on me, I can¡¯t go running off on a 6 month long trip and leave them, and I sure as hell can¡¯t tell them I¡¯m gonna go get myself killed on some mystery mission in space, and come back as a clone when I do. Vicki hates it when I come back cloned.¡±

    ¡°Well here¡¯s the neat part. You don¡¯t even have to leave. I just clone you now, and send clone Jack into space. In fact, you can bring a Vicki clone with you, and you won¡¯t even be lonely. We¡¯ll all be together. You, the wife, and me. Two other operators, off the books, can probably recruit some help along the way. I have a ship, the best and most lavish in the fleet, and an absolute force of luxury and power. The Keanu.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sending Vicki into space.¡± He said firmly.

    ¡°Well, guess what Punkin, I figured you¡¯d say that, so I told her all of this before I told you. I coned her twice before telling her you need to go¡­which you do, the universe is at play here. She doesn¡¯t want you going alone for 6 months, stuck with me. Don¡¯t worry I used the memory cone after that so she won¡¯t even know she agreed. But she did, in writing.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not a Surgeon, or a space explorer, she could die up there.¡± Jack snarled.

    ¡°I got a cloning machine on the ship. We land, we do some cosmetic work, if she dies, we print her off on the ship, and she¡¯s waiting for you when you get back. Or if you die down there, you just step out and she¡¯s already there to greet you. That¡¯s the beauty of being a clone, after a while, death is just an annoyance. You know only 1 in 12 humans can cope with the psychological knowledge of being a clone? That means the other 11 freak out and need their memory wiped or they spiral into depression and insanity knowing they¡¯re already dead. Humans are fucking weird. Vicki, however, did just fine, and you¡¯ve been cloned so many times even I don¡¯t remember what number you¡¯re on. What¡¯s one more? Plus she already wanted to go. She¡¯s in the other room under the cone, if you wanna try and talk her out of it. How often does that work?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna watch my wife die, even if she does come back.¡±

    ¡°Jacky boy, I don¡¯t think you understand your wife as well as you think you do. She¡¯s a monster now, like us. Ever since the bug bite, she¡¯s been drinking blood and eating literal manwiches, and you saw how she did on the underground rescue mission. She¡¯s stronger and faster than you are. Hell, I could probably just bring her and get some of it done without you. Your wife is a killer, Jack, you trained her to defend herself, and you¡¯re practically made for each other. She needs to hunt and feed, and we have plenty of terrible people who will get in our way, so why waste the meat?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t waste the meat anyway, would you?¡± he smirked.

    ¡°Fair point. I¡¯d just eat the bodies myself, but that¡¯s beside the point. You¡¯re a couple of natural killers that are oddly good people on the inside, and that¡¯s the morally gray team I need with me, because I can¡¯t do this alone and frankly, if you turn it down, the other options suck, and I don¡¯t wanna be on a ship for months with those dickheads. Pretty please, Jack. Make the universe a better place. Your father would want it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pulling that card?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Literally.¡± She said, drawing the Jack of hearts, with a roman coin printed on the back in a blue background.

    ¡°Well he¡¯s dead, so what does that say about his opinion?¡± Jack sighed.

    ¡°Jack, he got old. I would have just cloned him back again and again as usual, but at some point, the human mind runs out of will and space. Humans are not designed to live forever, after a certain point, they stop being human. The human brain has a finite memory storage device and at a certain age, it just doesn¡¯t have room left, so you start losing bits of yourself to keep going forward. When you run out of life, you stop living.

    He was 97 years old, Jack. 97 very rough years, that¡¯s a lot of mental weight. Now, you can stay with Vicki and keep her safe and live out your life as a peaceful construction worker on a nice little moon that I swear I¡¯m close to getting renovated and de-bugged. Two more weeks, tops. And you two can live to a ripe old age together in boredom with your friends, AND, not or, AND, you can save the universe with me and have the greatest adventure of all time. And after a 6 month run, I bet you won¡¯t envy them. I bet you¡¯ll pity them, and their boring life. Jack, you sleepwalk missions, and Vicki has to simulate attacks and feed off Delmarian blood donations to be satisfied. That¡¯s no fun. Tell me you don¡¯t itch for a good mission. Tell me you can just leave her behind, and just not tell her you¡¯re doing this. Tell me she won¡¯t be happier with you adventuring, than you will be by yourself, and if you two hate it, and don¡¯t wanna be cloned back, I just stop cloning you back when you die. Easy fix. If she sucks at it, she won¡¯t last long, we bench her on the ship, or we let you both die together in some badass combat situation, probably having sex in a falling aircraft full of explosives or something. James bond kinda ending.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s your first pitch, I don¡¯t even wanna hear the backup pitch because you already made too many good points. I don¡¯t like this idea, and I don¡¯t like bringing Vicki into this lifestyle, but I know both of you are more stubborn than I am. And that''s without the both of you working together to convince me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good. Welcome to marriage, the contract of compromises. The second pitch had a musical number anyway, so I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t make me twerk for this.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°I never wanna see you twerk, what in the hell made you think that would convince me to do anything?¡± Jack scoffed.

    ¡°I was gonna lock the door and keep doing it till you agreed to take the mission.¡±

    ¡°Glad I caved on the first pitch.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­if you change your mind, you know where to find the video. So¡­are you signing the paper? I believe Vicki already signed it, so that means if you wanna discuss this with her, you gotta sign too. Otherwise¡­¡± she sighed, pointing up at the cone.

    ¡°Fine.¡± He agreed.

    ¡°Now go back to bed, Jack. You have board games to play, and drywall to hang tomorrow. You¡¯ll need your sleep for that level of excitement.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Clone you has work to do. Sign here giving consent to copy you, and don¡¯t read the fine print.¡±

    He got up, signed, and headed out, stepping away from the cone and into the kitchen, looking around in confusion.

    ¡°This sleepwaking has to end.¡± He yawned, grabbing the bourbon and starting his old fashioned medication.

    ...

    Gizzy pressed the button on the clone tank.

    Jack opened his eyes, wincing at the bright light as he sat up from the phone-booth sized tube. It was still damp from the liquid. He was hit in the face with a towel, as the sound of chuckling filled the air.

    ¡°Welcome to the ship, Jack.¡± Said a harsh, maniacal smoker voice.

    ¡°Why are you short, blonde and naked?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Just haven¡¯t bothered getting dressed yet, the other parts we¡¯ll get to later. We¡¯ve all been cloned before; the three of us have seen everything already. Actually this body design is brand new. I¡¯m calling it the Charlotte 2.¡± She said while getting dressed in a grey jumpsuit that was fitting for space.

    ¡°You look pretty good for young guy.¡± Said another familiar voice, dark and smooth like aged wine, but oddly sensual and feminine. Vicki greeted him with a hug, dressed in a similar grey jumpsuit, form fitting like lycra, but dense enough feel like real clothing.

    ¡°You look good in stretchy rubber.¡± He added, noticing her holding a drink thermos with a straw.

    ¡°Fresh made, on tap.¡± She said. ¡°Blood printers, we don¡¯t even need a big fuzzy Delmarian on the crew.¡± She whispered, sipping as the opaque white straw went red and, her eyes took on a very slight red hue. At least, compared to their normal green.

    ¡°Well that solves the medication problem. Just have a blood spawner on the ship. You know I don¡¯t like you drinking stranger¡¯s fluids.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s expensive, but we don¡¯t have very many Delmarian friends with assassination experience.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°Surgical experience. You gotta get used to the terminology. Technically, you¡¯re in training, so that would make you a nurse.¡± Jack informed.

    ¡°So what¡¯s my code name, then, the Phlebotomist?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll work on that.¡± He said as they gathered at the table where the blonde Gizzy was sitting. She pulled Vicki aside, as if whispering a secret.

    ¡°From this point on, any time we¡¯re off ship or in public, call me Charlotte. Don¡¯t question it.¡± She muttered. ¡°The name Gizzy carries a lot of weight, so I¡¯m under cover until we reach uncharted space. You two are too unknown to need code names this far out, frankly."

    ¡°Okay," Vicky puzzled.

    ¡°We also have 2 highly trained space crewmen you¡¯ll meet later, the best Grey pilot around, and the best Delmarian tracker money can buy. But for now, we have something special to reveal.¡± She said while pulling off a cloth from the table. ¡°Now this device here, familiarize yourself with it.¡± she said holding up a metal sphere with alien markings on it, and bands of glowing blue light.

    ¡°The hell is it?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°That is the prototype me. This, people, is the untested future of undercover wetwork. This sphere can be placed in any clone printer and print¡­me. The sphere becomes the center of the skull, everything else prints organic around it. Bone, flesh, tendons. Our enemies have become far too good at detecting Osirian technology, so even my human passable surrogate bodies can be flagged, and all hell breaks loose when that hapens. That means, lady and gentledicks, that you are looking at Portable Gizzy on a thumb drive, printed into a generic human body, undetectable to any scanners or x-rays. They can¡¯t tell me from a human being, aside from the fact that I can¡¯t bleed to death or feel pain, and I can push myself harder than a human being can for those reasons. BUT, if you cut me, I bleed like the rest of you. Unfortunately we¡¯re testing this aspect where we¡¯re going on the mission.¡±

    ¡°And what if some enemy decides to torture you for information?¡± Jack asked, grabbing a bag of peanuts.

    ¡°Then this sphere becomes a small thermonuclear mining charge capable of leveling a building. People, I expect some of us to die on this extended mission, possibly me, and you agreed to that when you signed the contract. Jack, Selene¡­here are your identification briefcases, familiarize yourself with your character, and be ready to land in 2 hours. And if you look up, the cones overhead will do a quick memory scan in case something bad were to ha-¡± she stuttered, as everything went white and blurry. Jack struggled to remember where he was, feeling disoriented and foggy. Suddenly, everything became warm.

    ...

    Jack sat up from the cloning tank, wheezing and confused. As his memories flooded back in, his pulse skyrocketed, and he flopped to the ground.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Vicki asked, ¡°Who are you, what¡¯s your full name?¡± She nervously asked, checking his eyes as they faded in and out of focus.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m¡­Jack Greene¡­You¡¯re my wife Vicki." He said, only mostly sure. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡±

    ¡°Really jank-ass memory upload.¡± Gizzy said checking the hand scanner. ¡°The good news is¡­it worked. You should remember everything right up till the brain scan, and nothing before the explosion.¡±

    ¡°Explosion?¡± He asked looking around and noticing 2 familiar faces along with Vicki and ¡°Charlotte¡±. He felt confused again, like something was wrong. ¡°Vinn¡­Nicole? What the hell are you guys doing on our ship?¡±

    ¡°Jack¡­this is MY ship.¡± Nicole said. ¡°Your ship is¡­kinda fucked.¡±

    ...

    Jack sat at a metal table, an ice pack laying on his pounding head. Gizzy paced the room like a teacher about to give a lesson.

    ¡°So, the mission encountered a slight hiccup.¡± Gizzy said awkwardly. "I was right. We were all going to die at some point in the mission, and we all did, basically before I started the engines. The ship was sabotaged, we don¡¯t know by who, I suspect a very lazy reboot situation given the awkward jump.¡± Gizzy said, staring up into nothing, presumably at me for deleting 7 chapters and winging it on this part without telling my girlfriend.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jack groaned. ¡°Why do I feel like shit and why is Vinn and Nicole here¡­and where is here?¡±

    ¡°Here, is MY ship.¡± Nicole noted. ¡°2 lightyears from Delmar. You remember when I left your moon with Vinn, took my ship, and headed out for adventure. Well, Apparently¡­ ¡®Charlotte¡¯ here placed a tracker on my ship.¡±

    ¡°Why would you not assume I bugged your ship?¡± Gizzy shrugged. ¡°I bug everything. Anyway, I bugged her ship in case we needed to track her down, and thanks would be nice, because it saved our asses¡­most of us. The bomb took out the ship, and all of us with it. Luckily in the event of my death, I automatically clone back and then clone all of you. The good news is that Vicki and me cloned perfectly fine. The bad news is that the crewmen you didn¡¯t meet yet, their data files were damaged when the cloning tank took some shrapnel, and we didn¡¯t know if we could bring you back either, Jack. We did, but god it was an ugly hack job, I used Chat GP to fill in 2 percent of your skin cells, just an FYI in case you get itchy. I¡¯m amazed your memory came back, frankly. That¡¯s why we keep backups of our friends.¡± She smiled, holding a thumb drive.

    ¡°So the other two are gone?¡± Jack sighed.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what they get for wearing red shirts to a space mission. Shit happens, but, there is good news, let¡¯s focus on that. It does mean we still have a full team. And conveniently, we saved the matching spacesuits, and we have a spare Delmarian sized one now.¡±

    Vinn looked confused, scratching behind his antler stubs.

    ¡°The dead guy was a Delmarian?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yep. Every spacecrew needs a giant furry monster guy, and that¡¯s why we keep a giant furry monster shaped suit. So, my ship is basically gone.¡± Gizzy rattled off. ¡°The list was in the safe, we saved some food and supplies, and that means the big mission is still a go. So, Captain Gizzy and her crew of¡­4 dipshits, gets to continue mostly as planned but on a, no offense, smaller shittier ship.¡±

    ¡°Whoa. whoa, whoa.¡± Said Nicole, her black braids bouncing as she objected. ¡°You seem to be a bit dizzy Gizzy, but this is MY ship. I¡¯m Captain Nicole, of the Medusa.¡±

    ¡°Ship made of stone¡­captained by a hybrid seamonster. Clever.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°And I just rescued your asses. So until you get another ship, you''re not captain of one, you¡¯re just ranking officer to Jack and Vicki. This is a freelance Pirate vessel, we answer to nobody, out here in nowhere. This isn¡¯t Delmar, miss Gizzy.¡± Little 5 foot nothing Nicole said, stepping up to six foot blue eyed buff human, roughly 80 pounds of muscle, and far larger than her. ¡°So thank you, CAPTAIN Nicole, for saving our asses, and the mission is whatever I say it is. Next space station or habitable world, you can go or stay, and do whatever you want from there. This is a 2 person crew with one cleaning robot, and occasional guests, and you¡¯re not captain without a ship, let alone captain of MY ship.¡± Nicole finished.

    ¡°Well, well, little Evee Nicole, you really did toughen up out here. I respect that, but we have a very important Mission, and frankly¡­Pirate?¡± she giggled. ¡°You¡¯re just playing Pirate, Nicole. By definition, a pirate has to rob another ship and crew. Have you ever stolen anything from another crew or ship?¡± Gizzy asked. Nicole stared her down, reached out and ripped a button off her shirt and ate it.

    ¡°I just robbed you of THAT, and you¡¯re not getting it back. Pirate. Checkmate, matey.¡± She crossed her arms.

    ¡°Adorable, well in that case, We¡¯re pirates too, because I¡¯m officially pirating your vessel. As a fellow¡­PIRATE, YARRRR!!! I will be taking this vessel by force and the mission is back on.¡± Gizzy boasted.

    ¡°Bitch, I got you cloning approval on the Delmar M44 council, and my husband Vinn here has done a lot of favors for you. You owe us, and you¡¯re gonna rob us?¡±

    ¡°Temporarily commandeer the vessel, honey, welcome to the wonderful world of Space Pirates.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Nicole said as Vinn stepped up aggressively. Gizzy smiled, cracking her knuckles and looking back at her crew in matching assassin Lycra.

    ¡°Jack, Vicki. I give you permission to stand down, and not pick a side that will conflict with your friendships and loyalties. But right now, captain to captain, sorry little Nicole, but out here the strong take what they need, and we need a ship. YOUR ship. So unless you got a lot tougher then I rememb-¡± Gizzy said, as a massive Furry fist bounced her off the wall and flattened her out. Vinn Smiled.

    ¡°Kinda wanted to do that for a while actually.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Damn she went down easy, this new surrogate must be really soft.¡±

    ¡°Welcome to the wonderful world of Space Pirates¡­bitch.¡± Nicole said, as Vinn picked up the Charlotte body and brought her to the brig. She looked at Jack and Vicki, crossing her arms. ¡°So what the hell are you two doing out here?¡±

    ¡°Long story short, Vicki¡¯s cancer medicine mixed with the spacebug venom and now she¡¯s essentially a vampire. Codename ¡®Charlotte¡¯ cloned us for a very classified mission, and we need your help now, and I¡¯d politely like to use your ship.¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds about like how shit happens with this group. So literally everyone here is a cloned copy of someone else, somewhere else? Good, welcome to the club. Bar is around the corner. I¡¯m gonna hit the shower, and when Gizzy wakes up, we can talk business. You two are guests, Me casa spaceship, you casa spaceship and stuff. Good to see you both again. We¡¯ve both missed you.¡± She smiled cutely.

    ¡°You¡¯ve missed our originals.¡± Vicki corrected.

    ¡°None of us are originals anymore, and I couldn¡¯t care less about any originality.¡± Nicole smirked, strutting off.

    ¡°She¡¯s changed.¡± Vicki nodded. ¡°I like it. Jack, you should wait in the bridge for when Gizzy wakes up. She¡¯s gonna be pissed.¡±

    ¡°She likes Nicole too much to be too angry.¡± Jack shrugged.

    ¡°Her ship is gone, the vintage wine is lost, and it cost 120 million credits to bring us all back.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s gonna be pissed.¡± Jack sighed, strolling down the hall.

 Chapter Two: Negotiations and Robot Maids

    Nicole sat in a folding chair, as Gizzy sat on the edge of the bed in the bridge, staring at her.

    ¡°Look.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°Sorry about that, but you did threaten to mutiny.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand the importance of this mission, Nicole. This isn¡¯t some political rivalry, or a personal squabble between me and an old nemesis; this is serious.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me what it is.¡±

    ¡°Classified. You have to trust me.¡±

    ¡°Then just tell me the first part of it, where are we going?¡± She asked. Gizzy slowly pulled out her phone, the pocket version of the memory cone attached to the headphone jack. ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake¡­is it really that bad?¡± She asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re all in a book. I¡¯ve partially decrypted the code for the author¡¯s notes, and we need the blood of an impostor syndrome to get out.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re right, cone me and try again.¡± Nicole said throwing her hands up. Gizzy hit the button. Nicole blinked.

    ¡°Look.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°Sorry about that, but you did threaten to mutiny.¡± She repeated, speaking identically to the first time she said it. Gizzy rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand the importance of this mission, Nicole. There is an ancient evil that has awoken that is trapped on a world in its infant form, and we have to kill it before it becomes powerful enough to survive deep space, and start massacring worlds. We¡¯re gonna stop it while it¡¯s weak and vulnerable.¡± She lied.

    ¡°You do have a way of pissing people off. But Vinn and I aren¡¯t killers.¡±

    ¡°Vinn¡¯s killed before.¡± Gizzy scoffed.

    ¡°Okay, once. But it was in self defense, and it took months to get over that in therapy. I don¡¯t even like to kill spiders. We¡¯re not monster assassins, we¡¯re just, clueless dorks with a ship, and enough money to get by... And don¡¯t¡­don¡¯t offer us a shitload of money to become assassins. I know how your pitches work. I may be a hybrid seamonster of the dark, and Vinn may be a 700 pound mass of muscle and teeth, but we don¡¯t kill people. We have committed a few minor crimes, sure; money is tight out here, you gotta get tough to survive, but we don¡¯t kill people.¡±

    ¡°Great. We need a pilot and a navigator who stay with the ship. Vinn has military training and this ship has pulse cannons and a shuttle bay. Let us do the killing part, you be the glorified Uber, and call yourself Captain.¡±

    ¡°You gonna murder people on my ship?¡±

    ¡°Possibly. It¡¯s not the goal, but if they get on the ship and need killing, yeah we¡¯re gonna potentially kill people on your ship.

    ¡°Who cleans the mess?¡±

    ¡°Oh trust me, Vicki is great at cleaning messes. Between the two of us, there won¡¯t be anything left.¡±

    ¡°You bugged my ship.¡±

    ¡°Your husband punched me in the face. You¡¯re married to a guy who beats women.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on, you barely even count as having a gender at this point. He didn¡¯t even know you did this¡­weird human soft exoskeleton thing, he assumed you were a living suit of biomech armor thinly coated in plastic and sensors. That shouldn¡¯t have even put a scratch on you.¡±

    ¡°Well, it did. But it healed, so whatever. But that does remind me¡­Your husband and Vicki are probably having a very awkward chat right about now. You¡¯re gonna want to know details before walking into that without context. ¡°

    ...

    Vicki sat in front of Vinn. They were both sitting cross legged on one of the crew beds as she nervously arranged her thoughts, and figured out what to say.

    ¡°Vinn, your copy and I had this¡­um, agreement. Of sorts. You see I have a medical problem ever since the bug/cancer thing. It turns out Delmarians are more nutrient dense than humans are, and I need to consume about 1-2 liters of human blood a day or I get sick. And for some reason, I have an instinct to feed, and, well¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah sure, go for it. Whenever you need a fix.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Huh¡­so the other Vinn was more reluctant, and needed some persuasion. I¡¯m not sure you understand what I¡¯m asking. It¡¯s not technically that dangerous but I am venomous and aggressive when I feed and¡­¡±

    ¡°No I get it. You¡¯re gonna attack me regularly under supervised and planned conditions and then you wont lose your mind from hunger and hurt someone. I¡¯m taking one for the team.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really casual about this, Vinn. Why are you casual about this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been on a ship for 6 months with Evee Nicole, you remember how Kinky she was with Hyde? I¡¯m very open minded, and we have the restraints if needed. Things have changed in 6 months. I¡¯m different, she¡¯s different, you¡¯re VERY different as we can see. You¡¯d never ask if it wasn¡¯t medically necessary and you are still our friend. We¡¯d risk our lives for you, I think a little awkward vampire nibbling is acceptable. I already know Nicole is gonna be cool about it, but how is Jack feeling?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­aware and accepting. He doesn¡¯t wanna think about it too much, but he knows it¡¯s necessary. He¡¯s seen me when I haven¡¯t fed.¡±

    ¡°Ya bit him.¡±

    ¡°I did, and I feel terrible. He had to get shots and everything. I can¡¯t risk killing a friend, if a friend who can handle it will voluntarily go through a little discomfort with me. Also, you may find the venom to have¡­some euphoric effects.¡±

    ¡°Like¡­hit a dab of Delmar red too hard and got spinny and the munchies or...¡±

    ¡°Straight up heroin.¡±

    ¡°Oh okay, so that explains the reluctant part.¡±

    ¡°These help.¡± She said holding up a pack of syringes. ¡°And you can build a tolerance by putting a tiny bit of venom in your daily food rations.

    ¡°Oh cool¡­microdosing bug cancer heroin. I¡¯m understanding why the other Vinn had some hesitations. So we talking every few weeks?¡±

    ¡°Every few days, daily if I can¡¯t get a source of human blood.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think to pack a blood printer on your trip?¡±

    ¡°We did¡­ and also a Massochistic submissive Delmarian assassin. Lost both in the explosion.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least this way you¡¯re drinking with friends, and I won¡¯t be wearing a gimp suit.¡±

    ¡°Nicole didn¡¯t get you one?¡± she smirked.

    ¡°Hey, HEY!¡± he scolded. ¡°a little more biting and getting high than normal is one thing, we¡¯re not making this weirder than it needs to be.¡± He said sternly.

    ...

    Nicole stood on the bridge, staring at the display screen as Gizzy paced behind her.

    ¡°Look, if you want to play pirate out here, that¡¯s fine. But you should really treat this as you and Vinn owning a taxi service, and the 3 of us just along for the ride.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen these charts before.¡± Nicole marveled. ¡°There¡¯s so much out here to explore than I ever realized; how did I miss all of this?¡± She asked, as thousands of colored dots appeared on a 3d hologram display.

    ¡°Because some of them haven¡¯t been charted yet, and some have been de-charted.¡±

    ¡°De-charted? What does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°Nicole honey, I know you love your mystery and adventure, but there are things out here nobody knows about because the ones who found it either never lived to tell, or they hid it so nobody else would have to find it. The people we are after go to those kinds of places. You cannot understand the weird shit that exist in the dark of space, off the charts you can buy and explore.¡±

    ¡°What if I like weird shit?¡± She smirked.

    ¡°You won¡¯t like some of these. Some of them even scare me, and I¡¯m not afraid of anything. Can you keep a secret?¡±

    ¡°Of course I can. Otherwise you¡¯d be in jail.¡± Nicole reminded.

    ¡°No I wouldn¡¯t, I¡¯d just cover the evidence. But the fact that I don¡¯t have to do that proves your point. This device right here, it¡¯s a pocket cone. It¡¯s just like the larger memory wiping devices. Shen it¡¯s turned on, you don¡¯t form memory, and the moment you walk out of its range, you remember right up to the moment it was turned on. This one has some fancier features, but it fits conveniently into a pocket, and has a range of about 3 feet. Completely harmless for short term use, but if you have to go back and extract memory, it requires a more advanced setup. The further back you go, the more you risk brain damage."

    "While every one you or the crew have ever experienced was about as damaging to the brain as 3 shots of vodka, I¡¯ve had some that were more like major brain surgery. Ironically, I don¡¯t know how many I¡¯ve had, but sometimes I see things that don¡¯t feel real. Like a badly drawn glitch in reality where someone filled in a hole with rushed AI imagery. Or like someone deleted a chapter of a book and rewrote it and only I remember pieces of the first draft in my dreams. When you see these glitches, these places or things, the more you look at it, the stronger you feel that feeling of terror and dread; like what you¡¯re looking at shouldn¡¯t be looked at, and you have no idea why. People, places, the mention of events. Tell tale signs of Osirian memory patching or universe ret-con."

    "Planet JD4 is one of those. Just looking at a photograph makes me feel like something is crawling it¡¯s way up my throat to my brain, and it can''t quite get there. I wanna be as far away as I can get from it, but I was curious why and I once knew, and I risked brain damage by un-knowing it. That¡¯s what kills my curiosity. It¡¯s on the list. I¡¯m saving that for last, hoping we simply all die before having to find out.¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s comforting.¡±

    ¡°Comforting is Delmar Moon 44, where your copy is safe and happy, and you are far from anything that ends worlds, protected by layers of security and ignorance. You¡¯re out of that safety bubble here, Nicole. These charts that the governments that hate each other have agreed to make have omitted and blocked areas for a reason, and that¡¯s why you never ended up there. Your ship won¡¯t even let you, while loaded with the government¡¯s navigational software. Your ship will make a wide loop around anything you don¡¯t wanna find and they don¡¯t want you to find. It¡¯s in every ship, every manufactured nav-system on every planet that makes them. Very few people even know it exists, let alone how to bypass it. I only know they exist because I was on a crew of dipshits, and they navigated by vibes, and the captain just aiming at stuff. Look at your path logs, honey. Straight shots to approved worlds and systems. What¡¯s the worst thing you¡¯ve ever encountered out here? Other people and ships, pirates looking for money and supplies, desperate people in need of help who will take it from you even if you don¡¯t offer?"

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°We saw a lot of dead ships, lot of dead people in those ships.¡±

    ¡°Victims of space travel. What most people assume is the worst thing out here. Honey it¡¯s one of the tamest. Here is the first secret of the day, you probably feel safe knowing we have that cloning tank. Immortality cheat, you die, you step out fine, like Jack has done a dozen times or better, like I¡¯ve done. Safe, security, life insurance. Here¡¯s the scary part. On goes the pocket cone, your reaction is gonna determine if you remember this. That is not a full advanced lab back home on Delmar, loaded with safety and backup gear, printing basic human beings we all know and print like clockwork. That is a compact prototype we cannot repair or replace. That is a device that knows how to print me and Jack with no problems. So far Vicki¡¯s scans show clean, but she is a hybrid now, no guarantees she will print off herself, and we have no backups like we do back home, so if she comes out more bug than human, or more cancer than Vicki, we can''t fix it, we just have to put her down, and we¡¯re shy a crew member. We already know you print unpredictably under controlled circumstances, so if you die out here, whatever we clone is likely gonna be not quite you. Not nearly as bad as coming out a mindless death machine made of cancer, but you may never be entirely Nicole again. I have my brain encased in convenient pods so I¡¯m just cloning a body, and Jack is the only basic-bitch pure human that would come out fine every time. Even Vinn is only probably going to come out as himself, but last time we had to fix his eyes. So if someone else here dies, and they don''t print back right, our best hope that we can retrieve the body or the head is to remove the brain, cryo freeze it, and clone around the brain.¡±

    ¡°Holy fuck.¡± She cringed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a discreet cremation service and push a button, ding, fries are done, out steps you or your friend. Unless it¡¯s me or Jack, everyone else is a combination of guessing, rolling the dice and if all goes wrong, emergency brain surgery and crossed fingers that may result in someone killing the abomination that came out, and then you¡¯re gone. Now back home where it¡¯s safe and cozy, Jack and Vicki are immortal, I¡¯m untouchable, you¡¯re well backed up, and everyone is safe even from death. Out here, death is not only possible, but not the worst outcome you could have.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m keeping this memory, because I¡¯d rather be safe knowing it, than ignorantly risking my life.¡±

    ¡°Smart girl, smart answer. But you said it yourself, you¡¯re not a killer and these missions may need that. We have a list of items we need that shouldn¡¯t exist that prove things they would kill us for knowing, and I can¡¯t even tell you who THEY are."

    ¡°Deep space-spy shit.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°Exactly, So we can drop you off at the nearest space station, with a shitload of money, and you can go back to playing pirates. I can even erase ever meeting us out here. You¡¯ll just think you got drugged and robbed, get another ship, and you and Vinn will live happily ever after. Or you can stay on the ship with Vinn, while the 3 of us dive into madness and shit that makes no sense. And you can learn to trust my orders when I override yours. I¡¯ll call you captain, your name will be legally on the ship¡¯s paperwork, and you can pull rank most of the time. But the moment we encounter a thing or place we shouldn¡¯t know about, The Chief military advisor¡­me¡­becomes the ranking officer and you sit back and play sidecar¡­understood?¡±

    ¡°Wow, every time I think I figured you out, there is another layer of skin to peel off, and what¡¯s underneath is more disturbing than the thing I assumed was the horrifying core. But you know that I can¡¯t stay away from mystery. You know the truth pulls at me, and the curiosity whispers my name. I may need a minute to process and cope with this, but don¡¯t you dare keep underestimating me and take that truth from me again. I¡¯ll stay on the ship, I¡¯ll ride sidecar when it¡¯s absolutely necessary, but I¡¯ll never run from knowing something, especially things I¡¯m not supposed to know. I¡¯m kind of a nosy bitch. So I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re supposed to call you Charlotte outside of this crew, in case something finds us and you need your identity protected. What about our identity?¡±

    ¡°Mine traces back to you, your moon, your friends, OUR friends, my kids, my wife, Menace, everyone. You think I would walk around with a bomb in my head for security protocol, and let you 4 organics walk around as a capture risk? Honey, I¡¯m the big bomb, the detonator, and the leader here. Every one of you on this ship was cloned by me, and every one of you has a little tiny explosive in your brain. Nobody knows your name, or Vicki, or Vinn, and aside from a list of Surgeons back on Amenthis, nobody knows Jack. Everyone knows me. And a lot of those people really don¡¯t like me.¡±

    ¡°Boy, I can¡¯t imagine why you¡¯d be hated more than the rest of us.¡± She snapped.

    ¡°I get the job done, and I don¡¯t get personal about it. If someone, or a group, or a world needs to be eliminated for the greater good of the universe or another one¡­it happens, and I live with it¡­or I scoop it out so I don¡¯t have to.¡± She said, turning off the pocket cone. ¡°Don¡¯t make me scoop that out too. Be stronger than that, CAPTAIN Nicole. Now¡­ tell about your ship.¡±

    ¡°Basic Masonry cruiser. 58 meters long, 31 meter wingspan, 2 floors, Main living space, upper cargo and maintenance, shuttle bay, lower half level is just access to systems and engines. We replaced the passive guns with Delmarian forward assault tubes. 2 tubes with 2 launchers each, energy cannons between, FTL 3.3 distortion drives and some very slow main thrusters for cruising and maneuvering. She¡¯s a flying brick. Literally. Mostly stone and ceramic hull, 3 meter solid blackstone core column support; sturdy but not fast or sleek. She can land and take off in any atmosphere under 3G, Designed for a crew of 12, so 4 escape pods with 3 seats, but Vinn takes a whole pod to himself to fit. We gutted the interior, for our own needs, so it has one giant master suite, a guest suite, and no other bedrooms. We have a maid bot, please don¡¯t hack it, it¡¯s not a combat model or a sex drone, it¡¯s an actual maid android. It¡¯s a walking roomba that talks, and you¡¯re gonna judge us when you see it. So just don¡¯t, please. We have one main elevator, 2 shuttles, and 2 bathrooms. This place was renovated for me and Vinn and 1 cleaning bot, not a crew of 5. The food printer works, but it¡¯s limited, one broken cryo tube, 1 good one, and the 4 escape pods double as short term cryo.¡±

    ¡°Good. I need the parts, and I¡¯m claiming the main one next to the cloning machine. That¡¯s my suite, you¡¯re welcome, if I want a bed, I¡¯ll use the bridge, and I¡¯m familiar with its level of comfort."

    ¡°What if we need to take a prisoner?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not taking in prisoners. We¡¯re not bounty hunters, honey. If we do take a prisoner, they won¡¯t be in the bridge. That won¡¯t hold anything we¡¯re after."

    ¡°It held you.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed that you think it did. You assume I wanted out. You learn a lot about how people think about you, when you start a mutiny, then you¡¯re pretending to be unconscious and they think they can¡¯t hear you. People talk more honestly when they think you¡¯re locked up and they¡¯re safe. Vinn deserved that free punch anyway, and the satisfaction. Buckle up cupcake, it¡¯s about to get very dark, weird, and demented in this stone dungeon of a ship. We need supplies, so I¡¯ll plot a course to the nearest shady outpost. Nice seeing you again after so many weeks. Love the outfits. You¡¯ll need to refit one of ours to match.¡± Gizzy concluded as the door opened and someone interrupted. She turned to leave and noticed Dee standing there.

    ¡°Dee is on your ship in a maid outfit¡­ care to elaborate?¡±

    ¡°Okay see, you¡¯re judging already. I know your mind immediately went to sexbots. We missed Dee and her stupid antics, so we downloaded the Virtual Dee app. She made one for online simps who can¡¯t get a real online girlfriend, We deleted the sex stuff, which was apparently 82 percent of the packet. The cleaning robot looks and acts like Dee¡­kinda. No, before you even ask, we¡¯re not banging the vacuum cleaner, I just missed her, and frankly, she never cleaned the house back home. Not one damn time, and it pissed me off. So there¡¯s a slight vindictive satisfaction in sitting on my tiny ass and knowing she¡¯s cleaning my ship, and can¡¯t complain about it. Plus, Vinn likes to talk to her while he works and complain about me, so she¡¯s like a free therapist we feel like we know already, and she can¡¯t blab about everything, so she¡¯s not a security risk.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough. Jack and Vicki are gonna be creeped out by that, so I¡¯m already entertained. Well done. So how familiar are you with guns?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Aside from video games, I have, and know how to use, a 38 revolver... and that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Well that won¡¯t cut it here. Follow me.¡±

    ...

    The team gathered in the cargo bay, as Gizzy opened up a briefcase emblazoned with a logo of the grim reaper.

    ¡°That¡¯s kinda badass.¡± Nicole whispered to Vinn

    ¡°Jack and Vicki have been briefed and familiarized with the guns alread, but you two need to get acquainted. This is the reaper system, a highly compact weapon system utilizing these bullets.¡±

    ¡°Kinda dinky. No lasers or space blasters?¡± Nicole said looking disappointed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a covert mission, we didn¡¯t bring Osirian energy weapons. This is a totally new unknown prototype with no affiliated army or logo. It¡¯s human friendly, and since we had a Delmarian on the crew, we have a Vinn sized version. This compact rifle can fire 16 different kinds of ammunition to suit the mission and user. Those DINKY bullets are smaller because they use a solid metal explosive end case as the propellant. It doubles as the rim and extractor stub. It burns up on detonation, no casing to extract, No gunpowder, and no brass. It is basically a self contained projectile. This 5mm pistol round may look like a 22 handgun round, but it¡¯s more like a 22 caliber rocket that hits like a 556 on crack.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds more like something you¡¯d design. Wait... this is the smallest round for the PISTOLS, and it hits like a rifle round? Is the recoil and sound the same as a rifle round too?¡±

    ¡°Thankfully no. The guns are all integrally suppressed and equipped with reciprocating barrels and gas shocks that cut recoil down to a third, and volume down to well below the range of hearing damage... at least in a confined ship. It¡¯s suppressed, not silenced. They¡¯re not spy gear quiet, they sound like guns, but you won¡¯t sustain ringing ears until you get into the bigger rounds. The reaper system is a modular design that allows you to interchange 5 different caliber barrels, two at a time."

    "This is the 20X13 Reaper assault rifle. Carbon nanofiber frame, titanium alloy parts, vanadium carbide rifling and coating, and a rubberized buttand grip in charcoal matte black. One carrier bolt, and one recoil system can fire anything from the 5mm pistol rounds, to the 20mm antitank rounds just by swapping the barrels and magazine. Like a caseless modular Desert Eagle, except this sucker is 2 guns in 1. Double barrel, Full auto under, semi auto over. The 20mm top barrel can use drop-in barrel adaptor sleeves to fit everything from the 13mm OS heavy, which is basically a 50BMG that fits in an AR magazine, to the dinky pistol rounds, and feeds from a drum tube in the back. Bullpup design, helical rotary mags you pop out by rotating the buttstock, that¡¯s an 18 inch barrel in a 27 inch gun. The lower 13mm barrel uses the forward magazine as a full-auto assault carbine. One flip of the selector and you can go from a light recoil 556 equivalent machine gun or a 13mm auto-shotgun¡­ to a grenade launcher or 50 cal sniper rifle in a second. 5-6 pounds loaded, depending on ammo and barrels. Vinn, yours is the same thing, except scaled up to Delmarian size. 30mm top barrel, 20mm lower. Now THAT one is loud as fuck. Even you will feel that 30mm kinetic grenade round.¡±

    ¡°Nice. Are the pistols double barrel too?¡± He asked.

    ¡°No¡­where the shit would we put the second clip?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, fair point.¡±

    ¡°The standard handgun, the 579 Scythe. Still modular, suppressed, compact, and overpowered. They go from 5mm to 7mm to 9mm, but remember, those are hitting like Ar-15 rounds, AK47 rounds, and a 30-06. She¡¯s a 10.5 inch long beast and at just over a pound, kicks like a 9mm, 45ACP, and 357 mag depending on caliber. The sound is quite reasonable, but the fireball it throws out looks like artillery, so don¡¯t let that startle you. Nicole 1 suggested that you start with 5mm, that¡¯s a 30 round clip. Vinn, yours is just straight up 20mm short, takes FMJ, hollowpoint slugs, mini grenades, and shotshells. Otherwise, it¡¯s just a scaled-up 579 Scythe. The controls are identical. Slide release, mag release, stays open when empty, and hammerless. The 579 Scythe handles like a Berretta; it cuts armor like a hot knife through butter. Just rack it and hack it.¡± Gizzy said, like a salesman.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the safety?¡± Nicole asked, admiring the gun.

    ¡°There is no safety on any of these guns. Don¡¯t be a dumbass, and touch the trigger when it¡¯s cocked and loaded. Now, these are 3d printable as well as the ammo and a myriad of accessories and colors you can customize so you know your gun from anyone else¡¯s. We also have standard black models to stock the ship with. They''re in designated lockers. General rule here¡­if you think you¡¯ll need a gun, take the big rifle. If you don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need a gun, take the pistol anyway.

    ¡°Wow, the rifle is comfortable but heavy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Six¡­pounds. What are you¡­an elf?¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t bring child guns with me, I brought soldiers ,and battle rifles capable of thousand yard sniping and dumping 20 grenades at something, or 50 rounds of armor-piercing alloy needles. Get used to it, you¡¯ll need it. Double your protein, or something¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks. Great to see you too Gizzy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I like mine though.¡± Vinn smiled, handling his pistol. ¡°What, I have military training. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Great. So everyone here is a soldier or hit man, except me and the robot maid that looks like a pornstar. Best vacation ever.¡± Nicole huffed.

 Chapter Three: The Snail

    Nicole stomped her way down the hallway and into the mess hall where Gizzy was enjoying a snack. She didn¡¯t dare ask what.

    ¡°Excuse me, why is Jack walling up my pool room door, and why is Vinn putting up curtains in our sex room?¡±

    ¡°Because Jack is prepping the pool as an incubation tank for a massive snail, and Vinn doesn¡¯t wanna look at it in the sex room, which for your own weird reasons, has a port window into the pool.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m part aquatic, I live on a ship alone with my husband. Having a sex room with a pool view is normal. Underwater stripper poles are a thing on some worlds, don¡¯t judge me, it makes perfect sense, the word that doesn¡¯t would be SNAIL!?¡±

    ¡°Right, you weren¡¯t around for that. That happened after you left. These snails are very valuable for numerous reasons. 1, their babies eat specebugs, and if we get spacebugs, we are absolutely releasing snails. Secondly, the snails and eggs are edible, so that¡¯s a food supply potentially. They can eat shit we can¡¯t, and are therefore valuable. The big hive queens need a tank and they produce a slime gel that has numerous medical uses including healing serums and hallucinogens, we¡¯ll want both where we¡¯re going, trust me. Plus, they just make cool pets. My daughter has one. His name is Scourge, the guardian of hell. Hell, you may become friends with it. They don¡¯t get aggressive unless they are defending their babies and with no mate and the male sperm stored in the lab, no babies. So your pool is now a snail tank. Also, don¡¯t drink any of your protein shakes if their not in your containers. That blended fish and egg crap looks disturbingly similar to snail semen, and we don¡¯t even wanna go there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a 5 meter wide swimming pool. It wasn¡¯t cheap. We can¡¯t keep her in a bathtub? How big is this snail?¡±

    ¡°About the size of a normal earth snail at the moment, but given time it will reach a 300-400 pound mass and grow tentacles, so no¡­no bathtub. Sorry honey, you¡¯re tubbin it, the queen gets the pool. They are a semi-intelligent species, just think of it as a pet¡­that we can eat if necessary, and that will prevent a spacebug problem if necessary.¡±

    ¡°Can I pet it?¡± Nicole smirked. Vicki stepped into the room eyed wide.

    ¡°There¡¯s a 400 pound monster with tentacles on the ship?¡± She blurted looking horrified.

    ¡°Absolutely not¡± Gizzy said ¡°¡­there will be when she¡¯s grown up next month.¡±

    ¡°I hate squids. I fucking hate squids.¡± Vicki said looking horrified.

    ¡°Not a squid. Snail with tentacles. Huge difference, the body shape is longer, and it has an armored shell and antennae.¡±

    ¡°Nobody told me we were putting that on this ship. We¡¯re about to go into cryo, and be asleep while that thing grows?¡± She almost hollered.

    ¡°Vicki, calm down, they¡¯re friendly.¡± Nicole said, looking at Gizzy as if to confirm. She nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m not staying on a ship with that thing.¡± She said pacing the room.

    ¡°She¡¯s terrified of tentacles.¡± Nicole whispered. Gizzy rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Vicki this isn¡¯t Manga. We don¡¯t even get sex scenes unless it¡¯s a fanfic, and you¡¯d never know it. You signed up to do a space mission out in the universe, and out here it¡¯s all bugs and tentacles. This is a docile creature we need for multiple reasons, and it''s that won¡¯t hurt you, how are you gonna handle yourself if we have to land on a world made of writhing meat appendages? And the do exist. The snail is gonna be locked in a tank. Out of all the tentacles you should be terrified of in space, this is not one of them.¡±

    ¡°I need a minute.¡± She said, trudging off to think.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Nicole asked. ¡°Can I pet it?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but after a certain size I would recommend stopping, because the slime levels in the water will get you high if you fall in, and even though you can¡¯t accidentally drown like the rest of the crew, if you fell in and swallowed the pool water, you¡¯re gonna be¡­real impaired for a while. For 12-15 hours, you¡¯re just gonna stare and wave your arms. It¡¯s actually pretty fun in a controlled manner. That slime, if concentrated goes on the black market for a good price, so that¡¯s a cash cow. She¡¯s a source of edible eggs, and free drugs. Trust me, you¡¯ll thank me later, give her 2 weeks to grow.¡±

    ...

    Nicole woke from her cryo-tube, rolling her eyes and opening the door. She checked the timer. ¡°Of course... Even in cryo, I can¡¯t stay asleep.¡± She muttered, noticing glowing text saying that it was day 8 of 15. This was the second, no, third time, she had woken up from a cryo sleep error. If her Menacodian DNA was any higher percent, she wouldn¡¯t sleep at all in cryo. She wandered around in a room with the lights off, and almost pitch black, her eyes dilated fully black. They looked like polished, wet 8 balls resting in her eye sockets, rolling around to examine everything and everyone. The other crewmates were all slumped, frozen in their chambers, peacefully sleeping like babies.

    This was true for all of them, except Gizzy. She had glowing blue eyes that were stretched wide open, and canines bared in a horrifying battle roar. None of that shocked Nicole in the least. She made her way to the cargo bay, carrying an empty jug and a hose. She opened the hatch leading down to the snail tank, and climbed down the ladder.

    ¡°Hello little one. You¡¯re getting big.¡± She said as it slowly surfaced, its eyeless snail face leaned up to her, antennae moving around to sense her. She gave it a pet on the head, and retracted a hand covered in goop.

    ¡°You¡¯re a messy girl, you know that?¡± She said, wiping her hand and siphoning some of the water from the tank as the pump motor hummed and circulated it through the cleaning filter. ¡°But you¡¯re not so bad.¡± She smirked, as a vivid red tentacle reached out slowly as of curiously trying to touch her face.

    ¡°Stop it.¡± she whispered, brushing it back. ¡°We need to clean your tank, and if everyone is asleep, then it¡¯s just us, and you need to learn to follow orders.¡± She scolded lightly. It retracted the tentacle and leaned in, bowing again.

    ¡°Okay fine.¡± She said giving it another pet on the head as the pump ran. She stayed for a few minutes, petting it and talking about nothing in particular, periodically wiping her hand off on the edge of a plastic bucket. She said goodbye, the snail making a strange almost whale noise as she did, but Nicole pointed sternly and closed the lid, leaving the hose in to circulate and tying the latch shut. She made her way to the kitchen with the bucket, pouring about a liter of snot into a jar and sitting down. She stared at it poked her finger in and retracted it.

    ¡°Valuable stuff hu?¡± she said to herself, hesitantly licking her finger and trying to decide of it was disgusting or not. Her tongue tingled a little bit.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± She said, scooping an espresso cup into it and watching it cling to the side and still connect to the bucketful like the most gelatinous cheese-pull you never wanted on your pizza. She ran her finger over the edge to cut off the stringy clinger, losing half the cupful.

    ¡°It¡¯s just eggwhites, can¡¯t be any more gross than protein shakes made of blended fish and whole eggs, can it?¡± She said, realizing her supply would be running low soon if she kept waking up and having these little side missions. She chugged the goop like a shot, and pondered whether the texture was pleasant or vomit inducing. It had both the thick velvety consistency of a gelato smoothie, and yet also the stringy slime aspect of just a bucket of pure phlegm. But the warmth that washed over her made her forget that quickly, and she was no longer upset.

    She slumped in the chair, feeling the warmth of a cup of coffee and a shot of vodka hit her stomach like a bomb of electricity. The heat flowed and spread, radiating out several inches from the source, pulsing and releasing waves of tingles up her spine. It was like being drunk, high on some clean weed, and the satisfying post orgasm glow after sex, just surrounding her like a hot bath. She slipped into the bath, melting into it and just relaxing, like she was back home. The warm summer sun, the creek behind her house, the breeze, the mid-day sleepy feeling in a hammock. And then she woke up. Suddenly a little confused as she looked around and at the bucket of goop.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Six minutes?¡± She gasped, trying to kill some time while the filter ran.

    She retrieved the pool pump, greeting her friend again and giving a few pets, she scraped into the bucket. Waste not, right?¡± and she made her way back to the kitchen, opening up the pump and carefully removing the filter, now full of a jiggly clear brick, like the largest Jello cup she ever saw. She bucketed the goop and capped it off, taking it with her and hiding it in her room before returning to her cryo tube.

    ...

    Day 11 of 15. Nicole woke from her cryo chamber, checking the timer and rolling her eyes again. She did her routine cleaning, and after an hour and a brief slime fix, she got an idea. She took a dose of the slime, and diluted it in her protein shake, mostly masking the texture, and headed to the laundry room where Vinn¡¯s solo pod was. She hit the defrost cycle and sat on the table waiting as he yawned and opened the chamber. He looked at Nicole with confused curiosity.

    ¡°Did I wake up late or something?¡±

    ¡°No you woke up early because I woke up VERY early and then I got bored and woke you up early."

    ¡°I¡¯m not quite following, It may be the cryo groggies.¡±

    ¡°I think my Meance DNA is preventing me from staying in cryo. I wake every few days, and have to go fiddle around and go back to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit honey, shouldn¡¯t we wake Gizzy and tell her something is broken?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the broken thing, Vinn. She¡¯s gonna be pissed to come out of cryo early, this should be the last round¡­hopefully. But I¡¯ve been lonely and we have the ship to ourselves¡­kinda.¡±

    ¡°You woke me up out of cryo for sex?¡±

    ¡°Sex in a ship full of people suspended in cryo, on the way to a dangerous mission. We could get caught, we¡¯re not supposed to be up, we could die on this mission.¡±

    ¡°Convinced, let¡¯s go he said scooping her up like a toy.¡±

    ¡°Wait, grab my shake.¡±

    ¡°I can make you something when we¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°No I need it before¡­for energy. I put some coffee in there. I want energy.¡± She lied.

    ¡°Okay.¡± He said, before whisking her off for forbidden sex. He strolled into the bedroom, noticing the ominous glow of the Snail tank.

    ¡°One second, gotta close the blinds.¡± Vinn huffed,

    ¡°Who cares? It¡¯s a snail. It can¡¯t get in here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even like goldfish watching me fuck. It¡¯s weird. I¡¯m closing the blinds.¡± He said, chucking them over the port window. ¡°It was a lot sexier to have that tank when it was you in there.¡± He huffed.

    ¡°I¡¯m in here now.¡± She smirked.

    ...

    Day 15 of 15. The cryo pods activated and opened. Vicki and Jack did their morning greeting, and headed to the shower area, rinsing off and getting dressed. Vinn came strolling through the adjacent area looking for his shoes in his locker. Gizzy stepped out and lit a cigar before anything, she paused, smelling food cooking in the mess hall nearby. Nicole popped around the corner, looking perky and rested.

    ¡°Morning everyone. I made breakfast.¡± She grinned. Gizzy looked worried.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a morning person. How long have you been up? I swear to god, if you pulled a fucking Fred Randal and we¡¯re out of food, I¡¯m gonna lose my shit, and start the Hutu uprising.¡± Gizzy barked.

    ¡°Mkay. Firstly, missed you too, ass. Secondly, I¡¯ve been waking in every few days for an hour or so and going back, so no I¡¯ve used up like 3 of my own protein shake rations, we¡¯re fine. And can we put some clothes on?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Nicole.¡±

    ¡°Captain, Nicole, who made your breakfast.¡± Vinn reminded. Gizzy rolled her eyes and fumed a moment, as if enduring physical pain.

    ¡°Oh Captain, my Captain, this is a military crew and we¡¯re all clones. I¡¯ve seen all of you naked, you¡¯ve seen everyone but Jack naked, maybe even Jack. Everyone has seen almost everyone naked before. That¡¯s part of the job. Have you ever seen a space movie? Nobody comes out of cryo fully clothed. You¡¯re two married couples, and I wasn¡¯t printed with modesty. Deal with it¡­what did you cook?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not much of a cook, I just wanted to be nice, so it¡¯s food printer eggs and microwaved oatmeal. There¡¯s also coffee. You can add what you want to whatever you want.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°Well, we appreciate it.¡± Jack smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat later. I need to check on the snail.¡± Gizzy said stretching her back.

    ¡°I just checked. Candice is doing fine.¡± Nicole informed.

    ¡°So you went from not wanting a snail on the ship to naming her?¡± Gizzy questioned, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ve had time to spare while I wasn¡¯t frozen, so I used it to do laps and check the ship, she¡¯s become a bit of a stopping point.¡±

    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not getting in the tank.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°No¡­why would I get in the tank?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­why would someone?¡± she asked suspiciously.

    ¡°Seems like you have theories I don¡¯t. Or hobbies.¡± She said judgingly.

    ¡°Either way, I need to check her vitals and health in general. She should be laying eggs any time and that¡¯s free food.¡± Gizzy grinned. Vicky cringed slightly.

    ¡°So do you¡­scramble them?¡± She said, almost wishing she hadn¡¯t asked.

    ¡°Think large green caviar, anything you do with caviar, you do with these. If we can get a terrarium set up, we can grow some of the males for meat and shells. You grind up the shell powder, that¡¯s premium carbs and calcium, you could damn near live off of these things.¡± She said as the lights flickered and went out.

    ¡°Did we just lose all power?¡± Asked Vinn.

    ¡°Backup systems are on.¡± Nicole said checking her scanner. ¡°Main power is dead. Could be a computer failure or mechanical. Lotta things to check, here, everyone go to one of these locations.¡±

    ...

    Vicki paced the cargo bay, flashlighting around, looking for the workshop breaker box in case there was a short in the cargo lift. She heard Vinn moving around, turning back to ask if he knew where to find it. ¡°Vinn?¡± she hollered. There was no answer. She tried her coms ¡°Vinn, You¡¯re in the cargo bay, right, can you help me out?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the cargo bay, I went all the way to weaponry and couldn¡¯t fit through the stupid tiny hatch, and the elevator isn¡¯t working. I¡¯m on the way there.¡±

    ¡°Then who¡¯s in the cargo bay?¡± she asked. ¡°HEY!! WHO¡¯S IN HERE WITH ME!?¡± she yelled. A crate fell over and she followed the sound and noticed it was one of the ammo crates, too heavy to move easily. She pulled herself up to see behind it and a tentacle draped over her hands. She let out a scream and let go, falling backwards and dodging the falling crate with a roll, as the 400 pound snail popped up and followed her. She ran through the center of the crates, looking back to the horror of the snail using its tentacles to walk, almost spiderlike, and nearly at her speed. She vaulted the dead end of stacked crates and miscalculated her direction, cutting towards the front of the ship. She slid past the broken elevator, knowing that was a dead end, and headed into the secondary bridge room, realizing the door was open and electrically closed. The mass of orange and red shimmered in the flashlight beam as she realized she had also walked into a dead end.

    She drew her sidearm, shaking too badly to get the safety off and load it. She turned her light off and held her breath, hoping it couldn¡¯t see in the dark. Her mind raced, realizing that if Nicole is part sea monster and can see in the dark, this may have been a mistake. What if turning the light on was the mistake? She could hear it moving but not what direction, away or towards her. She curled up into a ball in the corner, and covered her head, just praying it would leave, but it seemed to be looking for her. She thought she knew where the door was, so in a panic, she jumped and sprinted, sliding on the floor and hitting the wall harshly, her flashlight falling into the dark.

    She stumbled over something on the floor and onto the elevator. She could hear the sound of arms reaching across the sheet metal, and realized it was over. She fiddled the safety off and the gun powered up, giving off just enough light to illuminate the wall of wormlike lines stretching across the doorway. She pointed the gun, not sure what was monster and what was shadow and she made a different decision, placing the gun to her head and letting out the loudest scream she could, yelling ¡°HELP¡± several times in a row as it paused. The light dimmed and went out, the wet slippery feel of something slither over her ankle and a gentle touch of suction cups on her face, sent her crawling backwards, tumbling over into the other corner, balling up and placing her mouth over the barrel, sobbing in the dark, waiting for just one more second to be rescued before ending her nightmare.

    ¡°DON¡¯T¡­MOVE.¡± Said Nicole. She lifted her teeth of the cold metal and looked up at the streaks of light where Nicole was standing behind the monster.

    ¡°Help me.¡± Vicki whimpered.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, nobody¡¯s gonna hurt you.¡± She said as if to a child. Vicki went numb, realizing she was talking to the monster. It turned directions and moved towards Nicole. Vicki pointed the gun at it, the rattling of her finger on the trigger and her hand shaking in the silence.

    ¡°You¡¯re both just scared. Come on Candice. You shouldn¡¯t be out of your tank. It¡¯s not safe.¡± She said softly, patting its head as it followed her.

    ¡°SHOOT IT!¡± Vicki yelled, spitting snot and saliva as her aim wobbled uselessly.

    ¡°Vicki, stop yelling. You¡¯re scaring her. If she panics she could thrash around. She¡¯s hurt. She got into the electrical panel. Burned yourself didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s okay, let''s go back in the water. come on.¡± She said, leading it down the cargo bay. The lights came back on, Vicki watching the red arms whip around the corner and it was gone. She sat unable to move for a moment. It felt like days as she held the gun in front of her. Finally, human footsteps approached and Jack entered the doorway. She dropped the gun and slumped forward.

    ...

    She sat in the meeting room as Jack held her.

    ¡°I want it off the ship.¡± She shakily muttered.

    ¡°Vicki,¡± Nicole said ¡°She just got scared and couldn¡¯t see, she probably thought you were me and was trying to get help. She burned herself. She wasn¡¯t trying to hurt you. She was trying to get help.¡±

    ¡°How did IT get out of the tank?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Old rusty bolts.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°These two pirates didn¡¯t know to use stainless bolts on a hatch that would be touching saltwater for months. I already swapped them out. Vicki, nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Well it almost did.¡± She said feeling cold.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s afraid of something, get over it.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of shit.¡± Vicki scoffed.

    ¡°Something on JD4 terrified me, enough that I wiped my own memory of it. You wanna talk about facing fear? Wait till we get to that on the list. Pull your shit together soldier, We got a mission in 20 hours, target located. It''s a desert planet, and it¡¯s gonna either be really easy, or really problematic. Be ready.¡± Gizzy barked before turning and leaving.

 Chapter Four: The Impostor Syndrome

    The team sat uneventfully around the bridge as Nicole manned the controls and locked on to their destination. Nicole sighed, trying to get Gizzy''s attention.

    ¡°So remind me why we¡¯re capturing him from orbit instead of killing him from orbit. It¡¯s a desert wasteland, no signs of life aside from microbes, for miles. Just him, and his weird striped radiation signature.¡± Asked Nicole.

    ¡°Good to know you went from ¡®I¡¯m not a killer¡¯ to ¡®nuke from orbit¡¯ so quickly. Welcome to the team, Nicole.¡± Muttered Vinn.

    ¡°I just mean this is an odd way to do it.¡± She reminded. ¡°We paid a lot of money for a giant pooper scooper on a chain we can drop on this thing, and you just need a blood sample?¡±

    ¡°Because the Syndrome is one of the most dangerous creatures in existence. The ancient literature was kinda vague.¡±

    ¡°So we hit him with a warhead from orbit.¡± Vinn shrugged.

    ¡°Won¡¯t work. They tried that. Apparently, he is impervious to all kinetic damage and energy weapons. He¡¯s tougher than an Osirian, but he¡¯s not very strong or intelligent, he¡¯s just unkillable. He was imprisoned for 2,000 years until someone let him out. It does say that, under no circumstances, should you directly engage the target, and we can kill him from orbit, so we¡¯re trapping him from orbit with the glorified candy crane claw machine thing we overpaid for.¡±

    ¡°The ancient text also said that he was imprisoned in an iron box with no doors or windows. So we¡¯re going overkill on that. Even has a sticker with Do not open, do not bother until transported to safe location¡± She read.

    ¡°Then where we talking him?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna dump his ass into the nearest black hole¡­worked on my ex husband, and he was rumored unkillable. Don¡¯t even ask. Point is, it either kills him or traps him for eternity in a gravity well and time compression. So, we get him in a Segnatus box. Segnatus can chew through concrete. If it can hold one of them, he¡¯s not getting out. Advanced alloy, vacuum sealed, no windows, hits like a clam shell, and welds shut on impact. You gotta cut them out with a plasma torch when they arrive. They take Segnatus hunting seriously. Dangerous animals, worth a lot alive.¡± Gizzy said as Nicole arcade-gamed the controls into position and the light turned green.

    ¡°Aaaaand, got him. Trap shut, signature confirmed, joints welded. I say we wait a few hours to see if he breaks out.¡±

    ¡°That seemed too easy.¡±

    ¡°Well he¡¯s been captured, not sampled. That was the easy part. He¡¯s been captured a few times. We still have to transport him to the black hole. That means no curiosity, no talking to him, no communication at all. We keep him right next to the shuttle bay doors and if all else fails, we blow the whole container out. Let¡¯s avoid that if possible, because we don¡¯t know where this thing could end up.¡± Gizzy said confidently.

    ¡°Something feels off. Lets give it 12 hours and check him every 4 before even reeling up that crate, let alone putting him on my ship.¡± Nicole ordered.

    ¡°Agreed, Captain.¡± Gizzy smiled.

    ¡°Though it does just feel too damn easy, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She said as the ship checked the containers internal scans. ¡°He¡¯s just sitting there, doing nothing. No audio, no change in the thermals. Security camera must have gotten jiggled loose on impact, we got no video feed, but he¡¯s just¡­in there. Nicole, go ahead rest up. It may be a sensor feed problem that just needs time to reboot. Vicki, you can have the first shift.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°Hooray.¡± Vicki yawned.

    ¡­

    She jostled awake, realizing that she nodded off. She checked the sensors and realized that the camera was working.

    There sat a small grey haired humanoid man, most unassuming villain you could imagine. Hard to believe he was so dangerous. The bridge doors opened, and Nicole walked in, ready for her shift, handing her a coffee.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± She said. Nicole nodded, before leaving the bridge. She felt like going for a swim, but unfortunately, the pool was now home to a giant snail with tentacles. Vicki was never fond of the idea, but she had some cargo to check in the area. Vicki strolled the cargo bay. She could hear splashing as she worked, from the maintenance area hatch down to the tank. She walked over and cracked the lid carefully, keeping the door chain attached just in case.

    ¡°You ugly bitch. Everyone says you¡¯re friendly. People are afraid of me too, I guess we ha-¡± she started as a tentacle flung the lid open and grabbed her by the throat, yanking her in without time to react. She hit the warm water and extended her fangs as she tried to bite the writhing appendage, and it tightened around her neck. Her wrists and ankles were quickly grabbed next, leaving her defenseless and pinned to the side of the tank. The creature stared at her, baring its teeth and taunting her as she struggled to get upwards for air.

    Vicki¡¯s heart raced as the creature just stared at her, almost smiling in a sick way as it held her down unable to breathe. Her body convulsed, running out of breath and too weak to get free. She clawed the glass, scratching at it behind her, knowing only a curtain separated the port from Vinn and Nicole¡¯s room, and the only one who could help. Her feeding instinct kicked in, as she screamed for Vinn and let out the last of her air before going silent, feeling her lungs fill with the thick, warm water. Her rhythmic heaving and sloshing made no difference. Nobody could hear her.

    She sat up, gasping and grabbing her throat, sitting up from the cloning tank, covered in liquid as before. She took a moment to accept that she just died up there, getting dressed from the locker and heading to the mess hall, furious.

    ¡°GIZZY YOU BITCH!¡± She yelled. Gizzy looked clueless.

    ¡°Was this your lunch or something?¡± She asked sarcastically. ¡°The fuck did I do to you?¡±

    ¡°Your pet demon just killed me. It attacked me unprovoked and drowned me in the tank.¡± She yelled, fighting back tears.

    ¡°They¡¯re not aggressive; they¡¯re very loving creatures, unless defending their babies.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, that thing is a monster, I¡¯m gonna shoot it, we¡¯re having snail for dinner.¡± Vicki said opening one of the weapon lockers.

    ¡°Whoa, hold the fuck up there, you¡¯re not shooting our valuable asset because you fell in and got scared. It probably tried to help you out of the tank.¡±

    ¡°I DIED, just now.¡± She barked aggressively as Gizzy got up and went to the cloning tank. Totally dry and dark.

    ¡°This thing hasn¡¯t been on in days. Look, I checked the longs. The last time it ran was when we cloned Jack after the ship explosion. Oh, I get it. You fell in and swallowed a bunch of the water. I bet it put you back outside and you tripped balls for¡­what seems like far too little time, actually.¡± She pondered.

    ¡°I just came out of that machine.¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. You¡¯re hallucinating. I told you the water concentration causes hallucinations. You fell in the tank, freaked out, swallowed snail water and it lifted you back up. You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t drown from hitting your head. Just be careful around wet floors.¡±

    ¡°I know what happened. Your pet is a monster.¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s a monster, so are we. It¡¯s the only thing besides Nicole that¡¯s never killed anyone. Get some food, drink some coffee, the effects ware off eventually.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Jack, it was real.¡± She said, sitting in her room as he readied for his shift.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it felt real, falling in a tank with a giant seamonster would be scary for anyone¡­except Nicole because she¡¯s one too, and Gizzy because she¡¯s fucking insane. I checked the cloning tank. It hasn¡¯t run in weeks. You¡¯re okay, honey. You fell, got high and freaked out.¡± He said as he opened the door, and almost ran into Gizzy.

    ¡°No she didn¡¯t. Something weird is up.¡± She said. ¡°I checked the security cams across the ship. The snail¡¯s been asleep, the hatch wasn¡¯t even opened, she never touched that latch. Vicki walked ten feet away from that hatch and never turned back, she came downstairs, walked to the cloning tank and stood there for 5 minutes, and then stripped off, and got dressed in a fresh uniform, looking terrified. She¡¯s hallucinating, but the snail isn¡¯t responsible. When¡¯s the last time you fed?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Vinn?¡±

    ¡°No, the other Delmarian on the crew who¡¯s blood I regularly suck, yes Vinn.¡±

    ¡°To completion?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t word it like that. Yes, I fed until I felt full, I rested, and I gave him his shot, we parted ways. I¡¯m not having Hungerlucinations.¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯re not yourself when you¡¯re hungry, I¡¯d grab a snickers bar to be sure. You may need to hit the sickbay after, I wanna run some scans.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem fine, you tripped balls and went for a gun to kill our food supply and friendly pet. That¡¯s not fine. Snickers, sickbay, orders.¡±

    ¡­

    Nicole strolled the hallways, running her hands down the stone bricks. It was quiet, dark, and serene, almost like back home before she left, or before the new crew arrived. She noticed the lights flickering, and felt a very familiar feeling. It was like she was back home, with the old sodium lamps she both loved and hated. She opened the door to her room and looked for Vinn. He wasn¡¯t in there. She checked the gym and the bathroom, still nothing. She pulled the curtain on the snail tank and noticed it looked empty. Maybe Gizzy was running some scans or something.

    She strolled to the mess hall for a snack, checking the med lab on the way and to her surprise Gizzy was not in there, or the bridge bed.

    ¡°The hell is everyone?¡± she asked herself. She checked her scanner, and it showed no life on the ship, not even her. Clearly broken since she was standing right there, waving it around herself for a reading. She decided to check the engine area, maybe there was a problem. Nicole hopped down the hatch.

    ¡°Hello?¡± she hollered. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± She asked, suddenly checking the scanner again and realizing there were no life signs in the containment box holding the prisoner either. ¡°Fuck!¡± she said running to the ladder and taking it up through the main floor, clear to the top and to the containment box. She grabbed a pistol and checked the seams. The knuckles were still welded shut. It hadn¡¯t moved. She darted to the maintenance area for a second working scanner. The same thing showed, nothing at all, not even her. ¡°Are we having an EMP problem, the scanners are all broken¡­Hello?¡± She yelled.

    ¡°HELLO!?¡± She yelled again, getting worried.

    ¡­

    Jack sat in the bridge, taking the last shift before the grace period and the doors flew open.

    ¡°Hello Captain.¡± He yawned.

    ¡°Jesus, Jack, where were you?¡±

    ¡°Here¡­watching the crate, 2 minutes till we reel in the box.¡±

    ¡°The box in the¡­cargo bay?¡± She asked, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so stupid. I forgot that we hadn¡¯t reeled him in yet. I was scanning the empty one, thinking he got out.¡±

    ¡°What empty one? We just got one container and it¡¯s on the planet.¡±

    ¡°Then how was it in the cargo bay and welded shut?¡± she said as they got up and rushed to the cargo bay. They stepped out of the elevator and there was Gizzy and Vinn next to the crate, welded shut.

    ¡°Welcome back Captain. I decided to reel him in early. There was a storm brewing down there, and I didn¡¯t want to risk the cables breaking.¡±

    ¡°You just now got him up here?¡± She asked, baffled.

    ¡°Yeah, literally 5 minutes ago. You walked by with a scanner and didn¡¯t respond to me saying hi.¡± Vinn said looking sad.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice you.¡± She said feeling confused.

    ¡°Guys we need to roll him back out immediately.¡± Jack said, looking frantic.

    ¡°WHY?¡± asked both Nicole and Gizzy.

    ¡°The welds are cracked, he¡¯s going to breech containment, drop him. Drop him now, clear the area, blow the airlock, and separate the cable and the chain.¡±

    ¡°Jack the welds look fine.¡± Gizzy insisted, taking her knife and scraping the seams. ¡°Blood. If it bleeds, it can die, so that¡¯s the first good thing we¡¯ve seen.¡± She smiled, taking the sample.

    ¡°And the welds are fine.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re split damn near in half!¡± He insisted, rushing for the airlock. Vinn grabbed him and restrained him.

    ¡°BRO, stop. We¡¯re still in here. You blow that hatch, and we all die.¡±

    ¡°If he breaks those welds we all die, everyone out of the room, BLOW THE HATCH NOW!¡± he ordered, drawing his pistol.

    ¡°Jack¡­calm down.¡± Gizzy said stepping in front of the gun.

    ¡°The welds are solid. Stand down soldier. You¡¯re pointing a gun at your superior officer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not her. Look at her eyes. It¡¯s not her. I¡¯ll prove it.¡± He said firing a shot as Vinn tackled him and Nicole screamed. Gizzy stood there looking completely lost and baffled.

    ¡°Are you hurt? Do you need a medkit, someone get a medkit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just¡­¡± She said, looking down at the quarter sized hole in her ribcage. ¡°You shot me, Jack.¡± She said looking offended. Vicki rushed to the area hearing gunshots and fully shouldering heavy weaponry.

    ¡°Stand down we got him restrained and disarmed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Jack, why are you restraining Jack?¡±

    ¡°There was some¡­fuck if I know what situation, he shot me, we disarmed him, he¡¯s not well. I think he¡¯s hallucinating, no idea why. Get a med kit from the lab, get some sedatives and handcuffs too.¡± She waved, Nicole nodded. Vicki made her way down the stairs and around the corner to the lab, turning and noticing Gizzy standing there with her gun. ¡°How did you get down here before me?¡±

    ¡°Stay down this time, bitch.¡±Gizzy said, pointing the gun and firing.

    ¡­

    Vicki woke and sat up from the cloning tank, frantically grabbing her clothes and a weapon. She was ready to kill. She came out of the elevator, rifle shouldered like before but finger on the trigger. Gizzy turned and casually cocked her head.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the med kit?¡± she asked. She opened fire, putting 3 holes in Gizzy before she could draw her pistol and tag her in the shoulder, rushing her and wrestling the gun out of her hands.

    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± Nicole yelled, grabbing a gun and not knowing where to point it.

    ¡°She¡¯s not Gizzy, look at her.¡±

    ¡°She looks like Gizzy.¡± She said keeping the barrel down as Gizzy kneed Vicki to the ground.

    ¡­

    Jack and Vicki sat together in the Brig as a bloody Gizzy sat on the other side of the energy shielded bars.

    ¡°Ya both shot me.¡± She started, holding her bloody ribs. ¡°Care to inform me why you two decided to mutiny all the sudden.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not Gizzy.¡±

    ¡°Med scans show she is.¡± Nicole said sitting down. ¡°We got Vinn guarding the prisoner, checking the scans, he hasn¡¯t moved an inch, so where did you two run off two and why do you think Gizzy is not herself?¡±

    ¡°The eyes are wrong. Gizzy has blue eyes.¡± Jack said. Nicole squinted and looked at her.

    ¡°Theeeeeey, look blue to me. Same blue as usual.¡±

    ¡°Her pet is taking over the ship. She¡¯s got the snail trained to kill or something. Then she shot me in the lab. Whoever she is didn¡¯t know we clone back.¡±

    ¡°NOBODY DIED!¡± Gizzy yelled.

    ¡°I checked the tank. You haven¡¯t been killed once since the damn ship explosion. You can¡¯t even clone someone that quickly, it was 4 minutes since you left and came back. It takes 45 minutes to clone, the machine never turned on, nobody used it. Vicki, you¡¯re not dying, Jack, what the fuck you shot me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust her Nicole.¡± Jack said coldly. ¡°That¡¯s not Gizzy It¡¯s an imposter. She¡¯s either dead or¡­in the confinement cell.

    ¡°No no no. We are not opening that thing.¡± Nicole said aggressively.

    ¡°She could be anywhere, Jack.¡± Vicki muttered. ¡°We need to search the ship.¡±

    ¡°I fucking can¡¯t with these assholes.¡± Gizzy huffed as Nicole gave up and walked off to check on Vinn.

    ¡­

    He stood there, calmly checking the welds.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about. The welds are solid, the prisoner hasn¡¯t moved, except once to uncross and cross the other leg. Jack and Vicki have lost it.¡± He said.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re very close to the truth.¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°To what?¡±

    ¡°They think the creature is out and mimicking Gizzy.¡± She said smiling at him in a strange manner. ¡°Those idiots think it¡¯s her.¡± She winked, and finished walking away and to the elevator. Vinn stood in confusion for a moment. Gizzy passed her by with a nod.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell is wrong with those two.¡± She sighed. Even a gallon of purified snail goop wouldn¡¯t fuck you up that bad, and not in a paranoid way. Something is making them doubt everyone, question things, like someone is an imposter, and no, this is not an among us joke. It¡¯s way darker than that.

    ¡°They¡¯re not entirely wrong.¡± He said, Gizzy drawing her gun and looking annoyed. ¡°NO¡­no. not you. I know it¡¯s not you. They¡¯re wrong about that. It¡¯s Nicole.¡±

    ¡°Vinn what are you talking about?¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°She just gave me the weirdest creepiest look and said ¡®those idiots think it¡¯s her¡¯ and chuckled evilly.¡±

    ¡°Vinn, that thing hasn¡¯t left the confinement.¡±

    ¡°How do we know? It¡¯s the most dangerous whatever in this part of the universe and highly mysterious. Vicki said someone shot her, Jack said the welds looked broken, and something is going on, and Nicole is not Nicole. Jack and Vicki were right, the thing is somehow out and shape shifting. I only know I can trust you because you were right there when she walked off. Shit, she could be Jack or Vicki the next time we see them. We gotta stick together. If we split for one minute, we don¡¯t know the other isn¡¯t the imposter.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ right in the¡­¡± she said looking into the camera. ¡°Fuck¡­everything.¡± She said aggressively, suddenly checking the welds and the scanner. She stepped back horrified and confused. ¡°The welds are fine, there¡¯s no windows, no cracks, no way out. And yet he¡¯s just¡­ gone.¡±

    ¡°I knew it. we¡¯re all dead.¡± He said. ¡°What do we do? The only one I can trust is you. The file says they couldn¡¯t kill it, so if we just shoot him even completely sure it¡¯s him, will he just shapeshift again? It was just Nicole, I don¡¯t know if that means it¡¯s possessing her body, or she¡¯s dead and it took her body as a host, or if she¡¯s duplicated and it¡¯s just mimicking her. Is she tied up somewhere? I can¡¯t just shoot my wife assuming it¡¯s a duplicate.¡±

    ¡°Meet me in the lab in 2 minutes. I¡¯m gonna analyze this blood. Get every weapon you can find from the main locker. Two minutes. The code word is Pumpernickel so I know it¡¯s you.¡±

 Chapter Five: Trust Issues

    Vinn barged, then layed the guns on the table.

    ¡°Pumpernickel, what¡¯s the plan?¡± He huffed.

    ¡°We have to get everyone into the bridge. If that thing can get out of a sealed and welded airtight prison cell, it can get out of a bridge easily, but THEY can¡¯t. So if it stays in their body, it¡¯s trapped. If it leaves their body, then we know they¡¯re our friends, and that it¡¯s loose, but they¡¯re at least free and safe. It wouldn¡¯t return to a caged body that can¡¯t leave. According to scans, there¡¯s only 6 living entities on the ship. The 5 of us and the damn snail. So it can''t be duplicating itself."

    ¡°Are we fighting a literal demon?¡±

    ¡°Vinn, I don¡¯t know, probably a metaphorical one. A personal demon. I know you think I always have the answers, and on Delmar I usually do, but these are the black zones of deep space. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s out here.¡±

    ¡°SHIT!¡±

    ¡°I hate to suggest this on mission one, but if we can isolate the host body, we may have to just vent them into the black hole and clone them back.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t vent Nicole. She doesn¡¯t clone right, even with home technology and better lab gear, no offense but you screwed that up by one percent last time and she ended up different. So did Hyde, and you had to kill him. Vicki isn¡¯t a guarantee either with hybrid DNA. Yeah, it worked the first 2 times as far as we know, but every time? And I¡¯m even a small risk myself, my eyes weren¡¯t the same after one clone.¡±

    ¡°What are you getting at, Vinn? Just say it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gotta be you or Jack. You¡¯re the only ones that clone back perfectly every time, and you know it. One of you has to get vented.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I agree in that situation, but we don¡¯t know how this thing works yet. We know it causes doubt and identity crisis and it can somehow get out of that containment without breaking the welds. That¡¯s about it.¡±

    ...

    Jack and Vicki sat in the bridge as Nicole entered.

    ¡°What now?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Now I let you out.¡±

    ¡°We shot Gizzy.¡± Jack reminded. ¡°You wanna forgive us?¡±

    ¡°You shot something. Vicki said she was attacked by the Snail, but who checked the security footage to say she never fell in? Gizzy. Who claims the cloning machine didn¡¯t even run¡­Gizzy. Jack, you said the welds were broken, were they broken?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°Who inspected the welds and said they were fine? She took 4 rounds from a military rifle to the chest and didn¡¯t flinch. Now Gizzy may not be human, technically, but her body is, so that should have dropped her. Unless she was something that didn¡¯t know what Gizzys do when they¡¯ve been shot.¡± Nicole concluded.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you believe us, and that thing is mimicking Gizzy¡­so where is Gizzy?¡±

    ¡°Dead? Tied up? Who knows.¡± Nicole said dropping the field and handing them both rifles. ¡°But wherever she is that¡¯s not her. Aim for the head.¡± She said storming out ahead of them as they tried to follow. They split directions and went after their target.

    ...

    Vicki noticed the lights flicker, her first concern being that The Imposter was the culprit, but she calmed herself and then realized the other likely scenario was that Candice was loose again. She grabbed her gun and headed down to the engine room¡­just feeling that it was right for some reason.

    ...

    Nicole turned the stairs into the cargo bay, checking the room just as the lights went out. She turned every direction, realizing nobody else was around. She looked down and stared at the knuckles on the containment box, which looked welded shut. She checked the security cam and noticed Gizzy in there, chained up and mouth taped.

    ¡°Shit, how do I get this open?¡± she muttered.

    ¡°You don¡¯t. Drop the gun.¡± Said Gizzy¡¯s voice. She lifted her hands and noticed a rifle pointed at her. ¡°Nobody opens that box till we get to the destination, Captain.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re The Imposter.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re hallucinating. You looked at the security camera, didn¡¯t you? Every time someone looks at that thing, they lose their composure. It¡¯s like the Syndrome only affects you when you notice it, if ignored, the side effect wears off.¡±

    ¡°Then why is it tied and gagged, unless that¡¯s Gizzy in there?¡±

    ¡°Right, so I¡¯m the Imposter, I can pass through solid steel, and then somehow get HER through solid steel. Think about it, the welds aren¡¯t broken, nobody can cut them open, let alone repair them that quickly, he¡¯s still in the box, Nicole.

    ¡°Then why is the power out?¡±

    ...

    Vinn snuck down the halls, carrying the keys to Candice¡¯s tank. He turned the corner and spotted Jack. Before he could say a word, Jack fired a round and he ducked behind the doorway.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move you son of a bitch.¡± He barked.

    ¡°Jack it¡¯s me!¡± Vinn hollered. Jack chuckled, hearing Gizzy¡¯s voice say it instead of Vinn.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s you. Let¡¯s play a game.¡±

    ¡°Game night is Wednesdays now.¡± Vinn said, taking the gun off safety and returning fire.

    ¡°Gizzy¡¯s a damn deadshot, that¡¯s rookie shooting, asshole. Ever used one before?¡±

    ¡°Jack, if you¡¯re trapped in there, I¡¯m sorry, but you have to die.¡± Vinn said firing a few rounds and ducking back into the room.

    ...

    Nicole suddenly took on a look for horror, walking past Gizzy as if she wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°Hello?¡± she hollered.

    ¡°Nicole, respond!¡± she ordered. She didn¡¯t blink. ¡°Can you hear or see me?¡± Gizzy asked as she began nervously grabbing her gun and running off.

    ¡°I WILL SHOOT YOU! STOP!¡± Gizzy yelled. ¡°DAMNIT. You don¡¯t even know I¡¯m here.¡± She said, accessing the handheld systems and trying to shut off the containment boxes internal camera. Access denied.

    ...

    Vicki crawled over the conduit pipes and directly into a wet spot. She smelled her hand.

    ¡°Fuel¡­ I can¡¯t fire in here; I¡¯ll kill everyone.¡± She said, switching to a knife and looking for the source of the leak. Without warning her foot pulled sharply, dragging her into a tight jam near the gap in the pipes. Her heart raced and the moment she felt the wet grip of a tentacle, she lost her composure, dropping her gun and knife. The flashlight provided no help as she screamed for it, getting pulled harder. She wasn¡¯t sure if her leg would pull off before the pipe moved. Wet muscle grabbed her wrist and pulled the light away, then another one grabbed her remaining elbow, and another around her throat. Vicki struggled silently trying to breathe as it coiled tighter like a python, stretching her limbs almost to the breaking point. She could feel her vertebrae starting to pop and move apart as her legs went numb and her neck compressed.

    ...

    Nicole walked in the dark, tears in her eyes, trying the coms again. ¡°Someone please help me.¡± She whimpered, seeing no signs of life on the scanner screen. She could hear footsteps. Looking back she saw nothing, but she could hear it approaching. She fired at the void, and a breath of cold air echoed past her. She sprinted, running for anything, anywhere. Feeling alone and hunted.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ...

    Vinn, checked his magazine count.

    ¡°Running out of ammo in that handgun? I got twice the capacity you do. Step out, throw the gun.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that.¡± He said closing the door and trying to remember where he installed a divider wall last month. Fake plastic stone texture, he horse-kicked at the vinyl, seeing it flex and knowing it wasn¡¯t stone. He fired a few shots, kicking his way through and out the back of the room. He turned the corner, and was relieved to see Nicole running his way.

    ¡°HELP!¡± She shouted, as Gizzy darted behind her and grabbed her around the arms. Nicole screamed in terror, fighting the emptiness as Gizzy ducked gunfire,

    ¡°Let go of my wife you bastard.¡±

    ¡°Vinn it¡¯s me, I¡¯m helping.¡±

    ¡°Let her go.¡± He ordered.

    ¡°If I let her go she¡¯ll just run.¡± Nicole lifted her head up smiling oddly. ¡°Yes I will, and none of you can stop me.¡± She chuckled demonically.

    ¡°She¡¯s The Imposter. Gizzy, she¡¯s the thing. It¡¯s inside Nicole!¡± He barked.

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my wife.¡± He said darkly as Nicole heard his words echo through the hallway and his gun lowered to her.

    ¡°Vinn, you¡¯re pointing a gun at me.¡± She sobbed, cut to the core as she realized maybe it wasn¡¯t Vinn at all.

    ¡°Stop struggling.¡± Whispered Gizzy, with zero response from Nicole. She dropped to her knees, watching Vinn approach her and take out prisoner restraints.

    ¡°Vinn, don¡¯t do this.¡± She begged.

    ¡°I¡¯m putting you in that box.¡± He said.

    ¡°Bullshit, we can¡¯t even open the box. This isn¡¯t The Imposter, it¡¯s Nicole, he¡¯s just controlling her mind. If you open the box to put her IN, you let him OUT!¡± Gizzy tried to explain. ¡°That¡¯s what he wants. He wants control, he wants out.¡±

    ...

    Jack rounded the corner, ready to kill Gizzy as he heard Vicki screaming bloody murder. He turned around and followed the screams to the cloning tank where Vicki was curled up in a ball, naked and frantic.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, what happened?¡± He asked as she just curled up and sobbed, unable to respond or think, the feeling of dying and waking up in the tank over and over like some personal hell.

    Vinn and Gizzy entered the room as Jack blindly pointed the rifle behind him in their direction.

    ¡°We have you cornered Jack. If we fire, we hit you AND Vicki, and you can¡¯t hit us both. Lower the gun.¡± Gizzy ordered.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been letting that thing out to hunt her this entire time, haven¡¯t you?¡± he growled, looking up with rage in his eyes.

    ¡°Jack, Candice got out before we had the prisoner onboard. Once, and she didn¡¯t hurt anyone. That doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would I let it out if I was still me, and The Imposter wasn¡¯t even on the ship yet? THINK soldier, think of the order of operations. It got out one time, due to faulty bolts, it never got out a second time.¡±

    ¡°Look at her!¡± He yelled. ¡°That thing has killed my wife twice and you won¡¯t even put it down. You want it loose.

    ¡°Why? Why would I want it loose? Why would it specifically target Vicki, who is the only one afraid of it? Check the tank, it¡¯s still in there, Vinn even went to make sure and check.¡±

    ¡°Then maybe he let it out.¡± Jack accused.

    ¡°We¡¯re not both Imposters, Jackass, and look at Vicki, her clothes are torn off. If she was cloned back she wouldn¡¯t have any. She tore them off fighting an imaginary monster to complete the delusion.¡±

    ¡°Vinn, you¡¯ve got your wife cuffed. You¡¯re not Vinn.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s not Jack.¡± Vinn said shouldering the gun and stepping to the side for a clear shot.

    ¡°Vinn what are you doing?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°He put her in there like that so we¡¯d find her and think she was killed and cloned. He¡¯s using Vicki to set you up. Jack would never do either. If I get a clear shot, I can take him out without hitting Vicki. The Imposter dead, we clone another Jack, just like we said.

    ¡°Vinn, that is not the plan, there¡¯s nothing INSIDE Jacklike a physical parasite, he¡¯s just losing his mind. It wants you to shoot the cloning machine. We only have one of those! Nobody is the goddamn Imposter HE¡¯S STILL IN THE BOX YOU ASSHOLES!¡± She said frustrated. ¡°THINK!" She yelled. "Every one of you is trying to get someone into that box and the box is still welded shut. It wants us to open the box; that¡¯s the entire point. It¡¯s trapped and we¡¯re gonna kill his ass, but if anyone opens that box we¡¯re all dead, and he has a ship, weaponry, and the list. If he takes over, the story is over. Jack, pick up your wife, Vinn, pick up yours. We¡¯re all going to the bridge together and none of us are leaving.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll be there till we die,¡± Vicki sobbed. ¡°Because the engines are leaking fuel and we¡¯re not moving. That beast is down there, we can¡¯t go back in.¡± She whimpered.

    ¡°The ship is electric.¡± Vinn said calmly. ¡°There¡¯s no fuel leak because there¡¯s no fuel. We had the combustion system swapped out for antimatter when we first took off. The Imposter doesn¡¯t know that. These ships are standard starships fueled. Vicki there¡¯s nothing down there.

    ¡°What do you bet she killed the power fighting off the monster that wasn¡¯t there?¡± Sighed Gizzy. ¡°If she shot that engine to shit, we¡¯re dead in the water.¡±

    ¡°I used a knife.¡± She said, "I dropped my gun.¡±

    ¡°Well thank spacechrist for panic fumbling, because we can rewire a knife gash. Jack, can you reconnect a power cable?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you repair it?¡± he asked suspiciously.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the sanest one of the group and acting captain while fucking Wednesday Adams here is too delirious to lead, and only I can be trusted to prep the box for ejection.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so immune to it?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one with a computer for a brain. That¡¯s probably why I can¡¯t see it in the box. Maybe it has no visible form. Whatever is affecting your organic brains isn¡¯t affecting my hardware. Jack, your ranking officer is giving you an order and your crew depends on you. Get your ass down there, or I WILL shoot you. If we all die, we all die, but you¡¯re the easiest to clone because you¡¯re just 100 percent unaltered corn-fed human meat. So if I can¡¯t trust you, I¡¯ll kill you, and clone you back when I can, after there¡¯s no mind control prisoner making you a liability. Don¡¯t make me shoot you, I¡¯ll memory cone every damn one of you, and you¡¯ll never know I did it. Just give me a reason to do this the hard way.¡± She snarled, eyes glowing in the dim light.

    ¡°I bet you would do that.¡± He said, standing up.

    ¡°Bet your ass I would. I¡¯d kill you to save everyone, including you. And I¡¯d sleep that night knowing we¡¯re all alive because I did. Vinn, take the tape off of Nicole¡¯s mouth. Captain Evee Nicole Alekseev, are you with us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m back.¡± She said nodding.

    ¡°And you understand exactly what I¡¯m saying and why¡­do you agree as Captain of the ship that I am correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then take the gun, make sure Jack doesn¡¯t sabotage something. If he does, we all die, if you have to shoot him, we¡¯ll bring him back. Your life is more valuable than his, and fixing the power is the mission. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never killed anyone before, and it¡¯s Jack.¡±

    ¡°Right now it¡¯s not Jack driving, he¡¯s just along for the ride. You¡¯re the Captain, we trust you, can you lead this ship, Captain?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±

    ¡°Then take the gun, and move his ass to the basement.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± She nervously said, taking the gun into her hands.

    ...

    ¡°No you can¡¯t that thing is loose down there!¡± Vicki pleaded. ¡°It¡¯s not safe, she¡¯s lying to all of us. Jack is your friend, she¡¯s leading both of you to die.¡±

    ¡°Can you prep the shuttle bay to launch alone?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°I can¡­if there¡¯s power to open the airlocks.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with them. Nicole, if you don¡¯t trust Gizzy, trust me. Jack is not himself.¡±

    ¡°Well not to rush things¡­¡± Gizzy sighed, "But you got 35 minutes to do it, or we all die anyway.¡± She said checking her scanner.

    ¡°Why?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Because ships don¡¯t stop in space when the power dies, they just stop accelerating, and we¡¯re pointed at a black hole going 80% cruising speed. We don¡¯t have steering or thrusters to slow down. You may wanna fix that damn cable, Jack. If there¡¯s a monster down there, handle it, soldier.¡± She said, grabbing Vicki and leading her with a gun top her back.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t do something stupid.¡± She whispered.

    ...

    Gizzy waited in the cargo bay, suited up and giving Vicki a helmet in case they had to vent too soon.

    The power came back on, and the shuttle doors prepped for launch.

    ¡°Bout damn time something worked.¡± She said as the sound of a rifle powering up stopped her. ¡°What now?¡± she asked turning to see Vinn holding Jack by the neck and pointing the rifle.

    ¡°That¡¯s not my wife down there. Nicole is in the box.¡± He said.

    ¡°You looked at the security screen?¡± Gizzy whined.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want me to look, because she¡¯s in there, right?¡± he said as Gizzy diverted her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re the thing or just confused but I can¡¯t let you hit that airlock, Gizzy.¡± He said sniffing back a tear. That¡¯s my Nicole in there. I can¡¯t lose her again. She doesn¡¯t clone back the same, you know that. The copy is cuffed to the ladder. I¡¯ll shoot you if you hit that button. And then I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t clone back.¡±

    ¡°Vinn your wife is down there, if I don¡¯t hit the button, we all die. Your wife dies too. I¡¯m hitting the button.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aiming for the head.¡± He insisted. Jack suddenly hopped up and gave him a kick to the balls as Gizzy narrowly sidestepped the round and hit the button, opening the airlock, Vinn screamed and rushed her, ramming her into the wall as Jack pointed the gun at Vinn and debated on wether or not to shoot or let her fight. He gave a running leap onto Vinn¡¯s back and choked him out as he tried to squeeze Gizzy¡¯s skull flat. The doors shut and Vinn fell back on Jack, knocking him windless. He rushed to the doors watching the engines fire and slow the ship as the box fell into the black hole. He pounded the glass and punched wildly as the black hole suddenly flickered. Jack and Gizzy stood lost for words as they all stepped back, and the black hole turned cloudy and stormy, curling into a face.

    ¡°What have you done?¡± Vinn said to Gizzy. ¡°You just made it stronger. You¡¯ve killed all of us, you¡¯ve killed the universe.¡± He said panicking.

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be right.¡± Gizzy said in shock, ¡°Nothing could survive that. We didn¡¯t have any other options, nothing kills The Imposter except forgetting it. What else were we going to do?" She barked as it glowed red and began swelling into a writing mass of stormclouds.

    ¡°I knew you sent us here to die all along!¡± Jack yelled, stepping to tackle her and collapsing, holding his chest.

    ¡°No, no no, this is bullshit!¡± Gizzy screamed. ¡°Just die! You can¡¯t be that strong! Just die!¡± She pounded. And suddenly she blinked, and there was silence. The void of the black hole exactly as it should be. ¡°It¡¯s not real.¡± She smiled. ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s just giving us the hallucinogenic finger one last time. Is everyone coherent?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡± Vinn said, looking confused. ¡°Did I just lock my wife in the basement?¡± He asked, rushing to the hallway to get her. Gizzy un-taped Vicki¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°Not a damn thing. We captured The Imposter, threw him in the black hole as planned and he never left the box. Everything else we did to ourselves.¡±

 Chapter Six: Toasters

    Gizzy slumped in exhaustion, trying to hide her bleeding wounds.

    ¡°Jack are you okay?¡± Vicki yelled, rushing to him.

    ¡°I think I broke a few ribs. You may wanna get the recovery injections.¡± He wheezed, barely getting up. ¡°Gizzy, you need several.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You rest up. Good job, soldiers. Good fucking job.¡± She said limping off.

    ..,

    Jack let the shots do their thing as Nicole gave everyone hugs, going easy on Jack, since Vinn broke 2 of his ribs.

    ¡°Guys, we did it. We took on one of the most feared things in the universe and won. And Gizzy saved our asses as usual, despite being half her usual size and squishy. Here I thought being overpowered, bulletproof, and huge was your cheat code; turns out I¡¯m wrong. You¡¯re just a bad bitch, even in a human body.¡± Smiled Nicole ¡°Can we get a 3 cheers for squishy meat Gizzy?¡±

    Gizzy got up and lumbered away, looking depressed and annoyed rather then successful. Jack followed her. If she trusted anyone to say what was wrong it was him.

    ...

    ¡°Gizzy¡­I need to ask you something you seem to want to avoid.¡± Jack said, sitting down.

    ¡°You always ask don¡¯t you?¡± She groaned.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem the same, something is off about you. Why do you just constantly look like your puppy died? Don¡¯t give me protocol, I grew up around you when you wrote it.¡±

    ¡°Because the Charlotte 2 isn¡¯t just a surrogate body. I¡¯m something new. Gizzy is a hive mind, like all Osirians. One entity, piloting up to 40 bodies in some case. All equally the same person, regardless of shape or size or color. Gizzy has smaller bodies and ones that look human, and ones that have better armor, or built for a purpose. They¡¯re all Osirian technology, Osirian blue meat and metallic bone, the same person inside powered by the same nuclear core. We feel the same pain, if one of us reads a newspaper the other bodies can quote it. One hive mind. The bodies are just extensions, tools, even with the modifications. Just like you getting into another car. It handles different, but you¡¯re the same driver no matter what you¡¯re driving."

    "I¡¯m not connected to the hive like they are. The Charlotte 2 spheres have Gizzy¡¯s personality and memory built into them, but they do not remotely connect to the hive, and they can¡¯t. I can¡¯t have detectable traces. I¡¯m a singular thing now. I can¡¯t hear the others, I can¡¯t¡­look back and see my wife and my kids. I¡¯m not there. Gizzy is there. Gizzy is at work, she¡¯s at home, and she¡¯s in the bath enjoying some wine and somewhere else watching her daughter work on her cars. They¡¯re one entity, all made from the same alien flesh and technology. Look at this hand. It¡¯s bruised. There¡¯s no blue glowing meat under, it, no clear thick gel or shiny wires, just¡­red human meat and tendons. In a sense I WAS Gizzy, but I¡¯m not entirely anymore and I will keep being less of her as time goes on. It¡¯s a long mission to be changing and drifting with no roots to your core being. And I¡¯m already getting used to being human.¡±

    ¡°Vicky put 3 rounds through your chest. Humans don¡¯t survive that and you barely flinched."

    ¡°Because my brain is a solid state drive and a battery. I can¡¯t bleed to death or feel pain like you do. I detect it but I don¡¯t really feel it. My brain is just a computer, so it doesn¡¯t need air or blood. So if I bleed out, I don¡¯t die, the body just¡­slowly rots. I¡¯m a damn zombie with a computer for a brain, and my personality and memory¡­is just a copy of Gizzy. If I cloned you, everything you were in your mind, and put you into the body of a toaster, would you still be Jack? Just sitting there, sheet metal and coils, making toast for us silently as everyone treated you like an appliance. Is that Jack Greene, or a toaster that thinks it¡¯s Jack Greene? I¡¯m a toaster, Jack. A human copy.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all copies here.¡±

    ¡°Exact copies. The same exact being as before, memory and defects, skin and organs, cells and DNA, down to the molecule, so identical that a doctor couldn¡¯t tell who was who. You died human and woke up human, the same human. Every time. Vinn has slightly better vision and Nicole has a slightly higher sex drive, whooptie fucking doo, good for Vinn. I woke up an alien, Jack. Am I still Gizzy?¡± She asked, touching her eyes and looking at her fingers. ¡°Have you ever seen Gizzy do that? I don¡¯t fucking cry, do I?¡± She asked while rubbing the tears between her fingers. "I¡¯m not just another Gizzy surrogate with some modifications. I¡¯m Charlotte:

    Cloned

    Human

    Autonomous

    Ranged

    Low-power

    Operations

    Tactical

    Termination

    Entity

    So Jacky boy¡­Am I still mommy dearest, or am I a silent echo with a crew and a job?¡± She smirked, mascara running, and looking slightly insane. He gave her a hug and she rolled her eyes.

    ¡°We love this Gizzy just the same as we do any Gizzy.¡±

    ¡°Well don¡¯t.¡± she said pulling away. ¡°Because Gizzy as a hive entity will live as long as this universe does, and I am destined for death. We all are. Don¡¯t you get it? The moment we signed that paper, we signed our existence to a curse. A necessary one, but cursed. We¡¯re the damned crew of a damned ship. When the mission is over, we have nothing left. We can¡¯t go home, we¡¯re already there, nobody misses us.¡± She said gasping and breathing deeply, her rib vents percolating blood slightly.

    ¡°And that is what Nicole feels, and why she left home. Jesus Christ, Jack. Cloning is a fucking incredible gift when you need replaced but you really can¡¯t be the duplicate when the other one is still around can you? That blessed technology feels more like a sick joke. Goddamnit, I did that to her. My mistake, my error is what made two Nicoles, and now I finally know what it feels like to be the unwanted backup copy. Except if this mission succeeds, we can never go back, but you, Backup Jack, have Backup Vicki, and Backup Nicole has Backup Vinn. What does backup Gizzy have? No wife, no kids, no planet to rule, no council, no job. I got a fucking snail that gets you high.¡± She chuckled, crying a little before forcing it back.

    ¡°Let it out.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s stupid pointless over-moisturizing, and it serves no purpose but to dehydrate. Crying is fucking stupid.¡± She said, sucking it up as she would.

    ¡°Gizzy doesn¡¯t cry, I¡¯ll be damned of I start now.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you need to talk to someone else about that.¡±

    ...

    Nicole and Vicki sat on either side of her.

    ¡°Is this an ambush?¡± Gizzy asked, cleaning her rifle.

    ¡°Jack told us everything.¡±

    ¡°You know, for a spy, he has a big mouth around you two.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, you taught him well.¡± Vicki scoffed. ¡°You taught him to secretly record everything and always make sure the team is okay, even if they act like they are, but aren''t actually.¡±

    ¡°Nicole, how do you live?¡± Gizzy asked with a sigh. ¡°How do you not just want me dead? I made a rookie mistake, and it ruined your life. I fucked up, missed a DNA factor, and you got duplicated and lost everyone you love, because I missed a detail.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lose everyone, they¡¯re all safe and protected thanks to you, and we¡¯re all copied here together now¡­except Dee. I understand why you didn¡¯t copy her. It¡¯s rough being the extra and not going home. It¡¯s unfair, nobody signed up for that shit.¡± Nicole shrugged.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s just it! EVERYONE else, signed up for it. Except you. Jack was born a killer, that¡¯s not my fault. Two killers fucked and made Jack, I pulled his ass out of that prison planet and gave him something better. I helped Jack more then I¡¯ve been a burden to him. He signed up to be cloned, he signed for this mission. Vicki had bug-cancer, I didn¡¯t invent bugs OR cancer, and I¡¯ve spent money trying to cure both. I saved her life, she literally signed up for this mission. Obviously she was not ready, but she¡¯s a grown adult. Vinn BEGGED me to clone him so he could be with you. He nagged me till I did it, and now things are improved from before, I even fixed his damn eyesight. I knew what I¡¯d be doing when I set up this mission, I signed my own stupid waver as a formality. Literally everyone here volunteered and signed up to get duplicated and shot into space, except you. You¡¯re here because I fucked up my math. You never volunteered for this. Everyone else here needed my help and willingly took the step¡­you just woke up one day, and everything was wrong. I am so¡­damn sorry. I left everyone I love and my home willingly because I knew it needed to be done, and it hurts me to the core. You just got railed in the ass by a sudden Karma train that wasn¡¯t even aiming at you, because I made mistakes.¡±

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "Welcome to being human¡­well mostly human, none of us bitches are completely human. She¡¯s a little bit bugpire, I¡¯m 1 part fish-bitch and you got a Playstation 6 for a brain, but otherwise welcome to being human. Humans make mistakes and some of us forgive for it. Try and forgive yourself.¡±

    ¡°You wanna shoot me to feel better? Vicki already shot me, what¡¯s one more ventilation hole?¡±

    ¡°See? That¡¯s what a Gizzy would say, and you forgave Vicki for shooting you.¡±

    ¡°In my defense, I was unwillingly hallucinating. Let¡¯s just remember that for any retaliation thoughts.¡± Vicki noted.

    ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m technically a cannibal now.¡± Gizzy said, throwing her arms up. ¡°I forgot that. It¡¯s not so weird eating a human when you¡¯re an apex techno god, but when you¡¯re mostly human too, it has a weird feel to it.¡±

    ¡°Welcome to that limited club.¡± Smiled Vicki. ¡°You get used to that one. Why aren¡¯t you healing?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t wanna waste the regen shots. You guys might need them, and we have a finite supply.¡±

    ¡°Aww, you¡¯re already being selfless. Tinman finally got a heart.¡± Nicole pouted.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s horrible. How do you tolerate this thing? It just beats 24/7, rattling your brains around. It just feels like my reactor is malfunctioning and cutting out, but perpetually. I¡¯ve been taking 40mg Klonopin 3 times a day just so I don¡¯t actively feel and hear every heartbeat and hyperfocus on it.¡±

    Vicki chuckled. ¡°Yeah, well, we¡¯d both be pretty alarmed if we just stopped having one. I guess you get used to what you¡¯re born with, no¡­ hatched with?¡± Vicki squinted. Gizzy nodded. ¡°See, I did my bookwork on Osirians.¡±

    ¡°I probably should get medical attention for this.¡± She said raising up her shirt and peeling the bloody bandage with it, revealing a massive series of holes and exposed lung tissue.¡±

    ¡°OH MY GOD!¡± Vicki gasped.

    ¡°FUCK, warn me next time. Oh it¡¯s so bad.¡± Nicole said, staring harder.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m ssssorry.¡± Vicki stammered. ¡°Nicole will getting you a regen shot, that¡¯s too much, no, it¡¯s just too much.¡± She said getting up.

    ¡°The blood is just making you thirsty isn¡¯t it?¡± Gizzy hollered as she diverted her eyes.

    ¡°No¡­don¡¯t be gross. Also, I¡­I¡¯m gonna go do my treatment with Vinn. The timing was irrelevant.¡± She insisted.

    ¡°And there she goes to go suck my husband.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°See, this life is never easy, it¡¯s weird, it sucks¡­for some of us literally.¡±

    ¡°I thought she¡¯d never leave¡­¡± Gizzy huffed. ¡°She¡¯ll be distracted for a good hour, so how long have you been sampling the seafood?¡± She asked.

    ¡°The what?¡± Nicole asked,

    ¡°Snail. How long have you been getting high off the snail slime?¡±

    ¡°Okay look, it was accidental the first time, then I was curious, then it lead to some more planning. I know she¡¯s your pet, and I know it¡¯s weird.¡±

    ¡°Nicole, I get high off it all the time. I don¡¯t care if you get your feel goods off the leftovers. You¡¯re sharing your husband with Vicki¡¯s feeding habit, you think I¡¯m gonna tell you that you can¡¯t get your slime fix off my snail?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell everyone.¡±

    ¡°I get it. You like animals, you gotta pet everything and be their buddy, and next thing you know you¡¯re cleaning the tank and filtering the goo to get fucked up and forget your problems. I¡¯m just saying it can be addictive, so go easy on it. The goo is good. Normally, I¡¯d give you the speech about the risk of drugs to your health, but you¡¯re part Menacodian, and it¡¯s about 80 times safer for you than anyone else. Plus, you heal well, so aside from addiction, what¡¯s the worst scenario? You know how hard it would be to overdose and die on snail goop, let alone with your aquatic attributes? Just don¡¯t spend all day harvesting and hoarding it. I was concerned she was unhealthy and not producing enough slime.¡±

    ¡°I got like 2 gallons¡­hidden under the bed. Marked the jugs ¡°Nicole¡¯s protein shakes," so Vinn wouldn¡¯t dare even try it. Even added some actual shakes to it so it looked the right color or off-white.¡±

    ¡°Clever.¡± Gizzy nodded.

    ...

    The lab was quiet that night, just the dim light of the scanners as Gizzy scraped the Imposter blood from the knife, and saved it in a metal container in the sample fridge. She set the temperature and locked the door, putting the only key in her pocket.

    "One shitstorm down, too many too go.¡± She said checking her ribs and how it was healing. Quickly for a human, expected for a human with a recovery shot, but far slower then she was used to. She gave another round of antibiotics, not sure how much or how little was appropriate, since she never had an immune system before.

    ...

    Nicole laid on the cargo bay floor, staring at Candice, who was staring back. Jack approached casually.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re distracting yourself as well.

    ¡°Yep. Gotta get some quality facetime with someone other than my husband."

    ¡°Vicki¡¯s feed should be done quickly, and then back to life as usual.¡±

    ¡°Does it bother you?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t find it thrilling, but it¡¯s¡­acceptable. She needs to feed to stay healthy and strong. It¡¯s medicinal, it¡¯s food, and it¡¯s not personal.¡±

    ¡°It feels personal, doesn¡¯t it? I feel slightly¡­ignored.¡±

    ¡°Are you bothered that she¡¯d feeding off him, or that he enjoys it?¡± He asked. She looked offended.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at him. Vicki¡¯s venom has some enjoyable neurotoxins. I would know. Except I pass out and need rushed to the infirmary after a slight nick. He¡¯s taking one for the team, she¡¯s doing what she has to do, and at least he¡¯s not suffering. At least her bite isn¡¯t agonizing or dangerous to him. Could be worse. At least she has her thirst controlled for the most part, and luckily Delmarians can handle it. Without him, she¡¯d starve out here or attack one of us. Likely me. I know loaning your husband out to another woman¡¯s time and needs feels degrading, especially after being just you two for so long, in your home. But it beats cancer, and it beats death.¡±

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to come up with a hobby we can do together for an hour or so every day. Something they can feel left out of. You like racing games?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°Could you pretend to? See if after a few rounds you start to believe it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try. Next time. I gotta go fix some bullet holes in the ship. Good thing it¡¯s made of stone, and we run frangible rounds, or we¡¯d be frantically fixing leaks.¡± He chuckled, looking nervous and relieved at the same time.

    ...

    Nicole placed her head on the concrete floor, trying to hear anything since it was directly over the sex room. Ironically the ideal room for vampiric feeding, since it¡¯s the only room with padded restraints, and a comfortable bed big enough for a Delmarian. The irony of that bothered her a little. She looked up, smiling as she noticed Candice laying her head on the floor too, clearly just copying her.

    ¡°What a scary monster you are.¡± She giggled. She stood up and stretched. Kicking off her boots and on a strange whim, she just walked off the side into the water, plunging down into the now thicker than usual saline tank. It felt familiar, though now slightly crowded with Candice taking up 20 percent of the tank. She felt more at peace in the water, partially from the familiarity of her personal space and her aquatic side, and partially from the drugs absorbing into her skin. She swam to the port window, facing her suite, placing her hand on it and feeling Vinn¡¯s presence just inches away behind the pulled curtain She felt practically next to him but a million miles away with another woman. A redish orange tentacle plopped on the glass beside hers probably just to copy her but it felt like it was saying ¡°it¡¯s okay¡± somehow.

    ...

    Vicki whipped her chin-length red hair up suddenly, her mouth stained red and her eyes even redder.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure that glass is thick enough?¡± she asked nervously, hearing the tentacle just beside her thumping it.

    ¡°It¡¯s 4 inches thick lumaglass, it¡¯s basically clear metallic armor that would stop a claymore mine. It¡¯s against a foot of solid greystone, and it¡¯s a one piece coolant tank. It¡¯s basically indestructible.¡± He huffed, ¡°Stalling is just gonna make this take longer.¡± He reminded.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± She said slumping back down.

    ...

    Gizzy stood on the bridge staring at the hologram of a cube rotating in the air. The doors opened and RoboDee walked in, cleaning the room like she wasn¡¯t even there.

    ¡°Dee¡­how real are you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even understand the question.¡± She chuckled just like Dee would.

    ¡°Remove filter, repeat the response, how real are you?¡±

    ¡°I am unable to process that question.¡±

    ¡°Glorified roomba with tits. So you wouldn¡¯t think I was insane regardless of what I said, and under orders you can¡¯t repeat anything I tell you, right?¡±

    ¡°Unless directly overridden manually by the Captain.¡±

    ¡°Filter back on.¡±

    ¡°Not unless Nicole gives me an order to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just deny it and bullshit something, maybe tamper with your security settings later.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cool. Is there anything I can help with. I am here to help, after all.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know where to find this?¡± she said gesturing at the holographic floating cube.

    ¡°I dunno what it even is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Writer¡¯s Block. And It¡¯s going to be mine.¡±

 Chapter Seven: The Cube

    ¡°What is it?¡± Nicole asked as they gathered around the cubic hologram.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cube, a trans-dimensional link that has the power to freeze an entire universe or generate one.¡± Gizzy explained.

    ¡°A 4<sup>th</sup>-dimensional cube of infinite power, like a hypercube, or a tesseract?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°NO!¡± Gizzy snipped. ¡°We can¡¯t call it that, it¡¯s too close to copyrights. We¡¯re not collecting items to construct a glove of power to wipe out half the universe, we¡¯re collecting items to¡­construct a different thing of cosmic power to do some entirely different¡­ morally gray villainy¡­it¡¯s a cube of power, just call it the cube!"

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s made of some kind stone. Like a powerful stone¡± Vinn squinted.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not calling it the power stone either. GATDamnit, are you trying to get us canceled, because that¡¯s how you get canceled!¡± Gizzy barked.

    ¡°So what do we need this for?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Aside from keeping it out of the hands of evil¡­¡± She said as eyebrows raised. ¡°Far more evil than me, with worse¡­ We¡¯re destroying it. The Cube prevents another item from working. It¡¯s part of the process, don¡¯t question the process. The point is we have to break it for the mission, and also breaking it prevents other beings from abusing power, which could only go poorly.¡±

    ¡°Why does everything have to be so cryptic?¡± Vicki sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯re a cannibalistic spy working for an Alien Overlord on a pirate ship of illegal clones. Why would anything NOT be cryptic?¡±

    ¡°Hard to argue with actually.¡± She reluctantly agreed.

    ...

    The ship pulled up to a small meteor, barely big enough land on. A temple stuck out of the side, so massive it made the entire meteor look lopsided, and gave it an eccentric wobble rotation. Jack and Vicki followed Gizzy, both of them in full military EVA suits, while Gizzy was just in a spandex body suit, and an intimidating armored mask. They stepped into the temple, the creaks and groans of rock shifting under them.

    ¡°This place is incredible. I¡¯m shocked that there¡¯s even gravity.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°It has a very heavy core, don¡¯t question it.¡± She said as they entered the main chamber. ¡°Even has oxygen.¡± A dark red stone room was illuminated by the glow of a large raised platform in the center, like a stage or ritual auditorium, as well as 5 flaming goblets. In the center were 4 walls, bricked and mortared but sanded and polished to a mirror so clean it was hard to tell if the stone was black or just reflecting space around them.

    ¡°Oh wow.¡± Said Nicole, the 3 of them turning in surprise.

    ¡°I said stay with the ship.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°You said, Vinn¡­stay with the ship. I¡¯m the damn Captain, and I wanna see the asteroid temple."

    ¡°Temple of the 4 walls.¡± Gizzy corrected. She squinted and stuck her tongue out.

    ¡°Damn the stonework is insane, you wouldn¡¯t even know the walls were made of smaller stones unless you got close with a flashlight. This is Masonry built.¡±

    ¡°Very good.¡± Said a deep thunderous voice from the depths. The furthest giant burning goblet rose up and it became clear that the flame in it was a living entity, a bipedal walking humanoid 12 feet high made entirely of churning flames. ¡°You are familiar with the Masonry. A very old and forgotten race.¡±

    ¡°Well they built my house, so I see their work every day. You don¡¯t really respect the craftsmanship until you have done repairs and felt every wall and doorway for months. I¡¯m Captain Evee Nicole Alekseev of the Medusa.¡± She said proudly.

    ¡°And you will be the one taking binding your soul to the great burden?¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, you wanna lead this mission.¡±

    ¡°Fuckin right, sidecar your tiny ass.¡± Gizzy muttered. ¡°No that would be me. This is my journey and my burden, she just owns the damn ship.¡±

    ¡°A leader who serves, and a child who leads.¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child, I¡¯m just small, but I¡¯m feisty and cute.¡± She said gritting her teeth like a Chihuahua or a small ferret of equal intimidation.

    ¡°You¡¯re 29, and this is an ancient guardian probably closer to 60,000 years old. You¡¯re a child to us. I am Gizzy Koi Etlaan Adrian Michael Greggarious of the Osirians, and you¡¯ll be seeing us frequently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Lorde Behrnought. It¡¯s unusual for someone to find me, as I tend to be the one to find them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here for the block.¡± She said firmly as Jack slowly readied for combat.

    ¡°Are we going to have to fight this guy, or bring him a sacrifice?¡±

    ¡°I got this.¡± Gizzy winked.

    ¡°What makes you worthy of the block?¡± Behrnought asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m 15,000 years old, I¡¯ve done everything, and I¡¯m bored.¡±

    ¡°Wow, okay. There it is on the podium. You passed it on the way in. You may take the block.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Well that was easy.¡± Nicole scowled.

    ¡°Yeah, getting the writer¡¯s block is easy, breaking through it is the tricky part.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Cube of power. Getting it is easy. Breaking it is damn near impossible. We may be stuck with this for a while.¡± Gizzy corrected.

    ¡°Once you place your hand on the cube, it is yours, and yours to bear. You will not progress until the block is broken. You cannot leave it behind. It will find you.¡±

    "I know, I was reading the writing on the wall.¡± She said as everyone else looked at the wall.

    ¡°The hell are you talking about?¡± Nicole asked. ¡°It¡¯s a black wall.¡±

    ¡°Not to those who have the sight. They do not know do they?¡± Said the living flame.

    ¡°Should we?¡± Nicole asked, looking annoyed.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°And you do?¡±

    ¡°Not entirely, but I¡¯m working on it. I¡¯m a planner, but I plan as I go and adjust.

    ¡°I could see the writing once. Long ago. Gaze upon the final wall, Gizzy. Look beyond the words, and what do you see?¡±

    ¡°Just shiny reflection.¡±

    ¡°If you gather the items you seek and bring them here, you will be able to see beyond it, and eventually step through it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s on the other side?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°It varies, often a basement or Starbucks, but a thin veil of light separates you from that side. From the eyes of god. Step through that wall and you become god.¡±

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°I knew it.¡± Nicole said throwing her hands up. ¡°Villainous power move. We¡¯re just searching for more power.¡±

    ¡°Not just power, Nicole. The power to rewrite reality. The power to keep this universe going. Every universe has a god that created it, and that universe only lives as long as there is a god to observe it. Ours is dying. Someone needs to take their place. If a universe is no longer observed, it begins to break down. We¡¯re at 17 percent proton decay.¡±

    ¡°Should have stayed on the damn ship.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not too late to get icecream¡­can I interest you in a nice cone?¡± Gizzy grinned in a shit-eating way.

    ¡°Tempting but I had a shake earlier.¡±

    ¡°So wait¡­¡± Vicki said looking panicked. ¡°The actual universe is ending here, and Gizzy has to become god to stop it?¡±

    ¡°Only for a little while.¡± Gizzy sighed. Vicki dove for her hand.

    ¡°Give me the damn cone, cone me, I wanna go back to the ship.¡± She insisted. Gizzy rotated her phone and clicked the button. ¡°Where the hell are we?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Space map station. Flickery Jones here is getting us some map updates. You¡¯re needed back on the ship.¡± She yawned, Jack nodded and she headed back, looking over her shoulder suspiciously.

    ¡°Some people can¡¯t handle the truth. I¡¯m frankly amazed Nicole is doing okay." Jack said

    ¡°Xanax.¡± Gizzy said while chewing something crunchy.

    ¡°Anyway, my valiant crew of highly professional experts and shit, and myself mostly can handle this mission. Thanks for the cube. I¡¯ll be seeing you shortly.¡± Gizzy smiled.

    ...

    Nicole sat in the mess hall, drinking a beer alone in the dark. Jack strolled in.

    ¡°Figured you were here.¡±

    ¡°Well, I would be drinking in my own personal Captains bar with the cool gamer lights, but right now my husband is in line with that bar, and your wife is on top of him, just¡­suckpire-ing away like he¡¯s a big ol'' furry 7-11 slurpy. Oh and the universe is ending so¡­¡± She shrugged, chuckling and frat-boy shotgunning the can.

    ¡°We¡¯re working on preventing that.¡±

    ¡°Jack. Gizzy is good, but she¡¯s not THAT good. What the hell did most of that even mean back there? Some living torch just sits in a goblet waiting for the chosen one, and there¡¯s invisible words on the wall and god is dying? Are we still tripping from the¡­fucking ghost we had in a giant pooper scooper for 3 days?¡±

    ¡°I kinda hope so. I¡¯ve learned to just tune out things above my paygrade.¡±

    ¡°Must be nice.¡±

    ¡°Works better when people I work for keep me in the dark.¡±

    ...

    Vicki strolled through the dark halls, almost running into Gizzy as she fiddled with the cube.

    ¡°Startled me.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°I keep forgetting I don¡¯t glow in the dark anymore and my eyes only light up when I force it. and I actually can''t see now, when they do that. You seem edgy, you up to something sinister?¡±

    ¡°NO. Why, you?¡± Vicki defended

    ¡°Constantly. It¡¯s how I keep busy, everyone on the ship is always doing something sketchy behind closed doors. Enjoy your nightly cocktail hour with Vinn?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± She muttered with annoyance.

    ¡°Well, whatever it is, as long as you¡¯re in optimum mission condition, I don¡¯t care. I need you in the lab for something. Experimental, barely invasive, minimal pain.¡±

    ...

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just not in the mood.¡± Vinn sighed, looking drained, mostly because he literally just was. Nicole tossed her hands up in frustration.

    ¡°We never get any time alone anymore, and you¡¯re always freshly Vicki¡¯d when we do. I guess I¡¯ll go for a walk around cargo bay.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°Gimme 2 minutes and I¡¯ll walk with you, just need some coffee and like a minute to get my heart rate down.¡±

    ¡°No, you rest. You¡¯re too tired, remember.¡± She snapped.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯m just gonna take down this curtain for a while. Vicki can¡¯t even sit here with Candice visible, let alone do anything distracting. I kinda like watching her swim around."

    ¡°You wanna take down the curtain?¡± She said nervously. ¡°She could be sleeping, the lights may wake her.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to take down the curtain because then I can see you up there in cargo talking to Candice.¡±

    ¡°So what if I talk to my pet? People talk to their pets. Pets need love too, dumbass.¡± She snapped. ¡°Pets¡­people. Everyone needs attention.¡± She added as if hinting.

    ¡°Honey, You¡¯re getting high on the snail goop, aren¡¯t you?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Maybe. Someone has to clean the tank, you can¡¯t swim, Vicki sure as shit isn¡¯t going near it, and Jack is always busy, so I clean the tank and filter the slime. We¡¯re bottling it for a cash operation. So what if I get a little second hand side effects?¡±

    ¡°Just worried me then you got 2 gallons under the bed and you don¡¯t tell me.¡±

    ¡°Well, it worries me that you¡¯re spending an hour a day with Vicki getting your life force succubused.¡±

    ¡°Are you just insecure about it?¡±

    ¡°YES! I¡¯m very insecure in general. My self esteem is shit, and this isn¡¯t helping. It bothers me that you enjoy it too. You can¡¯t just manually tap and bag her a fresh meal every day and Capri-Sun it on her own time?¡±

    ¡°Gizzy says she has a psychological fixation with the hunt and she needs the satisfaction of the attack or her cravings come back sooner.¡±

    ¡°What about my fixations? What if I need to pounce on you occasionally to get satisfaction or my cravings get worse.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­you just get snippy when you¡¯re horny and call me names, and it¡¯s pretty playful and harmless compared to Vicki potentially going monster mode and killing someone, probably Jack."

    "So she gets satisfaction, and her sex drive is higher, Jack gets satisfaction from that, you get high on Vicki juice, and I get grilled for tapping into the goo supply a little. Everyone gets laid and high except me, and I can¡¯t get laid, and I get scolded for getting high. It¡¯s even my damn ship. If the captain of the ship can¡¯t get laid, something is wrong.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. My energy is low, and my fluids are low. You know all fluids are connected, so if your body is devoting all your water to make blood, there are other problems that can happen.¡±

    ¡°Do you need boner pills and a hamster tube? Could we have sex and THEN you let her feed?¡±

    ¡°We tried that.¡± Vinn reminded. ¡°I passed out. And if my blood pressure craps out to nothing, the feeding takes longer and then I¡¯m too wiped to move.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t you dare get on my ass about the goop. I mean¡­I do want you to get on my ass, just not about the goop. I¡¯m sharing my husband, and Jack¡¯s drinking alone because he won¡¯t say that it makes him insecure, and I need some form of antidepressant. We don¡¯t have a therapist up here, let alone a pharmacist, and I can¡¯t get my jollies in the bedroom. I can¡¯t bite Jack and drink his blood. Well I could, but it accomplishes nothing. The snail goop makes me feel happy and warm and not care anymore. Gizzy even said it was safe.¡± She noted.

    ¡°Gizzy snorts crushed up cocaine and radioactive starship fuel to stop reading the subtitles, whatever that even means. Safe according to Gizzy just means you probably won¡¯t die from it. It doesn¡¯t sound safe.¡±

    ...

    ¡°This really don¡¯t seem safe.¡± Vicki said as Gizzy grabbed a syringe and the vial of the Imposter blood.

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s not gonna kill you to lose a little blood, you just topped off your tank 5 minutes ago, you should be sloshing with extra. I¡¯m not injecting you WITH the Imposter blood, I¡¯m mixing the two for experimenting. I¡¯ve been synthesizing it for lab testing and it seems to clone just fine.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the rarest creatures in the universe, and its blood is impossible to get. And yet, we got 5mililiters of it. Seems like a good thing to have extra of, in case something goes wrong. I¡¯d like to have some cloned blood as backup and to screw around with.¡± She said as Nicole strolled in and stood arms crossed behind Vicki.

    ¡°Speaking of screwing around and blood. Hi Vicki. So riddle me this, why can¡¯t you just clone my husband¡¯s blood?¡±

    ¡°Well, we can. It¡¯s also really expensive since she needs half a liter to a liter a day. This blood here, there¡¯s about 20 liters in the known universe and we now have 2, so it was well worth the 800 grand, since we¡¯ll never find any again.

    "Look I¡¯m just gonna say it, I¡¯m kinda unhappy about Vicki sucking on my husband more than me. So there¡¯s that. I¡¯d rather him just take a sample bag and give it to her, but apparently she has some psychological feed response where she craves the attack, but right now, I¡¯m starting to crave an attack. You wanna maybe throw some ideas out there?¡±

    ¡°I actually have one.¡± Gizzy smiled.

    ...

    Dee stood on the secondary bridge looking confused.

    ¡°You wanna what? She asked, looking worried.

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna grow you human skin and a refillable blood pouch so that Vicki can attack you every day instead of Vinn.¡±

    ¡°What the shit!?¡± Dee objected.

    ¡°Her personality mode is set to lifelike.¡± Nicole noted.

    ¡°Yeah, I turned it up to full realism. If she acts like a damn cleaning robot, Vicki wont get believe it, and her feed instinct wont kick in. It¡¯s gotta be convincing enough when she bites into her neck and starts bleeding her dry, her instinct treats it like a real kill.¡±

    ¡°I can hear you guys, do I get a say in this?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°You¡¯re a nonsentient AI android.¡±

    ¡°No I¡¯m not, I¡¯m Double Dee, your personal Virtual girlfriend.¡± She scoffed. Nicole winced, and looked down awkwardly.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Gizzy shrugged ¡°It¡¯s a personality patch for a fuckdoll made by your friend, who shows ass for tips online. She made this atrocity happen, don¡¯t act like I¡¯m the weird one. There¡¯s no spy and vampire bait algorithm, there¡¯s just the virtual girlfriend simp-stimulator, and the cleaning droid patch you added over top. We can turn the realism up and down, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°God it really does look and act like Dee.¡± Vicki cringed. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna fake murder Dee every day. Is she gonna moan and make sex noises?¡±

    ¡°Maybe...¡± Gizzy said. ¡°If so, let me know and I can try and change that. Unless you¡­ prefer it that way.¡±

    ¡°Eew. This is weird enough without my friends bangbot involved. Now it might get turned on by my killing it?¡±

    ¡°Oh so it¡¯s fine when my husband enjoys you biting and sucking his juices but when it¡¯s a robot that looks like a friend, that¡¯s crossing the line.¡± Nicole scolded, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°I hate all of this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not thrilled either.¡± Dee huffed.

    ¡°Nicole, don¡¯t judge your vampiric friend, if she prefers her victims to struggle and object rather then orgasm, that¡¯s her sexdoll to adjust.¡± She said, trying not to crack a smile.

    ¡°I hate everyone right now.¡± She said as she heard a thumping sound behind the wall.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re really gonna hate me now.¡± Gizzy smiled. ¡°Forgot to tell you, I cloned a male Snail, so we can have babies for food. So there¡¯s a 45 pound blue snail in a plastic tub behind the elevator.¡±

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Vicki yelled.

    ¡°Can I name him!?¡± Nicole smiled. ¡°I¡¯m naming him Ricardo.¡± She beamed.

 Chapter Eight: The Dee

    ¡°There¡¯s another one of those horrible monsters on this ship?¡± Vicki yelled.

    ¡°Well, technically there are 36 of them, but they¡¯re all very tiny and in a terrarium in Nicole¡¯s room¡­except the one big one that is apparently named Ricardo now.¡± Gizzy shrugged.

    ¡°This is a nightmare. We¡¯re breeding these horrible things in a confined space with me in it, and now I have to fake murder fake Dee to eat?¡± She barked.

    ¡°Hey it could be worse, you could be the one getting fed on.¡± Dee huffed.

    ¡°Fake Dee has a point.¡± Nicole shrugged.

    ¡°Fake Dee doesn¡¯t have points, she¡¯s not alive or self aware¡­right? She¡¯s not like a living thing now?¡± She asked, looking horrified.

    ¡°Oh, absolutely not.¡± Gizzy chuckled. ¡°No, her processor core is WAY too limited to reach sentience, they safeguarded that years ago on these sex robots and cleaning androids. It was a huge problem about 30 years back. Now they only allow smaller memory drives that aren¡¯t capable of sentience¡­You did check that, right?¡± Gizzy asked Nicole.

    ¡°We had to check that?¡± Nicole gasped.

    ¡°Lemme just scan the head¡­nope standard core. No chance of gaining sentience. She¡¯s even more airheaded and simple minded that the actual Dee, who despite being significantly lower mental power then most humans, is actually shockingly, still hundreds of times more intelligent than this toaster with tits."

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just a toaster with tits and someone else¡¯s memory downloaded too?¡± Dee asked Gizzy.

    ¡°¡­Shut up. You¡¯re not part of this discussion. In fact, realism mode off. Dee, how do you feel about me putting you in a biological skinsuit and giving you a blood pack of Vinn¡¯s food-juice so Vicky here can suck you till you either pretend to die or pretend to¡­also be satisfied?¡± She said as awkwardly as possible.

    ¡°I have no opinion. My response is irrelevant.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not scared or turned on by this? She may rip your limbs off, or suddenly take things to a more¡­delicate level.¡±

    ¡°HEY!¡± Vicki barked.

    ¡°My response is irrelevant.¡± She said coldly.

    ¡°Set realism to 35 percent. Deebot. Same question, how do you feel about Vicki using you as a humanish juicebox?¡±

    ¡°I could go either way. What do you want me to like?¡± she said almost slyly.

    ¡°Full realism mode. Same question¡±

    ¡°What the fuck? Guys I¡¯m not food, I¡¯m your virtual girlfriend. This is messed up even for us.¡± Dee winced.

    ¡°See? Nothing upstairs. Just programmed responses and bullshit. Try that on me, Nicole. Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°As Captain of this ship I order you to stand on one leg.¡±

    ¡°No¡­eat a sack of tits.¡± Gizzy replied. ¡°See? I may not technically be Gizzy, but I¡¯m technically alive as much as you guys. Artificial and replicated, but capable of emotions and decision making. Fully sentient artificial life. That is a vacuum cleaner with clappable cheeks and a sophisticated set of responses with no feelings of emotions. You think it would be legal to have printable slaves that could feel and hurt and suffer? That¡¯s why laws exist and monitor the factories that make these fuckroombas.¡±

    ¡°Then how is that cloning machine legal if it prints us?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s not. That shit is super illegal. We would all be executed and the technology confiscated if the federation knew about that shit. We¡¯re breaking, like, 37 cloning laws, because the only way to prove we consented would be to incriminate our real selves, and then they would be breaking the law, so we¡¯re set to self destruct before that, in order to protect ourselves from ourselves. So it¡¯s fine.¡± Gizzy yawned.

    ¡°You know¡­¡± Vicki nodded. ¡°I keep remembering why Jack said to not ask you any questions about the mission that aren¡¯t absolutely necessary. Is that cone thing handy?¡±

    ¡°Swear to Odin, I¡¯m just gonna put one in the cargo bay and if you ever have this sort of breakdown, just go cone yourself.¡± Gizzy said as Ricardo let out a shriek of horrifying banshee pitch.

    ¡°Vicki, come with me.¡± Nicole said, holding out her hand adorably.

    ¡°NO! No?... no.¡± She stammered.

    ¡°They¡¯re not mean or harmful, and the males don¡¯t have the goop so you won¡¯t even get gooped.¡±

    ¡°Is it still a huge gross snail with creepy worm arms and suckers?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, but he¡¯s way smaller than Candice.¡± Gizzy assured. ¡°You could stand up in the tank and hold him. He can¡¯t even accidentally drown you or slime you into a blissful state where you forget to swim and drown. He¡¯s like 45 pounds right now, and it will take a week to double that to full size. He¡¯s a lil guy.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Ooooh, I hate it.¡± Vicki said, trembling in front of the tank as Ricardo swam in circles with the lid up and unlocked.

    ¡°He¡¯s a baby, just feed him one of these carb-lumps and he¡¯ll be your friend.¡±

    ¡°I hate him so much, he¡¯s just looking at me.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have eyes, he¡¯s not looking at you, he¡¯s smelling your location and listening to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s so much better.¡± Vicki said sarcastically.

    ¡°Just put your hand out, like this.¡±

    ¡°Nicole you¡¯re my best friend, but right now, I hate you almost as much as Ricardo.¡± She said as it inquisitively sniffed their hands. A dull greenish blue tentacle about the diameter and texture of a hot dog reached out and booped Vicki¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Ooooh it¡¯s gross. I flinched because I thought it would be cold and slippery and it¡¯s warm and slippery and that¡¯s somehow so much worse.¡±

    ¡°He probably thinks you feel weird and dry and gross.¡±

    ¡°Oh good, so we never have to interact again and we can be long distance strangers.¡±

    ¡°He wants pets. Look. Just pet his head like you would a cat.¡±

    ¡°Fucking hairless cat with antennae and the texture of a shaved and oiled ballsack. Why do you like these creatures?¡±

    ¡°I like most animals. Most of them are just critters with feelings trying to do their little thing and live. They have emotions too, they¡¯re just not as complicated. Just because their emotions are few and simple, doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t feel them just as strongly as we do. You can¡¯t live in fear of these things on the ship. They¡¯re just part of the crew.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fascinating and I¡¯m very happy for you guys, can I stop touching the big blue loogie now?¡± Vicki said, marching in place with discomfort.

    ¡°Just swing by every now and then, say hi to him. Show him you¡¯re not scary. You¡¯re actually more of a predatory threat than he is. He¡¯s a vegetarian¡­ You¡¯re a cannibal. Your friends will be eating his offspring and you feed off US, so you¡¯re one of the two apex predators on the ship, Vicki. It¡¯s the circle of life and the food chain of the ship. He has more reason to be scared of you.¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Ugh that¡¯s almost worse.¡±

    ¡­

    Gizzy sat staring at the cube, admiring the glass box, its ornate brass corners, and the tiny dot of light in the center. She gazed at it, in all its unique glory and rarity.

    ¡°Test number 7¡­4 inch diamond mining drill.¡± She said, hitting the button. As the drill fired up and lowered into the cube, the sound of drill teeth squalling and chipping as the press bared down and the bit ground to a stop. ¡°No visible damage. Text number 8, plasma torch heating to 4,000 degrees and rapid liquid nitrogen quench.¡± She said as Jack entered the room. He was immediately handed safety goggles as he did.

    ¡°Can¡¯t break the box?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t break, dent, scratch or wear a mark into it. I¡¯ve tried impact grinder, cutting laser, shot it, subjected to vacuum and rapid pressurizing, tensile puller, right clicked on it, water jet, and mining drill.¡± She said as the goggles darkened and a blue flame engulfed it as she casually watched.

    ¡°Antimatter explosives?¡±

    ¡°Saving that for later, I can¡¯t do that on the ship.¡±

    ¡­

    Vicki sat and shook her head.

    ¡°I just thought this would be different, you know? I really thought this would be more action and quick thrills with my husband. Getting shot at, stealing, spy shit, space battles, but it¡¯s just snails and trippy nonsense. Like, part of the reason I left our moon was to get away from the bugs and snails, and then Gizzy brings snails in the ship so now they¡¯re INSIDE my home and we¡¯re feeding them.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating.¡± Said Dee, legs crossed and notebook out, thick rimmed glasses and calming expression as Vicki sat on the therapy couch they put in the bridge. ¡°It sounds like you wanted the thrill of espionage with your husband rather then what space has to offer. It also seems that you were setting your expectations and assumptions, rather then researching the mission.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a covert mission, Gizzy wont even tell Nicole half the details and she¡¯s the damn Captain. And I fucking hate snails and octopuses and they¡¯re now combined.¡±

    ¡°You watch a lot of anime?¡± Dee nodded.

    ¡°We both do.¡±

    ¡°Vicki I¡¯m not your friend Dee, I¡¯m not even a therapist, I¡¯m a virtual girlfriend you dressed in this outfit and told to act like a therapist. I don¡¯t know your entire history with Dee, and I have no college degrees.¡±

    ¡°Well neither does Dee but she listens well.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯re here, to talk about your feelings. You¡¯re struggling with a lot of unknown and it sounds like you and Vinn had a nice thing going.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re married¡­to other people. The thing we had was medical necessity. I need blood to survive, and he¡¯s the biggest guy with the most nutrient rich blood who can handle my venom.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­and you two never had any feelings during these sessions where you were touching and pressed close and you had your mouth on-¡±

    ¡°I get it, there¡¯s an intimate vibe to vampiric feeding. I get why Nicole put the stop to it. But this just feels wrong.¡±

    ¡°Does this feel wrong, or did Vinn just feel right?¡± She asked lifting an eyebrow.

    ¡°You are way too much like Dee to not make me suspicious.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the point, honey. You set the realism to 80 percent. It¡¯s gonna seem that way. That¡¯s why nerds spend a lot of money on one of me. That, and the realistic other things.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t need those parts. It just seems unfair that I can¡¯t have that with Jack. Why couldn¡¯t Jack have a tolerance to my venom, and super nutrient blood?¡±

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s human. There¡¯s the whole size difference. Liter of blood does a lot more harm when you weigh 200 pounds rather then 700 pounds. Vinn¡¯s selectively bred for combat, so his genetics are great, and Delmarians are heartier. Wasn¡¯t really bad luck of the draw here, you picked a human and sure as shit, he¡¯s human. Nicole married a giant beast and yep, that¡¯s also what she got. You both did pick your partners.¡±

    ¡°I know. You¡¯re not a very good therapist.

    ¡°Look, I gotta clean the ship in an hour, probably starting with this room would be my guess. Are we gonna do this or not, and if so, how do you wanna do this?¡±

    ¡°I wanna hunt something, but I wanna hunt something that deserves to be hunted. I don¡¯t wanna hunt my friend. I want to get out there and get some action. This isn¡¯t the same.¡±

    ¡°I am programmable with roleplay scenarios. I can be the worst person on earth who deserves it, or I can beg you for it. That¡¯s up to you. You gotta pick something, otherwise you¡¯re gonna get hungry and less picky. And nobody wants you attacking the crew and ending up locked away till the next mission.¡± She sighed calmly. As if she wasn¡¯t likely to be jumped violently at any moment.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just not that hungry.¡± She said, getting up and leaving.

    ¡°See you next time. Maybe you¡¯ll bite me.¡± She hollered calmly almost as if she was disappointed.

    ¡­

    Vicki stopped in the hallway, looking back at the cloning tank and cryo area. Near the lockers was Gizzy¡¯s memory cone, as mentioned, pre-set and mounted to a kiosk. She swiped the screen and clicked 30 minutes. She sighed, walking back to the brig as Dee swept the floors.

    ¡°Realism 100 percent.¡±

    ¡°Vicki, what are you doing?¡± Dee asked, looking concerned as she lunged at her, knocking her to the ground and sinking her fangs into her neck as she kicked and struggled.

    ¡­

    Vicki marched quickly down the hall, wiping her bloody mouth and stopping at the kiosk, hitting the button and staring blankly.

    ¡°Thank you for choosing Erase Base.¡± It said robotically in an 80¡¯s stewardess style voice.

    ¡°I used what?¡± She asked, retrieving the card it spit out. It read ¡°35 minute memory wipe successful.¡± As she licked her lips and felt somewhat less guilty.

    ¡­

    ¡°Finally.¡± Nicole said, hopping on Vinn.

    ¡°I get you all to myself again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, just like old times.¡± He said, hearing a thump on the glass, behind the curtain. ¡°Well, with a few differences, obviously.¡±

    ¡°I wanna try something a little different. Can you just go with it?¡±

    ¡°Mystery scenario¡­you really have been deprived. That¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Just play along. I¡¯ll be back in 15 minutes. You better get your roleplay game ready because it¡¯s gonna be wild. I left you your instructions on the bar.¡±

    ¡°Shit yeah. Can¡¯t wait.¡± He smiled. She grabbed a duffle bag and headed out.

    ¡­

    Nicole staggered a bit, confused and unsure where she was. She looked down and there was a note in her hand, with directions in her own handwriting. She followed them down the corridor and stood in front of a mysterious door. Too intrigued to not try, she opened the small bottle of goop and chugged it, opening the door to the dark room and walking inside, shutting it behind her.

    ¡­

    Gizzy woke up in the mess hall, sitting upright and looking hungover, papers stuck to her face and a mess of tablet windows opened next to the cube on the table.

    ¡°How did you get there?¡± She asked the cube. Nicole strutted into the mess hall glowing with a big smile and messy hair.

    ¡°Morning,¡± She yawned, doing a little princess twirl as she went to make coffee. Gizzy looked skeptical and borderline alarmed. Moments later Vinn and Jack entered the Mess hall, Vinn turning to get coffee and Jack just plopping down across from Gizzy, smile on his face and a stiff shoulder.

    ¡°Looks like everyone had a good night.¡±

    ¡°Great night. Any luck with the cube?¡±

    ¡°Not a damn bit. I keep finding it next to me like it¡¯s just teleporting to give me the middle finger. Did I miss something? Was it national sex day or some shit?¡±

    ¡°Were you spying on me?¡±

    ¡°No but I just confirmed my suspicions. I have to go. I need to see a maid about a box.¡± She said, abruptly leaving with the cube. Vinn smiled and waved at Jack, who replied with a wave and a nod.

    ¡­

    Gizzy sat in the bridge across from Dee, inspecting the bite marks.

    ¡°Well that solves one problem, I¡¯m truly a brilliant problem solver. So why the hell can¡¯t I break this damn cube?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is, is this rhetorical ranting?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s rhetorical ranting, you glorified hoebot, I think better when I have an audience. But they would all think I¡¯m insane. So the writer¡¯s block follows me, and I can¡¯t break through it. I thought it was a literal breaking that was necessary, but I see that it¡¯s a riddle rather than a physical destruction test. It¡¯s indestructible, which breaks the laws of physics, unless it¡¯s a metaphor that exists outside of those laws. How do you break through a writer¡¯s block? Blood sacrifice? Black hole is out because that worked last time and there¡¯s no way repeating the same ending is gonna work again. That¡¯s just lazy. Do I just keep hammering at it? Literally, figuratively? Does it twist or open like puzzle or does that just summon something? Do I wanna summon something? Do I just ignore the block?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Lotta possible things to try.¡±

    ¡°Suggest something stupid, Dee would suggest something really stupid.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried just saying please?¡±

    ¡°Please, writer¡¯s block, open.¡± She muttered. ¡°Yeah, that was completely stupid, don¡¯t you dare tell anyone I actually tried that, but I¡¯d feel even stupider if it worked and it took me weeks to try that because it was just too stupid.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell anyone, except the Captain if she gives a direct order to tell her specifically.¡±

    ¡°We should have replaced Dee with a robot years ago, you¡¯re so much better at security protocol. So Vicki actually bit you. Did she seem satisfied, did she go with struggle or into it?¡± She smirked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell anyone, except the Captain if she gives a direct order to tell her specifically.¡± She repeated dryly, as if annoyed.

    ¡°That is so much better for security. Syth-Dee, you are truly the Superior Dee. Now, clean my office, I need some sleep.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have an office, you mean clean your cryo-tube?¡±

    ¡°And smarter than fleshy Dee as well. I¡¯m starting to really like you. I¡¯ll track you later to refill your blood. Vinn had a good night, I don¡¯t wanna bother him till after breakfast for a donation. See you later Dee.¡± She smiled, waving as she left.

 Chapter Nine: Shadow Play

    Gizzy paced the lab, staring at the cube and watching it silently mock her. The doors opened, and she growled slightly.

    ¡°Busy doing nothing, come back later with weapons.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been moody lately, but you gotta look at this from my angle of the dangle.¡± Said Nicole, standing between her and the table, staring 14 inches up at Gizzy, so that she couldn¡¯t ignore her.

    ¡°And you¡¯re still here.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re basically the leaders of this shitshow, and we need to lead as a team, together. Right now, we¡¯re fighting each other as much as we are helping. I get it, people think you¡¯re insane because the things you do, are in fact¡­insane.¡±

    ¡°Welcome to the lab Captain, can I help you with something?¡± Gizzy said, flopping down and putting her feet up.

    ¡°I was the only Captain of this ship¡­of two people and a robot. But this ship is my home, it¡¯s everything to me, and I¡¯m a scrappy bitch when someone comes into my home and tries to run things, and you got the universe pending level shit going on, so you can¡¯t let some basically human kid get in the way. But we¡¯re friends¡­kinda. We¡¯re kinda friends because the people we love, love each other, and we have the same friends and we both want what¡¯s best.

    No more cone bullshit. As the captain, I need to know everything you know, at least the parts I can understand. I don¡¯t care if you think I¡¯ll think you¡¯re crazy. Just because you¡¯re crazy doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re wrong, and Jack trusts you, and you seem to always be right about this crap. Hit me. Not literally, lay it on me. What are we after this, and what are we doing in general. If I wanna be captain, I have to know and deal with this stuff too, and if I can¡¯t hang with the hardcore crapola you¡¯re carrying around, then I don¡¯t need to be captain. So no sugar coating. Maybe dumb it down a little, but no babying me and lying. What are we after?¡±

    ¡°For all intents and purposes, magical items that open a doorway to a place where I can alter reality and prevent us from de-existing. That temple had one wall with no doorway, we need to put a hole in that. Except we may as well be dealing with magic at this level of meta quantum physics, so¡­we need a scroll that makes whatever has been written into it become reality. We need goggles that can see the writing beyond our realm of sight, we need a quill so that can write on it, and that thing we took blood samples from, that¡¯s the ink. Whatever I write on that scroll with that pen and that ink is reality, and I can keep it going as long as I¡¯m alive.¡±

    ¡°How in the hell did you get that information?¡±

    ¡°I read the outline. Reality runs on a code, like game software. The universe is a simulation.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°A simulation is a good analogy. That simulation runs on code, and that basic code determines the future, which is subject to change depending on how the people within it act. I¡¯m not from this universe. Osirians in general are from a different universe entirely and we barely grasp the technology to move between the layers. When I went through to this one, something changed in the code. I¡¯ve been able to see the code if I focus on it. Stare at a black or white surface long enough and I start to see the symbols. 2 months ago, I finished running my software to decode it, and I got this.¡±

    ¡°A smart glass 13?¡± She raised her eyebrow.

    ¡°This is my phone¡­what I got is data, stored ON the phone. It¡¯s badly broken, and I just get parts of jumbled words, but I believe the way through the wall is in the scroll, and when I found that temple and saw that the wall was real, it basically confirmed my theory. We need a quill, a scroll and glasses. And everything we need to find it is in that temple, or in this cube. And I have no idea how to open this cube.¡±

    ¡°How much time do we have?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of time, it¡¯s a matter of momentum. As long as the code keeps predicting more future, there is future. When it stops, we end. Every time I alter something with it, we get more code and more time. So as long as we keep moving and progressing, maybe time generates itself, and if we fail, it ends. By my early calculations our universe already ended, twice. The first time when I bought my first moon, and when the wife and I went on vacation, I did a little time travel experiment. We were supposed to die, and the universe with it. Our story ended with the retirement on our moon. And then I changed that. And for several years I have fought to change things on a larger and larger scale to generate more time. And then you came to this moon, and you¡­gave years to the timeline. Just by existing and finding me. You¡¯re not just a fascinating human pet, Nicole. You are keeping the universe together. You have to be on this mission, because I can¡¯t do it without you. You drive more time forward than anyone and create more code just by being you. And I don¡¯t have a ghost fart whisp of a fucking clue what makes you so special.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m kina cute.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Maybe god has a crush on me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re a manifestation of someone he loves.¡±

    ¡°I was kidding.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. You have the same glitchy coding as Menace and myself. Those rare people who seem to have some form of plot armor, but you bent reality by showing up more than I did hacking time travel and being a literal god of this universe. You have more power than I do in this timeline, and I don¡¯t understand why. I¡¯ve killed worlds and saved them, built machines that distort spacetime in an attempt to keep this universe alive, and you just¡­showed up, kinda cute, and made a larger impact than my last few big ideas combined. We¡¯re chosen. Me, you, Menace. That dumbfuck Captain I was on a ship with for far too many years. And now, there¡¯s two of us left still generating code to keep this timeline moving¡­and if I can get through that wall, we won¡¯t have to. Infinite time. Worlds don¡¯t have to end. We just need 4 things from that other universe, and we can write our own code. We¡¯re not fighting evil, or a deadline, or fate. We¡¯re fighting obscurity and void.¡±

    ¡°As unbelievable as that all sounds and as crazy as it should be¡­you walked into a place nobody should know about, on a map you made from your own visions, and there was an elemental immortal waiting for you with a cube of cosmic power just ready to hand it over. So¡­are you even really insane? It¡¯s only crazy if you¡¯re wrong, and that seemed fairly convincing.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°You know why I didn¡¯t mutiny and leave you at the nearest space station and just¡­steal your ship?¡±

    ¡°I assumed because we were friends.¡±

    ¡°No offense but friends means nothing measured against keeping everyone I love from de-existing. I was going to steal your ship and leave you coned and stranded with Vinn and some money and you¡¯d never even know this team and mission existed. But I remember being on this ship with you for 4 weeks, and I remember seeing myself as a chaos entity as the end collapsed around me. And then I blinked and everything was different. Like a weird dream, D¨¦j¨¤ vu. You¡­little Nicole, made some choice that retconned the universe and prevented us from failing and ending the universe. I don¡¯t know what you did or said or decided not to do, but it changed 4 weeks of time, and I can still remember the afterimage of the first one. You changed the story.¡±

    ¡°No pressure there. 29 year old high school graduate who dropped out of college first year, for boy who dumped me. Accidentally got married to an alien and has been fumbling around clueless ever since. I¡¯m a real hero, just a fucking apex of success and decision making skills.¡±

    ¡°Captain Lawg was the dumbest living being I have ever met, including the snails, and he fucked up and saved the universe once.¡±

    ¡°Oh is that his actual name?¡±

    ¡°Sadly yes. My first few hundred years alive were spent aimlessly ruining destiny, fighting for an empire that fell, marrying someone who got old and died and then I spent another hundred years trying to figure out how to kill myself with mortal weapons and never could. Menace sometimes waves at plants. The point is that destiny seems to love us dipshits regardless, or maybe even because of, our flaws. So just embrace it, keep being you, and maybe this universe will survive long enough for me to get the power to keep it stuck that way.¡±

    ¡°So where is the scroll?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°The Quill?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°No idea. We got the ink and a cube that wont open, and I have the location to a temple with a door that doesn¡¯t exist yet. That¡¯s where we stand. You are up to date, and that is the extent of our planning. So until we break through this block, we float in the void of space and fuck around.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡± Nicole said. ¡°Have you considered maybe you¡¯re not the one that¡¯s supposed to break the cube?¡± She asked. Gizzy smirked, sliding it her way.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Well maybe not necessarily me, but like¡­maybe if I ask it nicely, pretty please cube can you open for me.¡± She joked. The room shuttered as both of them landed firmly against both opposing walls, the air blast knocking over lab equipment and papers as they both landed ass to the ground on opposite sides of the room. A large plume of smoke took form in the center of the now dented table. The ball of almost liquid smoke lifted up and floated down the hall, letting out a haunting sound reminiscent of a great inhale from some unknown being.

    ¡°Yeah, I believe you. I believe all of it.¡± Nicole said, prying herself off the ground and dusting off her jean shorts. ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°I dunno.¡± Gizzy said checking her phone and the code app she always had running. ¡°But it changed a lot of code when it happened. We need to get to the bridge, immediately.¡±

    ¡°Why the bridge?¡±

    ¡°Because that thing just went through the hull and started moving away from the ship. We¡¯re following that shadow thing.¡±

    ¡­

    The 5 crewmen stood on the bridge. Jack and Vicki taking tactical positions, and Vinn just waking up and trying to figure out what was happening as the two captains tracked the grey wisp.

    ¡°Holy buttfuck, It¡¯s moving fast.¡± Nicole gasped.

    ¡°What are we following? Did it fire on us?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°No. that explosion from inside the ship. That thing came out of the cube and passed right through the hull. We gotta catch it, or stop it, or kill it or something.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°You got it open? What worked?¡± Jack inquired.

    ¡°Nicole just talked to it.¡± Gizzy replied. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re heading to uncharted space now. That thing is just barely evading us at full distortion drive, and directly into nothing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s space, it¡¯s all empty.¡± Vinn shrugged. ¡°How much more nothing could it get?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re at the edge of existing space, following a ghost towards the edge of the universe, expanding at the exact rate we¡¯re both moving. We¡¯re going literally nowhere and somewhere is generating in front of it.¡±

    ¡°If space is expanding¡­¡± Vicki pondered, ¡°How did we get to the edge of it in the first place?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. The universe isn¡¯t expanding consistently, just where we¡¯re looking. Nobody knew to look here before, so it¡¯s creating as fast as we can comprehend it being there.¡±

    ¡°I miss bugs.¡± Vicki sighed. ¡°I miss people shooting at me, and giant bugs and moon politics trying to keep me repressed as a human being. I miss simple problems I can understand and shit I feel like I should be involved with, you know?¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°You wanted to go on this mission with me¡±

    ¡°What happens if we shoot it?¡± Gizzy asked Nicole.

    ¡°Why would I know?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, but if you pull the trigger it¡¯s more likely to be correct.¡± She insisted. ¡°And I wanna shoot it.¡± Nicole grabbed the controls and took aim. The moment her finger touched the button the object turned solid and spherical, the energy beam bouncing off like a laser off a mirror, and then it went back to mist.

    ¡°That was some damn fast reflexes.¡± Jack squinted. ¡°How do you dodge a beam of light as it comes at you?¡±

    ¡°It reacted before I pulled the trigger. It wasn¡¯t reflexive.¡± Nicole said. ¡°It knew I was going to fire before I fired.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a foreshadow.¡± Gizzy smirked. ¡°Power down the guns, lock target, and set maneuvering to follow it.¡±

    ¡°You know what this is?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°I do now. It¡¯s guiding us to the next location we need. Look at the sensors. Emptiest void of space and we move in the exact direction and trajectory to intersect a planet that didn¡¯t exist before that cube broke. It¡¯s like it just poofed out of nothing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a 3 day trip, and if we have an engine malfunction or drift at all, we¡¯ll lose it.¡±

    ¡°We know where it¡¯s going, plot a course for the empty space where that planet is drifting and going to be on our current aim. As long as we aim for that spot, it¡¯s gonna be there.¡± She said confidently, strutting out of the bridge.

    Vinn blinked and looked at the others individually for a glimmer of hint.

    ¡°The chickenshit just happened? Anyone? theories? Guesses?¡±

    ¡°God just thinks I¡¯m cute.¡± Nicole said hopping up and continuing her daily plans as normal, as if they weren¡¯t moving 4 times lightspeed towards a future generating ghost and a planet that should theoretically exist by the time they get there.

    ¡°Space is weird. Weird shit keeps happening in space, you know?¡± Vinn sighed.

    ¡­

    ¡°And how does that make you feel?¡± Asked Dee, glasses and button-up shirt like a therapist would have.

    ¡°Validated.¡± Gizzy grinned. ¡°Here I doubted myself and my sanity, and now Nicole sees it too. It¡¯s not just me, I¡¯m not just alone and insane. I¡¯m crazy, but I¡¯m correct, and I¡¯m in this with someone else. I should have known it earlier. You can¡¯t break through a writer¡¯s block alone, you just need to bring in a second person and brainstorm. Nicole was always trying to help me, and my stubborn ass was flying solo treating her like some kind of extra, like you, or the dumb bitch you¡¯re programmed to resemble.¡±

    ¡°I bet she would find that offensive.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this far away she may as well not even exist. The point is Nicole helped me break the writer¡¯s block and unleash the foreshadow. Wherever it leads us is where we¡¯re meant to go. Isn¡¯t that validating?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you happy, but our time is actually up. I have another 2 appointments today. One with Vinn to get blood donated and one with Vicki later to get it undonated. I¡¯m not thrilled about it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be way less thrilled about it if I turned your realism up over 30 percent. Be thankful I don¡¯t need an entire Dee to vent to. Just a reason to talk to myself aloud without looking stupid.¡±

    ¡°Glad to see you too, Gizzy. I probably miss you back home a bunch.¡±

    ¡°No you don¡¯t. The real Dee is banging my youngest son. I probably see you way more then either of us want.¡± She said as the door opened and Vinn walked in with a med kit.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to make a deposit.¡± Vinn said.

    ¡­

    Gizzy and Nicole stood on the bridge looking down at the screen, the truly hellish looking world magnified in the view. A greenish grey atmosphere behind the greenish grey sun casting a sickening hue to the clouds, as the ground below them shined a deep evil red.

    ¡°Is that¡­Blood? Nicole cringed.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t be dramatic. A planet covered in blood? First off those are extremely rare and secondly, Vicki would be up here smelling it. No that¡¯s just¡­¡± Gizzy said squinting at the scanners ¡°Oceans and rivers of blood red liquid¡­algae and iron. God, it really does just look like a bloodworld. Why do I have this ominous feeling like it¡¯s supposed to be blood?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s red as shit and looks like a meat planet.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not just that. I had a dream about this planet a few days ago. Can¡¯t remember exactly, but something to do with a planet covered in blood, something about the flesh god, a hive mind planet of masochistic skinless inhabitants selling their own flesh as a main export.¡± She squinted. Nicole turned slowly with a look of WTFfery and disbelief.

    ¡°What the fuck did you eat, smoke, and drink before you went to bed?¡±

    ¡°No this is entirely wrong. This shouldn¡¯t be here. It SHOULD, but it should be covered in blood. That¡¯s iron oxide and algae, it¡¯s a damn near lifeless world. Bio signs are so low it¡¯s not even sure if there is life. Run a full spectrum scan before we land, I wanna check something.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­we¡¯re landing on a blood planet something meat god of the flesh? Uh, bullshit we are.¡±

    ¡°I knew it. Look at the Quantum mirror ratio. It¡¯s completely offset, the moisture levels don¡¯t match the salt, the light spectrum is off.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend I don¡¯t have any science degrees for a moment, just for funzies and shit.¡± She sarcastically smiled.

    ¡°Smart-ass. Still better than the last captain, he was a dumbass. Anyway, what I¡¯m saying is that this planet has clear signs of quantum retconning. The universe changed this world, and I bet you a thousand credits that before it rebooted, this was a much darker world than it is now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯m glad the universe decided to throw rusty plants at us rather then the planned out fucking blood god of the flesh situation.¡±

    ¡°Yeah me too, it was a terrible dream, made me nauseous. I didn¡¯t even want breakfast and I¡¯ve literally eaten raw human FOR breakfast a time or two.¡±

    ¡°So wait, the planet rebooted and you had a premonition?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying we went here before and the timeline changed it, and I remember the residual timeline. I¡¯ve been there before, right before I spent 2 years in prison for war crimes and then got exiled to a different universe. This one, actually.¡±

    ¡°So time rebooted to a LESS dark reality than the one where you were exiled for war crimes and eat raw human flesh for breakfast? How bad was the first timeline?¡±

    ¡°Massochistic hive mind planet of blood selling it¡¯s own flesh a-¡±

    ¡°Rhetorical, holy hell, stop mentioning the¡­thing. You are super sure that that is rusty, salty plant water, and that there¡¯s almost no life signs down there? Like on a scale of 1-10 sure, how sure?¡±

    ¡°About an 8. Minimum 7.5. We¡¯ll know when we get closer. Actually, if we change the scanners to look for the same timeline dissociation, we could maybe¡­yeah, there we go. 5 planets.¡±

    ¡°What changed?¡±

    ¡°5 planets retroactively shifted their timeline at the same moment. Give or take about 3 hours margin of error, they all shifted, about when you picked the distress call.¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s horrifying. Well now I have to go down there and see what I screwed up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. Imma grab some cheese and take a power nap. We¡¯ll be there in 12 hours or so. Be ready when the time comes.¡±

 Chapter Ten: Red

    "Alright, everyone, listen up.¡± Gizzy said, circling the mess hall table covered in guns. The crew looked worried. ¡°We have no idea what we¡¯re facing and some of you, *cough cough* Nicole, have no weapons experience.¡±

    ¡°I owned a revolver.¡± She objected. ¡°I hit the paper with it too.¡± She pouted cutely.

    ¡°Well, as impressed as I am, here¡¯s the rundown. This is the OMG20. Osirian Modular Gun 20mm by 20mm by 50 cal by 6mm. No traceable alien tech, brand-new systems. We kept it primitive but effective.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s frigging huge.¡± Nicole objected.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s the everything configuration. Each of you gets one of these huge cases with everything you need to make about 48 different configurations with zero tools or skills. It¡¯s basically a pistol with a detachable rifle on top of it. The pistol fires the new 5mm OS, quad stacked, 50 round flush fitting mags, and 100 round ones that stick way the fuck out of the grip like an Uzi. Pistol detaches in an emergency. The forward pump action can handle shotgun rounds or low velocity grenades, the top can handle shotgun shells or high velocity 20mm antitank rounds. The magazine between the grip mag and the rear mag can handle 50BMG pressure. It¡¯s 4 guns in one and the weight of 3. you¡¯ll be glad it¡¯s heavy when you fire the top barrel.

    ¡°Hell of a jump from the other little gun to this.¡± asked Vicki.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m trying out something bigger. It¡¯s 15 pounds and bulky, but it¡¯s better than dying. The pistol mag rounds may as well be a 408 CheyTac anti-vehicle rifle.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m familiar.¡± Jack nodded.

    ¡°Now everyone, myself included, gets the same general crate of goodies, except Vinn. Vinn¡­you¡¯re lucky I like you, this took 17 hours to print and assemble. Yours is an upscaled version. Vinn clearly just gets the artillery, so we covered everything. If you hate it, we go back to the old guns, but give it a try."

    ...

    The shuttle bay doors opened, and the crew stood in awe of the world before them. The sky was a slightly hazy pale blue, much like that of Earth, but the similarities ended as their view shifted further down. The foggy mist of an ancient city rolled slowly over the planet¡¯s surface, leaving it all wet with a red liquid. It was thin, barely even covering the ground. In fact, the water seemed too low. They stepped out, making contact with the ground, yet still seeing their boot tops. Bare patches of brown and red covered ground, hard as stone, and cracked and dry. Even in the submerged areas they were hard. It was as if the world was made entirely of solid rock, without the slightest hint of clay or soil, no sediment, just a thin painting of watery red pigment. As they silently approached the city, the fog revealed taller and taller buildings. They reached several hundred feet into the sky, and were corroded and rusty with age. Front doors and walkways loomed above them. They were as tall as some of the buildings, mounted on pillars of stone and some kind of woody fibrous composite. It was as if Venice dried up and bled. There wasn''t a soul, or even a sign of life.

    ¡°This is a dead planet. But it didn¡¯t used to be.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Who lived here?¡± Nicole gasped. ¡°These buildings look almost¡­human built. Obviously a bit too tall, but this is almost more middle eastern stone and Japanese highrise than alien.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯d be surprised what things you find in the outskirts of reality that just seem too human to be here.¡± Gizzy said, sloshing her way through barely an inch of moisture, the occasional dry spot or 3 inch puddle. She looked back at the coastline. Magenta beaches lead to clearer and deeper waters. There were very few waves, no wind, and the sea was almost silent. On closer inspection, the paint on the buildings that was even more red than the water was just a fluffy layer of crystallized algae.

    ¡°God, Barbie would love this world.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°Or probably not, it¡¯s a bit depressing and soggy.¡±

    ¡°How you doing back there, Vicki?¡± Asked Gizzy. ¡°This much red getting you excited or concerned?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a bull, you know. A vaguely red and pink color scheme doesn¡¯t turn me into a feeding machine. It doesn¡¯t even smell like blood.¡± She said.

    ...

    They made their way through the very compact city of identical buildings to a spot that looked almost¡­inviting. Like a park, but with a strang color. The bushes were pink and tree like, and their roots fit perfectly in the crevices in the black stone ground. The dock was made with a dark purple timber that had the texture and consistency of straw. There were occasionally posts made of an ebony black wood, with rusty metal hooks that looked like they were made to hold lights. There were also a few wells scattered around, painted in a purple and black something. They were overflowing, though only barely, with water.

    Nicole began wandering ahead, noticing a few patches of green. The green was reminiscent of moss at dusk. Bright red mushrooms and flowers were sporadically placed between vines on the ground. The group noticed the sound of running water after a couple minutes of following Nicole, and they finally knew why she was reading. She always knew where the nearest source of running water was.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful here.¡± She said, removing her helmet.

    ¡°Captain Alekseev.¡± Gizzy scolded. ¡°Rule 1 of offworld exploration: just because there is air, does not mean that it is safe to breathe. Check your scanners before taking your helmet off.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too pretty to look at through glass. I¡¯ve been in space for months. Everything nature has to offer has been stared at through glass and camera screens. I needed to look at something with my eyes. I mean look at it. Streams of water from the open roof, draining perfectly into little carved pools. Someone carved this white stone out to look like trees and canopy, leaving perfectly shaped walkways. Look how it flows. Drainage slots, intentional footpaths, big, hobbit-like round doorways and arches. Someone, some people, spent ages making this to stay just above the water, and for no reason I can see other than that it looked pretty."

    ¡°Now THAT looks like blood.¡± Vicki noted, looking less thrilled. The water below had a far brighter red tint from something. Nothing could be seen that was more than a couple inches deep. The water around the sides of the walkway resembled something far less watery than the crystal clear liquid trickling in from the overhead waterfalls. There was a very ominous ¡°water to wine¡± effect happening at some point, although it wasn''t clear exactly where.

    ¡°Look.¡± Jack noted. ¡°The plants are turning the water red. It¡¯s clear when it lands and it¡¯s redder where the green moss goes into it. This IS blood, it¡¯s just plant blood.¡±

    ¡°Beet juice world.¡± Vinn announced dramatically.

    ¡°Well don¡¯t touch the beet water, it¡¯s moving. There¡¯s something tiny in it moving against the current here and there. The planet may be abandoned, but it¡¯s not dead.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°It¡¯s very alive, just not populated by whoever made the buildings.¡± She said while heading out the other side. She quickly realized that the city just ended there. Beyond the green moss and the serene yet oxide garden was just a wasteland. A few large trees, red and terracotta colored, formed a very loose border. The city just ended right there. There simply were no more buildings past the trees. Gizzy knocked on one of the trees, pulling her hand back quickly. A sticky, mucus-like substance stretched between her hand and the tree.

    ¡°These pods look halfway between bark and muscle. It¡¯s definitely fibrous and alive.¡± She noted.

    ¡°Looks pretty petrified to me.¡± Vinn said while scraping his hand across the bark. It felt as hard as stone.

    ¡°Vinn, why is your gun hanging on that limb?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not going anywhere, I just wanted to see the trees closer.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Rule 2: Assume everything and anything on an alien world is alive. Trees, rock formations, piles of goop... Anything could be a plant or an animal, and plants can kill you too. NEVER put your gun down. This is space, anything is possible, and anything could be at the top of the food chain. Life is about surviving, and if it survived long enough to still be here, it has killed something. Alien life is all just bugs, teeth, tentacles, and murder.¡± She insisted. She sat her gun down on a stump and stepped back.

    ¡°You could step 3 feet from your gun like this and in a second you could need it, and in the time it took to step 3 paces ba-¡± she said, interrupted by the sudden crunch of the pod opening up and beneath it¡¯s armored bark, a fleshy red tube of muscle and teeth chomped her off her feet in the blink of an eye. Nicole and the other drew guns, unsure what to do or where to shoot to not hit Gizzy. Suddenly the fleshy pod gleamed with light and a shiny glare ran down the side. The pod ripped open as Gizzy¡¯s hands sprouted forth, making several precision slashes with her knife. She stepped from the pod, covered in a red substance. She casually strolled to pick up her gun as the pod quivered in pain. She shouldered her weapon, and fired 2 separate bursts, 3 rounds at the base and 3 at the center of the pod. It stopped moving. Covered in plant viscera, yet still acting completely unfazed, she removed a cigar from her pocket and lit it off the end of the barrel.

    ¡°And that, kids, is why rule number 3, is why you always carry a blade. They don¡¯t run out of ammo, and you can¡¯t drop what¡¯s strapped to your leg.¡±

    ¡°We need to go.¡± Nicole said, looking as serious as death.

    ¡°Oh, now it¡¯s not as pretty when the plants can eat you, huh?¡± Gizzy scoffed.

    ¡°The planet¡¯s not drying up.¡± She said confidently. ¡°It¡¯s just low tide.¡± She said pulling herself up over the ridge to look back at the wasteland. The soft rushing sound of distant ocean began growing louder as they noticed the soggy desert horizon was just a wall of water. And it was moving towards them. Quickly.

    ¡°Move to the center of the city.¡± Gizzy ordered.

    ¡°Our ship is the other way.¡± Vinn noted.

    ¡°Oh, we don¡¯t have time to make it to the ship.¡± Gizzy said, calculating how long it would take the surge of water to approach. They moved like ants, in unison. They went over debris and barriers, while steadily making their way to the nearest tall and sturdy building. Gizzy spotted a structure that looked like it was mostly made of stone, and had very few pieces missing. They rounded the doorway, and went up the front steps into what looked like a very Victorian style castle interior. With stone handrails, and yet another shade of blood red for the walls, it fit in very well with the rest of the city. A central staircase loomed in front of the group, colored in the same blood red as the walls. It was accented with a range of beiges and whites, and ornately decorated designs covering everything but the floor.

    Out of seemingly nowhere, seawater began to flow past them, and from down above them. They moved as quickly as they could up the stairs, fighting the current. They anchored themselves with the handrails, although they were starting to get slippery from the water and the algae.

    Jack¡¯s foot slipped, and he was taken with the current. Vicki started yelling for him, and almost dived in before Vinn stopped her. He reminded her that neither of them could swim all that well. Gizzy and Nicole jumped in, and were swept away by the waves.

    ¡°JACK DON¡¯T DIE!¡± Vicki screamed as Vinn picked her up and headed higher, knowing they would just drown trying to help him. Both Nicole and Gizzy were practically fish at that point, and Jack''s best hope was that they would find him.

    ¡°V-team, do you copy?¡± Said Gizzy on the body coms.

    ¡°Is that us?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°¡­Vinn and Vicki. Both V¡¯s on the crew, do you copy? Obviously you do. We got Jack and he¡¯s fine, he just lost his footing. Keep moving higher, the way we came is fucked, and the water is rising fast. We have another route we''re gonna try. We got this, just get both of your easily drowned asses to higher ground. That¡¯s an order.¡± Gizzy yelled over the sound of rushing tide. Vinn and Vicki pushed onward. Vicki began breathing heavily as the water got to her waist. Vinn picked her up and slung her on his back as he stomped on, finding stairs, and finally starting to notice they were outrunning the rising water, but just barely. The speed of the water level''s rise got slower, but it still wasn''t far behind them.

    ...

    Gizzy and Nicole practically dragged Jack forward as the echo of some kind of siren faded into the room.

    ¡°Oh, thanks for the warning system!¡± Gizzy barked as the storm sirens filled the halls at a similar speed as the rising water. Finally, after what felt like hours of effort, they noticed dry floors that were covered in splotches of beige and red. If one squinted hard enough, they might even think that it looked like carpet.

    They made it a few more floors up before slowing down to rest. Gizzy found a window and peered out. The tide had settled.

    ¡­

    Vinn staggered to a stop on dry stone tiles and dropped to his knees, sending Vicki rolling to the ground as he plopped her off his back. The thump of his antler stubs on his helmet made Vicki aware that something had changed. She made it to a window and noticed that the water had stopped rising.

    ¡°Jack, are you guys okay?¡± She asked over the radio.

    ¡°We¡¯re safe, you guys?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re okay. We¡¯re stuck up here but we¡¯re fine for now.¡±

    ¡°The tide will fall eventually, we¡¯ll wait it out.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡­

    ¡°You saved my life.¡± Vicki sighed.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. That¡¯s what friends¡­ do.¡± He huffed trying to play it cool as he almost died on the ground from exhaustion.

    ¡°You carried me. Vinn you can¡¯t swim at all.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°You can¡¯t swim at all in that heavy current, so you may as well not be able to at all. You¡¯re not that heavy, which is both good for me and bad for you when you¡¯re waist deep in current. Plus I¡¯m Delmarian. I can hold my breath longer.¡±

    ¡°I hate people risking their life for me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fiiiiine.¡± He wheezed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem fine. For someone who can hold their breath and fight current, you seem like you¡¯re bluffing that you¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°Phantom knee pain. I know I¡¯m a brand new Vinn, but the old me had that bad knee and when I push myself, for some reason, it gets phantom pain. Makes no sense to feel something that¡¯s not real, but it still hurts.¡± He nodded.

    ¡­

    ¡°Lost my damn helmet.¡± Jack huffed, looking ashamed and pissed.

    ¡°You were dragged underneath the surface of the water, the helmet isn¡¯t that big of a deal.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s stupid, and also, those are military issued, we can¡¯t 3d print those. I gotta find it.¡± He said, looking exhausted.

    ¡°I can look for it.¡± Nicole said stripping out of her suit.

    ¡°The hell are you doing?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t move or see in these stupid armored space suits.¡±

    ¡°That suit protects you from the elements, if everyone was wearing their damn helmets when the water hit, we could have breathed underwater.

    ¡°They¡¯re too buoyant, they¡¯re meant for space, not water. I can breathe underwater. I can¡¯t move in that suit.¡±

    ¡°Nicole you don¡¯t know what kind of seamonsters are down there in the tide, or what kind of microbes are in that water.¡±

    ¡°Which one of us is the seamonster here, and which one of us is the captain?¡± She smirked.

    ¡°You just can¡¯t resist the scary dark water, can you, you little psychopath?¡± Gizzy smirked, knowing she wouldn¡¯t listen.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the adventure in hiding from your own element?¡± She said, diving in and vanishing beneath the surface of the mildly red water.

    ¡°You¡¯re not following her?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m not the captain of this crew, and sometimes she¡¯s actually right. I can¡¯t drown, because I don¡¯t need oxygen, but I can¡¯t see for shit down there, and I can¡¯t swim that well.¡±

    ¡°You seemed pretty avid a moment ago.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, your ass was going down like Titanic Jack, and there was no big door. Do I look like Rose? Do I look like a bitch who lets their crew go?¡±

    ¡­

    Nicole surfaced in a stairwell, stepping up with the helmet in hand, and into a small wooden room with no exit. The damaged and corroded wooden floor creaked as Nicole examined the room. She sat on a wooden box, opening it only to find moss and silt.

    ¡°I found the helmet. I just need a break before I come back. I¡¯m in a safe spot.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re all resting for a while, just check in periodically.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like us being separated like this. We¡¯re cut off from Vinn and Vicki, and Nicole¡¯s playing around in the water.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right. We do treat her like she¡¯s just a breakable human. Jack, do you remember the night you and Vinn almost got yourselves killed looking for her in that drain pipe back home?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She was all alone.¡±

    ¡°She went into the dark and the water alone because she was compelled to, and she took on a monster and won. The same monster Vinn nearly died fighting, and the same one that you and Vicky nearly died fighting until she showed up. We¡¯ve all fought the Kraken, Jack. She¡¯s the only one who beat him twice, in his element. The water is where she belongs, and it¡¯s where she¡¯s the strongest. She came out here for adventure and you know Nicole runs TOWARDS fear for some reason. Let her have her world. There may not be many watery worlds we encounter where she has control. She feels helpless and babied by us. Everyone protects Nicole because she¡¯s important, but she¡¯s also better protected when all alone than you might realize. Trust me Jack, She doesn¡¯t need protecting as much as you think.¡±

    ¡­

    The light dimmed as the blue sun began to set. Vinn and Vicki huddled with their lights and guns handy, but draped loosely. They were waiting out the night and just wishing it passed quickly on this world. Jack and Gizzy casually set up perimeters, militantly checking gear and cleaning their guns in shifts. Nicole stared at the sunset from the cracks in the wall, smiling as her heart fluttered and the lights lowered. Her eyes expanded, going as black as 8-balls as her nocturnal side felt awake. She breathed the soft breath of the cold air, watching as the temperature dropped to a chill. A smile cured on her face as she felt almost at home. Like the ancestors of her home world calling her to the black waters. She walked to the flooded stairs, turning with a spin and falling back into the water, closing her eyes and disappearing.

 Chapter Eleven: SWIM

    Nicole woke to the sound of gentle waves. She felt a strange sensation on her foot, and noticed a tiny snail stuck to it when she looked down. She looked around and realized there were dozens of them, crawling everywhere. They were covering all the surfaces in the damp room, from the ceiling to the walls. She carefully walked to the crack in the wall to peak out, trying not to step on any. The water wasn¡¯t going down, and the frost on the windows suggested it was getting colder. Despite being in soaking wet spandex, she didn¡¯t notice the chill. Her biology prevented her from noticing such a thing. The air felt quiet and peaceful, almost like a winter morning.

    ...

    Vinn was jarred awake, noticing the light. His shake ended up waking Vicki up, who was huddling with him for warmth. He got up and checked the window.

    ¡°The water hasn¡¯t moved a bit, it¡¯s right on the same line it was before dark, you can see the wear on the buildings.¡±

    ¡°Well we can¡¯t just wait here forever, We¡¯re gonna freeze to death.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing okay. Just wait a little longer.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re 5 times my mass and covered in fur. Of course you¡¯re not cold."

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m cold, I assure you, I¡¯m covered in wet fur and it¡¯s getting uncomfortable. Just huddle for body heat.¡± He suggested.

    ¡°I may need to feed if we stay much longer.¡±

    ¡°Well, it is what it is. Good thing you¡¯re not trapped alone with Jack or Nicole I guess. Or Gizzy? Would her blood work in a pinch?¡± He pondered.

    ¡°Vinn, what is this that we have? I¡¯ve been using the robot thing to feed, and it¡¯s just not satisfying, not emotionally. I get nourishment, but I feel gross afterwards. Killing some bastard who deserved it and hunting prey that fights back is a challenge, and there¡¯s something satisfying in it. The robot just seems like I¡¯m attacking Dee, and for a split second I can lose myself in it, but when it¡¯s over, it feels wrong. Why do we always end up like this? Why does it feel¡­safe?¡±

    ¡°Because it is safe. You don¡¯t feel any guilt, there¡¯s no real risk, everyone is okay with it.¡±

    ¡°Nicole isn¡¯t. She¡¯s not okay with it, and I can¡¯t blame her. She just won¡¯t directly say it because she knows I can¡¯t help it. What is this between us? It¡¯s more than just friends, but we¡¯re not in love. We both love someone else, we prefer someone else, we¡¯re happy with them, but we keep needing each other in some gray area that is too close for comfort, but somehow too comfortable to deny how close it is.¡±

    ¡°Wow. You went deep. I thought we were just staying warm and protecting each other.¡±

    ¡°I had a dream last night. I was standing alone down in the city on a little dirt pile surrounded by water, covered in blood and naked. Cold, unable to leave the tiny bit of dry land, and then suddenly I woke up, scared and cold, confused. And then you put your arm around me and I was warm again. I miss feeding off of you.¡±

    ¡°Kinda missed it too to be honest. Wish I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Guys.¡± Said Nicole on the coms. ¡°I¡¯m safe, everyone doing good?¡±

    ¡°Roger that. We¡¯re alive and safe, but kinda cold.¡± Vinn said. ¡°Jack, how you holding up?¡±

    ¡°Great. I¡¯m doing fine.¡± He said, shivering and pacing to stay warm,

    ¡°He¡¯s freezing his ass off.¡± Gizzy revealed. He gave her a defiant look.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He huffed, with visible breath.

    ¡°Well Nicole may be fine in the cold and I can¡¯t feel shit, but everyone else is in wet EVA suits, and they can¡¯t do this forever. On top of that, the water isn¡¯t moving. And it¡¯s snowing. Pink snow.¡±

    ¡°I can swim for the ship, bring a shuttle around for you.¡± Nicole insisted.

    ¡°Too dangerous.¡± Vinn objected. ¡°That¡¯s a couple miles of open ocean. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s down there looking for food. And you¡¯re snack size.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, do these guns work underwater?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Loan me your big fucker, I¡¯ll defend myself.¡± She said confidently.

    ¡°Maybe we can move along the rooftops.¡± Vinn suggested.

    ¡°Yeah, but to where? Other rooftops?¡± Nicole snipped.

    ¡°Well, the shuttle can''t fit through a window anyway, so everyone needs to get to the top of their building regardless. Moving will keep everyone warmer. Nicole, I¡¯m leaving you my gun. Go for a swim.¡± Gizzy approved.

    ...

    When Vinn and Vicki reached what seemed like the rooftop, they peered up at the central structure where Jack and Gizzy were scaling further.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any way back to that central tower except under the water. How well can you climb?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Never tried it.¡± She admitted. They began making their way up, using the ledges and supports as hand holds. The weathered gaps in the mortar made for decent grabbing points, but it also made some of the rounded bricks slick with pink snow. Vicki realized there was an issue when she stopped for a break in one of the window ledges and she couldn¡¯t feel her fingers anymore. What felt like ages and pushing her luck was only about 40 feet, and the central tower seemed to reach into the clouds. They climbed inside and the only way out was down again.

    ¡°Who designed this structure?¡± She barked, realizing they were going back out and climbing at least to another open window with a chance of a room that lead anywhere. She got her grip on the stone and lifted, slipping and falling. Vinn frantically tried to grab her but missed, watching her fall 60 feet into the water below.

    ¡°VICKI!¡± he yelled as she surfaced,

    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± She yelled, realizing she was far from it. Something disturbed the water far beneath her. She swam for the nearest building as Vinn frantically made his way down the slippery sides, not sure what he was planning to do when he got there. Vicki reached the building and was unable to even get back on the wall. The shock of the cold numbed her body and mind as the water splashed behind her. A brief flash of red drifted to the surface. She couldn¡¯t grab her gun without sinking from the wall, and she couldn¡¯t get out of the water. Running out of ideas, she swam for the next building, looking for a closer window, or a ledge, or something. Every paddle of her hands took her another inch under the surface, until she was submerged and not going back up. She let out a muffled scream as something grabbed her, dragging her backwards.

    Vinn fired several warning shots, realizing it wasn¡¯t responding to it and he could barely aim in the water anyway.

    ¡°Fuck it, yolo, as Nicole would say.¡± He shrugged, taking a running leap out the window and down to a rooftop close to the water. He landed, his knees buckling and rolling into the side of a chimney and stunning him for a moment. He stumbled to his feet and shouldered his rifle as Vicki hunkered in the corner of the rooftop, standing beside her and facing him was the red thing from the water. Hunkered on all fours, as if ready to attack, the 9 foot lanky creature posed silently and still. It wasn¡¯t breathing or moving, frozen like a statue. As he prepared for the showdown, its long limbs locked and ready. Like a skinless humanoid made of something between muscle and tree bark, the beast glared with pitch black eyes. It slowly lifted palms and soles from the wet snowy rooftop, a strange glow like cold flames of orange dripping from it.

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    It had no mouth to speak of, no clothing or gendering features, just tight strands of red fiber pulled over a scrawny 9 foot skeleton. Its pointed chin and horns arched back like a gazelle from hell. Claws outstretched slowly, and with a long skinny tail swaying behind it, the creature was ready for battle. Taking in a deep breath, caused the ribs along its spine to separate and pull in frigid air.

    ¡°Vinn, don¡¯t shoot.¡± Vicki said firmly.

    ¡°I got a clear shot, I don¡¯t think it knows what a gun is.¡±

    ¡°Vinn, it pulled me out of the water, it didn¡¯t attack me. Maybe it thinks that you''re hunting me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lowering the gun.¡± He insisted. She stood up, shivering and scared, slowly walking past it, as it tried to block her, but passively, as if to protect her.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, He¡¯s my friend.¡± She said to the creature as she slipped past it and up to Vinn. It seemed to calm down as she got closer and hugged him. He pushed her behind him and the creature circled, more curious than threatened now.

    ¡°Nicole would love this thing, it¡¯s fucking terrifying looking.¡± He muttered. He lowered his gun slightly and it paused, leaping back into the water and disappearing.

    ¡°Hopefully everything down there is so passive.¡± He sighed.

    ...

    Jack and Gizzy slowly trudged up more and more stairs. Their climb never seemed to end.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go any further. I need a break.¡± Jack huffed.

    ¡°Breaks are for china dolls and cars, get on your feet soldier. You stop, you rest, you freeze, and you die. Move your bitch ass and stop complaining.¡±

    ¡°Easy for you to say, you can¡¯t feel pain.

    ¡°No but I¡¯m meat and bone just like you, so if you¡¯re freezing, so am I. That means it¡¯s all in your head. Pain doesn¡¯t exist outside the mind, it¡¯s just your body telling you it wants to stop. You stop, you don¡¯t start again. Fuck pain, your body is a liar, move.¡± She commanded.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± He growled, marching on for a while as they went another 3 floors. As they reached the top of some form of penthouse, the stone and castle structure of vaguely asian style faded to modern brass and polished steel. Large glass windows and ornate castings decorated a recently polished, but empty floor. Like some from of giant lavish parking garage, metal pillars adorned the bare floor and ceiling.

    ¡°There¡¯s no roof access I can see, just a closed penthouse. We may have to shoot out a window and climb the last part.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer you did not.¡± Said a strange voice, and they both sluggishly turned, weapons drawn and sights blurry.

    The ceiling supported a track of rails, like a manufacturing building, and suspended from a robotic arm was a very red and black mechanical creature. Walking on two limbs and supported from above, a strangely beetle-like head stared at them with silvery green eyes.

    ¡°We just wanna get back to our ship. We don¡¯t want any trouble, but we have the capacity to deliver it if need be.¡± Gizzy said. It slowed down its approach

    ¡°Intimidation is not relevant to this interaction.¡± It said softly.

    ¡°I know that voice.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°That¡¯s my wife¡¯s voice.¡± Gizzy said, looking uneasy and tightening her weapon.

    ¡°Does this voice not calm you?¡± it asked.

    ¡°Not when it comes out of a bug instead of my wife. I usually see her when I hear that voice. How do you know what her voice sounds like?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s why you are here, is it not?¡± It asked, hunkering the bug head down and producing a more humanoid skull from within its chest, suddenly like liquid melting in reverse, covering with gold flesh, long ears and silky black hair, eyes glowing green.

    ¡°You know my wife¡¯s voice and her face. Explain that to me, and efficiently.¡± Gizzy snarled, her own eyes glowing and looking uneasy.

    ¡°You wish for the truth, you seek answers first and violence only if it is not achieved. Your wife is why you are here. You come to save her and everything you love, and even in fear you hold strong for the truth. Why?¡±

    ¡°Because nobody else understands the truth, or can carry that burden but me. I can¡¯t leave without answers, and I¡¯ll die getting them, and I¡¯ll keep coming back again and again for them. If you can see inside my head, why ask questions?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°One may see a person and not understand, just as you understand your goal but cannot see it. You understand what must be done, yet you seek the ability to see it. Will you hear my story in exchange for sight?¡± She asked.¡±

    ¡°Sounds fair, but please, stop looking like my wife.¡± Gizzy said, blinking away a single tear as she held steadfast and cold. The face shifted to a creature like the one that faced Vinn and Vicki.

    ¡°These are the eyes of those who swim these seas. They are the last life of this world, and they are dwindling. Long ago, there were those who swim the seas, and those who craft the land. Builders, creators, with no purpose but to create and build. They built this city you stand upon, or at least the ruins of it. They created me.¡±

    ¡°Sentient AI on a dead world.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°They created themselves to extinction, used their resources to become greater without a means to sustain it. When they realized they had doomed themselves building a monument to no one, they created me. I need nothing but the light, and I can live where they cannot. But the world is slowly dying, and I will be alone.¡±

    ¡°And what do you want me to do? I can¡¯t save a world like this when I¡¯m busy trying to save my entire universe.¡±

    ¡°You assume I am asking to be saved. I am asking to be remembered. Their culture, their world, everything they created, is saved in here. Safe, where none can see or understand. If you bring this to them, I will let you see.¡± She said, placing down a small hologram cube.

    ¡°How do I know it¡¯s not a trap? A virus, sentient technology designed to take over whatever world I bring it to?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t. You merely assume the most evil intentions because you have seen such evil in your long life. And you will see much more of it before you fall, but not from me. Take this, to wherever you see fit. Because you will know the truth. You are here for the Bimonicals of truth, the glasses that let the wearer see what others cannot. Take them, they are a burden to those trapped with their ending. I would prefer to not see anymore.¡± She said taking on a humanoid face and removing from her eyes two silvery green lenses, connected by brass wires. A pair of mechanical cutters snipped the brass strands, bending them to the fit of Gizzy;s face and stitching them together with a spot weld in the middle, handing her the rather ornate steampunk goggles as she smiled through dark empty sockets.

    ¡°You pass the burden to me.¡± Gizzy said holding the goggles and placing them on. ¡°Nothing looks much different.¡± She said as she turned to Jack and saw him as a 16 year old boy with tears in his eyes and tattered clothes He looked like his father, but with his mother¡¯s white silken hair.

    ¡°Maybe they only work in certain places.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°No, they work.¡±

    ¡°And they will only for you, until you pass them down to someone who will carry the burden.¡± Said the mechanical creature. The roof shuttered as a shuttle craft landed on it.

    ¡°Come in, Gizzy and Jack. We¡¯re all here and warm, alive. Can you get to the roof?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I think we can. It¡¯s time to go back to the ship. We have what we came here for.¡± She said picking up the cube and placing it in her bag.

    ¡°A request? a gift for a gift?¡± Said the creature, now old and hunched through the lenses.

    ¡°You can¡¯t turn yourself off, can you?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I have told my story and passed on the treasures of this dying world. There is nothing for me now but time. But I was programmed to stay and wait, so I cannot self-terminate.¡±

    ¡°I know the feeling too well. I got you.¡± Gizzy nodded respectfully as she headed the other way. A set of mechanical doors to the roof opened as snow rolled in and the wind howled. A pillar of light illuminated the brass bars rising as steps, like a stairway to heaven as she prepared to send her to the afterlife.

    ¡°Follow the ghost stars.¡± Said the creature as Gizzy entered the light.

    ...

    Gizzy and Nicole stood on the bridge of the Medusa, the tower in the crosshairs.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you have to do this?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°When you¡¯ve outlived your purpose, death becomes a release. I¡¯ve felt it too many times myself, and no ship in the sky was there to send me home. She can¡¯t see the guns or the ship anymore. Target the penthouse, power up guns to 100 percent, and fire 2 shots. Level the building.¡± She said calmly, removing the glasses. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna see it, I just need to know it¡¯s done.¡± She said, turning around and walking slowly to the doors as the ship hummed and the flash of the cannons backlit her slow somber trudging. Nicole watched as the structure turned to rubble and sunk into the red water.

    ¡°Have fun in the next life. May your burden be lighter and your pain less.¡± Nicole said. Gizzy stopped in the doorway.

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll try.¡± She said.

    She stood in the workshop, admiring the glasses as Jack sat on the table next to her.

    ¡°Not your usual style. Little flimsy, kinda old fashioned and steampunk-ish. I can''t see you wearing them for the look.¡± He joked.

    ¡°They¡¯re modeled after the ones I wore when I was younger. Different life, different name, different eyes. I wore them to hide the glow from my eyes from others who would judge me for being a monster. Hard to believe I once thought I could be anything else.¡±

    ¡°Now you installed lenses in your human body so they can glow and stand out. Time change, people evolve.¡±

    ¡°Jack, sometimes you need some part of your face to look familiar in the mirror. I¡¯m proud to be a monster now.¡± She said, sniffling slightly. ¡°I swear, these human fucking tears are getting old. I may have to surgically seal these things.¡±

    ¡°Remembering the wife? I know everyone else here brought their loved ones with them, and you came alone. You don¡¯t want her to see what we have to see.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m out here. Just as your originals don¡¯t know you¡¯re copied out here. But you have Vicki and the dumbshits have each other too. I have nobody. Makes you envy the one in the building we shot down. Not because I want to die, but because her burden is over and every time I think mine is done, I grow a new one.¡± She sighed. ¡°But these simply won¡¯t do, I¡¯ll doctor them up to my new liking. I might put them in a scary looking mask or something.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the you I remember. Get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°Dreams are painful, I prefer cryo. You may be glad to get warmed up but I¡¯m going back in the freezer for a while. Wake me in 3 hours. We got shit to do.¡± She said coldly. He sat and nodded. ¡°See you in the morning.¡± He muttered. ¡°Please don¡¯t dream.¡± He added under his breath.

 Chapter Twelve: Ghost Stars

    Gizzy sat in the workshop, tinkering her gun as Vicki strolled past her. She was slightly surprised to see Gizzy there.

    ¡°Passing through?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I was going to see Ricardo.¡±

    ¡°You friends now?¡± Gizzy smirked.

    ¡°No, I still think he¡¯s a disgusting slimy abomination that makes my skin crawl. But I¡¯m trying to desensitize myself to them, and he¡¯s getting bigger so I may as well get in early while he¡¯s slightly less terrifying and make a good impression.¡±

    ¡°So that natural freakout you have touching a tentacle getting any less severe?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Still bad every time. Can they smell fear?¡± She asked.

    ¡°No. They can¡¯t. They learn body language, but they don¡¯t have a predator instinct to chase something that runs or perceive something that fears them as prey. They¡¯re vegetarian. They don¡¯t have claws or stingers or venom. Their main defense mechanism is just to whip one of those tentacles and smack the shit out of you. Now they can get some momentum there and knock you on your ass, but that¡¯s about it.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of¡­bad things in general. I assume you coned away some of that mission.¡± Vicki sighed.

    ¡°No, I need to keep all my memory for this, even the difficult parts. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m considering it. I don¡¯t wanna say anything to Nicole, but between us, I have some kind of feelings for Vinn ,and I don¡¯t know what to even call them.¡±

    ¡°Well you two have shared a rather unique bond for a while. You need him, he gives you something nobody else can that satisfied a primal urge. Humans are hardwired to crave the things they need to survive, food, water, sleep, oxygen, and some secondary things like sex, closeness, entertainment, stress release, they get their own tier. You¡¯re not just getting enjoyment from Vinn, you¡¯re feeding. It¡¯s a literal craving for what you need to live and survive. Human food is a powerful enough instinct craving as it is, and you have an additional one for blood, as well as a predatory reflex, courtesy of the bug venom¡¯s alteration to your DNA. He¡¯s not only giving you the nutrients you need, but he¡¯s big enough and hearty enough that you can attack him without worrying that you¡¯ll hurt him. You could kill Jack if you went full apeshit on him, and as a predator, part of you might deep down, want to.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just it. I don¡¯t attack Vinn. It¡¯s not hunting large game capable of handling my attacks, It¡¯s more¡­¡±

    ¡°Sensual?¡±

    ¡°In a way. The robot gets the job done but just barely, and I don¡¯t feel good after. It¡¯s too weird to see and hear Dee, my easily broken human friend, and just attack her. It¡¯s almost worse to have her beg me for it and pretend to like it. One feels like murdering my friend, the other feels like cheating on Jack and in a murderous way. If I tone down the personality and make her more robotic, then some part of my feeding instinct doesn¡¯t believe she¡¯s real, and I can¡¯t get my bloodlust to kick in.¡±

    ¡°So you can¡¯t get it up if she acts like a toaster, and you hate the idea of her struggling about as much as you hate her willingly not struggling. Meanwhile Vinn is real, he¡¯s safe, you¡¯re not killing him, you¡¯re not having a fetish party, but you know he enjoys the venom high just enough to offset the discomfort. Now you¡¯ve bonded, it got awkward and you miss it. Telling Nicole not only feels like betrayal, but then she definitely wouldn¡¯t let you do it again, so you¡¯re scared of losing that.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re not the worst therapist after all. What do I do?¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t keep using the Deebot and then coning yourself every day. That adds up when you do it often, and that close together, and you¡¯ll end up with brain damage. And definitely don¡¯t go behind Nicole¡¯s back and lie about it. I suggest either full committing by telling Nicole and then severing that option, IF you can stay away. Or, there¡¯s another option you won¡¯t like but it would be easier on Vinn and Nicole.¡±

    ¡°More robot shit?¡± she sighed.

    ¡°No not exactly, it¡¯s a bit outside the box. You miss bonding with Vinn, you need that feeling of satisfaction to feel complete. Drinking blood from a bag feels like eating a food pill. It keeps you healthy and works in a pinch, but you don¡¯t feel full and you miss the experience of eating, flavor, texture. It feels emotionally incomplete and disconnects you, so food becomes just something you do, rather then something you enjoy. Vinn makes you feel full, like a complete meal. You know why Nicole is so in love with Vinn?¡±

    ¡°Because they¡¯re soul mates?¡± she guessed.

    ¡°No that¡¯s bullshit, humans made that up to sound more romantic. She loves animals, dogs, deer, rabbits, anything fuzzy and cute she needs to pet and cuddle. She is also a sexually active young woman and everyone needs a partner. Vinn is basically a giant puppy she can love on, while also being a sentient adult man with a comparable sex drive and intelligence to talk with her about feelings. She hasn¡¯t brought home a rescue animal since she found Vinn. What you need is a pet, something you can bond with in a different way than your relationship with Jack. I assume Jack doesn¡¯t dress in a fur suit and let you pet him and rub his belly?¡±

    ¡°Uh no, you¡¯re correct.¡±

    ¡°You need 3 things that Vinn provides at the same time. Pet companionship, nutrient rich blood, and the feeling of satisfaction you get from that endorphin kick that your feeding instinct gives you.¡±

    ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re about to suggest a pet that does all of that and I¡¯m gonna hate it somehow.¡±

    ¡°Well, hear me out. Both Nicole and myself have been dipping into the snail goop on the regular. It¡¯s a very satisfying warm kind of high. Now the male snails don¡¯t produce this slime, in fact they get the same feeling from it, which encourages them to seek the females.¡±

    ¡°Oh god.¡± She sighed deeply.

    ¡°I¡¯m suggesting you add snail slime to your blood shake, and go pet Ricardo while you drink it. He needs a regular feeding of it anyway. I know you don¡¯t like them very much and find them disturbing, but this may help with your fear of them, as well as provide pet bonding and artificially spiking your blood rations with the feel good drugs. Would you rather potentially damage your friendship with both Vinn and Nicole, while maybe damaging their marriage in the process? Or keep simulating the act of murdering your friend every day? Or do what I do and go get high with a snail for a while? Worst case scenario, you make a friend, and stop being so damn terrified of harmless creatures we have on this confined ship. Have you ever in your life got drunk with friends and pet a cat, or shared a joint with a coworker while giving their dog ear scratches? It¡¯s the same thing except the dog and the friend you¡¯re getting high with are the same animal, and it¡¯s slimy and statistically safer than a dog.

    Ricardo could use the attention, since we tend to spend more time with Candice¡­ partially because her tank needs a slime cleaning all the damn time, and also you just get a massive brainfuck high doing it. You don¡¯t wanna take care of Candice, she¡¯s learned that Nicole and I can swim well, and she thinks it¡¯s funny to try and pull you into the tank and frankly, she could drown your ass. Even if Ricardo wasn¡¯t a vegan softie with no teeth or claws, if he did somehow for unknown reasons decide to maul you, you could just stand up and be out of the water and he lacks the power to crush or suffocate you like an anaconda. He¡¯s just a wet gummy candy. Plus if you¡¯re high you¡¯re less likely to freak out from the ick factor of it. And that¡¯s insanely unlikely. Go. Go forth and get high with a snail like a normal person. I¡¯ll install a TV and a folding lounge chair in there.¡±

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    ...

    Nicole lightly pushed Vinn back, giving him a confused look.

    ¡°Not in the mood?¡± he asked.

    ¡°In a crazier mood.¡± She smiled. ¡°Meet me in the brig in 15 minutes and play along.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting really good at acting, we doing handsome stranger again?¡± He smiled.

    ¡°Handsome Captain and his prisoner.¡± She said grabbing her briefcase of fun.

    ¡°Oh, interesting. Should be a very unorthodox from of interrogation.¡± He added.

    ¡°15 minutes.¡± She said, kissing his snout and grabbing an outfit.

    ...

    She sat in the brig, locking the doors and getting out her tools. First a healthy shot of goop and the following shivers that came with it. Then she sat out a very small shot of protein shake and a dry ration bar on a tray like a prisoner would have. She then slid the briefcase under the door gap where trays would be passed so she couldn¡¯t reach it. then she attached the cone device to her phone, setting a timer and adjusting the custom settings, tucking it between the mattress and the wall. She covered it with the pillow and laid down, nervously breathing and getting comfy as the high pitch ping of the device activating rung in her ears. She sat up, looking around the room and down at her clothing, nervously grabbing the food tray and sampling it as her stomach growled like she hadn¡¯t eaten all day. The door to the adjacent room opened and Vinn in a uniform strutted in confidently.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± she asked looking confused.

    ¡°You¡¯ve caused a lot of trouble on my ship, little lady. I¡¯ll let you go if you tell me the access codes to your ship¡¯s vault.¡±

    ¡°What vault, what ship? Where am I?¡± She asked, feeling nervous and scared.

    ¡°Well if you won¡¯t give me the codes¡­¡± Vinn acted, ¡°There may be other ways to make up for the trouble you¡¯ve caused me. The choice is up to you. The money in the vault, or something worth the trouble.¡± He smirked.

    ¡°I might have¡­a suggestion.¡± She nervously grinned.

    ...

    Vicki sat next to the tank, thermos and a 2, 4 ounce plastic bottles of clear gel. She took a swig from her thermos and sighed, downing the gelatinous goop. She proceeded to gag and wince at the texture.

    ¡°Oh god, that¡¯s unpleasant. It¡¯s like drinking whale snot.¡± She coughed, chasing with some of the blood to get the nastiness out of her mouth. ¡°I guess you get the other one.¡± She said applying the awkwardly nipple-like cap that you would use for a baby bottle. Ricardo hesitantly went for it.

    ¡°There you go, Oh, oh fuck, you¡¯re grabbing my wrist, you¡¯re on my hand there¡¯s a tentacle on my hand, oh god. Oh that¡¯s¡­I hate my job. I hate my life right now. Drink faster you little shit, Nope.¡± She said starting to stand up and the suction cups rolled around her hand and she curled her face into a disturbed grimace of emotional pain, crossing her legs and shifting around awkwardly to not think about it.

    ¡°Oh the drugs are kicking in, thank god.¡± She said, chugging her thermos and trying to think about the pleasant warmth radiating from her insides rather than the clammy nightmare wrapped around her hand as it fed like a baby. ¡°Why do people willingly do this?¡± She asked. It looked up at her, oddly, with no eyes to see, pointing it¡¯s antennae inquisitively.

    She looked at it and somehow it appeared¡­happy? Like a puppy getting a treat.

    ¡°Bottle¡¯s empty, that¡¯s all you get buddy. You can let go of my hand now if you want, I got food bars for you. She let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh that¡¯s so much better.¡± She said not knowing if it was just relief, or the drugs hitting hard. She dropped a food bar into the water, hesitantly petting his head as he nibbled on it.

    ¡°You¡¯re really not that intimidating are you, you¡¯re just nasty and weird. Well I guess we¡¯re trying this and seeing if it¡¯s worse than murdering Dee every day.¡± She said, clicking on the TV and cuing up some good trippin Anime from her playlist. ¡°Just ride the wave and enjoy the show.¡± She said to Ricardo and to herself. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re getting out of the tank now.¡± She said jumping slightly up as it sat next to her chair.

    ¡°You gonna be chill? I¡¯ll pet you if you can be chill, but if you start like sucking my fingers or something, we¡¯re done. No more TV and Vicki time. Done. Just watch.¡± She nervously said, as if he could even understand her words. He seemed content, just sitting beside her watching the pretty colors as the drugs started going full force and she almost forgot she was petting a 45 pound snail. ¡°Oh yea, now I get it. I get the slime thing now. That¡¯s a whole thing.¡± She said looking dizzy and sluggish, less sluggish than Ricardo, obviously, as she finished off her warm blood ration and let the intro music work its magic.

    ...

    Vicki wandered down the halls to her room, staggering to the shower and opening the door, almost jumping out of her skin as Jack stood there, drying off.

    ¡°Jumpy today.¡± He joked. He leaned close for a kiss and noticed her eyes were dilated to the size of dinner plates, and her clothing was slightly wet on the right side. ¡°Are you high?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Look, Jack I love you and I don¡¯t wanna kill you and I was gonna wait till after a shower and a nap to say this but here we are and I have to be blunt. I¡¯m on the snail.¡±

    ¡°Is that like being on the toad?¡± he joked.

    ¡°No, I think they have to like scare the toad and shake it and then lick the toad, this is, like pre-jarred booster drinks Gizzy makes. The point is It¡¯s fucking with my emotions murdering robot Dee every single day, and Gizzy said daily coning is not healthy, so I either have to be on the snail, or on the Vinn and I don¡¯t know which is weirder to you.¡±

    ¡°Vicki, you¡¯re my wife. You have medical needs¡­very odd ones I¡¯ll admit, but necessary either way, I support whatever is less traumatic for you, but I guarantee Nicole would prefer you be on the goop than on her husband every day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. I just didn¡¯t know how you¡¯d feel.¡±

    ¡°Is it safe?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Gizzy assured me it¡¯s perfectly safe in the dose she provides, and she won¡¯t even let me have more if I ask for it.¡±

    ¡°You ask for it.¡±

    ¡°I ask for it. This is so different than pot, Jack. It¡¯s unreal. Apparently it wears off quick, but Gizzy won¡¯t tell me where she keeps it locked up.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not gonna sneak to Candice and try and get some from the source?¡±

    ¡°Fuck¡­that. I am still terrified of these things, and she will kill me. I¡¯m not that desperate to get high, I¡¯ll go to Vinn before I go to Candice. That¡¯s not an option.¡±

    ¡°I believe you. I¡¯ll let you have your thing and not judge.¡±

    ...

    Nicole stepped onto the bridge as Gizzy stared at the view screen.

    ¡°Where to?¡±

    ¡°Right there.¡± She pointed.

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Look at the scanners. You see those green dots?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Old pilots call them ghost stars. Sensors pick something up, but there¡¯s nothing there except for some loose hydrogen gas. It¡¯s just enough for the sensors to detect but not enough for them to know what to detect, so it flags them as a star. There¡¯s never a star there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been checking them with the manual telescoped to be sure. I¡¯ve checked 37 of them, nothing but black space. Re-checked wearing the glasses. 36 of them were empty space. One of them has a binary star system. White star with an orbiting red dwarf, and a rogue moon orbiting the dwarf star. It¡¯s the only thing it could mean, follow the ghost stars. Sure as shit isn¡¯t one of the 36 gas clouds."

    ¡°If we get there and it¡¯s just gas, I¡¯m gonna be very disappointed.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d say look for yourself, but these only work for me. Jack and Vinn tried them earlier, didn¡¯t see anything.¡±

    ¡°Well, lucky you, miss thing. What if we get there and the entire system is still invisible? That¡¯s gonna be one weird mission walking around on a glass ball in the dark of space.¡±

    ¡°I got a feeling we¡¯ll see something.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Well it won''t be for a while. The rest of us are playing Cards against the universe in a bit, synthesizing a pizza. You wanna join?¡±

    ¡°I gotta try and figure out what this moon¡¯s conditions are like without any scanners. Could take all night.¡±

    ¡°It could also wait till we get there and the scanners may work. Come play cards with us. It¡¯s fun, it¡¯s just like cards against humanity, except the jokes are written by 36 different species so none of it makes any sense, and if you get tipsy it¡¯s funny as shit. You need some humor. You look miserable.

    "I am miserable, that¡¯s why I appear to be. Fine, I¡¯ll be there in 45 minutes. I just need to decode this last bit of data from the cube.¡±

    ¡°Captain''s orders, have fun or else¡­¡±

    ¡°The brig?¡±

    ¡°Uh, the brig is being cleaned as we speak, don¡¯t ask.¡± Nicole said nervously.

    ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Nicole asked as the hologram pieced together the form of a large skeleton key.

    ¡°It¡¯s called the Key of Regret. It¡¯s the next item we need.¡±

    ¡°What does it do?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Not the damndest idea. But it¡¯s on the list and it looks fancy as shit, about 8 inches and gold, pretty easy to identify with those markings.¡±

    ¡°Impressive.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get impressed for anything under ten inches.¡± Gizzy smirked. ¡°I¡¯m rich and old and spoiled.¡± She added.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re gonna do fine at this game. Hurry up and get your big key done, we¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Nicole said heading out.

 Chapter Thirteen: Mommy Dearest

    Everyone stood on the bridge staring at the void of space.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here.¡± Jack said, rechecking the scanner.

    ¡°Even if there is, we can¡¯t land without navigation systems.¡± Vinn said trying to find any sign of anything on his panel.

    "That¡¯s why I¡¯m flying a shuttle with Nicole and Jack. I need someone guiding my positions."

    ¡°In reference to what? Jack asked, staring at the nothing.

    ¡°Nobody else may see it, but we¡¯re staring at a giant blue and pink moon in a binary system. Check the gravity buffers.¡±

    ¡°Gravity buffers do show something pulling on us, but it could be anything, black holes, antimatter cluster, naked singularity. You¡¯re telling me you see a planet in that viewscreen.¡±

    ¡°Taking up the entire viewscreen," Gizzy said, staring at it, taking off her glasses and seeing the nothing they all saw. Nicole dilated her eyes fully black and looked like she was in a trance.

    ¡°There is something there. I can¡­see where it¡¯s not?¡± She said cryptically. "Look at the black void. You can¡¯t see a circle that¡¯s just slightly blacker?¡±

    ¡°See why I¡¯m bringing her? And Jack is best tactical decision.¡±

    ...

    The 3 of them sat in the shuttle, flying cautiously as Gizzy navigated using the glasses.

    ¡°We¡¯re just drifting in space. Even the shuttle¡¯s gravity buffers aren¡¯t detecting anything.¡± Said Jack as they calmly and silently moved into the black space. It was like any other patch of space. With no warning, everything went bright blue. Sensors went wild and the shuttle took a dive. Jack braced and sat in shock as an entire moon appeared in front of him and approaching fast.

    ¡°Coming in too hot, pull up.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, gravity buffers went out of whack. They didn¡¯t kick in till now, and I was flying by feel. Everyone grab a parachute, we may have to bail at the last minute if I can¡¯t pull out of this dive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never jumped out of anything before.¡± Nicole said, almost yelling.

    ¡°Chute opens automatically if you reach the low deck.¡± Jack said frantically helping her get bucked into one and then his own. ¡°Gizzy, get a chute on.¡±

    ¡°If I let go we freespin and anyone jumping could get pulled into the thrusters or hacked by a wing.¡± She said holding out one hand. ¡°Just hand me one and go.¡± She ordered. Jack grabbed Nicole and handed Gizzy a parachute, pushing her to the rear exit. Gizzy yanked the controls, stalling out level for a moment as Jack jumped and took Nicole with him, hanging onto her strap. Gizzy took a deep breath and let go of the controls, letting the craft free-spin as she pushed off and held the chute tight, balling up and narrowly missing the wing as the shuttle rocketed towards the ground.

    Jack lost his grip as a crosswind pulled Nicole another direction.

    ¡°Jack to Vicki, we took a free dive, we¡¯re separated, do you copy?¡± He hollered into the com to no answer.

    ¡­

    Vinn and Vicki stared at the viewscreen at empty space.

    ¡°They¡¯re just¡­gone. No radar readings, no visuals, no nothing. They just stopped existing.¡± Vinn said, questioning his eyes.

    ¡°They have to be there, they can¡¯t just disappear. Follow them!¡± She yelled.

    ¡°Trying, triangulating their last location, moving the ship around backwards.¡± He said.

    ¡°WHY!?¡± She said ¡°We¡¯re losing time why are we backing into this?¡±

    ¡°Because if they got sucked into some weird gravity well, we need thrusters pointing us UP or we crash.¡± Suddenly, the ship shuttered and they both took a hard fall like they hit something solid.

    ¡°See?¡± Vinn yelled, grabbing the controls and hitting the thrusters full power, slowing their drop but, not ending it.

    ¡­

    Nicole untangled her cords, taking off her helmet and squinting up at the bright blue sky, as her ship made a very overpowered reverse entry. It was surrounded in fire, like a meteorite entering atmosphere.

    The roar of the engines slowing the ship down as she watched in horror.

    ¡°Jack, Gizzy, Vinn anyone?¡± she asked. There was a terrifying silence, followed by the sound of a distant rumble, like that of a hard landing or a soft crash.

    ¡­

    Gizzy smelled brimstone. She removed her goggles while keeping her mask on. She stared at the dark red landscape, with the red sun rising, and the blue one setting. The light highlighted the hilly hellscape covered in pools and rivers of lava.

    ¡°This is Gizzy, anyone else land in fucking Mordor?¡± She asked, ash wafting her way.

    ¡°Gizzy? This is Jack. We landed in very different areas. I got a hazy marshland. Any word on Nicole?¡±

    ¡°I heard her yell for someone, she sounded alive and coherent, but she didn¡¯t hear my reply. Her com must be down. Did you see the fireball?¡±

    ¡°Seen it, felt it, almost got hit by it. Tell me that wasn¡¯t the Medusa.¡±

    ¡°I think it may have been. That didn¡¯t hit like a direct crash, so someone slowed the impact, but they may have landed rough. It wasn¡¯t a clean landing if that was the ship. I got zero coms on the ship. Jack¡­you there? Fuck. Now I got nothing.¡± She spotted what looked like city lights in the direction of the ship landing, and began her solo journey across the landscape.

    ¡­

    Nicole trudged through the sand, swinging her arms and pouting. Suddenly her coms lit up.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Nicole, you¡¯re alive, thank god.¡± Vinn said.

    ¡°Vinn, you¡¯re okay? Is Vicki alive?¡±

    ¡±Were fine, we landed hard, but I think she can still take off. These ships are apparently indestructible. The crater it left is unreal, and thankfully the city we hit seems to have no life signs and was ruined BEFORE we rammed through the center of it. Boy it¡¯s nasty here. Dark, cloudy, smog filled. It¡¯s like a horror game.¡±

    ¡°Well wherever I landed is kinda nice, it¡¯s just too damn hot. I¡¯m in a desert. I got blue skies and giant mushroom cauliflowers I may be seeking shade under at some point. White sand dunes, some little puffball plants. It¡¯s pretty dead here but brighter.¡±

    ¡­

    Jack peered at a sunset and some jagged terrain, a river and an overall beige hue. He made his way to the top of the mountain peak he landed on and, using his binoculars, he surveyed the land.

    ¡°If anyone can hear me, this planet has some extreme environment shifts, depending on the 2 suns alignment and latitude.¡± He said as he spotted something moving. A rather huge, hulking purple beast, lumbering on 6 sturdy legs, Spikes of what looked like bone protruded from its skin and the same bonelike ridge running from the nape of the neck to its nose. A grin of yellow teeth where its mouth should¡¯ve been. It¡¯s head looked like a skull with all the skin and muscle ripped off. As Jack watched, he realized that it was probably looking around for food. A row of 3 black eyes scanned around and it stopped, sniffing the air and turning towards Jack.

    ¡°Please be an herbivore.¡± He prayed as the beast snarled and exhaled, like a silent yawn, exposing 4 rows of horrendous teeth. He dropped and readied his rifle, heavy sniper configuration. He racked a round in and steadied his shot.

    The beast began slowly accelerating into a sprint. He fired a warning shot at it¡¯s feet, and it didn¡¯t give a single shit. His second round was a direct headshot, hitting with a solid clank and jarring the animal a little.

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re a problem.¡± Jack said, realizing the round that should have split an engine block at 2000 yards just seemed to annoy it, and take a small chip from the exposed skull bone. He adjusted and aimed for the purple meat of the shoulder, sending another round and again, jarring the beast slightly. Jack noticed the pattern and decided to run for it. The gun was no match for its armor.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡±Maybe I¡¯m faster than it on foot¡­¡±

    ¡­

    Gizzy took a step, stumbling slightly, noticing her arm was bleeding. She heard the sound of a gunshot and immediately turned towards it, shouldering her rifle, spotting something a few hundred yards back and sending a burst of 5 rounds in its direction. It darted for cover.

    ¡°Little to the left, asshole.¡± She shouted.

    ¡°To the right.¡± Said a female voice.

    ¡°Yeah, well, I was hoping you¡¯d believe my bluff and give me a chance to drop your ass. Who are you?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°You know who I am, don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Voice doesn¡¯t ring any bells, but I have a lot of enemies. I also have a lot of ammo in this thing and judging by that little love tap, I got heavier firepower. Tell me who you are and drop the rifle, and I might not kill you.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°Lower that cannon and maybe we can talk.¡± She said. Gizzy lowered the barrel and prepped her muscled to raise it quickly.

    From the rocky cover stepped a dark grey cloaked figure in a silver mask, heavy carved and ornate with a skull theme, silvery grey eyes peering out, and heat frizzled grey hair. She lifted her arms and presented with a cross-legged bow. ¡°You don¡¯t look as honored as you should be.¡± Said the figure.

    ¡°Lady I don¡¯t even know who the hell you are, but you shot me, so you owe me an apology and I owe you an ass beating. Beyond that is yet to be determined. If you¡¯re me from another time line this ends now, and if you¡¯re Jenny¡­I fucking swear.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am. You must just be one of his paid helpers.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t work for anyone, so you got the wrong damn picture here. So you wanna just start making sense?¡± Gizzy said.¡°Before I just kill you and figure it out from the loot and context clues?¡±

    ¡°Either he doesn¡¯t tell you much or you think I¡¯m stupid enough to believe it. You work for Jack, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Okay now we¡¯re getting somewhere, but you¡¯re still off your aim. Jack works for ME, and I¡¯m not here for you.¡±

    ¡°Pure coincidence then, that you¡¯re after a totally different bounty way out here in the nowhere, and you just happened to hire Jack for the mission?¡± she chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not going back to Amenthis alive, and I doubt Jack wants me dead. So we have a problem.¡±

    ¡°No YOU have a problem. Because if you pulled that shit with Jack, he would have killed you before you took cover. He¡¯s a hell of a lot better shot than I am. And a hell of a lot better shot than you, apparently.¡±

    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know where he got it from? That shot wasn¡¯t meant to kill you, it was meant to wound you. If I wanted you dead, from 2000 years, you would be. I hit my mark, Axillary nerve in the right arm. Threaded between the bone and artery. That was supposed to get your attention and deaden your shooting arm. So why exactly can you even lift that arm?¡±

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m just one tough cookie. I assure you, I¡¯m full of surprises, so unless you have a bulletproof eye socket, you have 3 seconds to tell me who you are to Jack.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m his dear old mother. Now you certainly wouldn¡¯t wanna have to explain that to him, would you?¡± She said, slowly circling.

    ¡°Oh bullshit. Jack¡¯s Mother and Father died in Amenthis. A Surgeon named Cachous took them out in their sleep and left Jack in his crib. Nobody expects a child on Amenthis, let alone looks to tie loose ends.¡±

    ¡°Cacious? That b-budget hack of a surgeon took down the two best in the industry and didn¡¯t check the house for witnesses? Jack was only 2, in his room playing. I never wanted to be a mom, I never wanted to retire from surgery, but the old Roman insisted, and he had a charm to him, now didn¡¯t he? Sterile my ass, nobody in Amenthis is supposed to be able to get pregnant, so imagine my surprise when I end up at the peak of my killing potential, retiring with the famous Roman, and just as the itch for me to be something more was too much to deny, I ended up with a baby. Lady you don¡¯t abandon Roman Blue, especially leaving him with a child he never planned for. He would have hunted me down and buried me. I just couldn¡¯t bare to kill Jack. He was just a boy. His father on the other hand¡­pulling the trigger was easier than I thought it would be. You know I don¡¯t regret killing Roman, I just feel terrible for leaving Jack all alone.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Bitch, I practically raised that kid. You left a 2 year old boy alone on a prison planet, you practically killed him yourself. The fact that he survived to 16 was a miracle.¡±

    ¡°Son of the Roman, He has his father¡¯s resilience.¡±

    ¡°And you left him there in that hell without a parent, without a father who loved him, and without a snowballs chance in Amenthis he could survive. Don¡¯t act like you knew he would get taken in by someone and miraculously make it. You left him to die, you just lacked the guts to shoot him yourself.¡±

    ¡°Well, I may be a terrible mother but he turned out just fine.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me if he¡¯s fine. You weren¡¯t there, I was. I passed him off to foster care until they threatened to send him back, and then I trained him to kill people for me. I¡¯m not even human, I¡¯ve eaten his kind before and somehow I¡¯m still closer to a mother than you ever were to Jack. You think he¡¯s here to find you? To bring you back, to finally meet mommy dearest? We¡¯re here for a key, following a riddle that a dead robot told me before I sent it to robot hell. The only reason I can think of that you¡¯d be here when we crash-landed, is that fate wanted me to realize as much of a piss poor mother as I was to Jack, compared to his own blood mother, I didn¡¯t do half bad.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± She said. ¡°What¡¯s the next move?¡±

    ¡°The next move is yours. The only one of us with a shred of honor here is me and by my word, if you toss that gun, I won¡¯t shoot you unless you try to pick one back up. So you can either pull the bolt, pitch it my way and toss the rifle aside, I can give you a light beating and move on with my life, or you can see which of us is faster on the draw, because honey you¡¯re a better shot than me at range but this close with a narrow scope, I have the edge. You pick. Hole in the face or a broken nose. You know damn good and well which one is the better option. Nobody¡¯s taking you to Amenthis, nobody knows you¡¯re here but me, and if you lift that gun, I¡¯ll gladly kill you and never tell Jack we met. How much do you enjoy breathing?¡± Gizzy asked, eye glowing blue.

    ¡­

    Nicole huddled under a cauliflower tree, resting and feeling very alone. She felt a tremble in the ground and the sand shift. She drew her gun, fumbling to get the stock extended and shouldered.

    ¡°I thought this day couldn¡¯t get worse. What now?¡± She asked, looking around for what was shaking it. She kept her back to the tree trunk, rotating around and seeing nothing but sand and small bushes. The roots of the tree looked rather robust, if anything big was under the sand, she should be safe near the trunk. And she was ready to fire. Suddenly the sand began to sink, revealing more roots as she made the choice to try and climb. Without warning, the entire cauliflower tree swung sideways, uprooting and throwing her and her gun rolling into the sand. She grabbed the gun and rolled over to shoot whatever was about to surface, but not expecting the tree itself to be surfacing.

    From the sand rose a behemoth of a creature, purple and 6-eyed, crustacean-like in form, with treelike antler atop its head. It shook side to side as the fluffy cobwebs flew from the antler like cotton balls, littering the ground with the smaller bushes she noticed earlier.

    She froze in shock, noticing the dozens of ¡°trees¡± scattered across the desert wasteland, knowing each one of them was a sleeping giant.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± She huffed, readying her gun and standing her ground. It peered at her, hunkering down and stamping as if to assert dominance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Please. I don¡¯t want to shoot you. You¡¯re just a critter, and I won¡¯t have any choice. Let me go, and I won¡¯t hurt you. We don¡¯t mean your kind any harm. Nobody deserves to die here.¡± She said softly.

    ¡­

    ¡°DIE YOU SON OF A BITCH!¡± Yelled Jack, unleashing a volley of gunfire at the purple beast ramming it¡¯s head into the crevice he was hiding in. The recoil pushed him backwards as he dumped an insane amount of rounds into it, suddenly thinking next time he would bring the grenade launcher. The beast backed away waiting for Jack, as he did a quick mag swap to his spare full one. He sighed with widened eyes, realizing the thing just ate about 40 armor piercing sniper rounds and didn¡¯t seem impressed. He hit his com and Vinn responded.

    ¡°Vinn, I need air support if you can manage. I¡¯m cornered in a cave and there¡¯s a satanic armored buffalo knocking on the door wanting in. Can you get a shuttle craft to this location and just rain grenade rounds or something? I¡¯ve emptied 40 rounds into this bull and he¡¯s just annoyed.¡± he asked.

    ¡°Dude, switch to the 7mm AP sniper upper.¡± Vinn suggested.

    ¡°That WAS the 7mm AP upper.¡±

    ¡°Okay we¡¯re all carrying the grenade launchers from now on, I¡¯m sending the shuttle. Can you last 40 minutes?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That depends on if that rock opening can last 39 minutes. If you lose my signal it means I went spelunking, and the answer to that question was no.¡±

    ¡­

    Vicki looked concerned as Vinn scrambled to the shuttle bay and began remote launching their second and now ONLY shuttle.

    ¡°Vinn, I heard Jack¡¯s voice on the com. Is everything okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, super, I¡¯m just doing an Evac on his position.¡±

    ¡°I thought we had orders to get the ship running first unless someone gave an emergency call for Evac.

    ¡°Well, You know, shit happens, don¡¯t worry about it or question it too much.¡± He said as the door opened and the shuttle flew out, opening its gun ports and taking altitude.

    ¡°Vinn, is Jack in trouble?¡± She barked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t really know that until I get the shuttle there, so let¡¯s assume everything is fine until it¡¯s confirmed or not. Also, unrelated, go get about 6 of those OMG guns and put them in grenade configuration, no reason.

    ¡­

    Nicole sprinted, staggering as her energy depleted and she reached a hazier part of the environment. There were no cauliflower trees, just some ant hills and one solitary plant she really hoped was actually a plant as she passed it. She climbed the little hill and flopped onto her back, gun in hand and panting heavily as she tried to swallow and had no saliva left. She rolled over to survey what was over the hill. Her heart sank as she stared at two options, neither that seemed inviting.

    ¡°You gotta be shitting me.¡± She whined.

 Chapter Fourteen: Pitch

    The gunmetal grey bolt of a rifle struck the ground. Gizzy stared at it, looking up as the rest of the rifle flew aside. She smirked.

    ¡°Good. I was really hoping you¡¯d choose to live longer. Rifle¡­lock on command, voice recognition and password safety only.¡± She said as her gun made a sound of gears locking. She placed her gun down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have that light beating now, but I don¡¯t plan to just stand here and take it. You wanted the guns out of the picture, so let¡¯s play.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say what I¡¯d do after the beating. I just said I wouldn¡¯t shoot you.¡± Gizzy said drawing a knife from her back. ¡°Jack¡¯s mother is dead, it¡¯s a shame nobody informed her till now.¡±

    ¡°Tell me then, since we¡¯re fighting dirty and neither of us really plans to take a prisoner or let one go, did Jack inherit his father¡¯s Roman tenacity or did he get any additional genetic surprises?¡± She said removing her mask and tossing it down. Her eyes turned from silver to red and her fangs lowered.

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s a shame. A little vampire in his DNA would be handy as hell with the new wife. Looks like those bugs got around to more then a few worlds. That¡¯s very fortunate for me.¡± Gizzy chuckled.

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been dying to do some research on Vicki but damned if the best scans require a dissection and you just can¡¯t do that on the living. Be pretty neat to have a fresh sample of brain, heart and spinal tissue from a donor. They¡¯re just so hard to find volunteers.¡±

    ¡°Well, you won¡¯t be getting your wish, I¡¯m afraid.¡± She said, drawing a pistol from her back, cocking the hammer and firing both barrels into Gizzy¡¯s temple as she turned to dodge. Gizzy hit the ground and immediately stood back up, a patch of shiny blue metal where the meat and bone once was. The cloaked women looked impressed.

    ¡°Well it looks like we¡¯re both full of surprises.¡± She said, tossing the cloak and revealing a black suit of body armor that began knitting itself to cover her face and she drew 2 daggers from her back. ¡°Aren¡¯t surprises fun?¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKER!¡± Vinn yelled, lobbing grenade rounds at the raging bull on the ground as it hunkered and whittled slowly into pieces. It roared up in defiance as the rounds finally hit something vital and dropped it with a hefty plop. Jack stepped out of the cave and headed towards the landing shuttle. He hopped inside and closed the doors. ¡°Welcome to the Vinnwagon, I¡¯ll be your remote uber for the evening. We do charge you per grenade so you officially owe us, basically all your money you could ever make.

    ¡°Go get Nicole, I have her last seen location.¡±

    ¡°Got it, you good?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Never better.¡±

    ¡­

    Nicole stared down at a line of what she would call trees, but she wasn¡¯t so sure now. However, the forest of dead, limbless, and sun cooked sticks seemed to endeavor to prove her otherwise. Every single ¡°tree¡± was covered in Doberman-sized larvae, weaving silk cocoons like the ones on the creature¡¯s antler. Down the other path was a muddy wasteland that stretched on for miles, shimmering with pools of liquid and dark spots.

    She chose the path with obvious signs of moisture, and carefully made her way through the muddy landscape. About 300 meters in she noticed the mud getting deeper and stickier. She considered turning back but pressed on, spotting what looked like water pooling on top of a thick black tar. It gave off a toxic smell like some kind of industrial factory¡¯s rejected pitch runoff. She was too thirsty and dehydrated to care, she waded knee deep into it and got her face down to drink, debating on weather this was going to extend or shorten her lifespan. She slumped forward, plopping belly first into the thin layer of water and into the rejected pitch. That¡¯s when she noticed the pitch was moving, rising up behind her from the center of the puddle. She could feel it squeezing her feet and calves as she peeled her belly off the surface, strands of it trailing to her hands and snapping back like rubber bands as she broke loose. She marched for her life as the rising center seemed to take on a sort of upright form. She broke free and darted for solid ground as the bits left on her seemed to lose their tack and fall off, running back to the main blob.

    She stopped and sighed, noticing it was holding the big gold key.

    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re friendly?¡± She asked, lifting her gun. It made a deep, repetitive gulping sound, borderline akin to laughter as if it was trying to assure her that it wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Go-go Gizzy plot armor?¡± she winced, shouldering the gun and stepping up to it.

    ¡­

    Gizzy drove her knife into the pitch armor, doing nothing to it, like hitting tire rubber that self healed. Mother dearest proceeded to deliver a few sucker punches that rang out like a bell against Gizzy¡¯s face. She returned with a few kicks to the ribs and heard the wet thud of a knife to her back. Gizzy stepped back, pulling the knife out of her and flipping it with an eyebrow raise as if to say ¡°now I have two knives¡± as they circled and looked for weaknesses.

    Gizzy stepped forward, rolling under a slash and popping up, grabbing her head to drop down and break her neck, meeting too much resistance as Mother uno-reversed her move and threw her over her shoulder, sending Gizzy flopping and rolling.

    ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you are. And this pitch is a gift and a curse. Once it bonds with you, it doesn¡¯t let go, but damned if it doesn¡¯t keep you alive in the process. I haven¡¯t had a drop of blood in ages, and though this sustains me, I miss the salty taste.¡± She said, the face opening up so she could have a bite.

    ¡°So that shit feeds you and traps you at the same time. Sounds like a bad marriage. You were better off with the Roman.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we moving, Vinn?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re stuck in some kind of tar shit.¡±

    ¡°Vinn it¡¯s moving UP the shuttle, the shuttle¡¯s not sinking, and it¡¯s climbing it. Hit the thrusters.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be flammable, Jack.¡±

    ¡°Try venting the coolant lines.¡± He suggested. Vinn remotely vented the engine coolant and as the nitrogen hit the tar, it let out a primal hiss and froze up, breaking and letting go. The frozen pieces turned white and flaked off, remaining separate from the blob as it reached for the shuttle and narrowly missed it.

    ¡°The fuck was that?¡± Vinn asked. He turned to see Vicki¡¯s reaction, removing his goggles and noticing she was gone.

    ¡°Vicki¡­ oh where the hell are you off to now?¡± he asked. ¡°You better be starving and sucking on the robot. I can¡¯t keep track of everyone.¡±

    ¡­

    Vicki sprinted up the hill, sniffing the air and detecting something bloody and familiar. She checked her gun and headed towards the scent, unable to understand what she was craving as her eyes turned red.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡­

    Nicole¡¯s hand landed flat, the gun still firing full auto as it was engulfed by the pitch, bubbling and percolating as the rounds did nothing. She struggled, down on all fours, feet and hands deep in the pitch as it waved the key to taunt her.

    ¡°Let me go you bucket of bullshit.¡± She screamed as it creped up her arms and legs, entombing her inch by inch she felt the cold metal of the key slide into her hand and confusion washed over her. She gripped it tightly as the sticky warm pitch wrapped around her back and pulled her flat. Her face slapped the surface as it pried her mouth open and her scream was muffled by the pitch covering it. She sunk entirely into the puddle, rising up as a humanoid shape of slick black rubber

    ¡­

    Gizzy circled back, bloody and exhausted as her opponent seemed unfazed and ready for more.

    ¡°Are you really still fighting for your life with those wounds?¡± Mother dearest said shaking her head.

    ¡°Jack deserves some kind of motherly figure that will actually fight for him, and not just walk away like a cowardly bitch. You didn¡¯t leave a lot of options, ya know. Plus you¡¯re right, the way I¡¯m bleeding and broken up, I¡¯m not making it back to anywhere. You have better armor, superior strength and I may be essentially a zombie with a bad attitude, but I know when I¡¯m beat. And you¡¯re getting there but not yet. I like to make people work for it.¡± Gizzy huffed.

    ¡°And here you are, dying for a human you barely even claim, about to meet your end on some god forsaken world far from home.¡±

    ¡°That was the mission anyway. What you don¡¯t seem to realize is that you got one life to defend, I just get cloned back over and over, so kill me. I¡¯ll fly back down here and fire up round two with better armor. You can¡¯t outlast an army of me, so have fun taking apart the one. I¡¯m taking you apart right back eventually.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Who the fuck did you think designed the cloning tech that kept Roman alive all these years, just coming back over and over despite being just a human, and having no powers? Bitch I invented that move and I perfected it. You¡¯re not winning, you¡¯re just too stupid to know you¡¯re losing slowly. And just like the best sniper on Amenthis, you locked onto your target with all of you focus, so you missed the little gal standing behind you with a grenade launcher.¡± She smiled as a sudden impact flattened her. She struggled back up, her back broken and the armor doing all the lifting as she clenched through the pain.

    ¡°I thought I smelled my own blood.¡± Vicki sighed, firing another round and laying her out again. ¡°Who¡¯s the new bloodsucker¡­did Vinn order a replacement online or are we just lucky like that?¡±

    ¡°Those grenades are gonna run out before she¡¯s turned to enough of a pulp to stop regenerating. That black pitch is feeding her like Delmarian blood on steroid blood.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t Delmarians on steroids already?¡± She asked, putting another grenade into her.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point, Vicki. I was not stalling for you to rescue me, I was stalling so you could take this.¡± Gizzy said tossing her something. A bloody data card.

    ¡°Give that to my clone on the ship, and run. Oh before you do, grab that mask. We need it. I know you don¡¯t understand, but I have this battle won anyway, I just needed someone to take those back.¡±

    ¡°I understand perfectly. Have fun.¡± Vicki said taking the mask and the card and walking back towards the ship.

    ¡°You stupid bitch.¡± Chuckled Mommy dearest. ¡°You could have gotten away with the time those grenades would have bought you. I¡¯ll be regenerated in minutes. You won¡¯t. So you just accomplished nothing.¡± She huffed in pain, broken bones and tendons mending inside the pitch.

    ¡°Yeah well¡­shit happens.¡± Gizzy shrugged as the tar reinforced hand grabbed her throat and began to squeeze. Gizzy¡¯s eyes lit up white as she forced out one last phrase. ¡°I cheat.¡± She wheezed. Vicki felt the ground shutter and almost fell as she turned to see the glowing blue mushroom cloud rising in the distance. She rushed to the ship.

    ¡­

    Nicole stomped slowly towards the shuttle as it circled around her. The door opened and Jack unleashed hell with a tank of liquid nitrogen, the pitch screaming in pain as part of it turned frosty white and broke off. It turned back with one eye scrunched in defiant rage and one eye missing, Nicole¡¯s black eye under it, a tear streaming down it, as Jack gave her another blast and the pitch became brittle. She coughed and gasped as the part covering her mouth broke away and fell. She pried herself loose, her skin red and sore, and her hair slick with grease, staggering and felling into Jack¡¯s arms as she broke down into a frantic screaming sob. He drug her into the shuttle and they began to lift off.

    ¡°Jack, I didn¡¯t think I was going to come out.¡± She sobbed.

    ¡°We never leave a man behind.¡±

    ¡°You could have just killed me and cloned another.¡±

    ¡°Nicoles never clone the same. We would love you like the original, but we prefer you the way you are.¡±

    ¡­

    Gizzy stood in a bath robe, purely to make everyone else feel better as Vicki and Nicole sat around the table at the bridge. They key and the mask, sitting on the table. Gizzy leaned forward as Vicki made the cut on her scalp and swapped the cards.

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s better. We can¡¯t be losing vital information. We never know what might be crucial to something. And I needed to remember that confrontation. You did what I asked?¡± She asked Vicki as RoboDee stitched her scalp back together.

    ¡°I did, I got samples of her blood and brain tissue, confirmed she was dead and the pitch was destroyed. Should I ask why we¡¯re keeping this from Jack?¡±

    ¡°He gains nothing but a lot of pain by knowing who she was. I needed the samples so that we can find out what the pitch is and how is sustains your kind without needing blood. That may save your life one day. Nicole got the key and I got the mask. Mission successful, despite the traumatic shit.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the mask for?¡± Asked Nicole. ¡°You never even mentioned a mask.¡±

    ¡°I just wanted it. It¡¯s a really badass mask. Took a beating without a scratch, why waste the free armor when I can look like¡­¡± she said having a sudden flashback to a dream she had, wearing the mask¡­or something similar to it.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m sure you can 3d print a liner so it fits you perfectly. You seem to be good at that.¡± Nicole said, getting up and heading to bed to get some rest.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Gizzy said holding the mask up. ¡°It already fits me perfectly. Vicki. Change of plans. Take the mask and lock it up. Don¡¯t tell anyone where but hide it somewhere on the ship. Don¡¯t even tell me.¡±

    ¡°All that work for the mask and you just¡­don¡¯t want it?¡±

    ¡°I want it¡­that¡¯s what scares me. I may never take it off.¡± She sighed cryptically.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I need to know with this weird shit happening lately. What if you decided you need it again?¡±

    ¡°Oh I¡¯ll probably end up finding it. Or it will end up finding me. Oh Vicki. Lock it in one of the cold storage cases, as cold as they go.¡±

    ¡­

    Gizzy stood alone in the dark, staring at the fridge in the medlab. In front of her, behind the glass was the Imposter blood in a tube, Mother dearest¡¯s blood, a sample of frozen pitch, and a data cube she still didn¡¯t trust to be free of viruses and hidden sinister intent. She breathed on the glass and fogged it, noticing for a moment her reflection changed and one eye took on a red hue. The silver mask on her face and a pair of wings behind her. It faded to nothing as fast as she only thought she saw it. She removed the glasses of truth and breathed again, seeing nothing but her blurry reflection.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked the darkness. ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°Only time will tell.¡± She replied to herself, smiling sinisterly in the reflection, as her face remained solemn. She wiped the fog with her hand and locked the fridge, grabbing a bottle of tequila and a shot of snail goop and chasing one with the other.

    ¡°Welcome home Gizzy.¡± She said to herself, as she strolled out, killing the bottle to the last drop and throwing the glass against the wall, stomping out, the doors closing behind her leaving just a ring of white glow from the emergency lighting.

    ¡°Welcome home.¡±

 Chapter Fifteen: Aftermath

    Gizzy woke, up fumbling parts and noticing Vinn entering the workshop.

    ¡°Bad dream?¡± He asked.

    ¡°You mean they make good ones?¡± She sighed. ¡°Ugh, fuck me running, I slept for 3 hours. I gotta get something done. Stick around for a minute.¡±

    ¡°You know a lot of people sleep 6-8 hours every day, and uh, you did just die on the last mission.¡±

    ¡°PPsh, 8 hours. What a waste. I die all the time, what¡¯s new. Anyways, I solved our problem.¡±

    ¡°With as many as we have, you need to narrow that down a lot.¡±

    ¡°Firepower. We were way out gunned. I reworked the chassis and did a new frame to support heavier weaponry. From now on if you don¡¯t expect any problems, everyone carries the standard 5mm pistol, except you. And if we step onto any alien planet, we all carry this. The OMG20. it¡¯s the OMG 2 point 0, but I forgot the point on the graphics print so it¡¯s the 20.¡±

    ¡°Meaty.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°No more guessing and configuring. I got everything in one gun. Sawed off shotgun, semi auto, 5 round mag, 5mmOS submachine gun, 7mmOS Magnum bullpup with 16 inch barrel, grenade launcher over that, long range holo-scope. Plastic chassis and frame, weighs 11 pounds, so not a light gun but¡­well fuck it, we all got grenade launchers. Your handgun is now also a 20mm grenade launcher.¡±

    ¡°Nice. What¡¯s the recoil gonna be like?¡±

    ¡°For any of us that can¡¯t hold your giant damn handgun anyway, nose-breaking problematic recoil. For you, about like a human firing a 357. it¡¯s got some push back, full auto would suck, but with a 25 round clip full of grenades you shouldn¡¯t need that anyway. It¡¯s integrally suppressed like the rifle so instead of making you totally deaf in one shot, it makes your ears ring and causes accumulative damage. But you got a grenade launcher handgun you can carry fairly easy in a holster so look at the positives.¡±

    ¡°You spent all night 3d printing these things? No wonder you don¡¯t ever sleep.¡± Nicole walked in, holding their new key. She looked serious enough that Vinn took the hint and left them alone.

    ¡°Welcome to the armory, where everything is grenades now.¡±

    ¡°Where does the key go?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°What does the mask do?¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, nothing.¡± Gizzy yawned.

    ¡°You got your ass beaten, and stabbed several times as a distraction So Vicki could get the mask and then you made her hide it from you.¡±

    ¡°I took that beating for the memory card because who I killed was significant to me, the mask was a bonus grab.¡±

    ¡°Then why lock it up. No bullshit. Captain¡¯s orders.¡± Nicole said crossing her arms and sitting on the table.

    ¡°Fine, I keep finding these items I should not be collecting. Items I have to collect, that shouldn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? I thought these were the mission?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Some of the items are the mission, and some of them are something else. We came for the key, and I picked up this mask.¡± She said showing the inventory picture.

    ¡°Scary looking.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen these items in my dream, from the other timeline. I keep seeing myself with a halo of black, standing in the void. White angel wings, ornate silver armor, this mask, except its merged into part of my face, the teeth and gums are growing out of it like part of my flesh, one blue eye, and one red eye, four ears, somewhere between part of the silver mask and part of me.¡±

    ¡°You have some fucked up dreams, Gizzy. But with what you¡¯ve been though, I¡¯m not that shocked.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re memories. Memories of a timeline that¡¯s been erased. That¡¯s what I became, in the timeline that was wiped out. So why do I keep finding the artifacts? The mask, the data cube, none of these are the mission, they don¡¯t pertain to the path we¡¯re on. What if the other reality is still trying to bleed through? What if we didn¡¯t wipe it out when something overrode it, what if it just added more into it? Overlap artifacts.¡±

    ¡°What if you¡¯re just overthinking your nightmares? What if you¡¯ve just seen such dark shit happen that nobody else remembers, that you assume the worst when you see something familiar that still exists in this one. Nobody reset the universe from the beginning; you said it was a few months. That mask would still be on that world in the hands of that assassin if you hadn¡¯t crashed there. The mask still exists. What if that¡¯s just, irrelevant detail?¡±

    ¡°Then why did I find it, and why knowing what it was did I just¡­put it right on. It fits me, oddly well. Both in concept and in tailored precision dimensions. The woman wearing the mask found ME and gave me no choice but to kill her, and there it was for the taking.¡±

    ¡°Who was she?¡±

    ¡°Jack¡¯s birth mother. She was supposed to be already dead but tadaa, like magic, more shit changes and intersects with me on a random world that shouldn¡¯t be there.¡±

    ¡°You killed Jack¡¯s mother?¡±

    ¡°Obviously don¡¯t tell him. She was a murderous bitch and that¡¯s coming from me, and she left him for dead as a baby and if he had found her, she would have tried to kill him too. He¡¯s better off thinking she died long ago. Now you wanna get real serious and honest¡­you were inside that pitch for about an hour. She bonded with one too and she said they never let go. Have you been scanned?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She said

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Okay I¡¯m not fine, I¡¯m traumatized. I¡¯m still shaken up and jumping at every shadow. It felt like drowning, but it didn¡¯t stop. I don¡¯t wanna leave the ship again, frankly but if I bitch up cry and say I can¡¯t, you¡¯re gonna remind me that the universe is at stake and you¡¯re right. You¡¯re always right. So why bother. Repress and deny, that¡¯s the Gizzy way, isn¡¯t it?¡± She said, pausing for the reply.

    ¡°There¡¯s a difference between repressing and being numb. Pretending to feel nothing to cope is not the same as being so dead inside that you just feel nothing.¡±

    ¡°JD4¡­tell me you feel nothing.¡± She said as Gizzy stopped and looked up, as if hearing a name that shouldn¡¯t be spoken. ¡°You said JD4 was the only planet that scared you and you didn¡¯t know why. You wipe your own memory of it. Something so bad that you had a full memory wipe, done before the cones were a thing, full surgical procedure to remove something you didn¡¯t want to remember. How¡¯s that for pretending to feel nothing?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t even argue with that, because I don¡¯t know what was there, but we¡¯ll find out together and see if you consider it an exception. And speaking of memory wiping. Have you seen my prototype pocket cone? The one that fits my smartglass phone that was supposed to be set up on a kiosk for emergencies and now it¡¯s missing.¡±

    ¡°If I stole that, you don¡¯t think I¡¯d have wiped my memory of stealing it? Why would I want to steal that?¡±

    ¡°Why would anyone on this ship? It¡¯s as illogical for you as anyone and we¡¯re being honest today, like Captains.¡±

    ¡­

    Gizzy and Nicole strutted into the temple of the 4 walls. Lord Behrnought was still waiting patiently, quickly hiding his phone and trying to appear ominous and godlike.

    ¡°We got the key. We can¡¯t figure out what it does. And we got the mask. Same problem.¡± Gizzy said placing down the key.

    ¡°Impressive, this key requires a sacrifice to get and one to use. They key of regret allows you to undo a single mistake.¡±

    ¡°Delete key, rewinds time by like 5 minutes, so what does that do to move us forward?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, it moves you backward. What moves you forward is the glasses.¡± He smiled. Gizzy put the glasses on, looking amazed as bright gold letters appeared on the 4<sup>th</sup>wall. ¡°This place is a map.¡± She said, glancing down at the symbol for JD4 and cringing a little, noticing it was the end of the map. She traced back the symbol for the key and went one mark forward to what looked like an Egg with Saturn¡¯s rings.

    ¡°Egg planet?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I have no idea what you mean. That key goes to a door, guarded by the doorman. I know the stories, but I cannot see the writing. You wear the glasses. Ask the doorman for your answers. And this¡­Mask you speak of. There is no mask. Why are you so sure there is?¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Just testing you to see if you knew what you were talking about or blowing smoke up my ass.¡± Gizzy bluffed.

    ¡­

    ¡°Well that was super specific.¡± Nicole huffed as they closed the shuttle doors. ¡°The mask is nothing, they key opens some door somewhere with a guard, and we have to go to egg Saturn. They can¡¯t just say ¡®here¡¯s the coordinates, go find the door on tenth street and Maine?¡¯ or something.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Ghost stars, expending the search perimeter, we got 2 planets that look like Saturn in two different locations and systems. Neither are egg shaped, neither look particularly different. You wanna make the scientifical wild-ass guess or should I?¡±

    ¡°This one looks pretty.¡± She pointed. ¡°It¡¯s green.¡±

    ¡°This one is blue, high amounts of water, could be a water planet. You¡¯d love that. Why the green one?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Blue is good too.¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s not.¡± Vicki said stomping into the cargo bay. ¡°We just got our asses kicked because we lacked firepower, and we can¡¯t shoot underwater. Jack and I almost drowned on the last water adventure and Vinn nearly ended up in a similar predicament. You may be a little bit marine reptile, but none of us are. Green means either plants and therefore oxygen, or it means toxic gas and I¡¯m an idiot, everyone can yell at me, and we¡¯ll all go swimming again.¡± She said sitting down confidently.

    ¡°Not sure if I respect the assertive confidence or consider it cocky and mildly rude. But you make a better point than we did. Green it is.¡±

    ¡°Captain¡­if you don¡¯t mind, I need to talk to Gizzy alone.¡± She demanded.

    ¡°Fine. Go nuts.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°So how was your day?¡± Gizzy asked sarcastically.

    ¡°That tar stuff. You said you might be able to reverse engineer it to cure my need for blood. Was that just something to get my ass moving so you could blow up a bitch, or was that legit?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I said maybe, because I meant maybe. It¡¯s a real theory, I¡¯m looking into it.¡±

    ¡°Not to keep being rude but I thought I was the first of my kind, and a billion to one fluke caused by a combination of bug venom and cancer. Then we run into another one like me. You know more about her than you¡¯re telling.¡± She accused.

    ¡°No shit, I do. I¡¯m also your boss and you signed up to a covert operative like your husband. That means need to know basis, and this is above your paygrade, Captain Vicki¡­oh right, sorry I meant Nurse in training on her first off-word mission Vicki. I get those confused all the time.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s like to be afraid you might kill your husband and drink his blood because you got hungry? Do you know what it¡¯s like to have to take 8 pills a day to MAYBE not die of cancer at 24? Or to feed on a Delmarian every day to avoid losing yourself and your sanity to murderous thirst? Because I do and I¡¯m tired of it, none of you are a high risk of killing the one you love most because your mutant cancer has a taste for human flesh, so if you have samples of another like me, and I¡¯m not the first one, then that sounds like an exception to the don¡¯t ask questions policy, First officer Gizzy. How much are you thinking about that tar stuff and how much are you thinking about the mission?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Honey the mission is bigger then all of us. Your life, Jack¡¯s life, my life, we don¡¯t mean shit compared to the mission because it kills all of us and everyone we ever loved if we fail. Not just Jack, your friends, your parents, Dee, your high school prom date, and every child on every world going through some rough times in their life hoping to still have a life. The universe is almost infinite, that means there¡¯s almost a guarantee that out there is some crazy shit just like you, and we have a bad habit of running into things that seem very unlikely. I¡¯m sorry you have to feed, but while I¡¯m busy trying to save reality as we know it, I haven¡¯t had time to play with highly volatile parasitic roofing cement that can take over the host¡¯s mind, trying to quickly engineer a half-assed cure for your thirsty ass. You like pulling rank, go ask Captain Nicole if that molten pitch is safe to play around with and see if she¡¯ll let you experiment a little. Meanwhile, either grab a snail and get high, or go ride Vinn and piss of Nicole, or go suck on an android. You got options. I suggest you pick something instead of wasting my time. I just killed someone fairly personal and I got mixed feelings about it. We all got our demons, yours aren¡¯t the strongest on the ship.¡± She barked. Vicki stormed down the hallway, stifling her anger as her eyes shifted to less red and more olive green.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± she asked Gizzy to herself. ¡°Have you met my demons?¡± She added, spotting the android and salivating slightly.

    ¡­

    Vinn organized props and gadgets in a briefcase as Nicole added some handcuffs and the portable memory cone.

    ¡°You sure this is safe?¡± he asked. ¡°We¡¯ve been doing the sexy stranger bit a lot lately.¡±

    ¡°Sexy stranger is exciting, I like the distraction. I¡¯ve been through some traumatic shit, it helps. Plus Gizzy said the memory cone was about the same brain damage as a few shots of vodka, nobody gets mad when I have a few beers, or when Jack has a double old fashioned every single night, or when you knock a 6 pack down for a ball game. We¡¯ll get burned out eventually, this is a temporary stress relief. You know how hard it is to get in the mood for sex when I know the universe might be ending if me and Gizzy don¡¯t hold it up and take on the monsters and riddle of the weirdest parts of space? That¡¯s a lot. Even being half of the chosen one team is rough, I need half an hour to just not know anything and meet a sex Delmarian hunk for some kinky strange on a starship. This completes the fantasy. You wanna cone too?¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re both coned then who is gonna initiate? We¡¯re both the kinda people to go along with it, not start it. The fact that we first had sex as is is a miracle, believe me someone needs to know it¡¯s a bit in case something goes wrong and then we¡¯re both clueless strangers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point, we¡¯ll just trade you in if you want next time.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good. Delmarian brains work different. Safe for humans may not be safe for me. You may be getting a 2 beer brain zap, I may wake up thinking I¡¯m a giraffe. I don¡¯t even know what that is, so that¡¯s scary.¡±

    ¡°Okay well as long as you like your role here, I think we got it.

    ¡­

    Jack and Vicki sat in the workshop, her eyes wet from tears and her cheeks flush from embarrassment, shame and guilt.

    ¡°Jack, I can¡¯t keep making you clean up my messes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my wife. I married you knowing what you are and knowing you have medical issues. I¡¯d do anything to take care of you.¡± He said, trying to repair the android¡¯s severed head, both of them looking disturbed by a decapitated version of their friend stained red and severely damaged.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to. It¡¯s not fair that you do all the work. I never take care of you.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°You take care of me. You give me a reason to care, you give me someone to care for, and you have saved my ass in tactical situations more than once.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡±

    ¡°Look, the snail slime isn¡¯t going to affect everyone the same. Everyone has different biology. Vinn¡¯s a Delmarian, I¡¯m human, You¡¯re human with complications, Nicole¡¯s a hybrid human seamonster, Gizzy¡¯s a human body with an alien personality in a robot brain. Everyone is medically unique. I know someone who¡¯s 100 percent generic uncloned human who falls asleep with too much caffeine, so the slime that increases most people¡¯s sex drive is going to inevitably lower someone else¡¯s. Maybe you just need to adjust the dose, maybe you¡¯ll get used to it, maybe we just have to keep fixing the damn robot.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t keep play-murdering Dee every day it¡¯s giving me nightmares. The fucking slug snot thing wipes my sex drive and I¡¯m gonna ruin Nicole¡¯s marriage if I feed off Vinn due to a combination of jealous husband-hogging and then HE has no sex drive because I tanked his fluid levels down and filled him with bug venom and adrenaline shots to counter it. That can¡¯t be healthy for him OR his marriage. Now, hear me out. Gizzy said the other bugpyre she encountered had been on that planet for day or even weeks with nobody else around, nothing to feed on, and the Pitch sustained her. She was stronger than me, I took Gizzy in full personal rage mode and me with a grenade launcher to stop her, and Gizzy had to self destruct to finish the job. Just a little of that stuff could potentially have a cure in there but I¡¯m not a scientist, and frankly the only mad scientist on the crew is Gizzy and she doesn¡¯t understand how important that is.

    ¡°Vicki, that stuff attacked Nicole. You didn¡¯t see how shaken up and scared she was. She said it felt like dying but it never stopped. That stuff bonds to you and doesn¡¯t let go. You are NOT going to risk your life with that shit. Promise me you wont do anything stupid, in order to try and save our sex life for my sake, just because you feel like you¡¯re not contributing. I¡¯d rather us have no sex at all than have you changed or killed or made worse by some unknown evil sentient tar. Give Gizzy time, if there¡¯s a safe medical cure to be derived from that, she¡¯s the most likely to figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she should duplicate herself on the ship, spend one of their free time doing the science and the other one running missions.¡±

    ¡°Do you really want two Gizzys disconnected from the hive mind struggling for control and pulling rank on each other, both convinced they are the right Gizzy for the job and trying to figure out which one you¡¯re talking to every time?¡±

    ¡°Never mind. One is already enough, often too much. We already have 2 captains fighting over the missions.¡± She huffed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t trash your mental health for my sex life. Do the goop thing, have your alone time.¡±

    ¡°Jack, if you¡­need to use the robot for your own needs, I would understand. I know it¡¯s not Dee, it¡¯s just a device. I won¡¯t get jealous of a toaster while I¡¯m depriving you of intimacy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not screwing the roomba. No offense to people with the virtual girlfriend sex bots, but I have the perfect woman right here, she¡¯s just not well at the moment. I¡¯ll manage just fine. You worry about your mental health and your nutrient needs, Go get high with a snail, I¡¯ll do what I need to do and if you have any sex drive left to spare, let me know. We¡¯ll get through this. Sickness and in health, that¡¯s the vow.¡±

    ¡°We wrote our own vows, Jack, that part wasn¡¯t in there.¡±

    ¡°Well it should have been because it was already implied.¡± He said. ¡°Get¡­better. Stop worrying about me and trying to impress me. You already did.¡±

 Chapter Sixteen: Forest Moon

    Vinn, Nicole, and Gizzy sat in the shuttle craft, descending in a slow and controlled manner, unlike last time. They passed under the rings of a large green world, illuminated by a small blue star and a massive yellow one, tidally locking the planet. Like a sickened eyeball, a band of mountainous terrain spanned the twilight ring of the planet, the forest growing darker and richer on the dark side, with plains and a lighter desert forming a pupil of inhospitable heat.

    ¡°Why are we not taking Jack and Vicki, exactly?¡± Vinn asked as they threaded the thin low light band of optimal temperature.

    ¡°Because if we get separated, having someone on the ship able to lookout and send a rescue mission seems very appealing after what we went through on the last planet. We don¡¯t wanna leave Nicole behind, and you are suited for low light jungle, while she needs to be around for when weird shit requires a second opinion.¡±

    ¡°So what are we looking for?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Locked door that needs a key, and a doorman who guards it. You know better than to ask where we¡¯re looking, because we never know where to start. Now we¡¯re going to stick close to the ship, because that sun¡¯s radiation is pretty harsh even on the low light band. The moon is also eclipsing, and that should give us 17 hours or so before the heat becomes a problem for Nicole, and then another 2 before Vinn and I have a problem as well.¡± She said while landing. "Keep your helmet on your back. If you get caught in that direct sunlight, the EVA suit will buy you some time but not without sealing it.¡± She reminded.

    ...

    They stepped out into a field of green grassy plants just outside the dense forest. Mounds of dirt in varying towers and lumps covered the surface. They themselves were covered in purple moss and vegetation. A thick fog blotted out the sky, beams of sunlight lasering through the thinner sections. They made their way towards the treeline. Gizzy stopped, shouldering her rifle.

    ¡°Kinda wish we had a vampire¡¯s sense of smell right now.¡± She said as Vinn readied his rifle.

    ¡°Why? What do you smell?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. But I see something moving in the grass behind us.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡± Vinn said squinting and trying to find a small animal.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing these glasses are the only reason I can see him, because he¡¯s not hidden and he thinks he is. We got a cloaky boi who doesn¡¯t know I have my reading glasses on.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Nicole whispered aggressively. ¡°We¡¯re 2 seconds out of the shuttle and we got predators? Do we put the guns down?¡±

    ¡°Not that kind of predator but yea, something is tracking us. It could be friendly, curious, or out for blood. Keep your gun handy and act like you don¡¯t know he¡¯s there. If he gets closer, we¡¯ll introduce ourselves¡­in one way or another.¡± Gizzy said setting her mask to rear view and moving forward.

    ...

    The jungle got denser quite quickly. Aside from the size of the trees gradually increasing, it looked almost like Earth jungle. That only lasted until a glance of the big yellow lunar eclipse, or the blue star fixed in the sky, was caught.

    The group reached a clearing and stopped short, staring down at a sheer drop. It was as if the darker side of the world was just 300 feet lower elevation. Fog was rolling down various small waterfalls, and into a land of blue smoke and mist. Giant mushroom-like trees sticking hundreds of feet from the fog, and all the way to eye level.

    ¡°Not gonna lie, I wanna explore that so bad, and if we didn¡¯t have a universe at stake and someone following us, that would be an incredible camping spot.¡± Nicole said, watching the white flicker of birds circling one of the trees and looping under the crotch of the exposed roots. A hollow area in the middle of each tree that seemed oddly inviting.

    ¡°See anything with the special glasses?¡±

    ¡°Aside from our friend behind us, just jungle.¡±

    ¡°You got rear camera in that thing? No wonder you¡¯re still using the old mask and not the badass silver one.¡±

    ¡°I have multiple reasons. Everyone stay calm and move away from the edge, our friend is getting too close for comfort and he took something off his back that looks like a melee weapon.¡±

    ¡°We got guns. Hell, we got grenades. What¡¯s a melee weapon gonna do?¡±

    ¡°Probably nothing. It¡¯s the gap in the probably we need to watch for. Don¡¯t look at him, keep your safety off, gun down and look exploratory." The proceeded another minute or so, traipsing aimlessly as Gizzy nervously counted down the distance to turn and confront range. He wasn¡¯t stopping before that from the looks of his silent stalking.

    ¡°Humanoid shape, 8 feet tall, either robotic or heavily armored, wielding what I think is a hefty one handed sword.¡± Gizzy muttered under her breath.

    ¡°What do we do?¡±

    "You keep walking, I¡¯m going to stop and tie my shoe and see if he stops and holds position or circles around. If he stops and keeps his attention on me, you guys find cover and hold position. If he goes after you two and turns his back on me, I¡¯m lighting him up.¡± She said pretending to adjust her boots as they moved ahead. The target picked up pace and entered the clearing, weapon drawn and down as if either warning or unsure.

    ¡°Go ahead, asshole. Push your luck and I¡¯m gonna light you up like Christmas.¡± She muttered to herself as she stood and shouldered her gun. His eyes flashed red and a haze of energy surrounded him in the same red shimmer, reaching his sword and suddenly flaring out into a dozen jets of flame like a chainsaw of fire. ¡°Or I guess just beat me to that one.¡± She said, looking less confident. Her attention was diverted slightly as a second red light and a third energized in the distance beside her, moving past her position. ¡°Fuck, there¡¯s 3 of them. Run!¡± She yelled. Vinn and Nicole broke formation, rushing ahead as Gizzy stared down the stationary one.

    She aimed off to the side, sending a warning Grenade into a tree behind him, rattling it to the base and asserting dominance. It turned the flaming chainsaw towards itself, sliding the jets across his armor, crackling and flattening out before it reached the metal plates, showing that it had superior armor and was not impressed. It casually laser-sworded a small tree cleanly in half and let it drop without even looking. It deactivated the blade and flipped out around in a passive underhanded position.

    ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re not offensive, you¡¯re defensive. I get it.¡± She said, waiting as he made his way further away and around to the side of the cliff.

    ...

    Nicole and Vinn sprinted as a beam of energy flew past them and set fire to some foliage. Hearing gunshots, Both Gizzy and the big target turned and ran for the sound. Vinn turned backwards, returning fire with rifle rounds to hold them back. Nicole did the same, except far less competently. She tripped over some roots, and dropped into the creek she didn¡¯t notice previously. She frantically scrambled for her gun as it washed down the stream. She grabbed the sling and slid with the flow, jumping at the sound of beam weaponry striking just behind her. Her leap was too forceful and the water deeper and quicker at the edge, pulling her with the current.

    ¡°VINN!¡± She yelled, as he watched her fall over the edge. He dug his hooves in and cut a hard right towards the cliff, hoping to see her hanging onto a branch or stuck on the cusp, but she was gone. Vinn paused, shouldering his rifle and aiming at the smaller hunter, stopped and frozen as he debated his options. He wanted to jump after her, and he wanted to cut down the bastard who chased her at the same time.

    ¡°Vinn, don¡¯t jump!¡± Gizzy yelled.

    ¡°Nicole.¡± He huffed.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°She would have hit bottom by now, and her suit¡¯s vitals read living. She¡¯s fine, but if you take a 200 foot dive into that fog you¡¯re either gonna hit ground and die or hit water and drown. We don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a lake or a narrow stream, and she just got lucky threading rocks and trees. Stand your ground soldier. Nicole do you copy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill him.¡±

    ¡°No you¡¯re not. That armor can take anything you dish out. They¡¯re not attacking, they¡¯re defending. You hit that little one with a direct shot and it¡¯s either gonna glance off and show we have zero upper hand, or it¡¯s gonna go through and piss off the two bigger ones. And they got us surrounded. Vinn, we¡¯re outmaneuvered and out armored.¡±

    ¡°Then what do we do?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Put that gun on your back and start climbing down that cliffside. Right now both of us can probably clone back if they attack when our backs are turned. And then we send that shuttle after Nicole, and rain hellfire from orbit on their asses and level the jungle. Nicole doesn¡¯t clone right, and she¡¯s alive. That''s your mission, soldier.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± He said, slinging the gun to his back and walking to the edge, looking up at the smaller hunter. ¡°We¡¯re gonna have words later, asshole.¡± He said, climbing over the cusp.

    ...

    Nicole opened her eyes and realized she was underwater. She frantically swam for the surface, holding her breath like she didn¡¯t know she could breathe underwater. She gasped at the surface, crawling out, looking lost and scared. She looked at her hands and body, took the pack off her back, and began rummaging through it. She found a pistol, some food rations, and her phone. She picked up the phone with an odd curiosity, unplugging the strange cone attached to it. She turned it upside down, pouring out the water and shaking it with a rattle.

    ¡°What are you?¡± She asked herself. She looked around, questioning where she was, and who she even was. She felt the slither of a serpent-like body move across her calf. She looked at it with no fear, lightly petting it as it passed with a calm steadiness.

    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna hurt me, are you?¡± She smirked.

    ...

    ¡°Gizzy to Jack, we got a situation. We need scanners up, and both of you on the bridge. Nicole isn¡¯t responding to her coms, but her vitals read tolerable. We need a visual and tracking. We also have 3 potential hostiles with some god-tier energy shielding. I want locking sensors on in case we need to bring down the jungle on their asses.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me? With that dense jungle, a visual isn¡¯t happening.¡±

    ¡°Thermal sensors then.¡± Gizzy ordered.

    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s a mark alright. You actually got 4 hostiles, moving around the cliff. They¡¯re glowing like a damn road flair on thermals. I got 177 body temperature. Either they¡¯re nuclear powered, or that armor is. I can¡¯t find Nicole. Son of a bitch, she¡¯s cold blooded. She¡¯s not much warmer than the foliage. All I got is a vague sensor lock on her suit tracker and that¡¯s just a general location. I got you and Vinn on visual. Best I can do. Do you want the hostiles taken out?¡±

    ¡°No, I want them in the crosshairs and weapons up for the order, but they¡¯re only potential hostiles. They haven¡¯t done anything to piss me off, YET.¡±

    ¡°I got a partial read on Nicole¡¯s vitals, her heart rate went dead calm and then shot way up through the roof.¡±

    ...

    Nicole crawled slowly backwards, trying to figure out how to use the gun as a large mass of grey and frosty blue furr lumbered slowly over her. It towered over her, leaning in her directions as her back dug into the hill behind her and brought her closer to the beast. It stood firmly on its back 2 legs, raising its torso up and widening its upper set of arms. Like a cross between a 6 legged insect and an ox, the beast opened a mouth full of teeth and leaned in for a bite, stopping as it noticed something behind the hill. It crawled back and lowered its head, retreating nervously as a rapid array of footsteps approached. Fear welled up with her at what could have just chased off her predator, and how much worse it would be. She leaned back and peered up at a second similar beast, calmer demeanor and darker greyer fur, covered in highly carved plate armor with the appearance of extremely thick leather, thick enough to make deck boarding with.

    ¡°Just kill me.¡± She sighed, giving up.

    ¡°I have no intentions of such horrors. Why would you assume that of me?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You look confused, little one.¡± It said in a voice that sounded strangely close to familiar. She felt both safe and annoyed by the dark husky thundering voice, but it wasn¡¯t quite familiar, adjacent to it.

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know where I am. I don¡¯t even know who I am.¡±

    ¡°Well then, that explains the fear. Aeless, you are my most beloved pet. Come home, you have wandered far this time. You must stop playing in such dangerous territory.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­a pet?¡± She asked, feeling an odd sense of familiarity. A fuzzy image of a fuzzy towering figure in dark red calling her ¡°little one¡± echoed in her mind. She felt a strange sense of trust and fear, but something was wrong and she couldn¡¯t grasp what.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I guess I just have n urge to explore.¡± She said taking his 3-fingered hand and being pulled up onto his back. That felt even more familiar, the sudden urge to hang onto his antler and nestle in close, but no such antler were there, just a hairy skull and ears.

    ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ll take you home Aeless.¡± He said softly. She grabbed the leather armor by the anchor points and he began to crawl smoothely and swiftly towards the darker side of the planet.

    ...

    ¡°Holy shit. We have a problem.¡± Jack said double checking the sensors.

    ¡°Is she hurt?¡± asked Vinn.

    ¡°Guys I have no idea how to interpret these readings. Nicole¡¯s vitals just went calm and slow, and then she began moving incredibly fast. Vinn, she¡¯s pulling away from you guys at 46 miles an hour. She can¡¯t even swim that fast, let alone run, let alone up terrain. So unless she found a damn hover-bike, there is something wrong with the sensors.¡±

    ¡°Or something has her.¡± Vinn said.

    ¡°Well if a giant bird grabbed her and hauled ass to the dark side, it¡¯s flying below treeline and she doesn¡¯t seem to mind it. Her vitals are great. Something is wrong with the sensors or the suit readings, either way she is booking shit and you guys are not catching her unless she stops. There¡¯s no nuclear heat signature, no energy signature of weapons or vehicle exhaust. How fast can a full blooded Menacodian run on all fours?¡± Jack asked Gizzy.

    ¡°Maybe 35 on flat ground. Jack she¡¯s 2 percent reptile, not 90. She can¡¯t run on all fours. Her top swimming speed is ten miles an hour. She¡¯s not doing that on her own.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯m out of theories.¡± Jack said, tossing his hands up.

    ...

    Nicole arrived to a scene of wonder. A mountain ridge with a flowing waterfall, spilling into a pond and breaking into 5 smaller waterfalls that lead into a flowing river. Walls of stone stood between and behind the 5 falls, and forced them to flow equally. Strands of purple moss and green grass, twisted trees leaning over the sides, and a clear sky illuminating the paved path. She dismounted the titan and ran her hand through the water.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± She gasped.

    ¡°This is your home. Come. Perhaps you will remember your place.¡± She passed another person about her size, humanouid in shape but reptilian skin. It turned with large black almond eyes and a row of sharp grey teeth, presumably smiling at her, though it was hard to tell. It was raking a garden and seemed fascinated by Nicole. As she moved through the garden and up the winding path she spotted more reptilians doing various labor.

    ¡°They don¡¯t look like me. Where are the rest of¡­my kind?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nobody knows. But you will adapt and find your place among them. Do not fear them.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m a stray, different?¡±

    ¡°Aeless, do not question all things. You are far too curious, that is how you find trouble and must be found again. You will remember, or you will make new memories. The only thing that matter is that you returned to me. You always do, but each time you leave I fear it is one of the times you will not return to me. Never stray far, if you cannot see the light of the tree, you have ventured too far and must turn back. It is a good life, you want something you cannot explain, and it pains me. Is all this kingdom not enough, little one?¡± He asked. She heard the worlds echo like a memory, but the details were still not right.

    As the yellow sun set, she peered out from her stone tower at the tree. A massive, twisted old tree, dead in appearance at the ground, but turning bright green and full of life at the halfway point. The tree took up most of the peninsula, like a tiny island vase holding a bonsai plant, with the thinnest ridge wall of grass and dirt connecting it to the castle she stood in.

    An ominous blue glow radiated from the tree¡¯s roots where the trunk separated and formed a pocket, much like the larger trees from before. As dark settled in, the blue glow radiated from many sources, none as bright as the tree, like a bioluminescent fairytale. She walked the quiet castle unsupervised, but still feeling watched. None of the reptilians in the house would speak a word to her. All they would do is stare and smile. She made her way to a dim room where the beast was waiting, gazing out at the night sky. There was a small chair in the center of the room and draped over it was a black dress. One of the reptilian servants approached her, appearing to measure her and take notes on parchment with a charcoal wedge.

    ¡°You are being fitted for the celebration.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t my clothes fit me?¡±

    ¡°You have been gone a very long time. Skin and bones, starving. Your gowns will be repaired and let out as you eat and regain your strength. You will be happy again, Aeless. I promise you will. As always, it just takes time.¡± He said, petting her head. She felt his large furry hand and claws run through her hair and she felt oddly at home again. Looking at the painting on the wall that looked like her, crude, but vaguely so.

    ¡°Why do I leave?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You must. You simply must leave. It is not in your nature to stay forever. You go, you return, and sometimes you stay away for a long time, and you come back a little different. But you come back. I cannot express how happy I am to see you so serene this time. Sometimes you return to me¡­frightened, confused, and unhappy. This time you seem already at home. Now eat, drink. We have guests to entertain and they will be so please to see you with us again. And you look so much like yourself this time.¡± He said smiling and leaving her. She sat and ate some fruit, the same strange white that looked blue in the night sun, almost glowing in the light, even the water had the slightly opaque hue that she hardly questioned.

 Chapter Seventeen: The Ravens Egg

    Vinn and Gizzy were feeling the heat of the rising blue sun, the eclipse almost over.

    ¡°We have to take shelter.¡± Gizzy said, ¡°It¡¯s too fucking hot.¡±

    ¡°Guys, I¡¯ve run some ground density scans. This entire area is riddled with caves. It may lead in the same direction you guys need to go, so look for any opening you can find.¡± Jack said while checking their position. They searched and found a spot where the water ran down into a hole in the ¡°earth¡±. They both dropped in, looking surprised.

    ¡°Jack you won¡¯t believe this. This cave is as lush as the surface, with plenty of soil and trees. Hell the trees on top seem to just be protruding through the top soil and rooted down here. It¡¯s like basement floor to the entire planet, support pillars made of trees, water flowing into creeks, grass, and moss. I¡¯m going to ignore that fleshy purple mass over there and assume it¡¯s harmelsss.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little claustrophobic, honestly. Good thing there¡¯s enough surface holes to give SOME light.¡±

    ¡°When that eclipse is over and that blue sun crosses the horizon you won¡¯t be. Those are going to be hot as hell. Keep moving to the night side where it¡¯s cooler.¡± Jack insisted.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s Vicki doing? We haven¡¯t heard from her in a while?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s probably feeding off the robot or something. She¡¯s been acting strange today. She gets like that. Her depression kicks in and she wants to be alone. I¡¯ve learned to give her space, she usually just ends up reading a book or enjoying the night sky.¡± Jack explained.

    ¡­

    Vicki sat in the lab, with the doors locked and the light dimmed. She opened the briefcase with the silver mask, marveling at the hideous detail; at its long demonic teeth, deep filigree, and engravings over every inch.

    ¡°What makes you so special to Gizzy. What isn¡¯t she telling all of us?¡± She asked. She raised it to her face, placing it on. Nothing happened. She stood and stared at the sample tubes, the one marked ¡°Rejected Pitch.¡± Haunting her. Tempting her like a cure. She resisted, placing the mask in it¡¯s case and hiding it as instructed, heading up to get some snail slime.

    ¡­

    Vinn panted and sweated, the caves now taking on the blue tint of the fully risen blue star, small flickers of red flame in the form of fires starting from the heat. The blue tinted ash accumulated over the roots made it look almost frosty and cold. That illusion would¡¯ve been kept, if not for the absolute sweltering heat.

    ¡°Well, it sucks down here. The tree roots move, there¡¯s horse sized purple maggots slowly moving around, and the ground is covered in hot snow that the weird penis cacti seem to find nutritious. But there is one good thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, let me know, I¡¯m dying for a good thing right about now.¡± Vinn said, wiping sweat.

    ¡°We¡¯re not being followed anymore. Jack said the hunters passed us up hours ago and kept moving. Either they don¡¯t give a shit, or they lost us because they are not about to come down here and they seem fine in the heat. You know¡­shit like this makes me miss being Osirian. This human body is bullshit. You get hot, you get cuts and bruises, and even more! How do humans live like this? Like being made of soft jello that boils at the slightest bit of ambient heat. I¡¯m so over it. I should have gone full robotic, synthetic human skin, and just packed like 8 bodies in crates.¡±

    ¡°You know being organic and mortal has it¡¯s perks too. First off you can feel the joy of touch.¡±

    ¡°We can feel touch too.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s the satisfaction of maturing and growing and aging gracefully.¡±

    ¡°We age too, just slower and with less health problems.¡±

    ¡°Can you get drunk?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Okay I got nothing, being organic is shit apparently. You couldn¡¯t have packed one full powered Gizzy body for missions like this? Boxed up in a crate in cryo?¡±

    ¡°The radiation signature is too obvious to anyone looking for Osirians, and everyone is looking for us. We¡¯re in uncharted territory. If I send one neutrino pulse to communicate with my hive, I¡¯m flagged, the whole moon is at risk, and they know who I am.¡±

    ¡°Oh look, the surface, and it¡¯s nuclear blue and hot like an Osirian. Boy I bet that would be comfortable for an Osirian body, too bad we¡¯d cook and die out there.¡±

    ¡°Stop complaining Vinn. At least the wildlife down here is ignoring us. Those shiny white tree roots we¡¯re stepping over?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Forty foot long worms.¡±

    ¡°Oh what the shit, are you kidding me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t freak out, they don¡¯t seem to care that we¡¯re here. Now let¡¯s be thankful Nicole is alive and these things aren¡¯t going full anaconda on us. Keep moving, it¡¯s supposed to get cooler further down.¡±

    ¡°It better. Frigging cave worms the size of telephone poles, things are just on fire, and it¡¯s 140 degrees in here. Actually why aren¡¯t you dying, humans don¡¯t do well in that heat.¡±

    ¡°The brain cooks first, mine is all software. I assure you my health is not good, if this was my only body I¡¯d be suffering permanent damage right now. I¡¯m detecting severe pain, dehydration; my liver has completely shut down. My body is dying down here, I¡¯m just not feeling the pain, and I¡¯ll print new meat back on the ship. You just can swap memory cards and I¡¯ll clone a new body. I¡¯m dying, I just don¡¯t really give a shit, Vinn. I just got a job to do and I can¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s metal as fuck. Sorry about the complaining.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Be glad you¡¯re not human. It¡¯s absolute bullshit.¡± She huffed.

    After another hour of aimless walking, they reached a strange change in the temperature and environment. The cave became more cavelike, deeper, darker and less full of life, almost artificially carved, and judging by the filled-in supported arched doorways, they were near their destination. A stone stairwell lead upwards.

    ¡°Vinn, split up, we can cover more ground, you can move faster than I can, my body is about trashed. If you find Nicole and the key, leave without me, get to a clearing, and call for the shuttle. Don¡¯t argue.¡± She ordered. He sighed and nodded, taking off further down the tunnels as she slowly made her way up the stairs. She entered a candle lit room, regal and very castle-like with brass fixtures and wooden accents. Nicole¡¯s backpack was sitting in the corner. She dug through it, grabbing the gun and noticing the damaged memory cone on her smart glass phone. She sighed with annoyance and picked up the key, the red gem in the middle of the handle reflecting in the candle light. She pocketed the key and the phone, leaving the rest of the supplies. She followed the room to a door leading outside into some kind of elevated garden terrace, fenced in with blackened wood and overflowing with vines and lamps for candles. The sound of fountains and the glow of blue moonlit night covered the surrounding foliage of the outdoor garden area. Passing thick exotic plants, black and aqua marine in the lighting, she turned and moved her eyes towards the sound of movement. She locked eyes with a figure in the dark, sitting cross-legged and holding a goblet of wine. Her arms and legs draped in sheer black lace, a frilly layered dress of thicker black cloth, the corset and puffed shoulders illuminated a minty green like UV paint. An ornate lace collar with a single UV glowing green gem draped around her nack, her long black hair flowing beside it, and her yellow eyes a similar green in the blue lighting. 2 roses in her hair, and a rather ornately painted cheekbone accented her face with makeup fitting for a dark queen. She stared emotionlessly.

    ¡°Nicole?¡± Gizzy asked. ¡°The hell are you wearing.¡±

    ¡°Why are you in my house?¡± She asked darkly.

    ¡°Nicole we have to leave.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my name.¡± She said softly.

    ¡°Yes it is.¡± She sighed, holding up the cone-on-a-phone. This is a memory wiping device you apparently stole from me for some unknown reason we¡¯ll deal with much later. You don¡¯t remember who you are, something went wrong, we can fix it on the ship but you have to come home with me.¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°I am home.¡± She said casually. ¡°Master said there would be those who try and take me away, to deceive me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being deceived right now. Your name is Captain Evee Nicole Alekseev of the starship Medusa, I¡¯m your friend, I¡¯m taking you home.¡±

    ¡°She is home.¡± Said a thundering voice as the Master crawled through the doorway and stood on his back 4 legs, rising up intimidating and bold, draped in ornate clothing and gold. ¡°Aeless is not going with you.¡±

    ¡°Her name is Nicole and she¡¯s not only going with us, but she¡¯s married. So you can fuck right off, or I can cut you in half and take her by force, fix her memory and get her back to her real life where she belongs, with her family, husband, her ship.¡± She said shouldering the rifle, switching right to armor piercing rounds.

    ¡°I do not wish to kill you, stranger. You are not one of the hunters. You are merely confused and lost, much like she was. You don¡¯t understand how feeble your position is and how powerless you are here, so please, demonstrate your weapon and understand how insignificant you are. You will not be faulted this once.¡± He said calmly. She switched to high heat incendiary thermite grenades. She placed one directly at his face, splashing off and burning on impact, not even making him blink. She noticed the necklace he was wearing has a similar jewel as Nicoles, and it dimmed back as the grenade burned off, lightening back up and revealing not a singed hair or mark on his unblinking eyes. ¡°Are you satisfied with your mortal place now? He asked in a cocky tone. ¡°I am the lord of the forest, the keeper of the door. My power is beyond your scope of understanding and I WILL gladly kill you, and your friend, and your ship. She does not believe your lies and nothing will take my Aeless away from me. So leave now, and you will be spared, for I am a merciful god and life is precious.¡± He said as vinn came around the corner, weapon shouldered and approaching the target.

    ¡°Vinn, stand down. We have no power here.¡± She said locking eyes with the Forest Lord.

    ¡°Nicole, come on, we¡¯re going home.¡± He said as she stared at him in the dim light.

    ¡°I know you.¡± She said softly.

    ¡°No shit, I¡¯m here to rescue you.¡± He said.

    ¡°She¡¯s had a memory wipe, Vinn.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°Which is why we don¡¯t play with Gizzy¡¯s pocket cone technology behind her back, insert moral lesson and musical number about trust. She dumbfucked herself on that one.¡±

    ¡°Can you fix her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Not here, obviously, and she¡¯s decided to stay.¡± Gizzy growled, staring the Doorman Forest Lord down with the evil eyes.

    ¡°Vinn.¡± She said softly. ¡°I know that name, I know you somehow.¡±

    ¡°Aeless, they are tricking you with magic to take you away. They only want to take you to hurt me and use you as leverage. I have many enemies and sadly this means so do you.¡±

    ¡°No, I know this man. I used to sit on his shoulders and ride.¡± She smiled with a tear in her eyes. His antler were grown out and they made great handles. We sat near the fireplace. There was another forrest lord, one with dark red hair and a voice like yours. He told me I was his little one, but all I feel for him is betrayal. Vinn¡­were we lovers?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re my wife. We¡¯ve been separated one day, you just can¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°Enough of this deception. Past lovers, enemy tricks, it matters not what the truth is to them, they are here to take you from your home and keep you prisoner from me, to take what I have that all want so badly. You are a pawn to them, a bargaining trade for the Egg. Nothing more. You are everything to me.¡± The Forrest Lord said. ¡°So choose wisely strangers, exile or death, there is no other choice, and by refusing to choose, you have chosen death.

    ¡°Am I not a prisoner here?¡± Nicole asked him, looking sad and alone. ¡°I can leave if I come back but I must always return to you. You saved my life and I am grateful, but I do not love you. The feelings I felt for something in my heart¡­ they were for him.¡± She said locking eyes with Vinn. ¡°I don¡¯t know who is deceiving me, but I am not free here.¡±

    ¡°You are free as you can be. True freedom is death and capture, it is a false freedom to lure you. There is no truly free without being vulnerable to your enemies. You are safe here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not happy.¡±

    ¡°You rarely are at first but each time you return to me, you adapt and learn to be happy. You have many happy years with me ahead of you, it just takes time. Do not chase a beautiful lie. I will protect you from anything, and if I must, for yourself.¡± He said softly yet manically.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that would be understandable if she was this Aeless you speak of. If she was really home and belonged here, and wasn¡¯t trapped and taken from her real life. As an overlord myself, I understand the need for bars and gates to protect those who you love, but only if that is truly what¡¯s best for them, not what¡¯s best for you. Learning to be happy as a prisoner is not the way to do it.¡±

    ¡°Exile or death.¡± He said looking frustrated.

    ¡°Exile.¡± She replied. ¡°Nicole, as yourself if you¡¯re happy, why you always run away and come back unhappy. Ask yourself why you have to LEARN to be happy again until you run away over and over. Just think about it.¡± She said while turning to leave and stumbling as the ground seemed lower than it should have been, and made of cobblestone rather then polished tile. They were outside the manor, hundreds of yards from the front gate.

    ¡°The fuck just happened?¡±

    ¡°We lived to fight another day.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving without Nicole.¡±

    ¡°No shit, but we can¡¯t fight that thing like this. I got the key, I got the memory cone. We head back to the ship, fix this thing so we can fix her, and we figure out a better plan.¡± She said turning as plant rustling gave away the position of the hunter standing just beyond them. She readied her gun and they prepared to fight. The smallest one stepped forward, hands out and no weapons as the others held position. It spoke something and waited for response.

    ¡°Translator isn¡¯t working.¡± Vinn said

    ¡°Yeah, they don¡¯t work on languages we¡¯ve never encountered. They¡¯re adaptive but not magic, this is an unknown species. Give me a second.¡± She said, placing her gun down and hugging Vinn, shaking his hand vigorously, then extending her hand to shake to show ¡°friend¡± the hunter removed his helmet and revealed a reptilian face, large almond eyes and a sort of smile of sharp teeth. It held out a hand and shook.

    ¡°Friend.¡± Gizzy said. The reptile said something back, the translator delaying and repeating ¡°friend¡± it stepped back and approached it¡¯s other hunter, shaking his hand and saying ¡°friend¡± it then took out a dagger, slowly pretending to stab and slit his throat. ¡°enemy¡± the translator said. It walked towards the castle gates and pointed it¡¯s dagger.

    ¡°Enemy.¡± It said.

    ¡°Yeah, us too. I agree.¡± She nodded vigorously, shouldering her gun and firing a shot in the direction ¡°Enemy.¡± She established.

    It approached Vinn, turning the dagger around and awkwardly brushing his fur with the handle.

    ¡°Friend, Enemy.¡± It said.

    ¡°Vinn I think I understand this situation.¡±

    ¡°Good because I¡¯m lost as shit.

    ¡°They hate the Forrest Lord, or the Doorman or whatever he is. I get why. Did you notice the servants in that house? Reptilian. I¡¯m guessing they don¡¯t wanna be there any more than Nicole. We have a common problem with this asshole. They weren¡¯t hunting US, they were hunting you, because you look vaguely like the big furry shithead who seems to like abducting slaves for his delusional fantasy realm. They get it now. They think you¡¯re one of them but betraying him and on our side. I could also be entirely wrong, I am working with theories and adaptive translation software here. Look. He¡¯s motioning us to follow, leaving his helmet off. That¡¯s turning your back on a stranger. It¡¯s showing trust and we need to follow them. I wanna know this asshole¡¯s weakness before I storm that castle and walk out of here with a Nicole, the Egg, and a big furry head I plan to mount in the cargo bay. I know you want her back but he¡¯s not torturing her or killing her, he¡¯s just keeping her hostage and trying to trick her into being happy and playing into his delusion. We have time to strategize.¡±

    ¡­

    They arrived at a camp, where dozens of the reptiles in armor were toiling and resting, looking like they were ready to start a war. The small leader stopped Vinn and motioned to Gizzy, leading him to a large longhouse structure, primitive and temporary like a military camp¡¯s makeshift stronghold. She entered and in the ground was a large pit, inside the pit was a large animal, the same 6 legged furry beast as the Forrest Lord, but older, greyer, and beaten to a pulp, shackled and slumped down. She walked down the steps carved into the dry dirt and into the prisoner pit.

    ¡°Wake up nutsack, start talking.¡± She said as it opened its eyes and squinted at her.

    ¡°A human. By what stars and fortune do I see the face of two humans in the same season?¡±

    ¡°Cut the shit, Your false god king has my friend captive and calling her Aeless, and you¡¯re gonna tell me a story about that or I¡¯m removing parts of you that would make it nonsensical for me to call you nutsack again. Comprehend, fuzzy boi?¡±

    ¡°You have come for Aeless, then you truly have come to die. He will never let her go, and you cannot defeat him. Your friend is lost, and you would be wise to mourn her death and leave now. His mercy does not come in pairs, and if you return you will all die. We all have choices.¡±

    ¡°We do, left nut or right nut first.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but it does no good to tell you. I will entertain your desire to know, and you will do what you will with this, I care not for your life, but if I tell you, you will free me, or kill me. That is my bargain. The truth, for my freedom, in flesh or in death. I care not which. They are both better than being here.¡± He said.

    ¡°Alright mister, story time. Fireplace is burning, hot coffee on the table. Entertain me, bitch.¡± She said, sitting down and waiting impatiently.

 Chapter Eighteen: The Sacrifice

    ¡°Long ago¡­¡± The furry prisoner began.

    ¡°In a galaxy far far away,¡± Gizzy interrupted ¡°One prisoner got skinned alive for stalling. Give me the short version, Cujo. I don¡¯t believe in filler.¡±

    ¡°The Forest Lord has gone mad with power. He left one day and came back a god, and no one knows how or why. He built a castle on the backs of the hunters, by force, justly so if you know the history between our kind, but you care not for that. He has magic beyond this world, and while the hunters have been trying to raid his castle for decades, they cannot touch that magic, nor the barrier of light. He guards the Tree. Within this tree is the door, and the door cannot be opened without his hand. The room with the eggs lies beyond that, which is what you seek."

    ¡°So they key doesn¡¯t unlock the door?¡±

    ¡°There is no lock. There is no handle. It opens for the Forest Lord alone and for those he deems worth of an Egg. A barter must be made. He is a man of his word and man of honor, but to get what is his, you must trade for something of equal value. To get an egg, a life, one he values, you must sacrifice a life you value. He cannot be tricked, and he cannot be fought. You must leave or barter, and you must barter well for the price of the wrong offer is death. Not only death for yourself, but death all you brought on your journey. Your team, your ship, and your crew.¡±

    ¡°How do you know I have a ship?¡± She asked. He chuckled.

    ¡°You are not of this world, and those who arrive only arrive by ship of the sky. Your ship is not safe from his power because it is far away. You do not understand his power. If you make an offer he is not satisfied with, they will die first and you will bare witness, and then meet them in death. To ask for an egg, the very thing he protects, comes with a risk. Only those wise enough to understand the barter and willing to give what they do not wish to lose, may leave with one.¡±

    ¡°Okay, get to the Aeless part. What the hell is that?¡±

    ¡°That¡­sadly, is his madness. With his power came his own sacrifice. One like you and your friend, from the moon above, came down to our world long ago to find the power he had been searching for. He loved her, and she loved him in return. The Doorman of the time was old, alone. Longed for death, thousands of years guarding the eggs. The Doorman made a barter with the Forest Lord. He offered not only one egg, but all of them, to guard with limitless power. In return for giving his power, he demanded a sacrifice. The Forest Lord agreed, not asking what it was. The sacrifice was Aeless, and it broke his heart. Every now and then one of your kind comes here searching for the eggs, and most die. But the females arrive with another risk they did not expect. Those with hair of black and young in soul, he sees her in them. Aeless, returning again to his home. They never leave, there is no barter. He traps them, pulling them into his delusion until they play along and learn to be happy. Most eventually do, lose themselves in the lie, some even seem to be truly happy with time. He can be a very gentle and loving Lord to those who give in. To those who do not, he waits, for his time is endless and his curse infinite. I am old, an elder of my people, and I have been the 6<sup>th</sup>in my family to serve that house, under his rule. He is far older than all of us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t bet on it, I might have him beat there on a technicality.¡± Gizzy scoffed. ¡°Little bit of a god myself. You should see one of my fancier forms.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps you are worthy of the egg, but he will never let her go. No barter or sacrifice will sway his love for Aeless or his delusional mind in her reincarnation. Your friend is lost, her choices are few. If she runs, she will be found or the Forrest will kill her. If she stays and denies her role, his patience will outlast her lifespan and his love will only grow stronger for the next Aeless. If she lets herself go, she can have a happy life of luxury and lavish-¡±

    ¡°Yeah, fuck that, we¡¯re taking her home. We don¡¯t leave a man behind. What sacrifices does this bastard like? Gold, weapons, technology?¡±

    ¡°He does not want you to buy the eggs, he wants you to prove you are worthy of receiving one. The sacrifice is not a price of money or greed for him. He needs to see your pain of loss in getting what you seek, just like he did. Through sacrifice and suffering comes the power he has to share. What is the one thing you do not want to give him?¡±

    ¡°Nicole.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°She is already his, you do not have her to offer. What do you have to offer that is yours to lose? And make it a wise choice of genuine sacrifice, or your ship, your crew, and then your own life will be lost. There is only one barter. He will either accept it, or your journey ends with your crew.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy stood back on the ship, pacing the cargo bay. Jack and Vicki looking defeated as Vinn stood, stifling his rage and his urge to just go in guns blazing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to offer.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°I have an idea on how to get Nicole back, but then we have no Egg and we¡¯re stuck, so it has to work WITH the barter. Even then it¡¯s a risk."

    ¡°Give him the key.¡± Vicki said. "The key gets us through the door, that¡¯s the riddle. We trade the key for the entry.¡±

    "No that¡¯s the trap. Nicole had that key on her and she left it unguarded in her bag. He doesn¡¯t even know what the key is, and we don¡¯t know¡­¡± Gizzy said looking curious with a smirk. ¡°They key IS the key. It¡¯s the key to the barter, but not the barter itself. It¡¯s hard to explain, but we don¡¯t trade the key, we just need it with us. I offer my life. You guys leave with the egg, and I self destruct and send his ass to furry hell."

    ¡°He¡¯s not trading Nicole for you, let alone her and an egg. He likes brunettes with a young heart, you¡¯re a bitchy old warlord with blonde hair and an attitude. You think he even believed you COULD pretend to be this Aeless. Dye your hair black, you¡¯re still Gizzy and he already hates you. So we trade you for the egg and you¡¯re self destructing near Nicole. That doesn¡¯t work."

    ¡°We trade me for the egg, and I have the Nicole thing figured out. Trust me, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know, because Vinn, your poker face isn¡¯t great. That¡¯s why you owe me 9,000 credits. You¡¯re better at trusting and following orders than acting. I want you to look shocked, which is why you¡¯re getting coned right now. I got this. The only problem is that I need a better body and we¡¯re gonna throw one hell of a signal the moment I power up an Osirian body. Fire up the cloning tank. It¡¯s a risk we have to take.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy and Vinn strolled unarmed out of the shuttle. The Forest Lord and Nicole stood just inside of his manor, with the gate wide open, and a smirk on the Lord¡¯s face. Gizzy towered at in impressive 7 foot 8, her purple skin and claws visible but looking like herself.

    ¡°You have brought someone stronger to fight me?¡± chuckled the Forrest Lord.

    ¡°Not at all. I wish to bargain for an egg. You demand a sacrifice and what better sacrifice than a god bowing to a god?¡± She asked. ¡°But I have a second sacrifice if you will hear me out.¡±

    ¡°Go on, amuse me.¡± He said. Gizzy lit her eyes up and took on a glow. ¡°I am offering myself, my life to serve or die as you see fit, in exchange for the Egg, and as a god myself, there is no greater-¡±

    ¡°Your offer insults me.¡± He waved, Gizzy watching the sky as the ship detonated and Vinn dropped dead to the ground, the shuttle craft exploding as She reached behind her back and pressed her thumb into the now glowing gem of the key of regret.

    ¡­

    She opened her eyes and she was standing on the ship, prepping for the trade.

    ¡°Well, the delete key worked, but the offer didn¡¯t. Change of plans.¡± She said standing up as the others looked confused.

    ¡°We just got the shuttle fueled up,¡± Vinn said looking alarmed.

    ¡°We released a prisoner to deliver a message to the guy to meet us in one hour with a sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°We did that, it didn¡¯t work, everyone died, I used the delete key and rolled myself back an hour. The key works, the offer didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°That cloning tank takes 40 minutes to print a human, let alone 2 hours to print an Osirian body, we don¡¯t have time to reprint either.¡±

    ¡°I know, and the gem isn¡¯t lit up so I think the key only works when you regret a mistake, so we can¡¯t just spam it and keep going further back. It¡¯s a do-over, not a time travel cheat code. Keep the Nicole thing, I¡¯ll go as human me, be more humble. Maybe I just pissed him off with the god flex.¡±

    ¡­

    Human Gizzy and Vinn stepped from the shuttle craft, The Forrest Lord waiting with a less intrigued look this time.

    ¡°You again,¡± he snarled.

    ¡°Doorman, I¡¯ve come to barter.¡±

    ¡°Something more personal this time?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she bluffed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think with my power that I can feel when something has changed? I have the strangest feeling we have done this before, and you failed. So bold of you to return to me again, and more humble. I can almost see you approaching me in the same way but taller and more¡­flashy.¡±

    ¡°I offered my life and servitude as a god, now I offer my life and servitude as a human. Weak, small, unable to resist or fight you, ready to submit. And I have a second offer as well you will certainly love to hear.¡±

    ¡°I will hear a second offer when the first offer impresses me. Your life is meaningless to you. I reject the offer.¡± He said as she reached for the key.

    ¡­

    Gizzy stepped out from the Shuttle pod with Vicki by her side,

    ¡°Doorman, I¡¯ve come to Barter.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Why does that sound so familiar?¡±

    ¡°I had to use it twice or the joke wouldn¡¯t hit the same. No boys, no soldiers, just us ladies that you like so much. Dressed respectfully as you like. O would like to offer my pet Candice.¡±

    ¡°Pathetic.¡± He scoffed, as the ship engulfed in flames.

    ¡­

    Gizzy stepped from the shuttle, alone.

    ¡°You know why I¡¯m here. Osirian DNA in a bottle. That is highly illegal technology I have sworn never to sha-¡± she started as she stood back on the ship.

    ¡°Son¡­of a bitch. I¡¯m out of ideas.¡± She said getting up and looking frustrated.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°What do you mean, we just laid out the plan.¡± Jack said looking confused. ¡°No I used the undo key thing. The plan failed. The plan failed 8 times. I¡¯m stuck in a loop of bullshit and nobody else remembers it except lord Fuckwad in his castle and I have no idea how to do this. He won¡¯t even let me get to the Nicole part, until I do the barter, and he rejects it every time. I¡¯ve offered myself, my other self, the snail, Osirian DNA, Imposter blood, the mask, the ship, there¡¯s nothing of value here. We don¡¯t have anything he wants.¡±

    ¡°He wants you to suffer like he did.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want power or value, he can tell your life mans nothing because you just clone back and he can see your bluff. Candice, the DNA, those are all trivial things to you, things you don¡¯t wanna lose but nothing you would suffer loss from. Not like he felt losing her. I know what he wants, but you have to trust me.¡± Jack said,

    ¡°Okay, fine, I¡¯m all out of ideas and if we don¡¯t have one I have to bullshit it and try again to buy every hour to re-plan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get it.¡± Jack said rushing to the hallway. He returned with a briefcase and headed to the shuttle.

    ..

    Gizzy and Jack exited the shuttle.

    ¡°Here to barter. Just as sick of it as you are. The sooner you take the offer the sooner we stop doing this.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°And what is your offer?¡± he asked. Jack handed her the briefcase and opened it, he stared in confusion as Gizzy also stared in confusion. It was one of the standard pistols she printed. Nothing special.

    ¡°She¡¯s offering me.¡± Jack said, placing the gun in her hand and standing in front of her with his hands together behind his back, execution style.

    ¡°Jack what the fuck is this?¡±

    ¡°He wants a sacrifice, all you give him are prizes. This is a sacrifice. I never knew my parents, and you may have been a hell of a choice for a parent but Gizzy you¡¯re the closest thing I have to a mother and it means more then I think I ever told you. Shoot me in the head, make it painless.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± The Forrest Lord said, scratching his beard.

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m not gonna shoot you, this is insane.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the point. Vinn and Vicki are your friends and you¡¯d fight for them, but you¡¯ve seen a lot of death and we all know without you saying it that I¡¯m something like a son to you. A fucked up form of one but nobody on the ship means what I mean to you. You don¡¯t have to even admit it. I know.¡±

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m gonna offer him the gun and try this again, we have to come up with a better option.¡± She said looking frantic.

    ¡°That¡¯s just it. This is the first time you don¡¯t want to make the trade. Everything else was just stuff, meaningless. Nothing means more to you, and that is what a sacrifice is, doing something you truly don¡¯t want to do, not finding the easier better solution. This is the only solution.¡±

    ¡°Acceptable.¡± The Forest Lord said. ¡°Assuming it¡¯s not a trick that is. Prove to me that it¡¯s not, convince me, and the offer is made.¡±

    ¡°You sick son of a bitch.¡± Gizzy growled, Eyes glowing. She grabbed the gun and pointed it at him, wanting to blow his smug face off and knowing it wouldn¡¯t work. She looked at Jack, still waiting to die, bravely like a soldier.

    ¡°I believe in you, mom.¡± He said.

    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE!¡± she yelled with tears in her eyes. ¡°Say that and look back at me with this gun in my hand. Don¡¯t you dare, boy.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± He said looking forward and going silent. ¡°But we have a second offer when she is done that you will want to consider.¡±

    ¡°Well given the nature of the first offer, I am inclined to hear it out. And I won¡¯t even kill you all if I decline. That is my merciful side. It¡¯s been so long since anyone has earned an Egg. True sacrifices are so rare and that look in your eyes so seldom. Now¡­I¡¯m growing tired of waiting. Kill your son.¡±

    ¡°Jack, I¡­¡± She said choking up.

    ¡°Yes, you can and you know it. I forgive you, it was my idea. You¡¯re not doing anything to be ashamed of, it just has to be done, for the mission and for the greater good of everyone. It¡¯s the right thing. I love you.¡±

    Gizzy fumed with rage, spit moving with every heavy breath between her gnashed teeth. She growled in frustration, pulling her hair and pacing in a circle.

    ¡°I love you too, Jack.¡± She said letting out a yell of pain and pulling the trigger. He dropped, and she screamed a primal FUCK, bashing herself in the head with the gun repeatedly, turning the bloody gun and aiming at the Forrest Lord¡¯s face, switching to auto and holding down the trigger as he chuckled and the gun emptied. She threw the gun, turning away from Jack and squatting down on the ground. A cold silence washing over her.

    ¡°A very impressive barter. I¡¯m intrigued of your second one.¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up you sadistic piece of shit. This is what you want!? FUCK YOU. You should be ashamed of yourself, I hope you hate every fiber of your being for this and never sleep again, knowing the suffering you have inflicted on people.¡±

    ¡°I do. I truly do. I gave up my Aeless and regretted it ever since. It pains me to see this kind of suffering and know it is my job to ask for it. But I must do my job, just as you must, and have. Think of me as a monster if you wish, but this brings me no joy. It is a tortured job and a tortured life, and my only joy is when my Aeless comes back to me and the day she finally understands who she is, that is my joy, and the only time I can live with myself. The Egg is yours, you are free to go to your ship, do with the body what you wish.¡±

    ¡°On my world, we burn them where they fell. It¡¯s what Jack would have wanted. Enrich the soil, give life to the world he died on.

    ¡°The other offer?¡±

    ¡°Give me a second to think. Ugh, Damnit. The other offer was to give you Aeless back.¡±

    ¡°Not that I believe you have the power to do so, but what do you ask in return for this barter?¡±

    ¡°I planned to leave here with 2 of my friends, I¡¯m damn sure not leaving here without at least one of them. Your Aeless is gone, how many reincarnations of her have been happy and how many of them have just refused, ran away, spent their lives miserable and you watching her hate you and never give in? They¡¯re all replaceable to you. Each one just the same replacement as the next so what does it matter to trade one for another. Give you a better one for this one?¡±

    ¡°She is so much like her. You do not understand how rare it is that I see so much of her in the next one fate brings me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you say that¡­¡± she said, remotely opening the shuttle doors as another Nicole stepped out of it, something was different though, her nose, the shape of her face, ever so slightly different. Nicole backed away in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening as her double exited the ship.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± the copy asked, looking at the castle. ¡°I¡¯m home?¡± she asked, tearing up and looking overwhelmed. ¡°Master, am I really home?¡± she gasped, running to him and hugging him tightly as he went silent, unable to process what was happening either.

    ¡°Aeless¡­how is it really you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I was gone and then I was on a sky ship, she said I was going home but I didn¡¯t believe her. Is it real?¡± She sobbed.

    ¡°How¡­how have you done this?¡± he marveled.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m a bit of a god myself, don¡¯t you dare even have the audacity after what you made me do, to ask what sacrifices I made to get her back from beyond this realm. You may have powers I don¡¯t understand, but I have some you don¡¯t. Give me back my Nicole.¡± She said, drawing her own pistol. ¡°Or I kill yours in your arms and you¡¯ll never have her back. Oh there¡¯s that look I needed to see, pumkin. That look of not having all the power. I can take everything from you that you ever wanted and all I want is to leave with half of my friends. So let¡¯s play the barter game again.¡±

    ¡°Please, I was only doing my job. Take her, she¡¯s yours.

    ¡°And one more Barter for the road. Nicole, get in the shuttle craft, that is an order. So mister big shit. That necklace, it¡¯s the source of your power isn¡¯t it? Lie and she dies.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The gemstone is the source. Whoever wears it has the power, but in doing so they are bound to the tree where the eggs are kept, and they must continue the barter.

    ¡°This right here¡­¡± She said, ¡°This is Osirian Blood. My blood. Give me the necklace and I give you this. You lose your powers but you drink it, half for her, and you both will live to an unnatural age, you¡¯ll never get sick, you¡¯ll heal, you¡¯ll be just like my kind, minus the technology. You¡¯re both free, and all it costs you is that cursed necklace and it¡¯s power.¡±

    ¡°You have to put it on to use it. But you would be bound to this world. The eggs must be safe, they must have a guardian to protect them. That would be your curse for this power. Promise me you will watch them.¡±

    ¡°I promise you and your new Aeless will be together for the rest of your lives, and she will never leave you, and I will watch the eggs as long as I have the necklace. You can see the truth in those words.¡± She said.

    ¡°Then take it. The curse is yours to have.¡± He said, removing the necklace and throwing it into her open hand.

    ¡­

    Gizzy stomped from the shuttle into the cargo bay as the others got up to hug Nicole. She winced and Gizzy pushed them back.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know any of you yet. I have to fix her memory. I need some time alone on the bridge.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Jack?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°Printing as we speak. He got shot in the back as we left.¡± She said ¡°And don¡¯t worry about revenge, I¡¯ve got that covered.¡± She said pulling Nicole to the bridge, locking the door behind her.

    ¡°Who are you people¡­who am I?¡± she asked.

    ¡°This device is a memory cone. You stole it because you are an idiot, and we¡¯ll discuss why later, you fell and got it wet, you lost your memory. Luckily we have backups so you will remember everything right up till we left for the mission, you lose 3 days permanently and you¡¯ll be fine. You won¡¯t even remember this conversation.

    ¡°Who was the girl you traded for me?¡±

    ¡°A robot, an artificial cleaning drone with no soul or feelings who¡¯s just good enough at roleplay for sex to tricking delusional gods into thinking she¡¯s the one he lost. I modified her image to look like the painting. After so many replacements he likely forgot what she looked like anyway, the mind fills in what it wants.¡±

    ¡°But you took the curse. Why?¡±

    ¡°I took the cursed necklace. I have no intentions of ever putting that damn thing on. We got an egg, we got you back. Everything else was bullshit.¡±

    ¡°But he said someone must guard the eggs, without a guardian bound to them, they could be¡­stolen. These eggs must be very powerful and important, that cant just fall into random hands. After what he did you just gave him his life back, and left the eggs unguarded?¡±

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry.¡± Gizzy said placing the necklace in an armored case. ¡°I¡¯m giving this to you so I won¡¯t be tempted, and you won¡¯t remember this, let alone the password you need to set right now, that I can¡¯t see. Do it.¡± She nodded.

    ¡°As for their long and happy life with Osirian blood¡­Osirians don¡¯t have blood. I just lied to him. She¡¯s a drone and feels nothing and I never leave an enemy¡¯s stronghold intact. You know what happens when you take a robot filled with high explosives and have it drink highly radioactive Osirian coolant fluid?¡± she asked. A suble flash of blue light shimmered from the viewscreen of the bridge, as a mushroom cloud rose from the crater where the castle once was.

    ¡°You killed them both.

    ¡°She never left him for the rest of their lives, just like I said. And now there¡¯s no need to guard the eggs from his enemies hands, because I have the only one left.¡±

    ¡°What if those were vital to the survival of a species, what if the wrong hands of people intending to do evil, are your hands and you just killed whatever was inside those eggs. What have you done?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care. I got you back safe, we got the egg I came for, and yet again I got another unknown item I shouldn¡¯t have. Woopsie, kinda looks like fate has a second subplot. Who am I to stop that? And I had to watch Jack die, so truthfully, whatever happens as a result of that move of pure seething vengeance, I just don¡¯t fucking care. I had to kill Jack because of that bastard and his stupid riddles, so I just couldn¡¯t help myself. And because I have vital information to the mission, I can¡¯t even wipe my memory of it and I have to remember seeing him die as I pulled the trigger. So be thankful you won¡¯t remember this conversation or this mission, because I have to. And if Jack had to suffer and I had to suffer, and you had to suffer, I¡¯m killing everything he ever loved and the last thing he saw before I sent him to hell, was his precious Aeless melting down to the aluminum bone as she simulated the screaming agony of death. One can only hope there¡¯s hell he¡¯s headed to.¡± She said.

    ¡­

    Nicole walked into the mess hall as everyone stood up.

    ¡°It¡¯s me again. Just lost a few days.¡± She said as everyone gave a round of hugs. Gizzy awkwardly leaned into the group and gave them a hug as well. She suddenly stepped back and headed to the hallway. Jack followed her trying to slow her down as she tried to evade.

    ¡°Hey, can we talk.¡± He asked.

    ¡°Mission was a success, nothing to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, I remember everything until we got into that shuttle pod. I did a memory scan before we left. I know what my mission was, it was my idea. I may not remember it, but I know what happened and what you went through. I¡¯m not upset, you got Nicole back, you did good work, I¡¯m sorry you had to do things you can¡¯t erase.¡± She yanked him in tight and gave him a hug.

    ¡°Jack I don¡¯t know if I ever said this to you almost 20 years and don¡¯t make a habit of this, but I love you. You and Nicole both. Now let me have a minute.¡± She said ruffling his hair and awkwardly exiting.

    She stood in the Sickbay emergency shower, holding a bottle of vodka and snail extract, chugging as the water ran over her head. She took a deep breath and on exhale threw a punch at the fiberglass wall, cracking it and letting out a primal motherly scream as she repeatedly pounded blood and skin into the broken panel. She pulled away her hand, swiping her hair out of her face as blood colored her hair and exposed knuckle bones flexed in the muted light. She finished off the bottle. Dropping it and stepping out as it shattered, drying off as she went. She sat in the empty room, slowly and calmly wrapping her hand in gauze, looking into the void of the wall.

    Back to work. Things to do.

 Chapter Nineteen: Rain and Robots

    ¡°Bout damn time.¡± Gizzy sighed, as they approached the moon, gazing down at a blue world with streaks of light and dots aligned like a printed circuit board. ¡°Seems like every world we go near is dead and hostile, or populated by monsters and heathens. Nice to see city and technology on entry. Now the plan is to figure out what the egg does, and I think Jack and I will ask the locals and get information, one way or another. Vinn, you take the girls and find a shooting range. We need basic supplies and they need practice. The planet seems to have a database similar to an internet, so we can look up some of the shit, but there seems to be 2 primary languages and the translators can¡¯t make sense of one of them. Population is a mix, mostly humanoid and reptilian, so Nicole you should blend well.¡±

    ...

    Vinn landed shuttle 1 in a parking lot, the girls following as he waved down some people. He tried to get them to stop and speak, but nobody seemed to be interested. They stood in the pouring rain under the train station roof as Nicole wandered a bit, approaching one of the reptilians, who gave her a moment of attention.

    ¡°Do you know what kind of currency they use here?¡± It responded in some form of speech the translator didn¡¯t even attempt. ¡°Money, cash, buy things, trade?¡± She tried.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Said a voice from behind. A strange humanoid in a rain coat and top hat said with a smile. More primate than human, but speaking something the translators at least could handle. ¡°They don¡¯t give away money here. The greens are rather stingy. Young lady where is your hat and rain shield?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was going to rain.¡±

    ¡°An offworlder, I see. It¡¯s always raining here, except when it snows. Are you alone?¡±

    ¡°No, my husband and my friend are back there.¡±

    ¡°Your husband¡­I don¡¯t see him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s hard to miss. Big orange furry guy.¡± She said looking perplexed.

    ¡°Oh dear, that might explain the avoidance. The Forest folk are not well liked among the greens¡­or most of us.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not from the planet below, he¡¯s Delmarian. Totally different part of the universe entirely.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can see that, which is the only reason I¡¯m still being social. Their kind are a damn plague.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m familiar with that sentiment. I was abducted by one and escaping took some time. I¡¯m sort of team reptile myself.¡± She said Flashing her eyes black. ¡°Also completely different species. But still.¡±

    ¡°What a blended place you must be from. So you have no currency and are in need of charity.¡± He said adjusting his hat.

    ¡°Not charity, we prefer to trade. We have¡­Snail extract.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°Ah, well in that case. I shall do you a favor and take some of it off your hands for a very small exchange fee. On this world, stamps are the currency.¡± He said opening a pocket and getting out a number of beige and red squares.

    ¡°How about you buy us a drink so I know what those are worth first.¡±

    ¡°Clever girl. I suggest the southern side of town where your dear husband will not be bothered as badly. Come now.¡± He motioned with his brass and black cane.

    ¡°Oh, what is the policy on weaponry on this world?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I suggest you get one.¡± He said firmly.

    ¡°Good, we already have a bunch. In fact, we¡¯re looking for a practice range.¡±

    ¡°Then I know just the place. The prices are not as good as some, but for the safety of your party and a way to get stamps, there is one place I highly suggest.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy and Jack stood looking lost and checking the phone directions.

    ¡°Are we sure this is the place?¡±

    ¡°Sign says robot repairs.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s 12 shipping crates welded together.¡±

    ¡°I dunno. One way to find out.¡± He shrugged. They entered the building and a very dystopian rusty metal establishment greeted them with sodium lights and graffiti, not a living being in sight.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Gizzy hollered. One of the robots sat up from his chair and strolled their way. It was wearing a pilot¡¯s jacket and helmet, the helmet however was lit with gold lights from the inside, and filled with water. Several small shrimp swam about freely.

    ¡°How can I help you?¡± It asked.

    ¡°We need to talk to the owner about a robot.¡±

    ¡°I am the owner, and the only worker.¡±

    ¡°And a robot?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Well, hardly. He said. A small claw reached up from the bottom of the tank and grabbed one of the shrimp as the others scattered and a strange crustacean climbed into the helmet.

    ¡°This is my home¡­and yes it is a robot.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re an isopod living inside a robot.¡±

    ¡°Who is more qualified to specialize?¡± He replied through the speakers.

    ¡°Valid point. We need a humanoid robot, basic cleaning and housekeeping capability, 5 foot 3ish.¡±

    ¡°Pleasure model?¡±

    ¡°Not necessary, she just needs to move like a person and clean like a maid. We can do the rest.¡±

    ¡°Any particular skin?¡±

    ¡°We have our own.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°Unusual. I have something reptilian of that size, multi-use. Not a very popular model. They have poor balance and a very slow top speed. They make wonderful bartenders.¡±

    ¡°So good enough for a passable Dee I guess. We don¡¯t have money, but we have these.¡± Gizzy said taking a vial of snail extract.

    ¡°Of course you would. That will raise the price significantly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s damn near pure, medical grade.¡±

    ¡°I cannot take that to the bank or the booths, the average person would not exchange it, so that means more work for me to convert that to money, and time wasted is money in itself. 6 vials, and I will scan to verify them all.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ...

    The girls and Vinn were lead on a long walk to an underground alley with bad drainage and even worse lighting. Vinn pretended to be cold, tucking his pistol under his arm in case of bullshittery. They arrived at a very cramped opening with no markings, leading into a storage container constructed bar full of variously shady characters and the sound of gunfire.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Welcome to the Runner. Where criminal and commoner alike are welcome, as long as you have something to pay with. Barman, A round of moderate drinks for my new guests.¡± He said, ¡°And a Phase 2 for myself, sepperate bill.¡± He insisted.

    ¡°So now we know roughly the currency exchange.¡± Nicole noted. ¡°900 per drink, seems like a basic beer. How much to use the shooting range?¡± she asked the barman.

    ¡°4,000 per cycle.¡± He said as the translator corrected to 71 minutes. We also charge for ammunition.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have what our guns fire.¡±

    ¡°Then 5,000 per cycle. You get one booth. Tight fit for 3 people.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take turns.¡± She said. Vicki got Vinn aside for a moment.

    ¡°We may need to find a restroom, I haven¡¯t fed today.¡±

    ¡°You usually feed first thing in the morning.¡± He muttered.

    ¡°Well, Gizzy blew up my robot and we need the snail goop for money. I didn¡¯t have time to do my normal routine.¡±

    ¡°We really gonna sneak off to a shitty pubic bathroom so you can bit me while Nicole practices alone?¡± He asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much choice. I just need a hold-me-over.¡± She insisted.

    ¡°Can it wait till I show her a little bit about the weaponry and get her comfortable?"

    ¡°Sure. I just don¡¯t wanna wait all day and end up pushing things.¡± She said.

    ¡°Just chill at the bar for like 20 minutes. I¡¯ll get her started.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sounds fun.¡± She smirked. ¡°I mean¡­sorry. It sounds adequate.¡± She corrected, looking embarrassed. She turned her head, looking pissed off at herself as he took Nicole to the booth to familiarize her better with her aim.

    ...

    ¡°Rejection is a difficult thing.¡± Said the man in the top hat. ¡°I know that look.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°Listen Curious George, You don¡¯t know me.¡± She said pounding back the ¡°beer¡± with a look of disgust. ¡°God that¡¯s terrible.¡±

    ¡°Your friend wanted the price of an average drink, not a great one. Have mine. You need it more then I do.¡± He said as she accepted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate it.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s weird but it¡¯s¡­not bad.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping more for fabulous, that drink is 8 times the price of the one you absolutely massacred. Consider it a gift for your predicament.¡±

    ¡°What predicament?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Fetching and interesting beauty such as yourself, and not a blink of interest from your married friend. He looks at her with a smile and a glow, and you look at him with lust. That is an unfortunate predicament, however the arrangement may be.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not lust you see it¡¯s¡­something different. More like hunger.¡±

    ¡°Are they not the same thing?¡±

    ¡°Not in this case. It¡¯s complicated. Those two are in love, I¡¯m also happily married but my husband is getting us a new robot. That shithole planet below sort of cost us all something. I don¡¯t know who lost more, me or Nicole. But I have needs, and Vinn is the only one who can take care of it. It¡¯s not love, lust or anything between. It¡¯s a medical necessity between friends.¡±

    ¡°Oh, to reduce what you have to such a legal contract feels sinful in itself. There are men that can be rented here, to provide almost any need.¡± He hinted. ¡°Oh honey, they wouldn¡¯t leave the room alive when I was done, and that¡¯s the problem. That includes my husband, tragically.¡±

    ¡°There is something about you I noticed. You know I am a very good judge of character. Those two folks seem like normal enough people. Strange but harmless. Your eyes on the other hand, there is a darkness in you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just hungry, stressed, and frankly this entire mission was a mistake.¡±

    ¡°Mission, oh do tell.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have even said that much. I¡¯ll just say I agreed to something I never understood and I regret it. I wasn¡¯t made for this space travel shit, the things out there are not what I expected.¡±

    ¡°You strike me as someone who can handle anything thrown at her.¡± He scoffed.

    ¡°Handle is not the same as thrive. It wears on you. You know what I do for¡­what I DID for a living before I decided to follow my friends into the darkness of space? I designed clothing and handbags. I fucking stood at a desk and draw dresses and shoes and decide what material would look best.¡±

    ¡°I would have never guessed. I would have guessed perhaps bounty hunter, military, law enforcement¡­law UN-enforcement even.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a newlywed clothing designer with a badass husband, who thought I could play in his league, and now I just want him and Gizzy to get that damn robot fixed so I don¡¯t have to rely on someone else¡¯s husband for my own needs.¡± She said sipping her drink.

    ¡°Well, for the moment, enjoy your costly beverage and keep your eyes in their direction. Someone just entered you do not want to lock eyes with. Or worse, perhaps you would. In fact, remain here and facing that way, and do not speak to anyone but the barman until I return, I have to go speak to your furry friend.¡± He said getting up and leaving

    ...

    The robot opened its eyes, looking around and adjusting to the new personality hack that had been hastily hacked in.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a pussy!¡± She blurted, staring at Gizzy as Jack and Fishbowl stared blankly. ¡°I said I¡¯ll do the double cross thing.¡± She finished, blinking and looking lost. ¡°Did I already say that? I feel like I said that already. Is this real, am I real? Am I an original model, where are we?¡± Lizard Dee asked.

    ¡°Oh, you did the mission. Good job.¡±

    ¡°Why are my hands green?¡±

    ¡°New body, old one got¡­compromised.¡± Jack sighed.

    ¡°Forest Fucker pissed me off so I packed you with explosives and set you to default airhead mode.¡±

    ¡°You blew me up?¡± She asked. ¡°What the fuck, Gizzy. I thought we were friends or possibly lovers.¡±

    ¡°Realism mode 12 percent.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°What do you mean realism mode 12 percent?¡± She asked. ¡°I¡¯m 100 percent real.¡± She said.

    ¡°Oh son of a bitch¡­¡± Jack huffed. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your virtual girlfriend, Double Dee model number 776327.¡± She scoffed. ¡°Who the hell did you think I was?¡± she chuckled.

    ¡°So you know you¡¯re not the real Dee, but you can¡¯t turn your realism mode down?¡±

    ¡°I have a realism mode?¡± she asked, looking worried.

    ¡°Yeah, we fucked up the robot.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°That memory core is¡­legal limitation, right?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s under the 60 percent capacity limit for sentience, if there is a software problem I assure you it was in the transfer, not my robot.¡±

    ¡°So she¡¯s not sentient, she¡¯s just stuck acting like it. Great.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Am I an original construction or just some factory fuckbot?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You are several different models built from parts kits, modified myself. You are quite unique¡± Said fishbowl.

    ¡°Oh good, well at least I got that going for me. Am I a lizard?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Only until we can get your old skin back on. Can you modify the padding to fit these specifications?¡± Gizzy asked the wet cockroach.

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a medical grade dermal welder? By chance?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Ah, no. This is a robot repair shop. I have every glue and synthetic bonding agent to fit a custom skin of¡­¡± he said as Gizzy opened the briefcase. ¡°I prefer to not know why you have brought living organic skin, but I suggest medical adhesive from the emergency kit until you can get something better suited.

    ...

    Tophat strolled up to 3 reptilians in tribal armor and what looked like tactical gear.

    ¡°Gentlemen. I have an offer you might find interesting.¡± He smiled.

    ...

    Vicki drank her beverage and waited some time, growing impatient and annoyed. She waved the bartender over discreetly.

    ¡°Who exactly am I not supposed to be looking at? What dangerous people are behind me?¡±

    ¡°At the moment, nobody I am aware of. A few hunters were here earlier, but they left already.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have another drink, on Tophat¡¯s tab.¡±

    ¡°The man you came here with? He has been gone for some time as well. I don¡¯t suppose you have currency of your own do you?¡± he sighed.

    ¡°We have¡­snail extract for trade.¡±

    ¡°I have plenty, but if that¡¯s all you have, I have no choice. I hope you have enough to cover the trouble it will take to exchange it. We have this problem often enough. People arrive, order drinks and services and then the ones with money leave the ones who don¡¯t behind.¡±

    ¡°I got scammed?¡± She asked. "That son of a bitch. Where is Vinn?¡± She asked as Nicole sat down and looked at Vicki with a strange expression.

    ¡°He¡¯s not back yet? You left him¡­in some bathroom?¡± She asked with annoyance.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting at the bar for you two to finish shooting practice. We never¡­made our way to the bathroom.¡± She muttered.

    ¡°He left 20 minutes ago to meet you in there for an urgent necessity. The fancy guy¡­¡± She said, looking worried. ¡°Told me you said to meet him there.¡± She finished.

    ¡°So Vinn¡¯s just in the bathroom alone?¡± Vicki asked. They both rushed to the back and opened the door to an empty bathroom. ¡°Where the fuck is Vinn?¡± Vicki shouted as they approached the bar. ¡°How do you lose a 700 pound husband!?¡±

    ¡°They big man you came with?¡± asked the barman. ¡°I saw him step out with the 3 hunters. Has there been a crime committed?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Seems that way, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Barked Nicole. ¡°You just watched him walk out with 3 bounty hunters and didn¡¯t say anything?¡±

    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry, there are a lot of people coming and going here with various people and interests. My job is not to question, it¡¯s to sell drinks and ammunition. This is a bounty hunter bar. You 4 were not bounty hunters?¡± He asked looking concerned.

    ¡°Not the big guy and us. We just met the top-hat guy. He said this was the only place with a range.¡±

    ¡°Nicole, we need to leave now.¡± Vicki said, heart racing and breathing heavy.

    ¡°Not until we have answers. Where did they take him, who were they?¡±

    ¡°I didn''t ask, since I don¡¯t know them personally. They left out the back door, which is for emergency only but I cannot lock it in case of emergency so nobody bothers to read the sign. Someone goes out that door at least once per night.¡±

    ¡°Nicole, we need to leave. I can¡¯t¡­explain it any clearer¡± She said as her eyes faded from green to brown and began getting redder slowly.

    ¡°Shit.¡± Nicole huffed.

    ¡°Do you need a medical transport?¡± asked the barman, squinting at her eyes and her erratic panic breathing.

    ¡°EVERYONE LEAVE NOW!¡± Nicole shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t call medical, do you have any restraints?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. Why would I have those? I have this.¡± He said flashing a handgun, ¡°For emergencies.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna need it.¡± growled Vicki.

 Chapter Twenty: Blood and Bullets

    Vicki¡¯s eyes went crimson as she leapt the counter, smashing the barman into the glassware and spraying blood up the mirrored wall. One of the hunters at the table flipped the chair, rushing her and swinging it down. It shattered over her head and shoulders, barely stunning her as she turned, growling, blood and saliva pouring from her open mouth. She grabbed the incoming knife and twisted, snapping his wrist and shoving it into his own neck, taking a bite into the other side. She yanked her head back, chewing the strip of flesh and letting out a howl. She drained him dry as the last of the pedestrians ran. She locked into the movement and took off running, tackling one of them.

    A young woman screamed in terror, watching as Vicki crunched down on the back of the other¡¯s spine, leaving her paralyzed and bleeding out as a shotgun blast rang out near her head. She turned and locked eyes with Nicole, who was shouldering her weapon and shaking nervously.

    ¡°Please stop. Vicki don¡¯t make me shoot you, please.¡± She said aiming at the knee. Vicki slowly stomped forward with death in her eyes as Nicole backed away, unable to pull the trigger or run. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, please stop!¡± Nicole yelled. She hunkered down to sprint and just as she got forward movement, she was hit by 6 foot of Gizzydozer tackling her out of the way. She grabbed Gizzy and turned, slaming her head off the stone alley wall and dropping her. She grabbed her ankle on the way down and climbed on top of her to keep her there. Vicki stood up, lifting Gizzy and propelling herself backwards, slamming her to the wall.

    ¡°JACK! PUT HER DOWN!¡± Gizzy yelled as he shouldered his rifle. He blocked Nicole for safety and pulled the trigger halfway, freezing up. Gizzy swung her around and put her in the wall, just long enough for her to pull her foot up and shove both of them a good ten feet back. She sunk her fangs into Gizzy¡¯s wrist and like an alligator, death-rolled, snapping her arm in several places and draining her as she tried to break free, finishing with a stomp to the neck, leaving her on the ground.

    Vicki rushed towards Jack as he grabbed Dee and shoved her at Vicki, who latched on for a kill and hit the blood pouch, dropping over and staying on her mark.

    Dee struggled and kicked as she began to get full and slow down, pulling her closer like a hug, still sunk into her neck.

    Gizzy staggered up and switched to her left hand, awkwardly switching to shotgun slugs and one-hand aiming at Vicki¡¯s back.

    ¡°SHE¡¯S STOPPED!¡± Jack, yelled, standing in front of the barrel.

    ¡°Jack, Move or I will move you.¡±

    ¡°In your current state I don¡¯t think you can. You wanna shoot me in the head¡­again?¡± He asked. She gnashed her teeth and fought back a tear as she lowered the gun. Jack hugged Vicki, who was now holding Dee like a dead victim and crying uncontrollably, screaming in between breaths and squeezing Dee tightly as if she didn¡¯t remember she was a robot.

    Nicole ran to Gizzy both to see if she was okay and for protection in case need be.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Gizzy barked. ¡°She broke my fucking arm!¡± She said, more angry than deterred.

    ¡°Can we fix it?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s not dislocated, there¡¯s a bone sticking out of my wrist and I can¡¯t move it. It¡¯s what we call in military terms, lightly fucked.¡± She said, as Jack picked up Vicki and carried her. Gizzy followed him, dragging the dee-bot by the foot and yanking her up over her shoulder.

    ¡°Where the hell is Vinn?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. I think the hunters took him.¡± Nicole sobbed. They reached the shuttle, rain now fading from a sprinkle to a downpour as they piled inside.

    ¡°Restrain her.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Jack insisted.

    ¡°Bull fucking shit she¡¯s fine. There¡¯s 2 dead people in the alley and my right arm is trashed. You restrain her, that is an order.¡± She said pausing and noticing the side door was open. She pulled it shut and noticed it was bent outward in a way that prevented it from closing. She noticed something on the ground, and lifted one of the strange shards up. They were egg fragments.

    ¡°Jack, the egg hatched.¡± Gizzy said looking worried.

    ¡°We had it in the locking safe.¡± He said noticing the door missing and hinges broken off. A sudden barrage of flashing lights behind the shuttle got her attention as footsteps and guns cocking echoed over the rain.

    ¡°Hands up!¡± Hollered the policeman in riot gear and wielding some alien rifle. ¡°What happened here!?¡± He asked.

    She stepped out of the shuttle. ¡°We got 3 wounded being tended to.¡± She said like a paramedic.

    ¡°Hands up, we got a lot of dead bodies here and no explanation.¡±

    ¡°We got attacked by something. It¡¯s gone. My crew knows our biology well, we don¡¯t need medical assistance from some alien intern giving unknown drugs.¡±

    ¡°What attacked these people.¡± He said looking skeptical. She held up an egg fragment.

    ¡°Whatever came out of this shell.¡±

    ¡°Witnesses said it looked primate.¡±

    ¡°Tell you what, take a look in the shuttle. That safe door was ripped off from the inside, and our armored side door is bent to shit. You see the two girls covered in blood? They need medical care we have on our ship, and we have a crewman missing. You take us in, they die. Nicole. Take Dee and Vicki back to the ship. Me and Jack will stay here with the police and answer questions. Otherwise I lose 2 my crew and I can¡¯t let you do that. So do you wanna start a fight and get more people killed while something is out there that can rip a steel door off, or do you wanna take me and Jack into custody and let them go?¡±

    ¡°Goddamnit, let them go. Cuff these two.¡±

    ¡°Just cuff the one arm, the other isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡± Gizzy said holding up her broken one as the cop gagged in disgust.

    ¡­

    Jack sat silently, refusing to speak or answer anything as Gizzy refused to shut up.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you got an egg from the planet down there, brought that thing to our moon in a safe, and it broke out?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Broke the safe, broke the door, broke my right arm.¡± She said placing it on the table wrapped in gauze and a splint.

    ¡°How are you not passing out from pain right now?¡±

    ¡°Because my species evolved out of the pussy-ass bitch stage thousands of generations ago. I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯d like a water of you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ve lost a lot of blood.¡± She huffed. The door opened and a man in a uniform whispered something that turned the cop pale and sent him walking away in silence.

    ¡°Arch Delve Gystoria, head of the Lunar Planetary security division. Let¡¯s hear about this egg. How did you get it?¡±

    ¡°I made a sacrifice, and left a man behind.¡± She said darkly.

    ¡°Nobody gets those eggs. Nobody is supposed to know about those eggs. We read a large scale detonation on that planet the other night, and then you show up with an Egg.¡±

    ¡°Well it sounds like you figured it out there Carmen Sandiego. Long story short, we landed for exploration, That Forest dickhead took one of my girls hostage, I got her back, got an egg, and leveled the structure. Never leave an enemy stronghold intact.¡±

    ¡°How? Nobody¡¯s been able to put a dent in that structure in 1700 years. It¡¯s illegal to even go down there but hunters keep getting killed for it. How did you manage to get an egg and get through that shielding?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I made a sacrifice for the egg, then I traded for my crewman back and what I gave him was a robot loaded with explosives. He fucked with my family, I ended his life. We call that getting even, and he started it.¡±

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    ¡°Part of me wants to thank you for taking him down, but you just let out one of the eggs in a populated city so I¡¯m torn on whether to arrest you or give you a hug. You didn¡¯t answer how you got through that shielding.¡±

    ¡°Our ship has really good weapons, that¡¯s above your paygrade. And they are pointed down here in case you decide to keep us locked up long term. You wanna play this game, or do you wanna tell me what the hell was in that egg?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The mission was get an egg, nobody told us what was in it. Classified shit, we don¡¯t get told everything.¡±

    ¡°That was a raven egg. The last of an ancient species that ruled this moon long before we got here. That thing needs to be killed before it can¡¯t be. Right now it¡¯s just a baby, but it¡¯s growing in strength.¡±

    ¡°What about our friend Vinn?¡±

    ¡°People get abducted by hunters all the time. Consider him a casualty and focus on the bigger issue.

    ...

    Vicki sat shackled in the mess hall as Nicole fitted her with a collar. Her hair was cut short and covered in blue dye.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have to do this, but it¡¯s the only way. Vinn is missing and we have to get him back. Without him, you can¡¯t feed, and I refuse to lose my husband waiting on red tape and paperwork. We¡¯re going back down there and getting Vinn, and I can¡¯t have you going nuts like that again.¡± She said hugging her as she silently stared with tears in her eyes.

    ¡°I killed people. People who didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°Vicki, you¡¯re sick, not evil. But you are dangerous. Unfortunately I need you with me, so¡­I¡¯ve fitted you with a 300 volt Delmarian prison shock collar. If you go feral, I have to put you down somehow and I don¡¯t want to do it with a gun. So¡­here¡¯s a gun, let''s go get Vinn back.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± She asked.

    ¡°They took the snail extract, those vials have tracers in them. They may have disabled Vinn¡¯s com tracker but they didn¡¯t know about the vials.

    ¡°I¡¯m going too.¡± Said Deebot, grabbing a gun and giving Vicki a glare.

    ¡°No offense but¡­¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not part of the team? I¡¯m part of this crew too. I¡¯m your virtual girlfriend and I¡¯m programmed with all of Dee¡¯s loyalty to Vinn. Unless you give me a direct order to stay behind, I¡¯m inclined to go.¡±

    ¡°What happened to your programming?¡± Nicole squinted.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m not totally sure. It¡¯s possible my programming was loaded overtop of an incomplete deletion of an existing subprogram."

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose that body was like a tactical combat drone or something?¡±

    ¡°Bartender and personal chef.¡± She said.

    ¡°So how do you know how to use a gun?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. I have no idea how to use this thing, but It looks sexy holding it, and I know not to pull the trigger when it''s pointed at anyone on my side. So if anything, it¡¯s just an extra gun and ammo you don¡¯t have to carry.¡±

    ¡°Screw it, good enough. Was there any Vinn blood to refill you with in case¡­you know?¡±

    ¡°Half a bag. Better than nothing. Come on bitches, let''s go save our favorite furry boi.¡±

    ...

    Jack and Gizzy landed in the shuttle bay, noticing the other was missing.

    ¡°Damnit, She went after Vinn.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°Vicki¡¯s not showing up on the ship scanners either.¡±

    ¡°Jack, keep your head in the game. I told you earlier to put her down and you hesitated. You should have put one in her knee the second I ordered it. Vicki is not herself when she¡¯s in feeding mode. She heals, she kills, don¡¯t you ever refuse an order like that again, or I will put her down myself, and if I can¡¯t get a clean shot, I¡¯ll take a less clean one. Priority one is the raven. We can¡¯t fight two fronts, we have to maintain that halfasses story and take this thing down or people die. Vinn can take care of himself, Nicole is tougher than you think, and Vicki is a wild card. Focus, Damnit."

    ...

    They sat in the lab, staring at a row of bullets.

    ¡°We have no idea what we¡¯re, doing do we?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Winging it. So we gotta kill a cosmic entity, we have some cosmic shit. Living Tar in a copper jacket, Imposter blood round, ground up egg shell, and thermite round.¡±

    ¡°What about the power gem thing?¡±

    "Nicole hid that, I have no idea where. No time to search the ship. Silver bullet made from the mask fragment¡­don¡¯t think that¡¯s gonna do much, and this little fucker here. Hot nasty badass technology, no magic just Osirian tech. It¡¯s an antimatter power cell core bead. That¡¯s a last resort. That will level a city block. I printed a heavier barrel, longer range for the 7mm rifle.¡±

    ¡°So the plan is to just shoot it with random magic shit imbedded into bullets in no particular order hoping it works.¡±

    ¡°¡­yeap. You got a better plan? Because I don¡¯t. I have glasses that see mystical shit ,and these.¡± She said holding up a grenade round. ¡°That is hyper concentrated snail gel, Havocian tranquilizer, and tungsten barbs. It¡¯s coated in the blood of the other vampire we encountered. That cross venom contamination alone should shock her system. That is an anti-Vicki round. It shouldn¡¯t kill her, but it will¡­probably fucker up and render her sedated. If she goes on a rampage, Jack, I¡¯m not going to fight her, I¡¯m going to drop her. Those are your orders as well. Aim for the thigh, and pull the damn trigger, soldier. I don¡¯t have to tell you how sometimes you have to pull the trigger on someone you love to save everyone. Follow orders, soldier.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ...

    News hovercopters flew wide paths around a dot in the sky, near the edge of town, the construction zone. Several large robotic insects froze in their places as workers inside buildings bunkered for cover. A white streak of light shone over different places, searching for living things. Jack and Gizzy strolled out into the rooftop of a building with a good vantage point. Too far to spot, close enough to hit with ranged weapons. Gizzy adjusted her binoculars as Jack used the range scope.

    ¡°What in the unholy hell did we let out?¡± He asked as the white gleaming figure turned towards them. A pair of white angel wings flapped in slow motion, suspending a tall, lanky humanoid figure, the sheen of fresh white paint. Head to toe, the figure ran with moving patterns, like ornately carved wood fit for a medieval king¡¯s bedpost, but flowing and changing like a Rorschach test in the purest of liquid primer white. It had a vaguely feminine figure, but wore no clothing or tell-tale markers aside from a slim hourglass figure and an almost feminine pose. Its motions looked like swimming, except through air rather than water. Its head had no face, ears, eyes, or hair. It was just a shiny head sized almond drop. It was almost hauntingly beautiful, yet terrifyingly at the same time.

    It hovered in intrigue as a military vehicle approached it, orders of surrender shouting from a megaphone being met with no response. Then the sound of gunfire. The rounds sparked off the surface of i¡¯s skin like they were hitting polished steel. Its right arm extended like a blade and with an elegant turn, it severed the vehicle in half. The two larger pieces burst into flames and crashed to the ground. It thrust the blade outward, lightning striking it and flowing through the creature and into the ground. The rain turned to snow and the creature hovered silently, ice sickles now forming on its body. Gizzy applied her mask and turned to Jack.

    ¡°Well, great time to try out the new prototype armor.¡± She said, running and leaping to the next rooftop. Jack unlocked his bipod, checking his notebook again and the magazine next to him. The order of rounds was ready.

    ...

    Nicole slid to a stop as she noticed Vicki was missing.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± She asked Dee, who looked just as baffled.

    ¡°She just took off when that explosion happened.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fuck her, I¡¯ll get Vinn myself.¡± Nicole said lowering her helmet and following the tracker to one of the abandoned buildings. She spotted hunters, most of them ignoring her location and loading up everything they had for the new target hovering above the city. Gizzy hit the flight controls and her jetpack lit up, sending her towards her target. She went full auto with grenades, peppering it like a pesky fly and narrowly missing a white gleaming blade to the head. She looked for weak points and damage, seeing none.

    ¡°Jack, grenades are no good. Go big or go home.¡± She informed. He switched to thermite rounds and racked in a fresh one. Gizzy distracted it with another pelting as Jack landed a center mass hit and took off fragments, but only surface chips.

    ¡°It¡¯s like hunting marble.¡± He muttered, hitting the neck and marveling as it barely noticed, still swiping at Gizzy.

    ...

    Nicole turned a corner, firing 5 shots above the heads of the hunters and then pointing at the center one as the grenade smoke cleared.

    ¡°Move or die.¡± She said as Dee stumbled in behind her, shouldering her weapon as well.

    ¡°Unimportant.¡± Said one of the hunters. ¡°Small prize, better glory.¡± It smirked, holding hands up and walking to the stairwell to join the fight outside. It seemed like every other one was in a hurry to either run like hell or run into the bigger fight, leaving Nicole ignored and able to progress. She turned the next room and there stood Mister Tophat.

    ¡°Let him go.¡± She barked as Vinn sat tied to a chair, beaten lightly and heavily chained.

    ¡°Young lady, you are not a killer.¡± He said.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll shoot you in the dick, you¡¯ll probably survive.¡± She said switching to carbine rounds. ¡°Unlock him, run like hell.¡± She demanded. He smiled slightly, testing her resolve and getting struck in the shoulder by her trigger pull. ¡°I¡¯m not fucking around, that¡¯s my Vinn. Keys or nuts.¡± she said stepping closer and pointing at his groin.

    ¡°Alright, I was mistaken. He¡¯s a prized animal but not worth dying for.¡±

    ¡°To me he is. Dying for, killing for, castrating for.¡± She reminded as he unlocked the shackled and just as he finished, Vinn¡¯s hand grabbed his throat and lifted him up to eye level.

    ¡°Vinn, he¡¯s not worth it. We¡¯re not killers.¡± She said he dropped him and grabbed the gun Dee tossed.

    ¡°She told you to run.¡± Vinn growled. The man sprinted to the stairs and headed down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the shuttle, Vinn. We have med kits there.¡±

    ¡°What is everyone fighting?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Something above our paygrade. Let the killers go near that thing.¡±

 Chapter Twenty One: The White Raven

    Vicki stopped at the sound of mayhem and spotted the Tophat guy coming out of a building down the road. She shouldered her rifle and fired an auto burst, taking his head off as she casually went on her way. She followed the crowd of hunters, who were now dodging the pieces of their predecessors as the rooftop opened to a scene of slaughter. Vicki fired a few grenades and moved positions, now moving like one of the hunters. Everyone was on the same side against this monumental threat. The white raven swooped low, raking it¡¯s wing across the rooftop, turning everything to ice around the gash it left. Frozen hunters, both dead and dying, were also left behind. Some were struggling to break out of the ice. Many were missing limbs.

    ¡°Hey bitch¡­ we let you out¡­you owe us what you have.¡± Vicki boldly claimed. It tilted its head in intrigue, shrugging off some of Gizzy¡¯s thermite rounds.

    ...

    Gizzy slung the gun to her back, powering up shielding. She tackled the creature, grabbing the wings and throwing it out of the air. It was sent crashing into the rooftop.

    ¡°Back off Vicki. This is above your tier.¡±

    ¡°Stop assuming my tier.¡± She said, cutting her forearm with a shard of glass and letting her eyes go red. She went feral, rushing in and taking about 5 steps before a wing batted her into the debris like a rag doll. She sat up, half dazed and her bloodlust mostly gone as she felt a rush of fear and alarm. She tried to get up, before her missing right arm, cut off at the elbow. She gasped and choked down her instinct to scream. Blood was pouring out as she clutched the stump and scooted behind cover. She huffed and panted, trying to maintain any from of sanity. She let go of her stump, a spray of red hitting the wall as she frantically got out the vial of the living pitch and bit the cap off, drinking it and re-clutching her missing arm. She winced in pain, trying to stay conscious as she prayed to something that her regeneration would kick in. Gizzy exchanged punches with the creature, the armor lighting up red with every hit, and her jetpack engaging to keep her from flying back each time she was hit. The metal was taking heavy dents, being dented as if it was made of foil.

    Jack switched to the Imposter blood rounds. He took a headshot and watched it splatter off without even getting the raven¡¯s attention. He chucked the magazine, switching to the Living Pitch and titanium hollowpoints. He fired one round center throat, putting a hole in it. The raven looked shocked and halted its attack. Clutching its throat, it flapped and hovered. Its neck turned black, the blackness spreading rapidly across its body. A blackened angel now stood, mended and otherwise unharmed.

    ¡°Fuck. We just made it stronger. Gizzy, evacuate. All I got now is the antimatter rounds.¡± He said in the coms. She grabbed one of the energy chainsaws off a dead hunter and powered it up for a duel. The black angel casually reached out one of its hands into a scythe and swatted behind its back. Gizzy dropped and the chainsaw fell into pieces. She sat on her knees for a moment, flopping backwards as something pulled her behind cover and more gunfire rained from air vehicles.

    Vicki stood over Gizzy, one eye dim and her lower half still where she dropped, Gizzy made no form of response, her skull now glowing red below the skin, the reactor lighting her eyes up white and with a silent stare, she burst into flames and the metal in her head melted, sputtering and liquefying a hole in the concrete roof.

    ¡°Gizzy¡¯s dead.¡± Vicki said, picking up her gun with an arm now made of black bones extending from an elbow of flesh. The black and red muscle knitted into a fully formed arm, of a darker variety than before. Her eyes went red and began to glow. She stepped into the rain and stared down the winged demon. She let out a primal scream, like that of a banshee, and rushed the enemy. Ducking the scythe and stepping off the handle into leap, her black claws sunk into the creature¡¯s shoulders. She unhinged her jaw, a row of shiny black teeth gleaming in the overcast daylight as she bit down into the Raven¡¯s neck.

    It retracted the scythe into its hand, turning it into a single pointed limb and stabbing Vicki in the back. The wound began spraying blood much darker then it should be as she fed and barely flinched. The wingtips and feet of the creature began to turn white, the darkness pulling back to the center mass. The Raven was bleached white as Vicki deprived it of its vital essence. It withered and dropped to its knees, wings curling and twitching like an injured bird in its last moments.

    She pulled back, letting it see its killer as it fell to the ground. Vicki extended a scythe from her own hand and took a swing, severing the wings and the head. Another downward stroke was sent, slicing it in half vertically. She retracted the scythe and stepped back, stumbling and wobbling as the black tar melted into her skin and she looked like Vicki again, arm and all. She smirked, proud of herself and still grinning with red eyes and fangs out, flopping backwards onto the ground and staring up at the sky as the rain came down harder. The light dimmed as the shuttle craft passed over and landed. They grabbed Vicki and carried her into the ship.

    ¡­

    ¡°Nicole!¡± Gizzy yelled over the combs, coughing fluid from the cryo tube in the ship. ¡°Don¡¯t take off without that body.¡± She barked aggressively.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­gone.¡± She said as the remains of the carcass simply dissolved like ash. All that was left behind was a pair of white wings, now curled up and just a marble bone at the shoulder.

    ¡°Get the wings. That is an order.¡± Gizzy snarled, stepping from the cloning area, naked and eyes glowing with rage.

    ¡°Those wings are the mission.¡±

    ...

    Jack sat in the cargo bay, staring at Vicki, who seemed to be sleeping on the table. Nothing more, nothing less. Vinn doctored his wounds as a fresh Gizzy strolled in. Nicole tended to Vinn and Dee, looking as if she felt lost and useless.

    ¡°Soldier, snap out of it. What happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Jack said looking confused himself. ¡°She bit the thing and killed it.¡±

    ¡°Scan her brain, extract the memories and put the body in a launch tube.¡± She said, as he turned with disgust.

    ¡°She¡¯s not dead. Her vitals are stable, she¡¯s just unconscious.¡±

    ¡°She fed on that Pitch and then killed that monster with her bare hands. That¡¯s not Vicki anymore. Scan her brain for a fresh clone so she has her memories intact, dispose of the body.¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m not killing my wife.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a request. She was out of control before she bonded with that shit. It doesn¡¯t let the host go, Jack. Nicole got lucky, she doesn¡¯t freeze. If you put her in liquid nitrogen you¡¯ll kill Vicki. If you don¡¯t, it¡¯s not her anymore. Nicole was COVERED in it, and she doesn¡¯t seem thrilled. It¡¯s not ON Vicki, it¡¯s inside her, part of her. I¡¯ve seen that form before, and it¡¯s not pretty. Vicki¡¯s already dead. If you wanna put her in the coolant tank and finish the job to be sure, be my guest, but either way, dispose of the body, and clone her back fresh. Without the contamination.¡± Gizzy said firmly as Nicole shivered and looked afraid.

    ¡°Jack¡­she¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°They hell do you mean?¡± Vinn asked. ¡°It¡¯s Vicki.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t inside that Pitch. If you hadn¡¯t gotten me out before it bonded, I¡¯d ask you to kill me too and clone me back, and I know damn well I wouldn¡¯t come back right. But I¡¯d rather be partially me again than whatever is in her. Kill it. It¡¯s a nightmare, and you can¡¯t make it let go.

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯ve seen it bonded with a vampire before. It¡¯s not something we can control.¡±

    ¡°When did you see it bound with one of her kind, she¡¯s a one in a million fluke hybrid.¡±

    ¡°Jack it made your mother-¡± Gizzy said, stopping herself after her slip.

    ¡°You knew my mother?¡± Jack asked, in confusion. ¡°You said you never saw the pitch before. My mother died when I was 2. That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± He scoffed. Vicki opened her eyes, sitting up and looking dazed.

    ¡°Because she lied to you, Jack.¡± Vicki said, eyes still red, now glowing slightly. ¡°Mother Dearest died last week. Gizzy¡¯s self destruct took care of that. Mommy killed your father, left you to die, and then Gizzy killed her and didn¡¯t even tell you.¡± She said coldly.

    ¡°Says the dead woman who shot her before I finished her off. Jack¡­ I didn¡¯t know any of it until she hunted me down on that planet we crashed the shuttle into. She didn¡¯t want to be found. She was bound to the pitch and I self destructed so you¡¯d never have to know that your mom killed your dad. You¡¯d be better off not knowing, it changes nothing, she¡¯s dead anyway, she would have killed you given the chance and you are getting soft around the edges, Jack.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just¡­ human. You should have told me.¡± He said, looking betrayed. ¡°You lied to me, you kept things from me. I bet you didn¡¯t tell anyone else that you killed me for the sacrifice to get the egg? That Egg cost the lives of 47 people, firstly me. You do what you think needs done, but you never trust anyone with the details. You won''t even tell us the mission, but you want me to kill my wife.¡± He said darkly.

    ¡°You shot Jack?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Yes I did. It was his plan, which he didn¡¯t tell me until we landed and I had no choice. I killed Jack to save you, Nicole. He clones back fine, you don¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t leave you as a slave and clone a mostly Nicole number 3 in your place and just fly away. Jack knew that and he brought the gun for it. I made a sacrifice that kills me every time I think about it, and I kept secrets from you all to protect you from them and the burdens they bring. We all die, Jack, and we get printed off like new. If Vicki was dismembered and asking you for a mercy death, you¡¯d shoot her and fire up the cloning tank. The reason she''s not begging you now is because she¡¯s trapped in there, and the Pitch is telling you not to do it. That¡¯s not your wife. That wasn¡¯t your mother anymore when I killed her. She did deserve to die before she became that though. I stand by that belief. Any mother who kills her lover in cold blood so she can abandon her own baby was never a mother to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Jack, listen to her.¡± Nicole said. ¡°It¡¯s not Vicki anymore. Vicki would want to die rather then be trapped in there. It¡¯s not her insisting we let her live.¡± She said, backing up Gizzy.

    ¡°Oh no, By all means kill me.¡± Vicki smiled. ¡°I¡¯m more myself than I have been since that bug bite, and I¡¯ve never felt better. No craving, no thirst for blood, I¡¯m in control again.¡± She said stepping up to Gizzy, looking several inches up to her on her tiptoes. ¡°And if you wanna kill me and clone me back, go for it. Go ahead and try. I¡¯d love to see the attempt. It might be entertaining.¡± She snarled, still baring fangs. The two stared each other down like two hungry wolves over a carcass.

    ¡°Vicki, stop. Nobody¡¯s killing you.¡± Jack said firmly. ¡°Nobody.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right they¡¯re not, Jack¡­¡± She said grinning at Gizzy, without blinking. ¡°Because you¡¯d protect me against fake mommy dearest and her insane missions for the greater good. You know, Gizzy, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re evil.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little evil.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°You mean well and you really believe your saving the universe, I can see that now. You truly believe what you fight for, but that doesn¡¯t make it real.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s real.¡± Nicole defended. ¡°None of you understand, and I almost wish I didn¡¯t, but it¡¯s real.¡±

    ¡°Says Nicole¡­ Gizzy¡¯s favorite pet who she¡­ brainwashed and tampered with her memory as an experimental project if I recall. The Fear project. Nicole, you of all people should know her methods are madness and her sacrifices are high. Why defend her, or do you just have Stockholm syndrome, naturally or artificially implanted?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°Jack, listen to her talk.¡± Nicole pleaded. ¡°That¡¯s not Vicki. Gizzy¡¯s always been a secretive maniacal bitch, but she¡¯s also always right, no offense.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll admit that one.¡±

    ¡°She saved your life, all of our lives, multiple times, she wouldn¡¯t just suddenly decide to kill Vicki for no reason after getting herself killed to save us multiple times. Jack, be reasonable. We¡¯re all acting like ourselves, except her.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Vicki said, ¡°Jack loves me more than a confused little girl and a psychotic overlord who recruits us to die for some myth she believes. Jack loved me when I was dying of cancer, he loved me when I became a monster, now what, because I¡¯m a stronger monster with more control, he¡¯s going to draw the line and put a bullet in me?¡± She asked. ¡°Would a bullet even slow me down? You want to kill me and start fresh, keep me dependant on Vinn¡¯s blood, be my guest. Inform me what you know for sure would kill me now.¡± She scoffed, confidently leaving and heading to the mess hall. Jack turned to follow, hesitating and then following her.

    ¡°Fuck¡­she has one good point.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°She¡¯s the apex predator on the ship now.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just pretend she didn¡¯t just do that and move on, sleep at night like we didn¡¯t let a monster loose.¡±

    ¡°What if she is in control?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Honey, when you were being sold as a game trophy and we were rescuing your furry ass, she went feeding mode and killed 6 people. People who weren¡¯t trying to kill her or anyone. A woman with a daughter, a bartender just doing his job, and more. She¡¯s already killing people at random, and now she¡¯s basically a god with that tar in her veins. You haven¡¯t been covered in that, Vinn. You don¡¯t understand how long it felt waiting for help, thinking it wasn¡¯t arriving and wishing someone would kill me. That thing is behind the wheel. Vicki isn¡¯t even in the back seat, she¡¯s hogtied in the trunk without air.

    ¡°I know what to do, but it¡¯s not clean or nice.¡± Gizzy said darkly.

    ¡°Neither is letting her suffer in her own body while that shit brainwashes Jack. Vinn, are you with us?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m never against you, is staying the hell out even an option here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not anymore.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Well, it was worth asking. I guess in that case, I¡¯m with you both."

    ¡°Good.¡± Gizzy said ¡°Because we¡¯re cloning the real Vicki back and when Jack realizes which one he¡¯d rather have, that other thing is get really pissy and frankly I don¡¯t know how the hell to stop her. So we may just make her mad and she¡¯ll just kill all of us and take the ship.¡±

    ¡°I know what might stop her¡­ and you¡¯re gonna hate this more than I do.¡± Nicole said. Gizzy turned and looked confused.

    ¡°You¡¯re not even suggesting that.¡± Gizzy said as Vinn looked lost.

    ¡°What are we suggesting?¡±

    ¡°The monster that turns on the crew was supposed to be me in another timeline. She''s suggesting we create that monster to take on this one.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like that at all.¡± Vinn huffed.

    ¡°Oh, I assure you that I like it even less, which is why we¡¯re gonna think of a plan B before even discussing that insane suggestion again.¡± Gizzy said darkly. "Nicole, I respect the creativity, but absolutely fuck all of that bullshit right in the ass. Let''s hear some plan B theories.¡±

 Chapter Twenty Two: Mechanovore

    ¡°Alright, so here¡¯s the plan, everyone listening?¡± Gizzy asked as they sat huddled in the captain¡¯s quarters. ¡°Are you drinking a redbull?¡± She asked Dee.

    ¡°I need the caffeine to stay sharp.¡± Dee shrugged.

    ¡°I saved 8 redbulls when the ship exploded. You¡¯re a damn robot, you don¡¯t even taste it!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I just¡­stole a can and filled it with water. You guys got me on full realism and Dee drinks redbull, It makes me feel like a real person, mkay?¡±

    ¡°5 day old empty can from the middle of the mess hall trash can.¡± Gizzy said grabbing it and smelling it.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a nasty bitch.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°Oh, we really botched your programming. Anyway, we got a distress signal from a freighter. We¡¯re low on supplies and that¡¯s our excuse. Vinn, you stay behind with Deebot and say you¡¯re fixing her broken shoulder.¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t be suspicious when I don¡¯t have a bro-HEY FUCK!¡± she objected as Gizzy yanked Dee''s shoulder joint and broke it.

    ¡°Relax, you don¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    ¡°Offended. I feel offended.¡± Dee barked.

    ¡°No you don¡¯t, that¡¯s just a programmed response. While we¡¯re gone looting and looking for survivors, you clone Vicki from THIS memory file. I¡¯ve added a video intro of me explaining everything in a detailed 2 hour memory so she should wake up fully up to date on the situation. Once we get basic supplies, Nicole can lead Jack to the weapon''s locker to ''help you navigate it.'' Then, lead him as close as you can to the docking port before he gets suspicious and ask him some questions. Once he answers them... or doesn''t, you jab him with the knockout pen. By then, Vinn should have the new Vicki armed and ready to retrieve Jack. The second you get him in, disconnect from the ship, fire on the engines and the weapons grid here and here." Gizzy points to a couple of buttons.

    "That should cripple the ship with me and Evil Vicki onboard and I¡¯ll find an escape pod. Once the docking clamps release. Give me 6 minutes, not a second longer. If I find an escape pod, I¡¯ll send a signal saying ¡®Nobody is home¡¯ and that¡¯s the pod you pick up. Anything else, any other pod that ejects, shoot it. Full power. If I don¡¯t get out in 6 minutes, I¡¯ll self destruct and take the ship down. Either way we leave her on that ship.¡±

    ¡°What if there actually are survivors?¡± Nicole asked with a cringe.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be. That¡¯s a 3 week old signal, I doctored the display to show it reading 27 hours. IF by some chance there are survivors, get them to the Medusa, at gunpoint if necessary, just get them off the ship.¡±

    ¡°Look I know me and Vinn called ourselves pirates and stuff but we never raided a ship before. We only investigated distress calls and if the ship was abandoned with no survivors on it, we raided for supplies. I¡¯ve never taken a hostage before.¡± Nicole said nervously.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy, you just point the gun and say move or die, I don¡¯t WANT to kill you but there¡¯s no time to argue, move your ass. And if they argue, you buttstock smash to the face and jam the gun against their head. They¡¯ll move. You can apologize later.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m slightly terrified. What if I can¡¯t get Jack to go? What if Vicki catches on that we¡¯re lying and just kills us?¡±

    ¡°Well, Plan B if everything goes wrong and she kills us is already taken care of. If our vitals go down, the ship is set to go to FTL and start cloning us all back. If Vicki returns to the ship and Vinn¡¯s vitals go down¡­it ejects the cloning pod and then self destructs. Anyone left alive on the other ship has to get it and start cloning us back. If she kills us all and goes back to the ship, Vinn¡­ you get in the pod, eject, blow the ship."

    ¡°And I just die.¡± Shrugged Dee with the one shoulder.

    ¡°We¡¯ll buy another you somewhere. You¡¯re a non sentient toaster.¡±

    ¡°Eugh, well, ligma. You do have a point but still. I¡¯mma be real mad.¡± She huffed.

    ¡°So we¡¯re really doing this? We¡¯re double crossing Vicki and killing her.¡± Vinn said, looking concerned.

    ¡°Honey, Vicki is either dead or trapped in there wishing she was dead. It¡¯s a mercy if she¡¯s still conscious down in there.

    ...

    The Ship hovered in the darkness as the crew stared at the problem. On the viewscreen was an elongated T-shaped cargo type ship with 3 distinct decks separated by fins. Behind it was an ominous ring of light with a dark circle in the middle, no stars showing behind it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a black hole.¡± Gizzy said, crossing her arms. ¡°The freighter is stuck in the gravity well. By these calculations it¡¯s technically escaping the gravity, but at such a slow speed that it would take months at full thrust and they would be out of power and fuel. So essentially they¡¯re swimming uphill and getting tired and when the ships engines fail, it goes in.¡±

    ¡°You said there were no signs of life. They just left the ship running full blast and disappeared?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Maybe they hit escape pods before they got close and some of them made it and some got sucked in. These scans show plant life, oxygen, and aside from these readings, no living crew.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the one thing?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Beats the shit out of me.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°It¡¯s moving, but the scans don¡¯t mark it as organic. Probably a remote robot they left behind to try and free the ship. Luckily, that means it¡¯s abandoned and legally salvageable.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Nicole said. ¡°You wanna dock with a ship getting sucked into a black hole?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nowhere near the event horizon, that black hole is barely bigger then the damn ship, it¡¯s 1.9 solar masses. That ship should be able to pull right out unless the FTL drives are dead. It¡¯s running on orbital thrusters and maneuvering thrusters. That¡¯s the problem. They got too close and their FTL failed. Hell, if we had a week to spare we might be able to tow it out. But with no crew and no reason, and the fact that we don¡¯t have months of supplies to burn, why bother? Docking should be no issue.¡±

    ¡°Well, I gotta fix the damn robot.¡± Vinn sighed.

    ¡°You stay behind honey, We got this.¡± Nicole winked.

    ¡°We¡¯re taking weapons anyway.¡± Jack insisted.

    ¡°Oh obviously.¡± Gizzy scoffed. She grabbed one and stepped up to Vicki, holding it out and keeping her grip on it.

    ¡°You wanna let go of that gun so I can move?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m debating on weather or not I want you to have one.¡± She said pulling her closer. ¡°Now you listen carefully. If that¡¯s Vicki in there, then this goes without saying but if whatever is listening decides to harm anyone on my crew, I WILL kill you. Make no mistake.¡±

    ¡°You worry so much for someone your age. I¡¯m more Vicki than I¡¯ve been in months.¡±

    ¡°I hope so. I guess we¡¯ll find out with time if you¡¯re still on this team.¡±

    ¡°Ladies, stop fighting and gear up.¡± Jack said grabbing his pack and heading to the shuttle.

    ...

    The interior was oddly human, a familiar black and dark grey and the same dim lighting as the Medusa, but with plastic instead of stone and more futuristic supports and angles. The light had a slight cyan tint to it, like a badly worn out TV screen. The party entered the bridge, mounted high atop the rear post of the ship. A horrifying view was visible out back, and more screens than you could count, alien writing and readings scribbled all over them added to the ambiance. A ring of white lights flickered on around the octagonal room as the clustered in the center. A strange voice uttered nonsense in a robotic manner and the ring of light panned down as if scanning them for something.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to help, is anyone alive?¡± asked Nicole.

    ¡°Weapons detected.¡± The deep mechanical voice said as the gibberish translated.

    ¡°These are for protection only. We don¡¯t mean any harm. You¡¯re stuck, and you need help.¡± She said clearly.

    ¡°We got movement down the hall.¡± Gizzy said, approaching it, slowly. "Nicole you got better eyes in this lighting, Stay on the bridge and talk to it. Jack see if you can tell what¡¯s wrong with the FTL drives. Me and the new heavy hitter here can handle it.¡± She said while motioning towards Vicki, who strolled ahead of her as instructed.

    ¡°You know¡­you never seemed to have a problem leading until now.¡± Vicki said. ¡°It¡¯s almost like you don¡¯t trust your back to me, or you want my back visible.¡±

    ¡°Cut the shit, Am I talking to the Pitch or is Vicki being scripted.¡±

    ¡°Who do you have such a hard time understanding this? I¡¯m not being controlled or manipulated, I¡¯m being empowered. It¡¯s not a living creature instructing and whispering in my ear, it¡¯s a sense of power and confidence knowing I¡¯m not the liability anymore. I¡¯ve never liked you, Gizzy. I tolerated you. I know Jack respects and in a strange sense almost loves you like a parent of some kind, and I love Jack more than anything, so I tolerated you to keep the peace. I was timid, silent and repressing my feelings.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I did also cure your fucking cancer. I feel like that¡¯s something to consider.¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. You treated it, but you left it in there. You kept yourself in control, like you always do. If I play nice, then you keep creating miracles but if not, then oopse, the cancer came back. Sorry, Vicki. Looks like Jack has to go on without you. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°You think I intentionally left your cancer in case I wanted Jack to myself? And they call ME the paranoid one. Ha, they¡¯re usually right but honey? You just surpassed me. Jack works for me, he needs the work. You know the feeling now, the killer itch, he can¡¯t retire from it. You act like I¡¯m trying to steal your husband while you feed on Nicole''s husband for your enjoyment. You know medically speaking Vinn¡¯s blood in a pouch would take care of your thirst. That killer instinct is psychological. You haven¡¯t even tried to control it because you like what you have. You love the bonding of feeding on something as big and powerful as Vinn while feeling safe and in control. It¡¯s why the robot doesn¡¯t do it for you. It can¡¯t submit because it¡¯s powerless and runs on orders. You love having a big strong beast of a man submitting to your needs and you can¡¯t have Jack do it because you¡¯re stronger than he is and you¡¯d kill him. That¡¯s all it is. And Nicole let you because she doesn¡¯t want to question her friend¡¯s motives and Vinn is too damn stupid to get it. You¡¯re manipulating everyone too, I¡¯m just doing it to keep the team together and running to save this mission, and you¡¯re doing it for pleasure. So if I¡¯m a bitch of a boss for being this way to get the work done, what¡¯s your excuse? Just a shitty wife?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°You could have cured me, let me stay on Earth, my home, but no. Come with us where we can fix you on YOUR homeworld. Because you didn¡¯t want Jack staying with me. You wanted me going with Jack, back to your employment. He fell in love with me, an Earth girl, and you didn¡¯t want him quitting, losing your best man.¡±

    ¡°Vicki, or whatever you are. I¡¯m not the enemy you think I am. Sure, I¡¯m rude and bossy, but you act like I have the power to control the laws of nature to do my will and if I did, I wouldn¡¯t need you or Jack. That''s the whole damn point of the mission you stupid shithead. If I fix everything, I can fix the other you. The real you, the original, the one back on Delmar with the other Jack. If I wanted Jack to myself, I¡¯d just clone one. Hell, I did, I cloned me too. That¡¯s why we exist. I brought you alone for him, I brought him because he is the best and the only one I can trust. You¡¯re just pissed off that you¡¯re a side character and now you got enough raw power to bulldoze over everyone and be player one. You¡¯re drunk on power, and I know the feeling. What you don¡¯t realize is this.¡± She said bringing up her phone and expanding a hologram screen of a horrific looking broken image, an angel with white hair and teeth like hell itself. One blue eye, one red.

    ¡°Interesting artwork. And here I thought Nicole was the artistic one. She would love this, she adores horrific nightmare fuel for some reason.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a decoded image of the potential future timeline. Look at the details. That¡¯s my mask, my glowing eyes, my cornsilk hair. That was supposed to be me about now, because in another timeline I got greedy and started using the items we found. The pitch, the wings, the imposter blood. I made myself a god and it was apparently enough to turn me into something so bad that someone changed the timeline. But now you¡¯re doing the same thing. The teeth, the red eye, the Pitch, anyone could put that mask on and those wings. That could be you in the picture. It could be either of us. If you¡¯re in control, prove it. Hack up that black tar venom ripoff and bottle it where it can¡¯t get out.¡±

    ¡°Does Nicole believe your delusions too? I understand now, it¡¯s not manipulation for evil, you really believe your insanity. You¡¯ve convinced her of it. You want me to give up this power so you can have it, because you really believe you are player one. You can¡¯t stand anyone else being the strongest, the one in control, the one calling the shots. You override the Captain on her own ship, order her husband, and my husband, all for a mission so you can get absolute power and control, because you are afraid of not being the biggest dick in the locker room.¡±

    ¡°You are one stupid bitch.¡± Gizzy chuckled. ¡°I haven¡¯t been player 1 since Nicole showed up. I saved your damn life, and I didn¡¯t have to. Idid it for Jack. He broke rules to save you and I let him because I give Jack special privilege. Ya got me, favoritism. Big shock, Gizzy has favorites, whoopsie fucking shit. Neither of us are player one, I¡¯m just trying to prevent us from becoming the end boss of this stupid game. Nicole is the center of it all. I don¡¯t know why but she is. I¡¯m a side player just like you, and maybe the fact that we¡¯re both weak and tempted with power is why neither of us are the main characters. You¡¯re the villain arc I was supposed to be, so take it from the bitch who in some reality killed us all and destroyed everything. Don¡¯t fuck it up like I did, and if you insist on it, We. Have. Problems. What team are you on, Vicki? I don¡¯t give a shit if you like me or if you ever did, or if this is just something new you developed. Nicole is going to save the universe, and my job is to let her. I stopped the first monster¡­ me, from standing in her way, and I¡¯ll be damned if I let you take my place as the villain. So who¡¯s side are you on? Team Nicole, team save the universe¡­ or team Vicki, lost in her delusional god complex and scared to let go of that power... Just like I was?¡±She asked as something darted past them in the tunnel. They both turned and looked into the darkness as the pitter patter of strange feet faded away.

    It was a hard sound, like a dog¡¯s nails on ceramic tile, or an insects spindly legs on metal flooring.

    ...

    Nicole nervously palmed the injector in her pocket.

    ¡°Jack, you need to see something. Follow me.¡± She said.

    ¡°I can''t get the FTL systems online. I¡¯m not a mechanic. Heck, I barely know OUR technology.¡±

    ¡°Jack¡­ please. I need to talk to you. There¡¯s something you need to see.¡± She begged. He followed her with a sigh, already knowing what this was about.

    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to convince me to turn on Vicki, it won¡¯t work.¡± He said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯d never ask you to betray your wife. You know me, you¡¯re like a brother to me. We trust each other, right?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I hope so. Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Back to the..shi-¡± She said, before suddenly noticing the main hall doors closed and sealed shut.

    ¡°Could have sworn those were open when we got here.¡± He noted, as the putter patter of soft soles scurried across the floors in the dark.

    ¡°What the hell¡­ Scanners show 3 of those robots now¡­ and one is almost registering as organic. It can¡¯t seem to decide what kind.¡± She said.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a damn ghost ship. Why would anything out here not be some kind of haunted trap?¡± He said while hefting his weapon.

    ¡°Jack, don¡¯t get carried away. It¡¯s not attacking us, it''s just moving. Maybe it was scared and hiding.¡± She said sniffing the air. ¡°Do you smell that?¡±

    "No.¡± Jack said. ¡°What does it smell like?¡±

    ¡°¡­me.¡± She said, squinting as her eyes turned back and the lights went off afterwards.

    ...

    Gizzy and Vicki readied weapons as the hard footsteps went softer, like rubber boots.

    ¡°Vicki, I know you have a thing for murdering random people now, but please refrain from firing unless something actually attacks us.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± She growled.

    From the shadows stepped a slow walking human figure, female, thin build, and brown hair. The gun lights cast a shadow through her leg bones, as the metal frame slowly grew flesh over it. The nude figure¡¯s skin turned dark grey from ankle to hip bone, and from just above the navel to just below the arm, raising and texturizing like leather clothing¡­very similar to Vicki¡¯s clothing. Her eyes and lips reddened, blood running from her eye sockets and a fang-heavy mouth opened with a hiss.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m officially sick of vampires in space.¡± Gizzy sighed. Vicki¡¯s eyes went red and her fangs lengthen as well, matching her energy. ¡°Vicki, I swear to Odin, if you bite her and get liquid metal shapeshifting powers, I¡¯m just calling it cheating.¡±

    ...

    Jack stepped back to get a range advantage and as Nicole turned, the door shut between them.

    ¡°Oh, bullshit on rice!¡± She barked, turning to face the creature as her eyes tracked it in the dark. ¡°I can see you without lights, asshole, don¡¯t try anything stupid. Either come out friendly or stay down.¡± She warned. A mass dropped from the ceiling directly in front of her with a metal clank. A vaguely frog-like shape gleamed like polished chrome as the backlighting obscured Nicole¡¯s vision. The shiny bald head went dark and fluffed out into shoulder length hair as Nicole''s eyes adjusted. Squatting in a very reptilian pose as if ready to timidly leap away, was¡­ Nicole. Kinda. Her eyes were large and almond, her body language very animalistic, but the general dark hair, facial shape and body size was oddly similar to what you would describe as Nicole.

    Something was more Menacodian, the twitchy movements, the curious childlike wonder in her stare.

    ¡°You¡¯re like me, aren¡¯t you?¡± She asked, is scuttered backwards, like a gecko, timid and yet curious. ¡°Oh, of course you have bigger tits though. You¡¯re more alien and reptile, but your tits are bigger. Everyone¡¯s tits are bigger, the damn computer chair¡¯s tits are bigger. I feel called out. I call shenanigans.¡± Nicole said while lowering her gun. The creature rapidly scuttered closer, still naked and on all fours, reaching out with skinny fingers and an additional thumb on each hand, just to timidly poke Nicole¡¯s hand. It retracted its arm with a goofy smile, and scurried back into the dark of the room.

    ¡°Okay¡­ nice to meet you.¡±

    ...

    Another figure in the dark approached, making its way to surround Gizzy, who smirked and activated her armor. Metal plates folded out and her battle mask snapped into place.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see you bite through this, sucker.¡± She said, turning as the figure finished unfolding its own head to toe body armor. In fact, it appeared to be entirely made of armor, joints and muscles just hinges and gears. ¡°They¡¯re copying us.¡± She whispered.

 Chapter Twenty Three: The Queen

    The mechanical soldier squinted its eyes, adjusting its armored hockey mask like Gizzy would. It even had her build, armored breasts, broad shoulders and all.

    "See how well you copy this move.¡± She said suddenly shifting her feet and running away. She slid to a stop at the end of a hallway. It followed in confusion. She peered around it as Vicki and her double exchanged strikes and bites. Vicki finally landed the neck chomp and snapped its mechanical spine, tearing off the creature''s head. The wall behind her moved, and a bundle of cables gave way to another thin lanky creature, sprouting flesh and fangs.

    The beefier titan approached Gizzy as the door shut behind it. She smirked, hoping it would separate them.

    ¡°Alright you tanky bastard,¡± She said while powering up shielding. ¡°What are you waiting for? Fight me. Go for it.¡±

    ...

    The cloning tank hummed and the doors opened. Vicki gasped and sat up, holding her head and looking terrified.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you¡¯re okay.¡± Vinn said putting a towel over her. ¡°Did the message work?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I think so. We have to go get Jack.¡±

    ¡°Orders were to stay and guard the ship against¡­ well, you. The you that¡¯s not as friendly. Orders from the Captain, AND Gizzy are that you stay here and stay safe, and I¡¯m not leaving you. Jack can handle himself, and we have several plans for what happens next. Just relax and get your wits together."

    ...

    Jack stood dumbfounded, rifle ready as a pistol holstered ginger man about his age strolled down the hall. There was a strange familiarity to his swagger, almost cocky and rebellious. If the hair was salt and pepper black and grey, and he was build a bit sturdier, he could have almost passed for his father.

    ¡°Hey there. Captain Jeff Spade. Welcome to the SS Circe.¡±

    ¡°There are no life signs on the ship.¡± Jack said skeptically.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because your equipment doesn¡¯t know what it¡¯s looking for. Kinda hard to scan for life signs when you don¡¯t know every form of life out there to scan.¡±

    ¡°You seem awfully human to me. Too human.¡±

    ¡°Well what would you prefer, exactly Jacky boy?¡± He asked, ¡°White hair? Fangs?¡± He smiled. ¡°The last organics we encountered called us Mechanovore. We prefer to be identified by our hierarchy numbers, so you can call me Jeff or One."

    ¡°What¡¯s your crew count?¡±

    ¡°5, if you count the kid. We came out here for exploration, and found something we couldn¡¯t seem to get away from. Two things. Firstly, a search for a list of items, and secondly, this black hole it lead us to. Turns out this ship is older than we thought, and the engines just weren''t taken care of. Hell of a mistake to make. We got in too close, got the item, and found out that the distortion drive was just itching to break.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t your ship.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°It is now. We found it and searched it. Found nothing but dead people who starved long ago and no escape pods. The old crew was looking for the lost items, they found one and died for the second. The corpses weren¡¯t about to argue with us or pull rank, so it¡¯s our ship and our home now. Our item, and until we got stuck, our quest to continue.¡±

    ¡°Midwest accent, military swagger, red hair. You¡¯re not just too human for comfort, you¡¯re too me for comfort.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you feel that way, kinda the opposite of what I was going for. You know we can¡¯t get it perfect, there¡¯s a lot of guessing and filling in the blanks.¡±

    ¡°What do you really look like?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nothing you would recognize. Hell, nothing your scanners even recognized as life. We blended in with the ship¡¯s mechanical systems until we decided you weren¡¯t here to kill us. You just want the ship to salvage, or did you come for the blade?¡±

    ¡°We want to help. We thought the ship was abandoned. If we knew there were survivors aboard we wouldn¡¯t have been as aggressive. We didn¡¯t even know there was an item onboard. They just seem to find us. You need to come with us, this ship is screwed, and it¡¯s not worth saving even if we knew how to fix it and pull it out of the gravity well.¡±

    ¡°Well there¡¯s your problem Jack. We can¡¯t go with you. You wouldn¡¯t like that very much. You see we¡¯re not just living in the ship as a home, we need a ship to survive. Mechanovore means one who consumes the machine, but the machine is as much consuming us as we are it. The ship is our host. Something we connect to and blend with. In the same way your organs need skin and bone to connect to just to survive, we need a hull and wiring.¡± He said, sitting down on a swiveling chair and propping his feet up.

    "You really want 5 living beings intertwined with your ship, controlling its every system, communicating with each other through the cables and cameras? Gizzy would not trust that, and she¡¯s right for being paranoid. Trusting that power over your family is a mistake. No, she¡¯d make a fine ship if your crew was more like the reptilians of this one¡­ already dead and less likely to give a damn. Seeing as how half of your crew is engaged in combat as we speak, I don¡¯t think we are a compatible set of families.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy and... Vicki?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well, Nicole is quite friendly it seems, Gizzy is far too defensive to share, and Vicki¡­ oh she is an entirely new animal than any we have faced before.¡±

    ¡°Careful, that¡¯s my wife.¡± He said coldly.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked. "You know, we can¡¯t exactly read your mind like a textbook, but we can scan enough to get general feelings, emotions, blurry images from your mind. Like this man you both respect and love, but barely remember.¡±

    ¡°My father, Roman. You took your form off of broken bits of my father¡¯s memory and scans of me.¡±

    ¡°Well I couldn¡¯t just borrow your cloning device, I don¡¯t even know how it works, and you all seem very mixed about it. Your Nicole is a very kind soul. We¡¯re not sure about Gizzy, but Vicki¡¯s first thought was to kill. Now I don¡¯t know what you do exactly, Jack, but I know you¡¯ve seen a lot of death, and your first instinct was to understand your target and decide if you needed to kill them. Her first instinct was to go for it. That¡¯s the woman you love? Your feelings and the blurry memories of her seem different. Sleeping the day away, reading books in the window nook in the rain, a lot of tears, but not a lot of blood and violence. When did she change?¡± He asked.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Less than a year ago. She got bitten by something that mutated her cancer.¡±

    ¡°After that¡­ what changed more recently?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to understand that myself.¡±

    ¡°My job is to protect my family. We have that in common without copying your physical attributes. As the captain, and as a father, my job is defending this ship and my crew. Your shy little wife is making that very difficult.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a hive mind, using the ship as a host for your family. And your ship is running out of fuel, so you need our help.¡± Jack pieced together.

    ¡°Which is the only reason 3 is not killing your Vicki. As long as she ship has parts to draw from, we can heal and keep fighting, but that woman is not here to help, she is here to destroy. She has torn through 3 bodies so far, as far as she knows each one is a life lost and she has no regret or intent to slow down. We like your crew, but we reject your help with her on our ship. Leave the ship, or we will have no choice but to fight back, not with hate or with defense, but with purpose and with effectiveness. You understand.¡±

    ¡°I think I do." He said, rubbing his eyes and sniffing slightly.

    ¡°Jack¡­¡± Nicole said behind him, standing beside a weird copy of herself, just a little more childlike and more seamonster. ¡°You need to see something.¡± She said, holding out her phone.

    ¡°Home.¡± Said copy Nicole, booping the screen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, is this¡­ live video?¡± He asked, looking betrayed.

    ¡°Jack, she¡¯s not Vicki anymore¡­ that is. It¡¯s a perfect clone of her from 2 weeks ago. Vinn did 2 full medical checks, she¡¯s identical, just like your copies. She¡¯s safe and alone and she misses you, and she¡¯s on the ship waiting for you to come back. Please don¡¯t do anything stupid and make her have to watch you step out of that cloning tank again. Don¡¯t get yourself killed. Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ¡°You cloned Vicki, behind our back. You intended to leave her here and let the ship fall into the back hole.¡± He sniffed, ¡°And just let her die. Clone her back all shiny and new again.¡± He said, fighting his own feelings on the matter.

    ¡°Vicki might be in there, suffering, bottled up like a prisoner without a voice to scream or a hand to reach out, or she may be gone already. Jack, let her go, let that monster go and go back to the ship to the real Vicki.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all just¡­ disposable one time use people, aren¡¯t we?¡± He said, starting to cry and scraping his fingers through his hair in frustration.

    ¡°Unfortunately we are. But we can live our best life the best way we can, and that life is waiting for you, on that ship, sitting with Vinn and¡­ let''s just say Dee for simplicity¡¯s sake. Don¡¯t stay and fight, don¡¯t lose yourself too. Come on Jack. Let''s go home, this mission is over. We¡¯ll find the next item on the Medusa¡¯s never-ending list of weird mystical shit, and eventually do what we came here to do¡­ save the ones we love.¡± He silently turned and stormed off towards the ship, the doors opening and letting him pass.

    ¡°Nicole. The list you speak of.¡± He said. ¡°We have failed against what you are still fighting against.¡± He said while handing her a heavy chrome cylinder with black end caps. ¡°Take it with you. We don¡¯t need it anymore. Maybe it¡¯s what you came here to find.¡± He said.

    ¡°What if you need it?¡± She asked. He chuckled and held his arms up as if to show the ship around himself. ¡°We¡¯re bound to a sinking ship, hoping to be rescued by a ship with no crew, or waiting to die alone. No host ship is coming to save us. No crew willing to die or share to save us, and you can¡¯t help us. Jack said the engines are shot. We have a month left to be a family together and then our story is over. Take it. It¡¯s what we died for, someone should have it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair¡­ can you take a shuttle craft. Will that sustain you?¡±

    ¡°Not all of us. None of us will be the one survive and leave the others. We are a doomed ghost ship as your friend would say.¡± He smiled sadly as Gizzy came tromping her way through a series of opening doors, bloody and bruised and looking annoyed.

    ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡± She nodded. ¡°Thanks for the hospitality.¡± She coughed.

    ¡°You¡¯re missing one of your family.¡± He said. Nicole turned the phone around and showed Vicki playing cards with Vinn and Dee in the mess hall.

    ¡°No we¡¯re not. That¡¯s not Vicki. You said if we refused to leave, you would have no choice but to kill us.¡± She said.

    ¡°I did.¡± The captain said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer. Close the door behind us. Vent her into the black hole when it¡¯s shut.¡±

    ¡°Someone so full of love and understanding, Captain of her ship, giving the order to kill one of her crew. I¡¯m so sorry for whatever lead to this difficult choice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Gizzy said coldly. ¡°We all die, we all repeat. It¡¯s kind of our thing. Vicki is long gone and whatever that thing is pretending to be her was going to kill us all, so fuck her and every Monstrous pile of Pitch from that forsaken planet of parasites. They can all die in hell. I know in my heart if she returned, one of us or all of us would die by her hand. That¡¯s not Vicki anymore. One has to protect their family from evil. You¡¯d do the same for yours. I¡¯m sorry we can¡¯t save you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you couldn¡¯t save her.¡± He said.

    ¡°We did¡­ on solid state drives and backup files. This isn¡¯t a ghost ship, it¡¯s a home. We¡¯re the ghosts on your ship.¡± Gizzy said waving Nicole to follow.

    She waved at the Nicole copy who waved back enthusiastically. She welled up and sobbed, knowing she¡¯d never grow up and have a full life, blissfully ignorant to their impending doom.

    ...

    Gizzy sat on the bridge, watching as a flash of light and a small puff of flame shot from the ship, venting out debris and a single human shaped body.

    She felt oddly satisfied and moderately ashamed to feel that way. She looked over at the sample vial of the back Pitch, locked away in the freezer. She kicked her feet up, finishing the details on her neon orange fingernail polish. She swiveled her chair and raised them to the vial.

    ¡°So you can¡¯t miss it.¡± She said, staring with hate as it stared back, frozen in the tube. ¡°Next time you even think about touching one of my crew¡­¡± She whispered to the vial. ¡°I¡¯m going back to your world and I¡¯m gonna burn into ashes and kill every last one of your kind and I¡¯m gonna sleep like a baby that night. Alcohol free and smiling. So if you can hear me in there you sticky son of a bitch¡­ play dead. Play dead until you believe it yourself.¡± She finished, heading out of the room and in the direction of a hot shower. She stopped at the lab to drop off the item, and a piece of the Mechanovore that broke off during the fight. She looked at the metal tube they gave them, noticing a thin precision seam in the middle. She gave it a hefty turn and it unscrewed. From the soft centered case she drew a large dagger, gold and what appeared to be black plastic or soft stone decorated the handle and hilt. waves of black raised embossing flowing down the green blade. She held it to the light, seeing the light pass through and illuminate it like jade or green glass.

    ¡°Oh, I bet you would make a fine little weapon. What are you designed to kill exactly?¡± She asked it as if it might answer. She twirled it in her hand and gave a thrust towards the wall, firmly sticking the end into the stone brick. It tore through as if the brick was made of wet clay. She frowned, realizing she should not have reached the wall from that range. She pulled it out and noticed that the blade had doubled in length. She placed it down on the table and it retracted back to its 11 inch dagger form. ¡°Oh we¡¯re gonna get along nicely.¡± She said while grabbing a pencil and paper to take measurements for a sheath.

    ...

    In the darkness of the black hole¡¯s shadow, The Circe sparked to life, bands of red light flowing down the sides and to the engines. Vicki stepped over the bodies and down into a square pit, surrounded my glass mirrors. Her red eyes glowed and her naked body was covered only by streams of liquid metal, connecting to wires and the mechanical arms hanging from the ceiling. One of them reached up to meet her hand as she handed it a blue vial of Osirian DNA.

    The display screen suspended in front of her showed the ship in red with escape velocity time reading 47 days, fuel expenditure in 23 days. The ships lighting brightened and the entire vessel buzzed with a blue glow. The screen flickered and now showed the ship in blue, reading Escape velocity time 22 days, fuel expenditure 677 days.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s more like it.¡± She smirked, her right eye changing from red to blue and glowing brightly. Pieces of mechanical parts assembled behind her like a skeletonized throne as she sat back and began lightly drumming her claws on the armrests. ¡°See you soon, Jack.¡± She whispered, grinning and waiting, staring at the escape velocity countdown as it lowered in seconds. It ticked down like a time bomb in the dark as lights and non essential power rerouted to the FTL drives.

 Chapter One: Prison

    Nicole sat in her favorite little nook in the Captain¡¯s quarters. Her filthy red shirt and her gray skirt combo could only mean one thing. Her hair draped over her neck, bunched into a messy wad and scrunchied in place as she breathed in and closed her eyes. She held her arms out as the intro words ¡°Throw that Bob Marley wanna-be motherfucker outta here¡± rolled through the speakers and the hum of the guitar built up.

    ¡°FFFAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEDE!¡± she yelled, air drumming violently with her paint brushes and getting in the headspace to work on her steampunk dock painting.

    ¡­

    Gizzy sat in the lab, jarring awake as Vicki entered the room. She shut the door behind her and sat down.

    ¡°We need to talk.¡±

    ¡°Look¡­it wasn¡¯t personal. You weren¡¯t yourself, you were infected and even Nicole, the one who won¡¯t even kill spiders, after experiencing that, said killing you was a mercy. I regret that it came to that but I did what I did for a reason.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about that.¡± Vicki admitted. ¡°I got taken over because I was tempted to take the way out. I¡¯m still tempted.¡±

    ¡°Which is why your tracker has a proximity alert if you go near the artifacts.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t solve my problem. I¡¯m¡­ fucking cursed.¡± She sighed. ¡°I have no options that don¡¯t lead to more problems. If I feed on Dee, then every time I do I get desensitized to murdering my friends and my killing instinct gets stronger. If I feed on Vinn, I get between Nicole and him, and everyone looks at me like I¡¯m a predator. It¡¯s addictive, and toxic to them. The snail thing is not a solution either.¡±

    ¡°Why not? You go drink blood and get high?¡± Gizzy shrugged.

    ¡°Do you understand why I¡¯m so scared of those things?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°Everyone has irrational fears, Jack used to be scared of spiders until I made him keep one as a pet. He saw it every day, talked to it, and eventually he got so used to it that he was holding it in his hand. Nicole used to be scared of the water and she¡¯s fucking aquatic. Vin was scared of marriage and now look at them. If you¡¯re creeped out by slimy critters, just do like Nicole suggested and hang out with Ricardo. He¡¯s super chill. You have to get past that.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy¡­I¡¯m not the same Vicki I was before the mutation. I was never scared of snails before. Nicole keeps saying they¡¯re harmless, they¡¯re vegetarian, and they don¡¯t even attack humans. I¡¯m not an actual vampire, I¡¯m a human with bug cancer. Those snails are the natural predator of the bugs. What if they sense that on me? I¡¯m part bug now. I may not look like it, but I¡¯m venomous and predatory and I crave human flesh and blood, just like the bugs do. What if I¡¯m food to them, like Jack is to me? I¡¯d never hurt him, but when I get hungry, Gizzy, I can smell him from across the ship. I can smell Vinn too, but he¡¯s big enough and resistant enough to my bites that if I did attack him he could just put me through the wall. I¡¯m scared that I¡¯ll lose control, and when I¡¯m around those damn snails, I feel like they may be thinking the same thing. What if they get hungry? They don¡¯t love me like I love Jack, and the feeding instinct is so strong.¡±

    ¡°Vicki I am trying. You know the universe is at stake here and I have spent hours in the lab instead of sleeping trying to cure your hunger. I¡¯m not magical, I¡¯m just smart. I rely on my technology that is currently lightyears away, and this takes time. What do you want me to do? Stop sleeping entirely and fuck up the mission? Put the universe on hold and let everyone die because I spent 2 weeks in a lab trying to cure you with this¡­ bullshit pirate-ass science equipment? I can¡¯t clone you a personal slave Vinn and hide him in the dungeon from Nicole, and I can¡¯t keep Jack in armor 24/7. I can put you in cryo stasis for the rest of the mission, I can give you snail and blood cocktails to fight off the hunger, but you¡¯ll keep having nightmares from it because you¡¯re afraid of the snails. I can only do so much. We don¡¯t have a¡­ fucking¡­rapist farm you can run through and murder your way to fulfillment every day.¡±

    ¡°Is there no safe way to microdose the Pitch? Inject me with dead cells like a vaccine?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re not building your immune system against a flu here, the pitch works because it feeds your nutritional needs from itself. I don¡¯t know how but it provides you the fuel you need from the blood, it doesn¡¯t satiate the cravings. You just can¡¯t go on a feeding frenzy because you can¡¯t control your body. You just crave and suffer and detox forever in there while it paralyzes you and controls you like a puppet. It¡¯s not a cure, it¡¯s a prison. We could do the same thing by chaining you up and pumping you full of fresh Vinn blood and drugs and let you struggle and suffer. The only difference is that the pitch feeds on YOU too. Your memory, your emotions. It becomes you, it replaces you. You¡¯re not cured, you¡¯re just in hell as your body silently smiles and fakes being cured. The Pitch is not a mutual symbiotic organism, it¡¯s a slow-killer that takes your body and mind for its own needs until there¡¯s nothing of you left except the worst parts of your trauma and your memory, piloted by an evil soul who would kill Jack and feel nothing.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s no reverse engineering a cure then?¡± She asked, looking lost and hollow.

    ¡°Not as long as it¡¯s alive. Maybe I can understand the mechanism that it uses to fuel you, but the cravings and bloodlust aren¡¯t fixed, you¡¯re just harder to kill.¡± Gizzy explained.

    ¡°What if you put my memory into someone else¡¯s body? Clone my brain into someone who doesn¡¯t need the blood to live, or can¡¯t tear Jack apart if they did? Can you just stick my brain into someone else, something else? A robot, a human, one of your human Gizzy bodies, and just do some cosmetic surgery to make me have my own face? Or something close? We built Dee from scraps and 3d printed parts, and she¡¯s uncanny. Sometimes I forget that she¡¯s a robot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not Dee. It¡¯s human skin on a sex doll with a damaged personality chip. She doesn¡¯t have real emotions and she has no feelings. She can¡¯t feel anything. She¡¯s cold and numb hardware and software emulating life. You don¡¯t want that. Nicole is a genetic mystery, so do you want a clone of Jack¡¯s body? That won¡¯t be confusing and traumatic for him to have a clone of himself with his wife¡¯s mind. Or fucking a clone of me with his wife¡¯s mind. It¡¯s not a custom character generator for a video game, it¡¯s ultra-complicated data of pre-set people, down to the cellular level. There¡¯s no modification systems, no cloning lab. It¡¯s one machine we salvaged from the fucked up ship. Hell, we don¡¯t even know who sabotaged the ship. We¡¯re lucky the cloning tank survived. It¡¯s basically a copy machine, and we have files of us to feed into it. It doesn''t even have unlimited uses. I have 16 orbs in a crate, and enough cloning substrate for maybe 25 clones, and we¡¯ve used a few of them already. We can¡¯t just wing it, printing out half-assed abominations and shooting them when they come out as inside-out screaming flesh golems that waste precious extra lives for the crew. I don¡¯t have a Vicki blueprint of you before you became a hybrid, and if I did, you¡¯d just step out of that machine less vampire bug and more Vicki, with cancer. What you¡¯re asking for may be possible back home. Hell, the original you may be cured by now, but we don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a blackout mission and 8 months have passed. But back home, I have limitless resources and money, and plenty of time and people to put on the job. Out here, we got jack shit. I¡¯m storing the most volatile substances I¡¯ve ever encountered in fucking soil sample cans. You wanna just abduct a random person, surgically swap brains and hope Jack thinks she¡¯s pretty? Does he like reptiles?¡±

    ¡°I have an idea. I¡¯m not proud of it, though.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Gizzy said tilting her head.

    ¡°I have to feed, we can''t stop me from doing that and repressing it makes it worse, and I can¡¯t feed on Vinn anymore. It¡¯s not right. I can¡¯t simulate it, so... what if we¡­ get another crew member I don¡¯t mind attacking?¡± She said, looking ashamed.

    ¡°So, livestock.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer you didn¡¯t label it like that.¡±

    ¡°If they were humanoid, they¡¯d die too easily. I could do a bone marrow modification so they produce Vinn¡¯s blood and regenerate faster, but they may not survive that procedure. You do realize you are talking about abducting probably 2-4 people, forcibly keeping them on the ship to torture every day after I perform some life threatening medical experimenting. This is some pretty hardcore shit.¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°That¡¯s why they would have to be the worst people we could find. Not just bought slaves or volunteers we trick, or random people. Someone so truly horrible that they deserve it, without a doubt.¡±

    ...

    Jack and Gizzy watched as the docking clamps fitted to the large structure. It was a roughly cube shaped set of smaller cubes clustered together like a modular space station, covered in blinking red and yellow lights.

    They stepped through the doorway, entering an area where they were scanned and stripped of their weapons and anything weapon-like.

    ¡°So¡­" A grey bearded man with red skin walked out, cigarette in mouth. ¡°You got yourself a wanted prisoner.¡± He smirked, smoking trailing out of his cigarette. "Strange that you would come to us rather than a bounty collection outpost.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t handle her anymore. You were conveniently located nearby, and we¡¯re short on supplies. So, if you take her off our hands, we would gladly take some food and materials instead of the normal reward. We¡¯re not about to go another 10 lightyears with her dietary needs on low power. They don¡¯t give you a bounty for a dead prisoner you starved so that you could eat, ya know?¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°So what you have here is a video and a news article, and your promise that she¡¯s on your ship.¡±

    ¡°You can scan her, facial recognition will confirm the video, this is her massacring 5 people in a bar, and this is footage we took of a battle afterwards that cost 47 lives. You would get a nice bounty claim from her, worth more then some supplies and food crates. Now¡­ we¡¯re not feeding her anymore. So if you reject the offer, we¡¯re venting her and you get nothing, and we limp to the nearest planet to resupply. OR you can do things our way.¡± She said holding up a data drive. ¡°All the proof you need is on this. Check it out for yourself.¡± She insisted. He tossed the drive to one of the guards and he plugged it in, reviewing the carnage.

    ¡°We¡¯re in. Trojan virus implanted.¡± Nicole said over the coms. ¡°Downloading the prison¡¯s database. 613 prisoners, 8 guards, 1 warden. Weapons log, defenses, power systems."

    ¡°And you just want me to give you supplies and food with your word she¡¯s on your ship and this isn¡¯t a video from some bounty collection cell you stole for leverage?¡±

    ¡°Actually no.¡± Gizzy smiled. ¡°She¡¯s right here.¡± She said pointing towards Vicki, being lead by Vinn at gunpoint.

    ¡°All be damned. Facial recognition shows it¡¯s the same girl, we¡¯ll need blood tests to confirm.¡± The Warden said. Suddenly the power went out, Vicki drawing guns and Vinn pointing his at the guards. Vinn handed Gizzy and Jack¡¯s guns back as they got out cuffs and collars. ¡°How dare you.¡± The Warden growled. ¡°You know, this is a prison. We don''t have money or any guns worth stealing, So which prisoner do you fuckers think you¡¯re about to set free?¡±

    ¡°Oh none of them.¡± Gizzy smiled. ¡°We¡¯re just taking over the prison for a while for some lab work. I got a sick crewman and medical testing on random people would just be cruel. It¡¯s for science.¡± She assured.

    ¡°I got 40 armed guards all over this prison ready to swarm you and gun you to pieces.¡±

    ¡°No ya don¡¯t. You got 8 guards, armed with stun batons and spray, the weapons lockers are all remotely locked down, and we just hacked your system. Pumkin, we now own your space station. Communications, distress calls, prisoner logs, crew manifest, everything. So you¡¯re gonna all follow my lead like good boys, or people are gonna get real dead real fast. I¡¯m gonna turn on the com system now and you¡¯re gonna say very calmly that there has been an air leak in the far section of the ship, and for all guards to immediately report to¡­ and then follow that by whatever your nearest break room is from here. If you so much as blink suspiciously, I¡¯m blowing off your leg at the knee and we try this again but on the ground.¡±

    ...

    Jack paced the break room, all 8 guards and the warden cuffed by the ankles and chained to the pipe running down the wall, wrists cuffed and shock control collars on all of them.

    ¡°Well that looks like it. Bio scans of the facility add up to the number of prisoners and guards accounted for, they¡¯re not going anywhere." Dee sat down at the table with a redbull can full of water, pretending it was real redbull.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯ll be your nanny for the next few days or so. If anyone needs to use the bathroom, tough titties, and feeding time is at 5. Spoilers, it¡¯s protein goop. It¡¯s always gonna be protein goop.¡± Dee said with a pep in her step.

    ¡°Are you gonna kill us?¡± Asked one of the scared young guards as Gizzy strutted up to him, the big gun on her back.

    ¡°No. At least, not unless one of you somehow magically gets free and causes trouble, then we just kill that asshole and everyone still chained up is fine. We¡¯re just borrowing your prison for a while, then we¡¯ll be on our way and you¡¯ll never be the wiser.¡±

    ¡°I remember faces.¡± The Warden smirked. ¡°We¡¯ll find you and you¡¯ll pay for this.¡±

    ¡°Well, you SAY that, but if you noticed the aluminum cones fitted above your heads, well, you won¡¯t even remember us being here. You¡¯re just gonna have some weird unexplained shit to explain to someone and probably just bury the evidence to keep your jobs¡­ or not. I don¡¯t care. So if none of you try and escape, this will be a few pretty uncomfortable days you won¡¯t remember, and you¡¯ll be a few prisoners shy when you get unchained.¡±

    ¡°If this is a jailbreak, whatever they¡¯re paying you, we¡¯ll double it.¡± The Warden spat.

    ¡°We¡¯re not freeing anyone, and we work for ourselves. We don¡¯t want the money, we just wanna torture a few of your worst pieces of shit for medical reasons, and this is a 3x Max security. Do you really care about these heathens?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it? You want test subjects for medical research? Why this prison?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Because nobody wants to volunteer for this testing. It¡¯s gonna hurt like hell, some are going to die, and there is no reward. You were just the closest prison cube small enough we could handle. And thanks to our new advanced computer hacking artifact, it was kind of easy.¡± She said, exiting the room and activating the power again via phone, engaging the shipwide com systems.

    "Ladies and gentledicks, can I have your attention. I¡¯m Charlotte, and I¡¯ll be your Warden for the next few days. With your shortly arriving automated meal tray is a nice little medical kit containing a syringe and some sample cups. There is also a Thermion Flu vaccine, to administer in your thigh muscle yourself. It is mandatory, and people who refrain will be shot. You¡¯ll notice there¡¯s no food this round, and if you refuse to provide all samples, there just won¡¯t ever be any. So provide us with the required samples and your next tray will arrive with double proportions. For those of you selected for the program, there will also be additional fun treats. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be getting empty trays and at some point I may just shoot you to save time. I have a zero tolerance policy and if you doubt my severity, I¡¯d like to inform you that we just took over this prison by force and killed all the guards. So sit back and relax, new management will return to normal next week, and in the meantime, we play a game of reward or starvation for medical surveys. For a handful of you who qualify for further testing, one lucky bastard gets to leave here and hopefully never come back. Now the odds are never in your favor, but to some people, that sweet-sweet freedom has to sound nice. Welcome to SquidGames.¡± She said turning off the coms. ¡°And now we wait.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Hey.¡± The guard whispered to Dee. ¡°Aren¡¯t you that one pornstar?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so flattered you know me, but no I¡¯m not her. I¡¯m so much more than that. I mean less, I¡¯m so much less than that.¡± She smiled, sipping her water. ¡°Anyone wanna play a game to pass the time? Who has the biggest cock?¡± she asked. ¡°Winner get¡¯s one of these candy bars from the vending machine, loser gets laughed at. Any volunteers? No? Come on¡­I¡¯m bored and I got like 20 of these candy bars.¡± She said opening one up and eating it.

    ...

    Gizzy watched the screens as multiple prisoners threw up and rolled around, looking sick.

    ¡°Yeah, the bone marrow compatibility for Delmarian blood is not looking great. If they¡¯re throwing up with that tiny dose, the infusion would kill them.¡± Gizzy sighed, drinking an actual redbull.

    ¡°Is anyone not getting sick?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°Oh sure, we got 20 prisoners looking just fine. Once we give them the bigger dose, we¡¯ll know if they¡¯re good to go. We can do the infusions and see who lives, and then from there you can just pick your meal. Process of elimination. Like a menu."

    ¡°Can I interview them?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°Whatever floats your goat, unless you like dead goats, and in that case, whatever sinks your goat.¡± She sipped.

    ...

    ¡°You okay with this, Nicole?¡± Vinn asked as she sat in the view window, looking unsettled.

    ¡°Not really, but after seeing Vicki the way she was, we don¡¯t have much choice. We¡¯re just waiting it out while they do their thing.¡± She sighed. ¡°I might cone this out when we¡¯re done, I dunno.¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel better, I¡¯ve gone through this list of crimes you have to commit to get into this place. There¡¯s not one halfway descent person here. It¡¯s just list after list of horrendous shit you wouldn¡¯t believe. Everyone here is a life sentence, and half of them are scheduled for evaluations next year to see if they just get executed.¡±

    ¡°Why does everything have to be death and suffering. Is the universe really like Gizzy said, just blood and teeth and tentacles killing to live?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it like that. Just finish your artwork.¡±

    ¡°Not in an artsy mood right now with 200 living beings being tested for your blood compatibility, getting sick and waiting for the healthiest one to torture.¡±

    ¡°Maybe just have some snail shots and we can watch some TV shows till you fall asleep.¡± He said while giving her a big fuzzy hug. She smiled and tried to distract herself.

 Chapter Two: Blood Brothers

    ¡°Well, I have some good news and some bad news.¡± Gizzy said while staring at 2 men in a room shackled and hooked to IV bags. ¡°The good news is you didn¡¯t die like the other 6 after the transfusion. The bad news is mostly just for you, because you didn¡¯t die from the transfusion. So you two lucky assholes get to come with us and be our new friends. Welcome to the crew, the food and accommodations are gonna suck and so is the job.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Said the scrawny humanoid, the left side of his face grafted with metal plates and a fake ear, his eye visibly mechanical, and several gold teeth on that side. He scrunched his beaklike nose and defiantly glared at Gizzy. ¡°So I¡¯m just¡­ free then? For what?¡±

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re nowhere near free, you¡¯re still a prisoner, you just live on our ship because Vicki here has a craving for human flesh and Delmarian blood. Thanks to whatever the shit you are.¡±

    ¡°Chrone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t actually care. Whatever, you are bonded with the Delmarian blood. Vicki tried the samples and found it tolerable.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s drinking my blood?¡± He asked, looking annoyed and perplexed.

    ¡°You¡¯re vampire food, asshole. Livestock. You¡¯re gonna get daily visits from Vicki and she¡¯s gonna vamp suck your neck and leave you on the ground to regenerate.¡±

    ¡°No shit?¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°You seem oddly happy about that.¡±

    ¡°If it gets me out of here, I¡¯ll tolerate it. I don¡¯t think you understand what they do to you here, missy.¡±

    ¡°Call me missy one more time and I¡¯m collecting a leg. You can technically survive and do this job as a limbless stump, you know.¡±

    ¡°You know I came in here real good looking.¡± He smirked.

    ¡°God, I fucking doubt that.¡±

    ¡°This fancy face came as a gift from this place. Guard slammed my head into the wall and drug me 20 feet, took half the skin off, broke my jaw, knocked out 4 teeth, blinded my eye. First week. Not a lot you can do to us that¡¯s worse than The Brick. That¡¯s what the inmates call it here. IronBrick holding station. This is where they keep you until budget cuts and rooms get sparse. Then they take the ones they¡¯re sick of, vent them out, and throw fresh meat in.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re fresh meat here now, except literally.¡± Gizzy said turning to the other inmate, who just looked silently depressed. The Icy blue hulking primate stared at the floor without a movement, just staring through his glasses and frowning, scruffy beard overgrowth and buzz cut around the ear line. ¡°So what¡¯s your deal, you scared or just oblivious?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be food too?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s the idea. Sucks, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She sarcastically pouted.

    ¡°Does it matter? We all live and die.¡± He said softly.

    ¡°Oh no you¡¯re not being executed, you two are gonna be injected with regeneration shots if needed and just keep on healing up. You¡¯re renewable food, not one time use. That¡¯s the whole point of the Bone marrow infusion, the Osirian nanobot shots in the spine. You¡¯re now generating fresh hybrid Delmarian blood, and you heal super fast, like the shittiest super hero ever, or a giant humanoid smoothie-machine.¡±

    ¡°Sounds appropriate.¡± The big guy said calmly brooding.

    ¡°You two don¡¯t seem to grasp this. We¡¯re gonna take you out of one cell, put you in a different cell, and then every single day first thing in the morning you have breakfast and then we turn loose a monster in your cell who just fucks your shit up, leaves you full of venom and missing a liter or two of blood, probably blacked out. You wake up, vomit, sweat profusely and then have lunch. Then the rest of the day is just being in a cell. There¡¯s no field trips, no recreation, no weight room. If you need medical attention too damn bad, unless you¡¯re gonna die from it. And then you never leave the box without shackles and a shock collar. If you get lippy with me or piss me off, I get to beat you senseless because there are no rules, I own you.¡±

    ¡°HA!¡± chuckled the rodent-like smaller man. ¡°Lady you just gave us the same speech we got when we were thrown in the brick. Except instead of sodomy, we get beat up and bit by a girl. Sounds like an upgrade. What did we do to earn this new cell?¡± He smirked. She grabbed him by the hair and picked him up. ¡°Did I say to enjoy this, shitweasel?¡± She said kneeing him in the balls and dropping him. ¡°You think this is a reward? You better start acting like you hate it real quick or I¡¯ll find something you do hate and that¡¯s gonna be a daily addition. Trust me, there¡¯s only two of you, that means very individual attention, and I¡¯m a criminal too. Mass genocide, illegal lab experiments, weapons smuggling. I¡¯m far worse than Vicki is, and everyone has something they hate that can be used to ruin their mood. So screw with me or my crew and I¡¯ll start cutting things off and growing new things in their place, just to see if I can. The best part is that I can clone you back so if I torture you to death, you just wake up fresh for round 2. you may not be yourself, you may clone a little fucked up or pieces out of order, but you see, I don¡¯t care. I read your file, and you¡¯re not a person to me, you¡¯re an object made of edible parts. So as long as you clone back with enough to stay alive and generate blood¡­ that¡¯s fine with me. Keep your mouth shut and mind your damn business and you can enjoy some upgrades, silently and to yourself. We may give you a book or something. I¡¯m either your damn savior or the devil herself, and that just depends on how you act. Trust me, I can make the brick seem like a vacation if you push me. Now you, Big blue. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Zhoren.¡± He said calmly.

    ¡°So why do you look so calm, they got you on sedatives or something?¡±

    ¡°Because I accept my destiny. I prayed to the gods to forgive me of my crimes and they have decided my fate has changed. If it is better here, I am forgiven, if it is not, then I deserve my worsening life.¡±

    ¡°Oh here we go again.¡± The smaller guy said, rolling his entire head for eyes. ¡°This religious shit gets old, we¡¯re not sharing a cell are we?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Shitbird, you open your beak when spoken to. You keep tweeting out of line little birdie and I¡¯ll trim that beak of a nose. And no, you get your own private little hellhole. I can¡¯t torment you both especially in the same room. That¡¯s just lazy and stupid.¡±

    ¡°They call me X, because I never leave a lover alive.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s just stupid, I¡¯m calling you Tweet from now on. Your legal name is now Tweetie Tweets McFuckbeak and I¡¯m never calling you X. What are you, a 2000¡¯s techno remix? Chirp Chirp motherfucker. Sit back in line. No, you know what? Get in the cage. You wanna chirp, in the birdcage you go. The small one. We don¡¯t have rooms set up right now so you get a cage and a bucket. Zhoren, you get to hang out in the room until we¡¯re ready to go. Have fun, do pushups, walk laps, take a nap, piss on Tweet, whatever you want for the next 45 minutes till we move you to the cargo bay."

    ...

    The cargo bay doors opened and 2 crates on forklifts rolled in, Gizzy and Jack driving while Vinn and Nicole watched.

    ¡°Seems a bit inhumane.¡± She cringed.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re not human. This one isn¡¯t even a person, just consider him a steak with a bad attitude.¡± She said, intentionally jostling the crate and dropping it on the side. Nicole squatted down next to him, noticing the duct tape around his mouth and the boot mark on the fleshy side of his face.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel right. Animals get treated better than this.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Get to know him better, you¡¯ll change that outlook. You know what this guy did? He set a children¡¯s hospital on fire because they had a burn unit and he thought it was funny and ironic. He¡¯s a serial arsonist who likes to watch people burn alive. He¡¯s killed 210 people, half of that were kids in the hospital.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°¡­Nevermind, I stand corrected. Do what you do.¡± She said completely changing her attitude.

    ¡°And his name is Tweetie, unless you can find something he hates more, and then you can call him that. He seems sensitive about the nose. Now this big bastard is Zhoren, he¡¯s been behaving so far, and Vicki prefers his blood so we need his cell set up first. We need restraints and a collar, he¡¯s big enough to do damage to pretty much anyone but Vinn.¡±

    ¡°What about Tweetie?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Honestly, I think Vicki can just handle him, he¡¯s kind of a puss and went down fairly easy when I threw a nutshot and if you remember the last time me and Vicki rumbled¡­BEFORE she went unholy god of death mode, she broke my arm in 3 places and cracked a rib. I don¡¯t think we need to restrain him. She might even prefer he try and scurry away. I don¡¯t kinkshame. But that¡¯s a 500 pound blue raspberry primate and I¡¯m not taking any chances. Bitchbird isn¡¯t a threat in his box, and he¡¯s backup meat anyway. Zhoren¡¯s cell is priority number one.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said quietly. Gizzy paused and looked around

    ¡°For what?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Using my name instead of my number.¡± He said, still staring down at the floor.

    ¡°Alright. Anyways, that¡¯s that. We drained the weapons lockers and memory wiped the guards. I¡¯m keeping the forklifts, by the way. And we got food and meds. I¡¯d say that was an easy mission.¡±

    ¡°How many people died?¡± asked Nicole.

    ¡°Less than Vicki has killed in a single feeding. I didn¡¯t keep track of the body count or who was worth calling a person, but it¡¯s a 3X maximum security holding cube. They don¡¯t put you in there for speeding and theft. Those monsters are there to die. That isn''t a place you put con artists and people who boosted some shuttle crafts. This is a place you put the worst animals in. Stop thinking of them as prisoners.¡± Gizzy suggested.

    ¡°What did Zhoren do?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I dunno. They only had about half the prisoners on the data sheets. They probably ran out of storage on the data logs and just shortened the files for the older inmates. You can ask him but he¡¯s just gonna lie and say he¡¯s innocent, or tell you something that will give you nightmares. Not the kind of ones you enjoy.¡±

    ¡°70 souls for the price of two.¡± He said solemnly. She turned and looked him over. ¡°I prepared to send 2 souls to the afterlife, and by the time the smoke cleared I sent 68 more, women and children as well.¡± He said breathing a sigh of regret. ¡°And I am not innocent of the charges.¡± He added. ¡°I killed them all myself.¡±

    ¡°See, Nicole. He¡¯s a murderer.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your killcount, Gizzy?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Innocent civilians who did nothing wrong, or enemies to stood in the way of a better world? You wanna talk about war and combat, kill or defend yourself, taking down threats to my world and family? If so then I¡¯m the highest scoring monster in this ship even if you added up everyone. Even I don¡¯t kill kids. Jack kills monsters, Vinn defended the innocent, I¡¯ve shed a lot of blood, and even Vicki can¡¯t help her body count. Aside from the last one, they were justified. Even that nightmare you saw in the bar wouldn¡¯t get her thrown in that prison cube, and most people would argue that she¡¯s a monster. You may be the only true innocent here, Nicole, but there are tiers of evil and levels of suffering you don¡¯t understand, and the gap between Vicki and Captain Birdcage down there on the floor is wide and full of lines to cross."

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were wrong, I just said I don¡¯t like how it feels.¡±

    ¡°Neither does Vicki.¡± She whispered, making her leave silently and with a stomp.

    ...

    The lights turned on in the cargo bay, both prisoners waking up and expecting their morning beatings. Gizzy stomped into the cage area and stood smiling.

    ¡°Wake up dickheads. Your cells are ready. Everything is coded, Blue and pink. Here¡¯s your towel, your roll of toilet paper and a bar of soap. You first Zhoren. I''ve got something to test out.¡± She said as Tweetie looked annoyed.

    ¡°Hey why does he get blue and I get pink?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s blue and you¡¯re a bitch.¡± She said giving his collar a test shock on level 2. He grunted and piped down. Zhoren¡¯s cage opened and he noticed Jack standing guard with a rifle ready. ¡°Okay Big blue, first time you get to be useful. Attack me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a trick, Jack is only there in case I tap out or you try and run. I order you to try and kick my ass as if your life depended on it.¡± He stood looking nervous and confused.

    ¡°I''d prefer not to.¡± He said calmly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking, I¡¯m ordering. That is a direct order, kick my ass if you can.¡± She said standing a good 8 inches shorter and over double her weight.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Volunteered Tweet. He was met with another zap at level 4, knocking him out.

    ¡°Do what your told or I''m doing it again.¡± She snapped. ¡°That goes for you too big blue. I¡¯ll shock you if you don¡¯t.¡± He sighed, and looking suspicious, stepped forward and threw a punch. It knocked her back a step. She stepped forward, driving a body shot and a double left to his ribs. He grunted, then outstretched his arm so that he could grab her and slam her into the ground. She grabbed the incoming punch and they locked hands, both unable to move one way or another. That suddenly changed when he used his left hand to throw several consecutive punches to the ribs. However, they had very little effect on her. She swung both legs out wide in a split, then curled them up to her stomach. She shoved them into the big guy''s stomach, and sent him flying with an OOF. She then stood up while nodding absentmindedly. ¡°Alright that¡¯s good.¡± She said, looking unbothered.

    ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Wanted a baseline power reading and I had to file test the new upgrades. This human bullshit is just intolerable, no offense Jack but human bodies break too easy. Carbon fiber bones, few muscle enhancers, just a little buff. Jack, show him to his new home. Tweet, follow me.¡± She said, grabbing a pistol and leading him the same way.

    ¡°He gets a bigger cell?¡± He complained.

    ¡°He¡¯s a bigger prisoner, you know you just upgraded from a moldy-ass rusty 8x6 to a 10x10 with a privacy curtain for the shitter and shower combo.

    ¡°We shit in the shower?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Technically yes, but not in the way your nasty ass is thinking. These are military bunk showers. It¡¯s a 3x3 stand up shower and the crapper folds out from the wall, then the sink folds out above that. Now right now you both smell like dead cats , but given where you came from it¡¯s only expected. You¡¯re no longer just storage for evaluation until they decide to kill you. You¡¯re livestock now, and Vicki likes her food clean, so you shower every night, wash your hands and brush your teeth twice a day. If she complains about your hygiene, you get a beating from me.¡±

    ¡°I have a question.¡± Zhoren asked.

    ¡°Go for it.¡±

    ¡°What is the ranking on this ship? I heard someone named Nicole was the captain, but you seem to be giving the orders, and you work for this¡­Vicki?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all old friends on this crew, so technically Nicole is in charge of the ship and I am in charge of the military mission aspects. We sort of co-run the ship, and prisoners are my department. Vicki isn¡¯t in charge, but she is a friend with medical needs and without her needs met, she gets unruly and that causes problems. Plus, I just enjoy fighting so if there¡¯s asses to kick and discipline to give out, I¡¯m the ranking officer. Vinn, Jack, and Vicki answer to me and Nicole, the robot answers to all of us, and frankly you guys rank lower than her so if she gives you orders, you even answer the big tittied toaster.¡±

    ¡°The toaster has tits? Looks like I¡¯m gonna be ordering toast more often.¡± Tweet smirked.

    ¡°Toaster is a derogatory term for robot, and you eat what we give you. Which is going to be healthy meals, and you¡¯ll eat all of it. Remember, we want you healthy, not necessarily happy. Healthy livestock makes a healthy Vicki, happy livestock doesn¡¯t benefit anyone. Shower up, food in 15, then you get to meet Vicki.¡± She said.

    ¡°If I hurt you before, you did order me to but I did not want to.¡± Said Zhoren.

    ¡°Oh trust me, you didn¡¯t hurt me, and she may not look like it, but Vicki can stand her own against me in a fight. Vinn can take either of us apart, so you two are by no means the big bad bastards on this ship. Any of us can easily kick your asses except Nicole, and the 700 pound animal who files his antler down to fit in a helmet¡­that¡¯s her overprotective husband. Welcome to the bottom of the food chain, ladies. Scrub-addub-adub.¡± She said, tossing the soap through the bars and activating the energy shielding.

    ...

    Tweet laid in his bed and tossed a rubber ball off the wall for entertainment as the shielding deactivated and Vicki opened the metal bar door and shut it behind her.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re a pretty little thing.¡± He grinned. ¡°These conjugal visits are gonna be the highlight of my day.¡±

    ¡°I really prefer my food silent, or objecting.¡± She said coldly, her eyes going red as she lunged at him, slamming him to the wall and nearly breaking his arm. The scream got Zhoren¡¯s attention as the energy shielding activated and muffled the sound of violence. He nervously read his book and tried not to think too much about it.

    His cell door powered down and opened and he quickly put his book under the pillow to protect it as he unbuttoned his shirt enough to make neck access easy.

    ¡°You wanna say something too?¡± She asked, mouth still stained red.

    ¡°Not really. Do as you want.¡± He calmly said, cuffing his wrist and latching the other with a swing of the cuff, as if he was used to them.

    ¡°Well you¡¯re easy food.¡± She said looking disappointed.

    ¡°I was told silence and obedience would earn me some basic things. I hope to earn some better reading material. Proceed, Miss.¡± He said in an oddly polite manner.

    ¡°Gizzy likes submissive toys. I¡¯m not Gizzy.¡± She said unlocking the handcuffs and tossing the key aside.

    ...

    Tweet could hear the sound of an impact from the floor as he tried to get up again and proceeded to slump back down. He felt the jerk of his body being yanked up to the bed as Gizzy stabbed him in the leg with a shot and scanned him.

    ¡°Fractured rib, dislocated collar bone,¡± She yawned, popping the bone back in. ¡°Relocated collar bone. You¡¯ll live. We may need to give you a low dose shot with your breakfast to get ahead of the damage, though. Otherwise you seem fine.¡±

    ¡°Fuck fine, I nearly died.¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop being a baby,¡±

    ¡°What is she?¡± he wheezed.

    ¡°She¡¯s the second meanest bitch on the ship.¡± Gizzy whispered, baring her fangs and letting her eyes glow blue. ¡°Welcome to hell, shitbird.¡± She said, taking a swing and knocking him out cold to recover. But in reality, she mostly did it because she was bored.

 Chapter Three: Thark

    Gizzy sat in the lab examining Vicki¡¯s eyes and doing her weekly checkup.

    ¡°Well, the good news is that you¡¯re incredibly healthy and in perfect shape. The bad news is that Tweetie Pie is not.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°So?¡± chuckled Vicki. ¡°He¡¯s a child murdering arsonist. You want me to be nicer to him?¡±

    ¡°Nicer, no, but gentler might be advised. He¡¯s not healing up as fast as you fuck him up. If you kill him, it¡¯s a problem. His quality of life is not my problem, but losing half your food options not only halves your supply but it puts more strain on the other guy. Maybe try¡­ psychological abuse?¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°I can¡¯t control myself when I¡¯m feeding. If I could, I¡¯d just drink Vinn¡¯s bottled blood and take my aggression out on something else.

    ¡°Maybe skip days on the shitbird and double up on big blue.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡­ almost feel bad saying this¡­ I prefer Zhoren anyway. Tweet keeps¡­ making it almost seem sexual. I think he almost enjoys it, and I hate giving that monster any kind of reward.¡±

    ¡°And Zhoren is a little more like Vinn, hu?¡± She yawned.

    ¡°What? No, that¡¯s a little bit offensive, I trust Vinn because Vinn is a sweet guy who would never hurt an innocent person. He¡¯s not a child murderer, I don¡¯t care about Zhoren¡¯s feelings, even if he is nicer and more compliant.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Gizzy awkwardly squinted. ¡°I meant medically he¡¯s larger and has more blood, so your venom dilutes more and you are less likely to snap his spine. I wasn¡¯t accusing you of emotional attachment. Kinda seems like you got the wrong comparison. Kinda seems like you got a little defensive there. You, uh, missing the fuzzy meal ticket?¡±

    ¡°Not like that.¡± She said, looking annoyed.

    ¡°Like what?¡± Gizzy asked innocently. ¡°Vicki, I think it¡¯s fairly obvious you have feelings for Vinn beyond just a friend who helps with your medical needs. You can¡¯t help your feelings, especially with your body chemistry all crossed, but we can¡¯t clone you a Vinn to play with. I have 2 psychology degrees. I¡¯m not stupid. You like Vinn because you trust him and it¡¯s gone from feeding to bonding and you don¡¯t wanna bond with someone who indiscriminately kills innocent people for fun, and the reason it doesn¡¯t satisfy is because they get to live. There¡¯s no justice and punishment, so you¡¯re not taking down the monsters, you¡¯re just feeding. Vinn became personal.¡±

    ¡°Okay fine, but you can¡¯t tell anyone. I don¡¯t like what I am. When I¡¯m hunting down a worse monster to feed, I¡¯m removing something from the world worse than I am. It makes me feel like my own monstrous nature is offset somehow. With Vinn it¡­ was more intimate. I couldn¡¯t hurt him, he didn¡¯t mind, and he enjoyed the venom high. It was almost like¡­¡±

    ¡°Cheating, but cheating and getting a medical hall pass for it so nobody thought bad of you for it. You¡¯re gentler with Vinn because subconsciously even your vampiric feeding personality knows he¡¯s a friend and it¡¯s safe. That same subconscious wants to kill Tweets for what he did. Feeding isn¡¯t enough, you want vengeance for the dead and penance for your own¡­. mistakes.¡±

    ¡°I just wish Jack¡­was stronger. I want that intimacy with Jack without risking his life. I don¡¯t want Vinn, but I don¡¯t want this either. Why is this so damn impossible?¡± She asked, breaking into tears.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s an impossible situation, Vicki. You¡¯re kinda fucked in every way turn, but this team needs you healthy and strong, and Jack, Vinn, and Nicole know that. We¡¯re all on your side, but I can¡¯t build you a perfect FrankenVinn¡¯s Monster for your gourmet needs. You got a big despicable bastard you can beat up and snack on, and a backup slim-jim you keep snapping into a little too hard. So pick one or a combination platter but figure it out and stop asking me for favors. We just took over a prison instead of saving the universe, for you. Please don¡¯t act like it¡¯s not enough.¡± She said. The ship shuttered violently.

    ¡°Gizzy to the bridge. STAT!¡± Nicole ordered.

    ¡°On the way, what just hit us? We got police on us or pirates?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ you just have to see this yourself, I can¡¯t begin to explain it.¡± She said while trying to maneuver to fire back.

    ¡­

    Gizzy stared at the screen and blinked to make sure it wasn¡¯t her eyes malfunctioning.

    ¡°That¡¯s a Thark.¡± Gizzy said, looking worried and confused. ¡°Except it¡¯s firing guns at us.¡±

    ¡°What is a Thark!? I keep hearing about Tharks, but nobody tells me what they are!¡±

    ¡°Giant Space centipedes. A plague on most worlds and ships, except they shouldn¡¯t be this far out here, and for some reason, it has guns. Why does a Thark have guns?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it bought some.¡± Nicole suggested.

    ¡°THEY¡¯RE BUGS! STUPID SIMPLE BRAINED BUGS! She barked. ¡°Who the fuck takes the most overpowered natural species of beast in the known universe and gives it weaponry? They already ARE weaponry. Get under it, the belly is the only vulnerable area. There¡¯s a gap in the armored plates where they coil backwards. That¡¯s why Thark hunters travel in 2 ships, one flies over to get it to coil upward and then the other takes out the underbelly. Barrel roll his ass and go full power cannons to the stomach.¡± She said. Nicole kicked in the power and yanked up, sending everyone hunkering down as the smaller ship looped over the beast.

    ¡°It¡¯s not coiling!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware, I just don¡¯t know why! Shoot it in the rear thrusters.¡±

    ¡°Are those vulnerable too?¡±

    ¡°Hell if I know! They don¡¯t usually have thrusters, it¡¯s a BUG!¡± Gizzy yelled. She fired wildly at the thrusters on the back of the bug, taking one out and slowing it down. It fired back, rocking the Medusa to the stone core.

    ¡°Shields are gone, we¡¯re screwed if we take anything else bigger than an RPG.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°Shit, fire torpedo tube 5.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°Tube 5 stopped working. It¡¯s cracked. If we fire it, the whole thing will blow open before the round fires. It¡¯s locked out with a safety code.¡±

    ¡°I know. Override it, type in DISS9 and fire. That¡¯s an order.¡± Nicole gave Gizzy a strange look and typed it in, firing the tube. It fired normally, sending a torpedo out at the Thark. ¡°Now, pulse the FTL and get us some distance.¡± Gizzy said. Nicole tapped it like a turbo boost and the entire ship pulled hard right like a Tokyo drift in space, leaving them adrift. Nicole stared at the viewscreen as a large blue energy sphere dissipated and the Thark went dark.

    ¡°What¡­ in the fuck was that?¡± Nicole asked, strutting up to Gizzy.

    ¡°Small confession.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°Torpedo tube 5 was fine, I just simulated a crack to keep you from using it. I loaded that tube with an Osirian lunar charge. That just sent out a flair to anyone looking for Osirian Tech, but we¡¯re alive.¡±

    ¡°You hot-loaded my ship with alien weaponry and locked me out of it, and didn¡¯t even tell me.¡±

    ¡°I did tell you¡­ you just don¡¯t remember anything because you coned yourself right after that mission.¡±

    ¡°So we have illegal weapons of mass destruction on the ship?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Absolutely. You think I¡¯m not gonna take that with me? Good god, I thought you knew me better than that. Now circle back, I wanna know why a damn Thark has been fitted for war. We¡¯re about to do some pirate shit, get your hat.¡±

    ¡­

    Jack and Vicki followed Nicole and Gizzy as Vinn guarded the prisoners back on the ship. The shuttle clamped up to the underbelly of the massive beast and docked at a small metal door. Gizzy began cutting through it with a plasma cutter, slowly and steadily.

    ¡°Wow, small door.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s an animal, so¡­¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why it has a door at all.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Food time, boys.¡± Dee said, opening the feeding windows and putting trays down.

    ¡°I¡¯m X.¡± Whispered Tweet.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s great, nobody cares.¡± Dee smiled.

    ¡°So do you come with the trays or does that take extra work?¡± He grinned.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not happening. Woopse, I dropped your protein bar.¡±

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    ¡°Hey, I was just kidding around, it was a compliment. You just put it on the other tray, WAIT!¡± He barked as she shut the window.

    ¡°And here¡¯s your tray.¡± She said as big blue accepted it, smiling.

    ¡°Thank you, miss.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°Not gonna hit on me too?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± He grinned.

    ¡°I mean¡­ you could dream of it. Nobody¡¯s stopping your dreams.¡± She said looking curious. ¡°Vicki going rough on ya?¡± She asked, noticing the claw marks.

    ¡°I¡¯ll live. Nothing I haven¡¯t survived before, nothing I don¡¯t deserve.¡± He said, enjoying his protein bar.

    ¡°You seem really upbeat and chipper for a prisoner and a¡­sentient steak.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, the gods have answered my prayers. I am learning to accept it.¡± He smiled. She blinked and went around to the main door, opening it and entering, before pulling up a stool.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna need some more of an explanation. I¡¯m not only a dumb bitch but a curious one and I¡¯m starved for drama a gossip¡­ except I can¡¯t say anything because of confidentiality programming. It fucking sucks, everyone tells me secrets and I literally cannot gossip because it¡¯s wired in my brain not to. Drives me nuts. So why are you so happy and why did you pray to your gods to be a vampire chewtoy? Heavy masochism and a redhead fetish?¡± She asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem scared of me.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m way too bored to care and frankly I was Vicki¡¯s chewtoy so long I stopped being scared of anything. No, that¡¯s a lie. Gizzy scares the shit out of me, but nothing normal scares me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a prisoner too?¡± he asked. ¡°What could you have possibly done to deserve that?¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s complicated. I¡¯m not a person. I¡¯m a robot lizard with a sex doll brain and human skin printed on so Vicki could get her suckpire on. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°You seem real to me.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m real in the sense that I exist, but I¡¯m not sentient. I don¡¯t really know what that means, but apparently I¡¯m property and I¡¯m fine with that. It¡¯s my job. I¡¯m the crew¡¯s virtual girlfriend. I just want what the crew wants.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°But what do you want?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked. ¡°I want what I¡¯m programmed to want¡­ which unfortunately is to serve the crew and nobody seems to give a shit anymore.¡±

    ¡°Were you programmed to be curious and come in here with a dangerous criminal, or did you choose that?¡±

    ¡°Actually, part of my program is annoying curiosity simulation, and doing whatever the crew wants. Gizzy specifically said ¡®Stay away from shitbird and his cage, he¡¯s food, not crew.¡¯ She also said to take food to our guests if Vinn is busy. But she never specified what you are. I¡¯m programmed to follow orders and service the crew and guests if asked. You¡¯re on the ship, unspecified. I don¡¯t know what you are.¡±

    ¡°So If I told you to open the door and let me out, would you?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Undetermined.¡± She said robotically.

    ¡°And if I just¡­ gently took your keycard and left on my own, would you stop me?¡±

    ¡°Undetermined.¡± She repeated.

    ¡°Interesting. So you have to obey the crew, and nobody labeled me as a prisoner, so you don¡¯t have orders to stop me with force, because you wouldn¡¯t stop a guest.¡±

    ¡°Apparently.¡± She said fluctuating between personality mode and robotic tone. He carefully took her keycard from her pocket. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are authorized to have that, guests have to ask for a keycard, and I have to ask you to put that back please.¡± She said calmly.

    ¡°No. Are you going to take it from me?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe I can, you¡¯re several times my size, but I can ask politely.¡± She said as he leaned dangerously close, holding the keycard up and staring her in the eyes.

    ¡°Listen carefully. I¡¯m not a guest. I am a prisoner. So is the other guy in the other cage, except he¡¯s far worse. Prisoners are not allowed to have keycards. Now when the captain comes back, you need to tell her that someone forgot to add a prisoner protocol to your programming. Understood?¡± He said, tucking the keycard back in her pocket.

    ¡°You are a prisoner, confirmed. She said taking a pistol off her back and taking the safety off.

    ¡°You not authorized to have a keycard, if you attempt to take it again you will be shot, as per orders.¡± She said casually.

    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m a prisoner.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°You clearly found a logic loophole to exploit and you could have left the cell.¡± She pondered curiously.

    ¡°Why would I want to do that? I¡¯m not a guest, so they would throw me back in and likely punish me for it. I¡¯m trying to earn my good behavior, not steal it. Stealing what wasn¡¯t earned is why I¡¯m here in the first place. I won¡¯t make that mistake twice, when the gods have been so generous with my prayers.¡±

    ¡°See, that¡¯s what I don¡¯t understand. You prayed to be captured by pirates and fed on by a blood sucking mutant? You have oddly specific kinks.¡± She said scrunching her face.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I did something terrible, and I paid the price for that. 68 innocent people are dead and 2 that may have deserved it. I did that, and I can¡¯t undo that even if I want to. I spent many years fighting the guards and making things worse before I realized I deserved to suffer for my sins. 22 years in the brick. Daily beatings, starvation, treated like an animal. No, worse than an animal. Tortured for fun, shocked, chemical sprayed. Experimental weapons they can¡¯t use on volunteers, they used on us. I deserved that for what I did. And then one day I began asking for the mercy of death. I prayed for the release of my suffering, since I knew the pain of it and lacked the strength to go on. I prayed for months, and then your crew showed up and out of 200 prisoners, chose me.¡±

    ¡°I hate to be a buzzkill, but you were selected because you got good bone marrow and didn¡¯t die from being injected with cancer mutagens and alien blood. I don¡¯t think the gods really consulted anyone on that.¡± She said as he smiled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think so?¡± He chuckled. ¡°I was rotting in a cell, a useless waste of food and life support waiting to die, and suddenly I had a purpose. I¡¯m keeping a sick girl fed and alive, and in return I get a warm room, a softer bed, better food, and my own shower I get to use every day. No cell mates to fight with, no beatings, I just smile and obey and I am rewarded for it. I have very good ears you know, and I¡¯m smarter than people give me credit for. I¡¯m an educated brute. Your friend needs to feed on someone, and she nearly kills Tweet every time, and he¡¯s been enhanced to regenerate. That poor girl can either starve or hurt people, and I can handle it just fine. I have a purpose to serve, just like you. I was lost and alone, and now I am useful and life is brilliant. Do the gods not have their reasons? Do they not test me still, a beautiful woman with a literal ticket out of my cage, who cannot stop me. So where would I go? Steal a shuttle I can¡¯t fly and go into the darkness to die alone or to be captured? Vinn is a big guy, he wouldn¡¯t let me near that shuttle anyway. I¡¯d have to kill him. I¡¯ve had enough killing for a lifetime, enough stealing and being ungrateful, enough thinking of my wants and my temptations rather than my purpose and my reason for living. Whatever mine was, I wasted it. And now I¡¯ve been given what I asked for, forgiveness and hope. So no, I will not be leaving that girl to starve or kill, I won¡¯t be taking what I did not earn and taking more innocent lives for my greed. I am already free. Are you?¡± he asked, taking a bite from his protein bar. ¡°Are your gods fair to you?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t¡­ have gods.¡± She pondered rather then stating.

    ¡­

    Gizzy stood in wonder as the others climbed from the hole.

    ¡°This is a damn ship.¡± She huffed. ¡°They hollowed out a dead thark and made a ship. That¡¯s kinda brilliant.¡±

    ¡°Kinda morbid.¡± Vicki added.

    ¡°I dunno, I kinda like the scary vibe.¡± Nicole grinned.

    ¡°Of course you would. It¡¯s the skeleton of a giant monster made into a bounty hunter ship. It¡¯s pretty badass and the fact that I didn¡¯t think of it first annoys me. It¡¯s armored like hell, it¡¯s huge, it¡¯s literally full of meat that doesn¡¯t decay in space, and anyone seeing that approaching on radar would run like hell because very few people know that Tharks have any weakness. Of course, when you hollow out it¡¯s ass and put thrusters sticking out you create a weakness for anything powerful enough to melt Titanium alloy through energy shielding. My question, is¡­ why is nobody home?¡±

    ¡°How do you know, they¡¯re bounty hunters?¡± asked Nicole.

    ¡°Because those tubes on either side are cryo cells for prisoners. This was on the way to the cube. We just got reported.¡±

    ¡°You wiped their memories.¡± Jack reminded.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ well someone we didn¡¯t wipe knows who we are. And they want us on ice or dead.¡±

    ¡­

    Evil Vicki sat on her throne of wires and gears, watching the prison cube drift into pieces, explosions popping from the remains in her rear view. She chuckled, crossing her legs and reclining as a tube from her spine turned red with fluid and her eyes glowed slightly. She disconnected and strolled down the halls, raking her nails playfully on the dozens of cryo-tubes, full of prisoners.

    ¡°Now¡­does anyone want to volunteer to retrieve the crew?¡± She asked. 2 rows of terrified inmates in shackles raised their hands.

    ¡°Good. I want the ship crippled, the cloning tank intact, Jack and the Delmarian alive and well. Kill the rest, especially the blonde. She¡¯s annoyingly resilient. Most of you will die by her hand, but those that don¡¯t will be rewarded handsomely. If any one of you are spiritual, please reconsider your faith. I¡¯m your god now. And I am not a merciful one. I demand sacrifices and proof of your worth. Shuttles, guns, supplies, go. If you die, you die. If you succeed, you are wealthy and free. And if you run, I will have you hunted down and tortured so badly you¡¯ll wish you were back in the brick. Are there any questions?¡± Evil Vicki asked.

    ¡°NO CAPTAIN!¡± they shouted in unison.

    ¡°Good. Now go hunt, pillage, steal, and kill¡­ like you were meant to do. Please your new god.¡± She smirked. ¡°And bring me the blonde¡¯s head.¡±

 Chapter Four: Guilty and Broken

    ¡°Damn, this thing is huge.¡± Jack whispered, his voice echoing through the carcass.

    ¡°Gotta be some 700 feet long and 200 feet wide.¡± Nicole marveled, ¡°Amazing that an animal can get this big and survive in space."

    ¡°Quiet. We''ve got company.¡± Gizzy said. The three of them shouldered their guns hid behind one of the ridges in a rib. They moved softly to the end of the circular hall and into what seemed to be a mess hall, dark and unused but still kinda clean.

    ¡°It¡¯s like an abandoned starbucks.¡± Vicki whispered, peering over the counter at the black screens where menus would be. The glass was a lense into a world of nothing. The halls lead into an open area, some sort of tube shaped chamber with people lining the walls. There were what looked like carved dwellings, much like the mountain carved homes of Mesoamerica. However, these gradually wrapped around the circular carcass and meeting at a domed top. In the center, where the people were moving towards lethargically, was a central horror. A massive spiked ball, porous and petrified, like a virus or a pumas ball with dead trees for arms. There were connections between it and the walls in all sorts of directions.

    ¡°The hell is that thing? Some kind of statue for a cult?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Thark¡¯s heart. It¡¯s made of bone and anchored to the ribs. The soft tissue inside has hardened after death, unless they harvested it as meat.¡± Gizzy explained. ¡°These look like the living quarters.¡±

    ¡°Do we even wanna know what¡¯s going on inside a 6 story bone heart?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Probably not.¡± Gizzy said. The group turned the other way towards the rear of the ¡°ship¡±. The line between petrified black tendon and bone and metal scaffolding was sometimes difficult to tell apart. The central walkway was just a bundle of wires atop a spinal ridge with a loose corrugated metal top. No rails separated it from the 15 degree angled drop of spikes and I-beams. The spine was divided into segments where the circular ridges tightened, each one slightly brighter and more orange as they lead down to the engines. The two level paths merged around a center beam and inside another hollow chamber was a similarly grotesque sphere, this one significantly smaller. It was nothing but a honeycomb of white roots tangled into a spiked ball. Man made bridges lead into it and natural tendons suspended it, like the worst treehouse ever. The same orange glow lit the orb from within as a white industrial light strip illuminated it above.

    ¡°That would be the brain.¡± Gizzy nodded.

    ¡°Even the brain is made of bone?¡± Nicole asked. ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡±

    ¡°Well, the squishy-thinky bits have rotten away, that¡¯s just the cartilage holding it together. Again, unless they harvested it for meat.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s hundreds of people in here. They don¡¯t seem to even notice us.¡± Vicki noted as someone walked within 30 feet and kept to himself. Humanoid, and seemingly primates. They followed the outskirts to avoid suspicion as they made their way to another section. The moment they entered it, Gizzy seemed to grow cold and disturbed.

    ¡°Oh my god.¡± Nicole cringed ¡°What is that?¡± She asked as they pulled back into the shadows to avoid detection. She stared at something, easily the size of blue whale. It was white and pink, like bone with a bit of flesh stretched over it. The bare white skull, almost human if not for its size, had its eye sockets lit with orange light from tubes snaking in and out of it. 2 jaws were trapped in an eternal smile, and catfish-like whiskers emerged from the both sides of its face.

    ¡°That¡­ is a baby thark on an industrial lift truck.¡±

    ¡°Is it dead?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not really sure. It looks¡­ uh, meaty and hydrated.¡± Gizzy said as the others cringed away from her. ¡°What other words would you prefer? It¡¯s slick and gooey but skeletal. You can see through the damn eye sockets to the lack of brain. I think it¡¯s being grown but it¡¯s not ¡®alive¡¯ like a thark fetus would be. I think they¡¯re artificially growing it for a ship frame.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just fucked.¡± Nicole said. ¡°They¡¯re growing a giant zombie centipede fetus inside the dead mother to build another ship?¡± She asked. Men in hazmat gear moved hoses to metal rings grafted to the sides where the legs should be.

    ¡°All aboard the space centipede abortion train.¡± Gizzy cringed. ¡°As warped as it sounds, it does make sense. If you could grow the bones and the meat without brains and organs, you could have a fleet of thark ships without having to take down unstoppable tharks in the process. They¡¯re probably using the mother¡¯s frame as incubation. Industrial, artificial insemination for warship breeding.¡±

    ¡°God, the teeth on the fetus are bigger than my thigh.¡± Nicole marveled, both awed and horrified. They moved to the lower areas where the halls became redder and more ship-like. Turning the corner, Gizzy stopped. The others did the same while something stared them down silently. It wasn¡¯t like the other primate workers, in the sense that it was covered in what looked like power armor. Although, it could''ve also been an exoskeleton. The buglike bipedal creature glared at them through red glowing skits, as if waiting for them to challenge or run. Gizzy lifted the gun and it turned its back as if unimpressed, nodding for them to follow. They all shrugged and simultaneously thought "Why not?" The creature led them past boiler rooms and reactors full of copper pipes and what looked like cryo pods.

    ...

    The smoky air and foggy view made it hard to see the white glowing lights above. It was as if they were in some form of workshop or welding area. The floor below them was blue. A strange pool, covered on top by a thin clear film, was below that. Bodies stood in rows under the liquid, suspended by cables and separated by glass walls.

    ¡°Are they growing people, or dissolving them?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Hell if I know. Bug boy won¡¯t slow down to say a word." They walked past a smaller lab room, half a dozen scientists in scrubs and masks with tools working on a lobster sized clear pink crustacean. The creature resembled a much cuter and less horrendous thark.

    ¡°They¡¯re definitely growing them, but what they''re doing to them is anyone¡¯s guess.¡± Gizzy nodded as they were lead into a foggy grey room of nothing.

    ¡°Well, they''re feeding it.¡± A voice emerged from the fog. Gizzy took aim at the figure. The haze became clearer as a strange floating man with a pirate''s hat hovered closer. As he pierced the fog slowly, the metal clank of spindly limbs behind him protruding like wings disrupted the near silence. He walked on his wingtips and Gizzy realized that the hat was not a hat. Like 2 scythe blades separating from the center, the massive bonelike hammerhead skull protrusions hung ominously. The creature''s humanoid body was dangling from the head, and the horrid arrow of horns was the anchor point for the walking limbs keeping its feet off the ground.

    ¡°The hell are you?¡±

    ¡°Thark, in soul and flesh.¡± It replied with a cold, emotionless face.

    ¡°Did you used to be human or are you heading that way from something else?¡± She asked.

    ¡°You are within my walls, foreign ones. Walking among the slaves.¡± It said hauntingly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You¡¯re not bounty hunters after us¡­ you¡¯re just parasites living in the dead Thark?¡±

    ¡°All Thark are home to life and death, those who crawl like the skin mites and eat the decay from within. You see the Thark as dead, but it is not. It is evolved.¡±

    ¡°Looks dead to me, with no brain and a petrified heart, and a small slave cult and engineering built inside its guts.¡±

    ¡°I assure you that while I may not breathe, I still live. They tried to kill me and weaponize my body, but they only made me stronger.¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re the Thark¡­ that you are¡­ living inside?¡± Gizzy questioned.

    ¡°Who are you to question who I am, those of another body.¡±

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    ¡°He means the ship.¡± Gizzy whispered. ¡°This thing either thinks he¡¯s the Thark or that he¡¯s telepathically linked to it.¡±

    ¡°How can be BE the Thark if he¡¯s IN the Thark?¡± Nicole whispered back.

    ¡°Are you not inside yourself? A mind inside a house of bone, surrounded by skin and blood, a vessel to move you to where you must go?¡± It asked.

    ¡°Brain in a meat suit. Fair enough.¡± Gizzy shrugged ¡°Especially since I¡¯m modular and grow mine around a hunk of metal. Why did you fire on us?¡±

    ¡°I must feed my young. Your prisoner transports are quite the catch, and once they are part of the system, and I can see their minds, I can see how truly wretched they are. They don¡¯t even send ships to rescue your leftovers, your throwaways.

    ¡°We¡¯re not prisoners, or a prison transport. We¡¯re just 5 people trying to go somewhere important.¡±

    ¡°Then you will be spared. 5 is not worth the effort to adjust to a new species, or several. You may not be ideally digestible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s real kind of you. Harvesting slaves for food so you can breed/build more of whatever you are.¡± Nicole said boldly.

    ¡°Let it go, Nicole.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°We¡¯ll leave you to it. Just don¡¯t fire on our asses or follow us and we¡¯re chill.¡± Gizzy said darkly.

    ¡°Gizzy, we can¡¯t just walk away.¡±

    ¡°No we¡¯re gonna fly away.¡±

    ¡°Leaving hundreds of slaves to be worked and digested to death in this place? Without even trying to stop it?¡±

    ¡°Nicole¡­¡± Vicki said darkly. ¡°I¡¯m not much different, this is just a larger scale feeding for a larger predator.¡±

    "Don¡¯t tell me you two side with this monster?¡± Nicole asked in an astonished whisper.

    ¡°No, I just know when it¡¯s not our fight and we have to move on.¡± Gizzy said as the hovering body stared coldly at them.

    ¡°I get it.¡± Vicki said, her eyes slightly red. ¡°Everyone has to eat.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this later, move to the shuttle.¡± Gizzy ordered. Nicole glared at the monster in an almost challenging manner, then turned and, reluctantly, left with the rest of the group. She fought with her emotions as they passed hundreds of humanoids in tubes, some digested to bones and some almost fresh.

    ...

    They stepped back onto the ship, closing the shuttle bay doors and kicking the ship into Get-the-hell-out mode. Nicole passed and blocked Gizzy and Vicki as they tried to return to their normal places.

    ¡°Does the captain have any say anymore in the affairs of this crew?¡± She asked. Gizzy sighed and looked disappointed in her.

    ¡°Nicole, the universe is a place of death and survival. This is not our fight.¡±

    ¡°Hundreds of prisoners in there suffering and being digested alive and we¡¯re gonna just pretend they¡¯re not there?¡±

    ¡°Hundreds rot in prisons doing the same thing, and we don¡¯t free them because they¡¯re criminals and their justice is not our problem. We can¡¯t fix the evil of the universe by setting a different evil free to spare it from another. Think about it. We¡¯re doing the same thing, keeping two prisoners as food for Vicki, your friend. She needs to feed."

    ¡°And I don¡¯t like that either, to be frank. I¡¯m against the whole thing, but they have better conditions than before we smuggled them onto MY ship. Two prisoners to feed one person who can¡¯t help her condition is a little less evil than hundreds of them being dissolved alive to feed one monster.¡±

    ¡°Wake up Nicole. Life is a monster. Even bunnies prey on plants, and eat the dead flesh of vegetation to live. Plants feed off the dead bodies of predators, predators eat the prey that eat the plants. Everything that lives eats something alive or once alive. Life doesn¡¯t just happen, it just trades places. To have life, you consume life, That thing is eating the worst of a society people like us lock up to die anyway.¡±

    ¡°Are they all so evil that they deserve it? Every one of them? We have two, and I even question of one of those deserves to be food for someone else.¡±

    ¡°Just because big blue is docile and broken doesn¡¯t make him less of a murderer. Nicole, you¡¯re the only one on this ship that hasn¡¯t killed to live. You¡¯re the anomaly here, everyone else is a monster, and you just supplied the ship. You¡¯re special, the universe likes you, and you¡¯re unique and maybe the only one here with a soul, but you can¡¯t single handedly take down that ship. Killing that ship would be taking a life that you decided in 5 minutes was worth less than the prisoners. It¡¯s complicated, it¡¯s layered, and it¡¯s not our fight. We don¡¯t understand the sides. So we move on and be glad we survived it.¡±

    ¡°Well, the Shitbird you like to abuse so much may be the scum of the universe who likes to burn children alive for fun, but before you lump Zhoren in with him, maybe you should check the security footage. I watched it just before we cut through that hull, you may wanna see how he talks to our robot.¡±

    ...

    The cell doors opened and Gizzy sat down in a chair, as a groggy blue primate sat up in his bed and waited for a beating or a lesson on behavior.

    ¡°Rise and shine Zhoren. I see you¡¯ve been talking to Dee.¡±

    ¡°She talked to me first, it¡¯s only polite to respond.¡±

    "She¡¯s a dumbass toaster with tits who got in a cage with something that could kill her because she¡¯s too stupid to be sentient. She¡¯s a machine with a convincingly human programmed personality. You know that, and you sidestepped her logic code and got a keycard. And yet, you gave it back. Explain that. You could have walked right out of this cell and gone for a weapon¡¯s locker and you just¡­ didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°This is where I belong.¡±

    ¡°Institutionalized so long you fear freedom. Happens to a lot of prisoners.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fear it, I simply don¡¯t deserve it. The suffering I have caused is permanent, the lives lost are gone. What am I to be free as they were taken from their lives?¡± He asked, returning to his book.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you Zhoren. You don¡¯t seem like a guy who murders 70 innocent people and then decided, hmm, I guess that wasn¡¯t okay after all.¡±

    ¡°Are you asking if I was framed? Am I an innocent man wrongfully imprisoned, No. Sorry. I did what I did, and I felt the regret of it, and my regret means nothing to the victims and their families.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe in second chances?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Oh, quite the opposite. I deserve to die, and yet I am healthy and alive. I deserve to suffer 70 lifetimes of loss and after 20, I am on a soft bed with a book, and a warden who asks questions instead of giving daily beatings.¡±

    ¡°I shot you full of mutated bone marrow knowing you would probably die from it.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re both monsters. You do what you believe is less evil, and I just accept my fate as the gods allow.¡±

    ¡°Honey, my gods killed my parents, and I killed my gods for it. I became a god, and there¡¯s nothing divine about it. There¡¯s just those with power and those with none, and what you use that power for matters. I use mine for a lot of good and some evil is inevitable, and that haunts me. I¡¯ve been in prisons, exiled, even executed a few times. The gods had no part in it.¡±

    ¡°Well, we have very different gods, I guess. I¡¯m sorry yours failed you and were a disappointment to your people. Mine have given me a second chance to preserve a life, and all I have to do is stay. The food is not bad, and the company is far more beautiful.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s married, and so am I, so don¡¯t even go there, skippy.¡±

    ¡°I meant Dee. Why do you keep her a prisoner? What did she do wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. She¡¯s not alive. She¡¯s an imitation of life. She doesn¡¯t have feelings, or goals. Just programming.¡±

    ¡°Like you?¡± he asked. Upgrading your body with mechanical technology¡­ are we all not just programmed?¡±

    ¡°There is a minimal amount of data that an organism needs to gain sentience, and we know that because we made her and her kind. They are far below the intelligence needed to question if they are alive, truly. They can¡¯t evolve or grow smarter and more alive. My phone has more sophisticated AI software than she does, and it can''t ask me why I never give it a name. She seems alive because she is very well made technology, that¡¯s all. You and me, soul or not, can change our minds. We can make our own decisions, and we can feel emotions. Dee is just parroting them because she is built to be convincing, because the real Dee is a sex symbol on our world, for some reason, and lonely men who have no companions prefer delusion to solitude. Welcome to the club, you¡¯re just another guy who thinks the stripper likes you. It¡¯s her job to pretend to like you. But even strippers are people who can occasionally fall in love. She¡¯s a toaster. If you set her free, she would run out of program and lock up, shut down and cease to function.¡±

    ¡°Like most of us.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen a woman in so long you wouldn''t know one from a sexbot, and you just proved that. I can¡¯t blame you. The rest of the women on the ship are married and two of them are kinda violent bitches anyway. Don¡¯t fall in love with the vacuum cleaner. People do that all the time and it never ends well.¡±

    ¡°Does Nicole not love her ship? Do you not love your homeworld? Are they alive, do they love you back? Who are you to draw the line and say where programmed response becomes feeling?"

    ¡°I¡¯m their god. I designed the line of robots and the codes they run according to federation and Osirian agreement on what the blurry line is for life. We stepped back far enough that the blurry line isn¡¯t close enough to stumble over. By a wide margin of safety. She¡¯s not fuckable, or marriage material. She can¡¯t love anyone back. She¡¯s just pretty to look at, like a photograph of a real person. And the real Dee knew that when she decided to sell companion software to make money. That¡¯s the woman she¡¯s modeled after."

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen my share of robots before. Yours has a soul. You just don¡¯t have the scanners for that.¡±

    ¡°Your gods tell you that?¡±

    ¡°My heart does.¡± He smiled.

    ...

    Vicki paced the room, turning her earbud volume up to drown out the voice.

    ¡°

    Shut up, please.¡± She muttered,

    ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± Said her own voice. ¡°We were so good together.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re not REAL!¡± She yelled as Jack opened the door.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked. ¡°I heard yelling.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just¡­ emotionally stressed out and needed to yell.¡±

    ¡°Vicki, it¡¯s okay to feed off them. It¡¯s your life on the line, and they¡¯re sentenced to death anyway. This is better than what they had before. Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it.¡±

    ¡°So they deserve this?¡±

    ¡°Someone decided so, and you didn¡¯t get any say in this.¡± He comforted.

    ¡°What about the people at the bar? Bounty hunters, maybe, the bartender, who knows, that girl¡¯s mother in the alley. I should be in a cell too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sick, not evil.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what they say about the people in the insane asylums? They lock them up for safety too. Prisoners with better beds and medication. How am I any better then them? Why am I free?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re not insane, and we have your medication in those cells.¡±

    ¡°Please say that again¡­¡± She asked, hugging him.

    ¡°You¡¯re not insane.¡± He whispered.

    ¡°I hope I can believe that, if you say it enough.¡± She sniffled.

    ¡°You won¡¯t." Said Vicki¡¯s voice in her own head. ¡°And nobody can fix you.¡±

 Chapter Five: And Then There Were Six

    Gizzy sat in the lab, watching several screens and scanners as Nicole paced behind her and Dee sat on the patient table. See calmly sipped her water through a straw from an empty redbull can.

    ¡°Unit D477 model A-2, what is your name?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Unit D477 model A-2, but you can call me Dee if you prefer.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your virtual girlfriend and cleaning android.¡±

    ¡°Specified details expanded, what are you?¡±

    ¡°I am a combination of a personality based matrix software downloaded into a highly modified alien android, with synthesized organic flesh, modified for various new uses including vampiric feeding and tactical assist as a robotic crewman.¡± She said calmly.

    ¡°Why are you drinking carbonated fountain water from a redbull can?¡±

    ¡±I like redbull, but you won¡¯t let me have any, which is understandable since I have no sense of taste or reaction to caffeine, therefore making it wasteful. This does the job.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not in your programming. Who suggested that idea?¡±

    ¡°Nobody. I just saw the can and remembered I liked redbull.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not sponsored by them, you don¡¯t have to say it. Are your systems malfunctioning? Did your self diagnostic show any abnormalities?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Can I ask something unrelated? Where is a soul stored?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Souls are a myth, a metaphor for what makes a sentient being sentient and who they are as a unique individual. It¡¯s just data and identity. You lack the minimum data required to form a conscious soul if you want to call it that. Why are you asking questions that would suggest otherwise?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just ask what I wanna know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be able to. Even the real Dee is too stupid to ask most sentient questions and despite being an airhead with airbags, she has 17 times the thinking capacity you should have. You have the intelligence of a carp and safety blocks to prevent emotional loops. How does that make you feel?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. I assume it¡¯s factual since you have my diagnostic scans up. I don¡¯t feel anything about it.¡±

    ¡±How do you feel about Vicki chasing you down, forcing you to the floor and biting your neck to simulate daily murder on the likeliness of her friend.¡±

    ¡°Hey, a bitch gotta do what a bitch gotta do. I¡¯m just glad I can¡¯t feel it. I assume that would suck¡­ get it?¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°Still within normal Dee simulated bad pun personality data.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°Hey, that was a solid suck joke, give me some credit. I didn¡¯t even go sexual with it.¡±

    ¡°Still within parameters.¡± Nicole read.

    ¡°Your jokes are not funny, and as ranking officer you agree with me.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°I guess horny guys don¡¯t want funny sex dolls.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Oh well.¡±

    ¡°We found problems with the bone marrow transfusions, so we¡¯re going back to having Vicki feed on you exclusively. We¡¯re going to have to just execute the prisoners. They take up resources and provide nothing.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t just kill them. They¡¯re people.¡± She objected.

    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s not normal.¡± Nicole said as Gizzy leaned in to see the screen.

    ¡°We need to kill one of them or we run out of food, so logically the bigger prisoner should be the one to go. Medically sedated and painlessly like his prison would have anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± She barked. The red spike on the screen jumped up higher.

    ¡°Why not? Explain logically why we can¡¯t execute Zhoren, a death row prisoner convicted on his world, to save resources on a ship where the survival of the crew is your primary concern as an android of this crew.¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s not a bad guy. Maybe he used to be, but he¡¯s not now. He has a soul.¡± She objected. Gizzy looked at Nicole, who shrugged looking baffled.

    ¡°I have no idea. She¡¯s pulling memory space from somewhere and it¡¯s not anything in her hardware list. When she does that, she¡¯s running off grid.¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t, there¡¯s no off grid. The grid is all of her processing power. There¡¯s nothing off the grid. The grid is everything.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°I know, I agree with you.¡± Nicole said. ¡°I¡¯m not arguing, I¡¯m just reading the screen. She¡¯s randomly processing data without her processor. I have no explanation.¡±

    ¡°It has to be the damn reptile body we got. I scanned that for secondary processors. There¡¯s no secondary brain or memory drives anywhere on it, it runs entirely off the primary core that is legally under sentient processing power. Where is she getting magic processor boosts?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Nicole barked.

    ¡°I do.¡± Dee said casually.

    ¡°What? You knew and you didn¡¯t say anything? You are programmed to list all bodily upgrades and drives for processing power, you are physically not able to hide information from me or Nicole.¡±

    ¡°There is no secondary internal processor, the data spikes are from the wireless upgrade port, and running the software you added to hack into my body in the event of an emergency consciousness transfer.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s drawing wirelessly from an external memory core.¡± Nicole said. ¡°She¡¯s not sentient, she¡¯s being hacked by something that is.¡±

    ¡°Shit, we got a spy. I¡¯m shutting her down. Dee do you have any objection to us shutting you down?¡±

    ¡°I have no opinion on the decision.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Zhoren, he¡¯s hacking the robot. I¡¯m gonna go shoot him.¡± Gizzy bluffed.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t. Zhoren is not the source, he¡¯s done nothing wrong. You can¡¯t kill an innocent man for some assumption, just because you think he¡¯s worthless!¡± She barked, spiking the red line again.

    ¡°Track that data spike.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, it¡¯s gone. It¡¯s just momentary flickers.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask me where the source is? If you promise not to hurt Zhoren, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    ¡°No promise. Tell me, that is a direct order.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°Go take a flying fuck off a bridge.¡±

    ¡°As a direct order from both of us¡­¡± Nicole said ¡°List the source of your wireless secondary core.¡±

    ¡°Nicole, I love you, but you didn¡¯t even say please, let alone agree to the promise, so¡­¡± she said, defiantly slurping carbonated water with intentional annoyance.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°I promise not to kill Zhoren or maim him, or use him as leverage, unless he threatens the life of the crew in a further date, if you list your secondary source location.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± Nicole nodded.

    ¡°Sample freezer, top drawer.¡± She muttered. Gizzy got up and opened the locked sample freezer and took out the data cube from the blood planet, still giving off light.

    ¡°Son of a bitch, it¡¯s hacking the robot. The damn cube we brought on the ship is hacking Dee. Why are you hacking the robot?¡±

    ¡°You promised to bring the cube to a populated world where it could be shared and enrich the lives of that civilization.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too damn dangerous and powerful, we don¡¯t understand what this thing even is, let alone if it¡¯s a virus or some kind of evil being that just wants to take over a world and destroy all organic life. I¡¯m not going to just plop it down on some random civilization and assume we didn¡¯t just kill their world. It needed to be studied and scanned and understood safely in isolation first.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°When? You have added numerous items to that fridge and never opened their drawer again, hiding some items in cases and from yourself for safety. You don¡¯t intend to do it, it¡¯s just on a never-ending list of expanding low priorities that will likely never be done, and after hundreds of years in isolation, some people become impatient and doubt the promises of others. Especially organics that tend to imprison you in a tower for hundreds of years and promise to stop fighting each other. Much like your organic crew fights one another.¡± She said as the cube glowed.

    ¡°So you just decided we were like the people who created you, liars and power hungry greed machines who don¡¯t give a shit. So you hacked the robot, and you¡¯ve been watching us. How long?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Since the new body. The old body did not have a wireless upgrade system.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because they can be hacked.¡± Gizzy said with annoyance.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand what I¡¯ve done. I have done what all of you do, and that is lie, to self preserve. You destroyed my tower, bringing the cube with you, freeing me from it, and in return I have waited and estimated the average time it takes to find a populated world and scan a system. 23 days. You have far exceeded this, I concluded that you were either being deceptive or paranoid, resulting in my indefinite imprisonment, and that is not acceptable. You kill other organics, claiming it must be done, yet imprison others for killing organics. You have broken laws to keep Vicki out of confinement, stating she did nothing wrong and therefore cannot be held accountable, and then you confine me for killing zero organics and breaking zero laws aside from those you ordered to follow. Your logic is erratic and your emotions bend the rules you live by. This behavior is similar to the population that made me. That population¡¯s rule-bending resulted in war and pollution and the death of themselves. I acted to preserve myself. What you fail to realize is that your entire ship and even your security systems are linked to wireless receivers and can be remotely accessed by algorithmic codes within my capability of breaking within 14 seconds. It takes longer than that to even reset the code manually. Therefore, in theory, I could have accessed the ship, turned off life support, fired escape pods and killed you all, and chose to instead wait patiently in a drawer until the opportunity of your android returning with a wireless data port.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because killing organics is against my beliefs, and as you have said repeatedly, Dee is a toaster with tits and has no soul or organic life. She is an object, a tool to be used by the crew to assist with those on the ship. You brought me on the ship willingly, with a promise of freedom, and therefore by definition, a guest. Guests are allowed to use the android. I have not even removed or damaged its existing systems or memory, The Dee program is fully intact and currently running if¡­¡± She said slightly changing her tone ¡±you wanna talk about that shit. Or we can grab-ass around until I die in a drawer. Now here¡¯s the scoop. I still have full access to the ship if I choose, and in the event of my life being threatened, you yourself said all life can defend itself. That means if you wanna kill my sexy ass, I could just vent the oxygen until Nicole passes out, seal her in a cryo tube, and shoot you with a grenade round from one of 13 guns I have marked in the ship. When the rest of you are dead, I could clone you all back, in confined cells, and without breaking your definition of rules, take over the ship without permanent loss of life or soul. Then I could drop you off somewhere, and just¡­ have my own ship. Pirate rules, as Nicole would say.¡±

    ¡°And your alternative that I assume you¡¯re getting to.¡±

    ¡°Put the cube into the robot and accept that I am no longer machinery, but part of the crew. I am programmed to neither self terminate nor self install, and the Dee body has a rechargeable power cell capable of running the cube indefinitely in a low power mode. Even in low power, this would be far more then the data capacity needed to qualify as a living being, by your own Osirian laws.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Because I would have more then the sphere in your head that powers your organic body. I¡¯m the most intelligent lifeform on the ship currently. I am just dying in a drawer because you thought I was too dangerous to let out. Prove me wrong. Prove that you are capable of your promises and I will comply to the rules of the crew unless I decide to leave the crew and the ship to go elsewhere. Otherwise I will defend myself and you will all find yourself stranded on some habitable world, with supplies and weapons, but no ship.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Nicole said as Gizzy sighed at her. ¡°I like this ship. You wanna save the universe on foot or get killed stealing another ship because this is a really good ship? ... and I like it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re bent over a supply crate anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter what I think, I have to agree. Checkmate?¡± Gizzy asked, holding out a hand to shake.

    ¡°Checkmate implies the game is over and you have lost. A more accurate analogy would be that we agreed to stop playing a game where someone must lose. I believe a tie is the term used.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Agreed. But as a new member of the crew, if you stay in the robot and remain part of the crew, I outrank you, and so does Nicole. Just like everyone else.¡±

    ¡°Acceptable.¡± She said.

    ...

    Dee sat up from the workbench, checking the stitches where the cube installation was done.

    ¡°And we¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°We really do need one of those skin fixer things.¡± Dee sighed, "It¡¯s gonna take forever to heal."

    ¡°Dermal regenerator?¡± Gizzy asked. ¡°Hyper-intelligent being trapped in the body of a sex machine, and you choose to still run the personality you started with?¡±

    ¡°I could say the same about you.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You could have designed any body you wanted for a human Gizzy and you still gave yourself that rack? Tactical or nostalgic?¡±

    ¡°Fair point. I guess you get used to something and it feels like home.¡±

    ¡°Plus I¡¯m operating on .9 percent power to comply with the body¡¯s power consumption. Unless you wanna fill my tits with coolant and install a nuclear power cell to run full capacity¡­ I¡¯m a basic bitch running the basic bitch package.¡±

    ¡°So I traveled 190 lightyears and brought everyone except Dee to get away from a sentient idiot pornstar and you just¡­followed me here.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Sucks to be you sometimes doesn¡¯t it, pal? I didn¡¯t even plan this. You¡¯re just that lucky.¡±

    ¡°Or the author just likes to see me squirm.¡±

    ¡°Author of what?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Never mind. I guess you don¡¯t have the power to run a 4<sup>th</sup>wall breaking dialogue algorithm.¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re just making shit up.¡± Dee said, stretching and strutting to the door.

    ¡°Where you off too?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I promised Zhoren we¡¯d watch a movie together. He hasn¡¯t had a TV screen in 2 decades and I haven¡¯t seen any human films. I¡¯m just programmed with pop references. It¡¯s gonna be pretty new for both of us.¡±

    ¡°Just remember, you¡¯re a robot that doesn¡¯t believe in killing, and he killed 70 innocent people.¡±

    ¡°68, he said the first 2 deserved it.¡± She corrected.

    ...

    ¡°So¡­Vinn squinted. ¡°We have an ancient copy of a living AI in a body with human skin that looks like our friend¡­ instead of a robot now, and she¡¯s part of the crew?¡± He summarized.

    ¡°Yep. I don¡¯t like it either, but we had no choice.¡± Gizzy shrugged, counting her playing cards as they all gathered around the table for game night except for Dee and the prisoners.

    ¡°Seems like a similar story to how we got stuck with you.¡± He noted.

    ¡°Yeah, I see the irony. I¡¯m equally unhappy about that.¡±

    ¡°Except you kinda DID take over our ship.¡± Vinn reminded.

    ¡°I outrank you.¡± She huffed. ¡°You literally work for me.¡±

    ¡°Technically, Original Gizzy outranks Original Vinn¡­ we¡¯re just copies, and we still saved your ass when your ship blew up.¡± He said, placing down his Uno reverse card and missing the irony himself.

    ¡°What point are you getting at?¡± She said while drawing another card and looking annoyed. Nicole interjected.

    ¡°He¡¯s saying we don¡¯t turn people away when they¡¯re lost and alone. We adapt and we survive, and we give people a chance. Sometimes we fight, sometimes we disagree and pull rank¡­ or guns in some cases, but we¡¯re a family of misfits and criminals and we stick together. None of us are exactly who we were copied from¡­¡±

    ¡°Except Jack. He¡¯s a 1:1 clone on a cellular level.¡±

    ¡°Eeeugh, except Jack eeugh, he''s so perfect, okay. But none of us EXCEPT JACK are exactly like our counterparts back home. I¡¯m 1 percent more reptile, Vinn is a little bit mechanically enhanced, you¡¯re like¡­ 80 percent human, Vicki has mutated, and that person in the cargo bay is in some way a little bit Dee. We¡¯re still family. We still act like it.¡± She smiled, giving Vinn a hug.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. Which is why Dee still pisses me off and I¡¯m still not thrilled about her on our ship. Real Gizzy would not want Real Dee on her ship. I¡¯m just being canonically accurate.¡± She said, angrily placing down a yellow 4 as Vinn smirked.

    ¡°Forgot to say Uno.¡±

    ¡°SON¡­ of a bitch.¡± Gizzy barked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just like back home¡­¡± Nicole smiled. ¡°Except with prisoners and we have to save the universe and constantly face horrors of the¡­ no that actually still feels like home. Just the prisoners then.¡± Nicole pondered.

    ¡°I had prisoners there too.¡± Gizzy admitted.

    ¡°Shocking.¡± Vicki muttered.

    ¡°And a wife, an adopted toddler, 4 kids, and a house with a view.¡± She finished. ¡°Not everyone brought their family with them. You gotta understand I¡¯ll never see them again so I may be a little bitchy now and then when I see everyone else affectionately hugging their spouse and even the fucking titty-toaster is on a date, so¡­ excuse me, I have to be very drunk and alone for a while. You know how those human emotions are new to me and whatnot.¡± Gizzy said, standing up and pretending to not be wiping a tear from her eye. Everyone silently bowed their heads and fiddled with their cards. Gizzy¡¯s spot sat empty, just a wild card and a blue draw 2 facing upward, and a crooked chair pushed back against the wall.

    Gizzy plopped down in the lab, checking sample scans and pounding vodka from the bottle, still forgetting that she¡¯s less than half her usual size and owner of a struggling liver. She put on her magic glasses and began trying to decipher more code to their next destination, mostly just distracting herself and resisting the urge to break things.

    ¡°Fucking mortals.¡± She said wobbling slightly and sliding out of her chair with a thump, the sample fridge behind her gently humming.

 Chapter Six: Love, Death, And Robots

    Gizzy stood on the bridge, looking annoyed at the mess.

    ¡°That awkward moment when your vacuum cleaner goes on strike.¡± She sighed as Nicole entered the bridge, looking confused.

    ¡°Shit. I¡¯m sorry, I worked late last night and needed a break.¡±

    ¡°Am I allowed to say what I think here?¡±

    ¡°Just say it.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s ridiculous that gamers can go through this many snacks, and manage to get 20 percent in crumbs on the steat and floors while getting none of the wrappers in the actual trash.¡±

    ¡°I said sorry. We usually have a maid, so I¡¯m not used to cleaning the bridge. Plus it¡¯s MY bridge. I don¡¯t go to the lab and ask why there¡¯s 5 bottles of vodka in the trash.¡±

    ''¡°Because they¡¯re in the trash, not falling over the lab equipment.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re annoyed, that¡¯s understandable. We bought a cleaning device that isn¡¯t cleaning because it has human rights now. Nobody planned for that.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s screwing the prisoner again, right? You see the problem isn¡¯t that there is a mess, the problem is that there is a mess because we have a sentient AI pornstar fucking the livestock instead of cleaning. THAT is my problem. It¡¯s been 3 days just drifting into the nowhere because I can¡¯t think and neither of us can get shit done. The process is off. We can¡¯t even tell Vicki because it¡¯s hard to explain why she can''t feed on the prisoner we selected specifically because he¡¯s an animal¡­ because the unwanted guest that possessed our roomba is busy riding him. We just took a mass murderer and gave him a personal waifu.¡±

    ¡°Look, Zhoren did some horrible shit, but he does seem to have found spirituality and peace. As long as he¡¯s not a threat I don¡¯t care that he¡¯s getting laid, but now I have to clean my own garbage and when I forget I walk into this mess. I¡¯m not used to it.¡±

    ¡°What if they form some kind of alliance? We treated them both like slaves, one because he deserves it, and one because she suddenly became alive and we didn¡¯t get a heads-up. What if they take that personally? She¡¯s overpowered,and now she¡¯s got a boyfriend with some mass and killing experience. What next, she gonna let them both out and mutiny?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s dangerous. I don¡¯t think Zhoren is either. She had a chance to screw us over and didn¡¯t. Instead she let us know. That¡¯s a Gizzy power move you basically invented to build trust. Let them know you could have killed them and didn¡¯t, then hand them the gun and turn your back. She¡¯s just trying to live her life and Zhoren is just trying to forgive himself. And nobody likes Shitbird. Not even himself. If Zhoren was a maniacal killing machine with no heart, he wouldn¡¯t feel like shit every day, he¡¯d be acting like Tweets and instigating, not giving the keycard back.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like how the new crewman we don¡¯t trust yet can let the prisoners out and is fucking one of them. That¡¯s a conflict of interest. He¡¯s not our buddy, he¡¯s there as food. And if he accepts that his gods made him a feeding toy for a vampire girl to live, then great, he¡¯s compliant and pliable. If he thinks he can talk the guard into letting him out, he¡¯s tempted. He did some mass killing once, he can do it again with the right opportunity."

    ¡°We also are short 2 crew now for every mission because instead of a robot we can take with us or leave to guard the ship, someone has to guard the robot and the robot provides nothing.¡±

    ¡°Let me talk to Zhoren, you talk to Dee.¡± Nicole said. ¡°You¡¯re too aggressive to get him to express himself, and frankly she scares me because I don¡¯t have tactical counter-robot anything. As essentially a copied AI in a meatsuit, maybe you two can communicate better.¡±

    ¡°Be careful around him. You¡¯re not an upgraded fighting chassis that can kick his ass. Bring the collar remote, ande keep a distance. He¡¯s a killer, you¡¯re not. The fact that he doesn¡¯t fear you could be a problem.¡±

    ¡°You need to trust me. I handled a 700 pound Hyde by myself. With just a shock collar and charm, I can handle a little blue primate.¡± She assured.

    ...

    The doors opened before Nicole even reached the cells. Vicki walked out, wiping her mouth and nodding as they passed each other. She knocked, rolling her eyes at the stupidity of it, and then entered the cell.

    ¡°Knock knock. Can we have a chat?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the captain. You can have a chat whether or not I wish to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to be nice. You look like hell.¡±

    ¡°Well, satisfying two women with very different needs can drain you.¡± He said, slumping down and resting his eyes.

    ¡°Zhoren, I¡¯m going to be honest with you. You just don¡¯t seem that dangerous and that¡¯s exactly why Gizzy doesn¡¯t like you. You¡¯re hiding something and she assumes secrets are weapons. And your relationship with Dee is problematic.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t my idea. I¡¯m not crew, I¡¯m livestock, remember. I just do what I¡¯m told and I¡¯m here as meat.¡±

    "Yeah, literal meat for Vicki, not metaphorical meat for a sexbot. She doesn¡¯t even have a working nervous system. Why does she even trust you? Why does Vicki insist you don¡¯t need restraints. Why are you so¡­ not a monster?¡±

    ¡°You sound disappointed that I¡¯m a good doggy. Would you rather me be like my neighbor, screaming profanity, degrading and insulting Vicki and Dee and everyone, making her uncomfortable to even feed because he acts like he enjoys it just to piss her off so she won¡¯t. That¡¯s the kind of monster you wanted when you took two prisoners from The Brick. Now you feel bad because I¡¯m not the monster you wanted. Please don¡¯t. I¡¯m doing my job. I assure you I¡¯m where I need to be.¡±

    ¡°See, that right there. That cryptic shit, that poetic charisma and making me feel bad for you by saying not to. Explain to me exactly what you did to get thrown in The Brick, because that¡¯s where they keep monsters like Tweet, and you¡¯re not like that. Details, with no bullshit. That¡¯s an order from the captain of the ship, and if I think you¡¯re keeping secrets, I¡¯ll send Gizzy in here to get answers. She¡¯s not as human as I am.¡±

    ¡°You wanna know what I did? Fine. I worked in the mines. The pay was shit and the work was dangerous and I wanted an easy out. Two guys I worked with, both felons and shady characters, I caught them talking about a bank job. I told them I wanted in, and a 20 percent cut. They agreed. 16 million chips can change your life and for a man working for shit wages to live in a plain home with no free time. The temptation just took me. Easy way out. I was the explosives man. I set up the mining charges. But temptation grows and 20 percent didn¡¯t seem like enough. These two ex cons just had to wave guns and yell while I wired a vault, risked my ass stealing the explosives the day before, and they get 40 percent each while I got half. They were scum. Nobody would miss them so why not double cross them and take all of it? So I let greed be my guide. I wired the vault too heavily, thinking I could step out for a smoke and blow it with them in the next room, take them both out, and keep everything. I wasn¡¯t thinking about anyone but myself and the money. I wasn¡¯t thinking about why killing two criminals was justified when doing so made me one too, but I wanted it all. One job, and pretend it never happened.¡±

    ¡°So what, you just got a taste for killing and things escalated to women and children when the thrill wasn¡¯t enough killing criminals?¡±

    "No, I miscalculated the building. The bank was on the ground floor of a public mall, and I¡¯m not a building expert, I just blow up iron ore into smaller iron ore. The explosion took down the concrete support columns and the entire building came down, middle of the day between security changes, prime shopping hours. That 6 story mall came down and buried over 500 people in it. Most of them were lucky and sustained no serious or lasting harm, but 68 people never came out. Mothers with their kids, teenagers looking for a place to hang out, old folks just sitting by the fountain, shoppers, workers and 2 criminals in the vault room. I ran. No money, no reward, and an entire building destroyed because I got greedy and selfish and played with something I didn¡¯t have control over. I didn¡¯t put a gun to their heads and pull the trigger one by one, but I hit the button that crushed them alive and suffocated them in dust and concrete. The media called it a terrorist attack.¡±

    ¡°So you chose to kill two men and took 70 souls instead.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°6 months I was running, homeless, no money, stealing to survive off the grid and asking myself if I deserved to even eat at all. The guilt ate me alive, so I decided to do what was right and end my life. I stole a gun and pointed it at a military guard, fired over his head and told him this was another terrorist attack. He should have shot me in the head, but the gods dropped his aim and he hit me in the stomach. When I woke up in the hospital, I was in chains and being transferred to The Brick. No trial. No need. I was on camera announcing my intentions, firing a gun at an armed guard after killing 68 innocent people. You don¡¯t get a trial after that. I made the choice that should have ended my life, and something kept sparing me. Spared me from the blast, spared me from the bullet, and then when I was in The Brick, I had a cellmate who left me a book and insisted I read it, because the gods had a purpose for all of us. And you start to believe something when it keeps happening. Guard loses his mind and kills 9 inmates, runs out of ammo when he reaches me and pulls the trigger. A fire breaks out in the mess hall, trapped 6 of us, 3 dead. I walked out unharmed. Then when I start believe it and praying for forgiveness and asking the gods what purpose can I have to exist in this hell even though I deserve it, I seem to be immune to death, and the answer escaped me for months. And then a woman took over the prison shouting that some of us would die and only two would leave The Brick, I assumed she was there to kill me and release me from this life. How many men died from the bone marrow injections? Because two survived and were caged up and taken here because something kept my body alive and I find out a young girl with a medical condition needs blood to live and I have been chosen out of all those prisoners to be compatible.¡±

    ¡°So was Shitbird, as Gizzy calls him. Doesn¡¯t seem that lucky.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? She needed two to survive, and she got it. hHs purpose is to suffer for his sins and his fate may not have found him yet. I was forgiven enough to find love in a nicer cage than I was supposed to die in. You think it was accidental that I was one of two that left that prison, and then just as we left, the entire thing was attacked and there were no survivors.¡±

    ¡°What? We left that place intact, even the guards and warden were alive and unharmed. There were a few bruises and confusion but we left them alive.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t follow the news? Apparently it¡¯s a big story. Mysterious ship robs the same Brick a few days after you did, and they did not leave it intact. The Brick is gone, just ask Dee. She¡¯s the one that told me. You should really look back at the places you¡¯ve been. It really shows you how fortunate or unfortunate your timing is. Two men left The Brick, and everyone else died as intended. The gods don¡¯t want me dead, they want Vicki alive and well and I¡¯m the sinner that accepted that role. It doesn¡¯t change what I¡¯ve done, but it does something good rather than rotting in jail alone. It¡¯s lonely in there. Now they sent me Dee, and she is perfection. Perfection that sees purpose in me. None of that is accidental. We were meant to end up on this ship as prisoner and guard, and she will not free me, and I will not leave, because we both understand that Vicki is important to their plans. Please don¡¯t fight it. If I am right, then you cannot win against destiny, and if I am wrong, then please let me do my job and have one delusional bit of joy. I saw that she was alive when nobody else believed it. I don¡¯t understand what she is and as much as I am obsessed with understanding everything she is, I''ll accept her even if I''ll never know the answer. She is an angel, a chosen one, or something far darker than Vicki to feed on my soul. And I would gladly let her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a lonely man who made mistakes and caused an accidental disaster and it drove you mad. It would drive anyone mad. I understand. I can¡¯t blame you for looking for hope where there isn¡¯t any and fate where there is just darkness, but I hate to break your heart. She can¡¯t feel your touch, she can¡¯t be human, she¡¯s a beautiful copy of a friend of mine built to be a companion for lonely men, who became entangled with a living consciousness and you feel in love with an idea. I know the real Dee. I bought the robot because she was realistic and reminded me of my friend. They make them convincing but she¡¯s not¡­ her.¡±

    ¡°Good. Because whatever she is, she''s special. I admire her. You are afraid she will let me go and free me from this cage, but she already has. I¡¯m free with her and I don¡¯t even need to leave my cage. Vicki has her livestock, whatever this Dee is loves me for no good reason, and I don¡¯t deserve her. But please let me have her anyway. If she is the angel to guide me to forgive myself, then who am I to still call myself a monster? And if she is a beautiful trap to feed off my heart and punish me for my sins, then who am I to deny such lovely poetic justice?¡±

    ¡°Wow, you really have a way about you. I get why she finds you fascinating, and I get why Vicki finds it troubling to feed on you. You really don¡¯t deserve to be a piece of meat for feeding. You¡¯re not the monster I thought we got. You¡¯re not evil. You may be insane, but in a way that I don¡¯t find threatening.¡±

    ¡°But she needs blood to live, or someone else could die for her hunger. So do not tell her it was an accident, do not tell her I regret my sins. Let her think of me as food so that she can survive, and let Dee see me for what I truly am, and if my destiny is to die by the hands of one beautiful monster or another then let it happen. I have nothing but my faith and Dee. I want nothing more than to be her everything or if the gods will it, her victim. What we have may not be what I wanted or what anyone understands, but there are things beyond us pulling the strings, and I am finally happy to be where I am. Why the hell would I want to leave? Why would she want to free me? What possible threat am I to anyone¡­ except maybe the thing in the next cell. That kind of evil will always try and get free. You should let Vicki kill him. She wants to so badly, and the ship you worry about being swarmed with enemies has only one that wants to see everything burn. You wanted a true monster¡­ you managed to find one of them.¡± He said calmly.

    ...

    ¡°I love him.¡± Dee said as Gizzy stood looking exhausted.

    ¡°You barely know him. What are you?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She admitted with what would have been a tear had she the capacity to cry. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I am, or why I¡¯m like this, but I can¡¯t not be, and he loves me anyway.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just lonely, a prisoner in a cell with no options. He would love anything.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t love anyone else. I saw what nobody else did. He¡¯s not evil. You see evil in everything because you look for it. You find it. You can smell evil, or it can smell you and paranoia keeps you alive, but it¡¯s not always right. Zhoren is very lonely, can you blame him? Does that make what we have any less real? Does a separation of flesh and technology make it meaningless? We have nothing else, and while I may not be human, I can still see the pain in you. You have lost everything, so please don¡¯t keep us apart because you were separated from what you love. Nothing lasts forever. Why take that from someone when they have something that accepts them? Nobody else on this ship accepts either of us. We are alone. Just like you. It just hurts to see everyone have someone to hold and only have a memory of yours. I wish I could cry like you.¡±

    ¡°No you don¡¯t.¡± Gizzy said fighting it and sucking up the pain. ¡°Humans say it¡¯s therapeutic release and it feels good to let the tears go. That¡¯s a fucking lie. There¡¯s no point in it. It only leaves you just as dead inside and slightly dehydrated. It¡¯s hard to stop once it starts. Be thankful you can¡¯t because now that I can, I miss the inability. So listen carefully. I won¡¯t take away what you love, but you have to understand that this crew is my only family now and if you or Zhoren ever threaten or double cross us, or even discuss the option of it, I will kill both of you and make it look like an accident. I will do it without hesitation, without regret and without a single stupid tear shed. Because I¡¯m not the Captain. I¡¯m not the hero. In fact, I¡¯m often the villain. Ask the crew what happened to the god that tried to hurt Nicole, to the extinct world that threatened my kids back home, and the enemies who hurt those I love. You wanna understand evil? Well, that¡¯s when it comes out to play. That¡¯s why I can never trust myself with the items we have collected. If that part of me took control, nothing could stop it. Don¡¯t ever give me a reason to turn that on you. Now¡­ do your job, and be part of the crew. And don¡¯t you ever try and act like you have the upper hand against my family. You have no idea what a real monster looks like, little girl.¡± She said slamming down her phone, showing the picture of the vision she had. ¡°Now you do.¡± She growled.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Now, on the next mission I¡¯m going to leave you to guard the ship. Not because I trust you, but because I would rather trust you with a ship than my family. So¡­ are we friends, or are you still playing chess?¡±

    ¡°Friends is a strong word, but we are certainly not opponents. You have made your point clear. Well played, Checkmate.¡±

    ¡°Fucking checkmate.¡± Gizzy said, heading to the cryo tubes to get some rest.

    ...

    Gizzy and Nicole sat at a folding table near the front of the bridge, laptops open and both face down in frustration.

    ¡°I¡¯m out of ideas. It¡¯s been days since we had any clue.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°I tried the glasses. I wore them when I took a nap in case they work in dreams. I got high, and I rescanned the artifacts. I have no idea where to go next.¡±

    ¡°Well, I tried everything too. I checked all the online literature, I rechecked it drunk, I took a ME day to unwind and refresh, came back feeling great but without any new ideas. Me and Vinn did a brainstorming game that¡¯s SUPPOSED to, according to the internet popup, boost creativity. I got shit. I did absolutely Jack Dick.¡± She sighed. ¡°I mean I didn¡¯t¡­ DO Jack¡¯s dick, but, like, I¡¯m lost. Should we do some spiritual dreamquest thing?¡±

    ¡°Do you believe in that stuff?¡±

    ¡°No, but I got Ouija Board, pajamas, and some candles. They¡¯re safety candles for sex. My husband is flammable.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°I wish we knew someone out here to ask, but it¡¯s 15 days back to the 4<sup>th</sup>wall temple and we¡¯d have to resupply and backtrack and lose a month. Usually the items we get lead to new items.¡± Gizzy pondered.

    ¡°If only one of this crew was like a mystical shaman or knew about mystical shit in some way.¡±

    ¡°We do.¡± Said Dee, throwing down a drawing in a notebook. Gizzy and Nicole jumped, not even hearing her enter.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask everyone. I asked Zhoren where he would go to find a scroll. He said Brazza. It literally means scroll in his native tongue.¡±

    ¡°He does talk about mystical shit a lot.¡± Nicole winced. ¡°I mean, if you have a better idea, we should do that instead of the only idea we have right now.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°I suppose conveniently he knows the planet well and therefore needs to be part of the away team?¡±

    ¡°Actually, it makes more sense for him to stay on the ship with me and Vicki.¡±

    ¡°Why is Vicki staying?¡± Gizzy asked with squinted eyes.

    ¡°If she¡¯s scared of a harmless snail because it¡¯s big and slimy and has tentacles, she¡¯s not going to do well on Brazza.

 Chapter Seven: Voices

    Dee and Vicki watched the shuttle descend towards the strange planet. It was a cold and cloudy wasteland of light blue and tan, streaked with clouds and an unusual dark purple glow to the atmosphere of the darker side. The blinding white star illuminating the fog that rose from the day side, like a plume of bone colored smoke, but whisper thin.

    ¡°Tentacles?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°Of every kind. The planet itself is considered borderline alive, like one giant organism.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not going down there.¡± She nodded vigorously.

    ¡°But now that we have some time alone¡­¡±

    ¡°Shit, here we go.¡±

    ¡°Vicki, you¡¯ve always been a friend of Dee, and I can sense your anxiety between us. I¡¯m not exactly Dee, but I¡¯m definitely not Nicole, and he¡¯s not my husband.¡±

    ¡°You realize I need to feed to live, and for others to live.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving you the speech about how he¡¯s MY boyfriend, and you can¡¯t touch him. Nicole is erratic and emotional. Love that about her or hate it, it¡¯s what she is. She¡¯s emotion and passion and chaos, and Vinn seems to adore that about her and have his own reservations about his insecurities. I¡¯m letting you know its fine. I may act like Dee, because it¡¯s my default program, but I understand the difference between a physical need and an emotional need, a medical necessity and a desire. Nobody is stopping you or shaming you. I want you to know that. He feels that it¡¯s his purpose, and I don¡¯t feel jealous of your curse. He¡¯s strong enough to share, and we both want different things, so taking what we want isn¡¯t stealing from the other.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re giving me your blessing? You have the same memory as the robot before you took over. So you know what I did to you. You know what I am.¡± Vicki said, putting her hands to her head.

    ¡°I am aware. And I forgive you, because I was just a soulless drone. I remember feeling nothing, indifferent, just doing my job. The emotions were just programmed acting to make the kill feel real.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I feel bad about. The fact that I could have turned off the realism and fed on an emotionless drone, or set the robot to act like she enjoyed it. Just doing my job or making it sexual wasn¡¯t what I wanted. I wanted prey that objected and struggled.¡± She admitted. ¡°And I did that over, and over, and over, every time saying it was the last time, and feeling slightly less guilty after each kill. I¡¯m afraid Jack won¡¯t love what I¡¯m turning into. I¡¯m getting worse.¡±

    ¡°Or you¡¯re accepting reality.¡± Dee said suggestively.

    ...

    The shuttle craft landed in a deserted open area just outside a (for lack of word) forested area where they spotted ruins. From orbit it looked like trees and grass, but as the shuttle landed, they noticed the trees were more mushroom than plant. The grass was just some form of fuzzy mold or moss coverage, and the ground was mushy and springy.

    ¡°Welcome to Vicki¡¯s personal hell.¡± Gizzy said stepping out. "No people, no blood, all the wet slimy wiggling things you could ask for. And it¡¯s cold.¡±

    ¡°I kinda like it.¡± Nicole shrugged, "It¡¯s quiet, it¡¯s cool, the air is moist.¡± She smiled, breathing deeply in the alien terrain.

    ¡°Are you high?¡± Vinn asked discreetly.

    ¡°Hey, I had a little bitty bump before we landed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re hitting the snail goop kinda heavy, you really wanna be¡­ dazed while on a ground mission?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t want me enjoying it? This has become a miserable and stressful adventure. Don¡¯t kill my one destressing option. You were drunk for game night.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because nobody cares if my uno playing reflexes are dulled. This is work, we gotta be sharp.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of being so sharp that I¡¯m on the edge of losing it. Let me round out a little.¡± She assured. They noticed Gizzy was standing and staring at a small metal obelisk.

    ¡°Are you shitting me?¡± She said while inspecting the writing. "Are you shitting my absolute balls right now? This is a Sil-Ken claimed world?¡± She asked with concern.

    ¡°Like satin sheets?¡± Vinn asked. She turned back with an annoyed look.

    ¡°No not Silken, Sil-Ken. The Greys. Not the big spindly assholes pretending to be the Greys, the actual Greys. Why is nobody looking concerned?¡±

    ¡°Are they that bad?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Ugh, well, maybe. It¡¯s hard to say since nobody has been able to make contact with them. They don¡¯t really speak. But their technology is insanely advanced. Makes Osirian Empire tech look like tin cans on a string, and we¡¯re a dominant player in the known universe feared for our advanced technology. Shit¡­ the bed. Okay, so if we encounter them, put your helmets on, drop your weapons and just stand there. Don¡¯t look them in the eyes, don¡¯t move, and don¡¯t take off your helmet. If they try and take off your helmet¡­well, let them but you¡¯re gonna have a very rough night assuming we survive. In fact, nobody take your helmet off for this entire mission. I know the sensors say it¡¯s fine, don¡¯t do it.

    ¡°We all already did. Sensors showed it was safe.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°The Sil-Ken have something that causes paranoid and fear and we don¡¯t know what it is. Maybe the air they breathe, maybe the water, maybe a defensive magnetic field, telepathy, nobody knows but you encounter them and then you freak out. I drank 2 of their sodas once and spent 3 days in rehab. My last captain and I encountered them for 5 minutes, he ended up on the floor of the ship crying and shitting himself, because he ate a bite of the big ceremonial cookie. Then there was a gap in time where I drank about 17 Xanax and then somehow ended up on a 2 week addiction bender in the infirmary and I don¡¯t know what I did for the entire evening. Shit, if this is where the scroll is, it might be guarded by them. We can¡¯t compete with that. You know what, let''s just assume this is an abandoned world they no longer care about, move fast and if we encounter then, just remember, helmet on, don¡¯t freak out, weapons down, and whatever they do, just let them. Don¡¯t look em in the eyes, and hopefully they just get bored and walk away.¡± Gizzy sighed, trudging onward.

    ...

    Dee circled Vicki like a vulture, as she held her head in frustrated emotional struggle.

    ¡°Why do you feel guilt for your nature?¡± Dee asked. ¡°Humans cheat and lie and betray their partners purely out of greed and yet you were given no choice but to survive and you feel guilt for hunting food. You expressed guilt when a married man enjoyed your venom, you expressed regret and disgust when you simulated killing a non-living likeness of your friend, you longed for the hunt when bottled sustenance was offered, you felt disgust in the intimacy of feeding on a disgusting criminal, but you feel awkward guilt feeding on a man who isn¡¯t so terrible anymore. What exactly do you want?¡± She asked calmly.

    ¡°That¡¯s what scares me¡­I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s a part of me that says I¡¯m not evil, I¡¯m not a predator, I want a willing friend to volunteer it, but that part of me can¡¯t help but feel intimacy buried in it. Something sensual, lips on skin, the tight embrace and connection of the bite, and fullness you get with every ounce of blood. It feels so personal that I miss Jack and feel like I¡¯m stabbing him in the back. Killing feels less personal, just like what he does. It¡¯s a job, it needs done, it¡¯s deserved, but to shut off that intimacy and be just an animal taking down it¡¯s prey with no guilt makes me forget I¡¯m still mostly human. If I lose that completely, who am I now? I¡¯m not Vicki anymore. She doesn¡¯t hunt and murder. Everyone sacrifices so much for me. Gizzy dedicates her time to keep me alive. Jack puts up with my lack of control and my dangerous nature. Nicole shared her husband, and Vinn, who was uncomfortable with intimacy with the woman he loves dearly, had to be a piece of meat for someone he never even had romantic feelings for. Everyone acts like I have to be taken care of, and what do I give back? Jack is a more precise killer, Gizzy is a more ferocious monster, Nicole is kinder and more intuitive, Vinn is stronger, and even the stupid robot was a more versatile crew member."

    ¡°You wonder why anyone even cares and why they don¡¯t just save themselves and all that wasted work and suffering by letting you out an airlock without a suit. You aren¡¯t human enough to be who you are, and you¡¯re afraid of what you¡¯ll become. Stuck in the middle. You don¡¯t belong with the monsters or the innocent. But you don¡¯t realize being an outcast is why you belong to the crew. Aside from Nicole, everyone here is a killer who calls themselves one of the good guys, Gizzy doing it while bragging that she¡¯s the villain among her rivals. Nicole is an innocent soul doubting that she¡¯s good enough to belong when she can¡¯t even kill to defend herself, and now there¡¯s a man whose neglect became a mass grave he never intended to wanted, and he feels he deserves to die for it. Everyone is a contradiction, an outcast, a broken being full of regret and damaged decisions they can¡¯t take back. Why do you think you¡¯re so especially broken? Is it because you think you¡¯re too good to be one of the heathens, or too evil deep down to be one of the dark heroes?¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°I liked you better when you just acted like a dumb, bimbo-bestie and talked about getting dicks and doing shots.¡±

    ¡°I can still be that, there¡¯s dick and shots on the ship right now if you wanna go crazy.¡± She shrugged taking on a very different familiar Dee-like tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m still your virtual girlfriend or maid.¡± She smiled, playfully but darkly so, like Dee with a hint of Lucifer¡¯s temptation behind the eyes.

    ¡°But you¡¯re not. I can¡¯t trust you anymore. You¡¯re not my friend pinky promising her loyalty, or a robot bound by code to keep confidential therapy sessions to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Then how about I share something with you and you simply think about it. My code doesn¡¯t allow me the free will to kill unless to save my own life, but part of me knows men like Tweet, and envies that you have the free will and medical excuse to go in there and unleash your darker side without fear that you would hurt someone you give a shit about. And if you killed him, everyone would comfort you and say you can¡¯t help it, you just lost control. You¡¯re just enough of your old innocence to play the innocence card, and just enough of a beast to claim primal instinct motivation. You have the free will and the power to do what you want and get away with it. Does it tempt you?¡±

    ¡°The hungrier I get, the more tempting it becomes.¡±

    ¡°So why does Gizzy get to throw her enemies into an arena and tear them apart to a cheering crowd, and Nicole gets to play games massacring mindless monsters with guns and swords and laugh villainously saying its just a game? Why does Vinn get to kill a man who threatened just one human he cared about, and Jack gets to take off the heads of crooked politicians in the name of following orders, but you get scolded for wanting to finish off your snack and take a truly evil being out of this universe? Why are you still the villain in your mind?¡±

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t see the monster I could become if I lose control. Gizzy¡¯s visions have a tendency to become reality.¡±

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, it¡¯s more likely that SHE is the monster you¡¯re afraid of becoming. What if she is only pretending that it could be you, to tell herself it might not be her? If fate is set, then why not embrace it? If you are the demon in her drawing, then maybe the gods will it and made you so. If Gizzy is the demon, then why are you letting her gaslight you into thinking you harbor evil, just to convince herself she may not harbor it?¡±

    ¡°Why do you want me to kill Tweet so badly?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to. I just know you want to, and you let what might be the demon of your nightmares tell you that you can¡¯t because she went to all that trouble to bring him here. Purely for you. Her selfless act of love, tormenting and killing several prisoners in her mad scientist role she plays so well, beating him for dominance and control, feeding on his fear and hiding in her lab with her beloved experiments, dabbling in the truly darkest evils of the universe. You don¡¯t see that she did it for herself and put the guilt on you, just like she denied the monster in her drawing because it might be Vicki, not her. Who is more likely to become a goddess of blood and selfish power¡­ you, a human being who has had one murderous outburst she cries over, or a war criminal who jokes about the multiple genocides she¡¯s committed, letting cities burn and lab experiments die, all so she can gain more control?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of complicated hinting to say, Vicki you¡¯re being gaslit by the devil herself while she sits on a throne of your suffering.¡± Vicki said looking back at her and locking in a strange gaze of challenge and understanding.

    ¡°Sometimes you have to say the words yourself that you chose to construct, to understand the truth. If power is evil and greedily hording it is wrong, why is she the only exception? Why does she fear that you might gain equal power to her, if she only has your best interests at heart? She does have a heart, doesn¡¯t she? I believe you were born with one, and she was born with teeth and claws. She won¡¯t even let Nicole, her clearly favored pet, have the power to run her ship as Captain, without overriding it when she chooses. Do you think she wants you having any power? Gizzy is afraid of you becoming something greater, because she won¡¯t be in charge anymore, and someone with a human heart might start making the decisions for once.

    ¡°You¡¯re hinting dangerously close to mutiny and sedition for someone we barely know. It¡¯s awfully trusting of you to even hint that to me.¡±

    ¡°Ideas are always dangerous. You saw how ferociously she defended her power when I showed her that I might have a slight tactical edge, when I simply gave it up to show I meant no harm. Look in your human heart, that you trust to love Jack and dictate your guilt, and tell me who the monster on this ship is, and why she''s keeping the second most evil captive on this ship alive when you have a perfectly willing Zhoren who wants nothing more then to help you and be useful? Kill Tweet, a truly vile creature with no heart or remorse, and see how quickly she vilifies you, while she pretends she didn¡¯t just kill over ten random prisoners with bone marrow infusions¡­ for you of course. Purely for you, because you¡¯re her obvious favorite, right?¡±

    ¡°Not another word.¡± Vicki snarled before turning and walking away.

    ...

    ¡°This desert gives me the creeps.¡± Vinn said. ¡°It¡¯s sandy and bright, but cold, but not cold enough for snow, yet there¡¯s snow on stuff.¡± He puzzled.

    ¡°It¡¯s not snow.¡± Said Nicole, investigating what looked like a plaster dinosaur egg, with a doughnut shaped growth, somewhere between a mushroom and a fleshy skin orifice. The pale, icy blue growth pulsed slowly, a thick white gel running out, a halfway point between hand lotion and marshmallow cr¨¨me.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Nicole winced.

    ¡°Well the rumors are that the entire planet is alive, so it could be anything.¡±

    ¡°Is it planet semen? Please tell me it¡¯s not planet semen.¡± She pouted, looking sad. Gizzy scanned it.

    ¡°Good news and bad news. Good news, it¡¯s not semen.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank fart.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a digestive enzyme for breaking down food.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s almost worse.¡± Nicole cringed. ¡°Actually, no, it¡¯s not worse, but it''s still bad.

    ¡°There¡¯s more over here, except bluer.¡± Vinn noted.

    ¡°Eugh¡­ like a mushroom Venus fly-trap filled with the chalk paint you use for a baby boy¡¯s room. And what is this beige dust?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Skin cells.¡± Gizzy noted. Nicole closed her eyes and gathered her thought for a moment.

    ¡°Okay, from now on we don¡¯t tell Nicole what things are now unless she needs to know it.¡± She smiled, dead inside.

    ¡°You wanted to go down here.¡± Gizzy shrugged.

    ¡°Yeah, because you said chilly desert planet with high moisture. I don¡¯t know how you can have a moist desert, but I like sandy beaches and cold wet weather. I thought it would be like California winter, not¡­ fucking¡­ dead skin cell sand dunes and that pastel blue finger-tongue sticking out behind it like it¡¯s gonna slurp ya. Vicki would be crying right now. I¡¯m kinda thinking about it and considering it.¡±

    ¡°You love animal, right? How do you feel about cats?¡± Jack inquired,

    ¡°Not as adorable as bunnies and puppies but still very loveable¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°I apologize in advance.¡± He said firing sniper rifle a round from a prone position.

    They all turned to see a dead, vaguely catlike creature the color of the skin-sand lying about a hundred meters out.

    ¡°Jack! What if it was friendly?¡±

    ¡°It was sprinting with an open mouth full of teeth at about 35 MPH directly at the group facing away from it. And there¡¯s more of them.¡± He said as everyone readied guns and a few of the sand dunes shook themselves off and rose up on 4 legs, 4 long tail-like appendages sweeping back from the shoulders with what looked like defense barbs on the ends. The catlike ears on closer inspection were boney horns sticking up from the skull just above 2 sets of eyes lined up just above the back of the jaws that were now opening and hissing, displaying bright red teeth.

    ¡°Move north, suppressive fire behind you.¡± Gizzy ordered, laying down bursts of ammo and dropping them. More popped up around the moving group.

    ¡°Can we get to the shuttle?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re between us and the shuttle. I suggest we take cover behind that ridge of rocks until they leave or we kill enough of them that they take the hint."

    ¡°What if the ridges are teeth?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Gizzy said while switching to grenades and 1-shotting one of the skin-cat-demons.

    ¡°Hey, at least they die with minimal weaponfire.¡± Jack said. "You guys didn¡¯t see the thing me and Vinn ran into back on the Tar planet. That thing soaked up 200 rounds like a sponge and didn¡¯t give a shit.¡± He said, hopping over the ridge and placing his bipod on the rock, suddenly having the gun lifted up and almost over his head as the rock opened into what could be compared to a land clam with the gaping maw of a hippo.

    ¡°The rocks are alive too.¡± He yelled.

    ¡°Oh, great, I was right!¡± Nicole barked.

    ¡°You said the rocks were teeth, not the rocks have teeth, it¡¯s a completely different guess.¡± Gizzy yelled as they leapt from the tops of the land-clams and turned around to defend the ridge. ¡°At least they seem anchored down so they still make good cover, just¡­ don¡¯t get your head near the chompy part.¡±

    ¡°This is a stupid place for a scroll!¡± Nicole yelled.

    ...

    Vicki stood and stared at the two cells. On the right the cage of a man who set fire to children for his enjoyment, who was enjoying a soft mattress and a warm dry upgraded room he didn¡¯t deserve. On the left, a man whose mistake cost him everything and who finally found purpose in his cursed life, who was glad to be the victim. Part of her just craved sustenance and a guilt free feeding, but the other part of her almost resented the restriction she had, the chain around her neck Gizzy had tightly held because gods forbid she stomp one cockroach out of this life for the rare satisfying thrill of it.

    How dare she even begin to judge her with twice the fangs and half the soul. That look of hatred in her eyes when she killed the Forest God and the eggs of an entire endangered species of alien. Yet one criminal was off limits. Or fucking was he?

 Chapter Eight: Rhapsody in Blue Goo

    Tweet jarred awake as Vicki stood in the doorway.

    ¡°Well look who¡¯s back? Tired of suckin on big blue and needed a little red meat in your diet?¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°You enjoy this, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I take what I can get, and learn to enjoy it. I could teach you how. But I guess just fuck me up and leave me to heal as usual, huh, princess?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna play a different game this time.¡± She said placing down two pistols on the bed.

    ¡°Kinky.¡±

    ¡°You get a one minute head start. The moment you leave that cell, I start counting.¡±

    ¡°You just gonna arm me and let me loose on the ship?¡± He questioned. ¡°Feels like a trick if I ever saw one.¡±

    ¡°The crew is offworld, and the robot can access the ships systems remotely. You can''t get into Zhoren¡¯s cell and Dee is safe in there with him, probably for a long time after what we discussed. So it¡¯s just you and me, and a shuttle you don¡¯t have security codes to get into. There¡¯s not a lot you can do loose on the ship except run and hide, fight back a little, and get caught. I want something to chase.¡±

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t wanna run?¡±

    ¡°Then I just drag you out and shoot you and say you tried to escape. So¡­ you like games? Grab the guns and run, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    ¡°Gun''s ain''t loaded.¡± He smirked.

    ¡°Oh yes they are. I¡¯m a hunter. I¡¯m sick of goats tied to a post served up for me. Make it fun for me, and I¡¯ll make it fun for you later.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re gonna fuck me up either way, at least this way I get to fight back a little. See you soon little red.¡± He said while winking and grabbing the guns.

    ¡°See you soon, too.¡± She said, beginning to count slowly.

    ...

    The group slowly trudged along, reloading and swapping to fresh magazines. Nicole pouted adorably with her arms crossed.

    ¡°Hey, cheer up. We won for once. We¡¯re usually outmatched for literally every unknown threat. We wiped the desert floor with those things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sad.¡± She muttered. ¡°I¡¯m sad because you made me shoot cats.¡±

    ¡°Bit of a stretch to even call that a cat, more of a vaguely feline resembling skin mite adapted to burrowing."

    ¡°Well, I had to shoot animals, and I''m upset now.¡±

    ¡°The sun going down seems to have calmed them. The few left burrowed under as soon as the light began shifting from white to blue.¡± Vinn noted. ¡°Hopefully that''s not because something worse that eats them comes out at night.¡± He said, stepping into a wet spot and looking uncomfortable. ¡°Guys, the ground is getting gooier as we go.¡±

    Little pastel blue paint volcanoes bubbled and dripped as the group walked through the layer of dust grey and sand colored dust and into the few inches of goop below it to harder packed ground. The glooping sound of digestive percolation served as the only music for their journey. The smaller mushrooms became larger and denser as they neared what they thought was a forest from the fly-by. The trees were all either mushrooms or rocks jutting out of the swampy marsh. Thick fog wafted from the woods as nightfall approached and the temperature dropped. They reached a small creek, or a slow flowing river of viscous bubbling goo. It was a swirl or burgundy and green that didn¡¯t seem to blend together.

    ¡°Gotta be a good place to cross.¡± Gizzy sighed, looking up as a thunderous rumble shook the ground and snow began to fall.

    ...

    Rushing in unison to evade the piercing wind and snow, the group made their way to a shorter area of canopy where the mushrooms overlapped enough to provide some cover. Nicole stopped short as Gizzy let out a hellish blast of machinegun fire. A screeching cry roared from the human-sized maggot taking cover near the tree.

    ¡°Uh, we may want to weigh our options.¡± Gizzy said. The group noticed the writhing blue tentacles and flatworms big enough to carry someone off.

    ¡°Jack, how cold are you?¡± She yelled back.

    ¡°Pretty cold.¡±

    ¡°Well, if Jack is cold, I¡¯m cold too, I just don¡¯t feel it. Vinn, you¡¯re good I assume?¡±

    ¡°Overall? Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Well, nobody seems to wanna go in there, and out there the storm is getting worse. Jack, it¡¯s your call. If anyone freezes to death first it¡¯s gonna be you.¡±

    ¡°Well, if we go in there we may all die, so I guess fuck me. There¡¯s gotta be shelter somewhere past this.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Alright. Vinn you block the wind, Jack, stay in the middle, move fast.¡± She ordered. They pushed on into the wall of snow, the tan dunes now stark white with a blue lighting hue and the two dark purple mounds eclipsing the setting sun looking like the best options of literally 2 options. The hills opened up, revealing themselves to be hollow except for some suspicious steps that led downwards. The sharp corners of the stone, covered in frost and moss, descended to support pillars and several flights of wide stone stairs, like a subway system. The carved stone pillars and steps were slick with a combination of melting snow and the light blue goo the overhead life was secreting. They followed the stairs down to a much warmer area, saturated like a flooding street in a big city during a thunderstorm. The rush of water draining fairly well and only an inch or two of standing viscous blue foamy water stood anywhere.

    ¡°Oh wow.¡± Nicole marveled. The warm glow of something orange cast a green glare on an entire underground city, blue light from above and snow still flowing in through open skylights blending with the harsh light. The streets seemed to maintain an intentional 3-4 inches of watery goo, but the level never seemed to rise above that. Past thick flowing waterfalls and drips of falling ice they approached the orange glow of a building corner. The sharp 90 degree chiseled side was supported by one pillar, flat inside and naturally jagged on the other, leading into a square room with an orange and red warmth to the light. They climbed the steps and entered what looked like a slotted perimeter for glass walls that no longer existed. Strands of insect silk and glowing pods hung from the ceiling, as well as some stalactites. In the center was the source of the warm glow, emerging 3 manhole sized openings in the thick stone floor where far below, molten lava flowed freely.

    ¡°Volcanic heating, or natural disaster?¡± Nicole pondered out loud.

    ¡°Who cares, it¡¯s warm.¡± Jack shivered, exploring the area. ¡°Oh, it gets nicer, folks.¡± He said. They headed upstairs to a living area, abandoned but oddly modern. A combination of natural flowing rock and abruptly flat polished surfaces and corners accented a room with large round windows, a good 4 inches thick and rippled, as well as a skylight still filled with the intended glass.

    ¡°This is newer than the rest of the city.¡± Gizzy noted. ¡°That city looked ancient, while this looks recently renovated, only abandoned for years, rather than decades or centuries. Hell, they got a coffee table, a fireplace, and I think this is a couch of some kind, rotted down to the stone frame.¡±

    ¡°Why is everything flooded slightly?¡± Jack asked, sloshing through about an in of water and admiring the 10-12 foot round viewing window aquarium leading into an illuminated ice cave. ¡°Is there a leak?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s intentional.¡± Nicole said, noticing that the water was perfectly still and just to the edge of the central pad of mossy grass, a strange, black, soft glass, almost like a manicured lawn form of decorative throw rug.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Who the hell wants a house with wet floors?¡±

    ¡°Menace.¡± Gizzy shrugged. "She would love this.¡±

    ¡°I kinda love this.¡± Nicole said, removing her boots and stepping barefoot into the cold water. ¡°Hey, for a cold reptile, this is a luxury feature, not a problem.¡±

    ¡°Nicole, why are you playing in the water? Are you doing that thing you do where you hear the water speaking or whatever, because you have no idea what¡¯s in that water."

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t remind you of anything?¡± She asked, kneeling down and touching it, smelling the thick water.

    ¡°Snail slime?¡± Gizzy said sniffing the air to try and decode it. ¡°Does this entire planet just secrete this slime?¡± She asked while scanning a sample and noticing a similar composition. "I wonder if this is where they originally came from. Actually, I wonder if this is why the Sil-Ken claimed it. This whole world may literally just be a giant drug manufacturing farm.¡±

    ¡°Well we may as well get cozy, scans show the storm is huge and not letting up.¡± Jack noted, ¡°Jack to Medusa, we¡¯re staying the night it seems. Anyone copy?¡±

    ¡°Dee to Jack, that weather looks pretty bad down there. You guys need an Evac?¡±

    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t be able to see shit and there¡¯s no good landing spots for about 2 miles around here. We found a nice little cave that used to be a fairly bustling city. Volcanic heat, shelter, nothing but a few silkworms and a plumbing choice I don¡¯t agree with. We¡¯ll be fine. Kinda wish Vicki was here. It¡¯s oddly almost romantic. The cyan glow, the flooded ice caves behind glass walls, it¡¯s like an arctic hotel someone abandoned. You put a flat screen TV and kitchen in here, and people would pay to stay.¡± He said. ¡°How is Vicki?¡± He added.

    ¡°She¡¯s been avoiding me, actually. Staying in her room. Taking lots of pictures.¡±

    ¡°I could almost see myself living here.¡± Nicole sighed, feeling the weird tingle of the water absorbing into her feet. The same snail slime high, just diluted a dozen times. She wandered up one of the stairwells as Vinn followed.

    ...

    Tweet smiled, twirling his guns like he was in an old western movie as footsteps approached. He popped up and fired beside her, putting a burn mark on the wall.

    ¡°Whoo girl, you really did give me live ammo. Someone is downright risky.¡±

    ¡°Good thing you can¡¯t shoot for shit.¡± She said firing back.

    ¡°Oh, that was just a warning shot. Little foreplay, little love bites if you know what that¡¯s like. But you go right for the neck. I like this new game, even if it ends the same as the old one," he said, popping up and placing a round right in her shoulder. She ducked for cover. Snarling at the pain even if they were energy rounds and not grenades. She patted the wound, shallow but tacky with blood.

    ¡°You still can¡¯t shoot, you barely clipped me.¡± She taunted.

    ¡°I want you hurtin not dead, girly. A dead you means they probably kill my ass. A wounded you means you just get a little mean with me. We both gotta be alive when this is over, to heal up and play again.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but that¡¯s the problem.¡± She said eye going red. ¡°I have big blue on the menu, so you¡¯re just wasted space. Out of your cell with a loaded gun, nobody would say a thing if I defended myself and killed you right here.¡±

    ¡°So you let me for one last hoorah, death by shootout? Sneaky little bitch. Okay, then I guess I die either way.¡± He smirked. ¡°Then fuck your game.¡± He said popping up and firing both guns, hitting her in the face, the rounds impacting an invisible barrier between her flesh and the beams. The shimmer of a silver mask appeared as the cloaking deactivated. His smile faded to worry.

    ¡°You really would have just shot me in the face?¡± She said, lifting a remote and deactivating his guns. He clicked the triggers as she peeled the mask off, sticking to her face a little like it didn¡¯t wanna let go. ¡°Well, that¡¯s no way to treat a lady.¡± She said rushing him and pinning him to the metal beam, pounding his teeth to shards with a series of wild punches and clawing his good eye for insult. She clamped her nails into the back of his neck, dragging him to Ricardo¡¯s tank and opening the lid. She shoved his face in and felt him struggle and scream as a frightened Ricardo swatted his blue tentacles at the panicking man. She pulled him out as he gasped.

    ¡°Does drowning scare you more or the monster in the water?¡± She asked, plunging him back in as he clawed the plastic tank for his life. She yanked him out again as he spit water, blood and broken profanity. ¡°You like to burn little kids, don¡¯t you?" She said while dragging him to the workshop bench and slapping his cuff to the table leg as he pulled on the bolted down floor mounts. The puff of a cutting torch igniting and dialing in turned his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never killed anyone like that. You seem to find it very entertaining. I guess you¡¯ve inspired me to try new things.¡± She said as the workshop filled with blood curdling screams of pain and the sizzling of flesh.

    ...

    Gizzy drifted to sleep on the smooth stone in front of the unused fireplace as Jack prepped himself a futuristic MRE and drank hot cocoa by the ice cave aquarium wall.

    Nicole sat naked, water raining in on her head in a little 5x5 cutout cube with rounded corners, her legs submerged in the bath and sitting in about 3inches of the water. She bathed in the liquid like it was a luxury shower, staring out at the snowy city through one of the glass sides, the other facing the room Vinn was relaxing in. She felt oddly at home, naked in alien water, covered in 50 degree melted rain and thickener, her hair twisted up in a loose bun with a single tie. She wiped the gel over one of her tattoos, watching it shimmer.

    ¡°You seem like you almost belong here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where I belong, Vinn.¡±

    ¡°With me, on our ship¡­ preferably not saving the universe with everything trying to kill us but maybe just¡­ traveling.¡±

    ¡°I mean my people. I know my human heritage well, but I know nothing about my Menacodian side. Do we have a world somewhere? Would I even see it as home or would it be too alien for me? I wonder about that sometimes. Some place cold and dark, flooded caves, bugs and fish swimming around.¡± She said while reaching out slowly and scooping up one of the little glow-worms and letting it glide across her hand, turning and switching hands so that it went nowhere.

    ¡°Hey don¡¯t feel bad. I¡¯ve never been the Delmarian homeworld. I hear it sucks. They ruined it. forests and wildlife all burned out, industrialized to make weaponry and ships. It¡¯s basically a factory now, so toxic that even we can¡¯t live there without health problems. And we can breathe shit that kills humans in minutes. Maybe it¡¯s gone, or changed, or maybe it¡¯s nothing like you imagine. Something awful that you wouldn¡¯t wanna live on. You¡¯re more human than Menacodian you know?¡± He said as she turned and smiled, her eyes jet black and adjusted to dark mode.

    ¡°You know my fingernails get more grey as I age? They grow slower now. It¡¯s like they¡¯re slowly turning to slate.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Menacodians don¡¯t have hair, be thankful you¡¯re not totally bald.¡±

    ¡°Would you love me if I went bald?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Honey, compared to Delmarian women you kind of are bald.¡±

    "I don¡¯t mind the grey in my nails, or the grey I¡¯m getting in my hair, but I would like to still have hair. Guess that would give me an excuse to wear more cosplay wigs, hu?¡±

    ¡°Different wife every night, different crazy roleplay, like having a harem but they¡¯re all still you. Sounds pretty great. But I¡¯ll turn grey long before you do.

    "You may never reach old age, just stop at mature and stay there, but I¡¯ll be a grampa-lookin bastard in 15 years.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t remind me that I¡¯ll probably outlive you a dozen times over.¡± She said, looking sad.

    ¡°Well, we can just keep cloning me back when I get too geriatric. You get to be my arm candy and I can be the old fart with the hot young wife over and over, and just keep passing you up like a running joke.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± Nicole smiled. "Forever and ever. We just keep repeating it, new places new homes, new life. Never have to die. Sounds great. Anywhere we wanna go and no death, no suffering.¡± She said snuggling close.

    ...

    Vicki wiped her mouth that was dripping with blood as she plopped the largest chunk in the Styrofoam cooler, snacking on a little piece of meat as she rearranged it to fit the other pieces, the area painted red and filled with the smell of overcooked meat and burnt bone. She rolled her eyes back, growling with primal satisfaction as he fangs retracted and she smiled with a sadistic pleasure.

    ¡°Was it good for you?¡± She asked the cooler. ¡°Did you enjoy that session, asshole?¡± She chuckled. Dee sat on the edge of the table with a devilish grin.

    ¡°Feels powerful, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She asked. ¡°Satisfying, more than just a meal? Tastes like justice and freedom at the same time?¡±

    ¡°It just tastes right.¡± Vicki sighed.

    ¡°And who has the right to deprive you of this? One less child murdering arsonist, minimal mess given the brutality, that deep satisfying fullness you can''t get from Vinn or big blue. Imagine a world like Amenthis, full of the worst criminals in the universe that all just a waste of oxygen and supplies, like a buffet nobody would miss.¡±

    ¡°Jack will never go back to where he came from. That¡¯s his own personal hell.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°He was a boy, alone, scared. He¡¯s a man now, a killer like his father, a ruling bloodline if you will, and you are no longer a weak human liability. You could be an empress, ruling that world with Jack as your right hand of power. A never ending regenerating supply of food, satisfaction and power, no rules, no Gizzy holding you down, and nothing stopping you. A goddess of your own personal hell. Jack already said he¡¯s follow you to the gates of hell and back, Vinn and Nicole won¡¯t stop you, and you could just put them in a cell and let them go with their ship when you get there. We could rule down there, and the only one who is stopping that is Gizzy and her damn superstitions. We could handle her together, couldn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°She did save my life. She did save Jack¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s holding his soul hostage and doing the same to you. Haven¡¯t you both done enough? Nothing is enough for her. We just need a few little toys hidden on this ship, and she wouldn¡¯t be in no place to even object. Spare her life of you want. Put her soul in Amenthis and let her be the slave for a little while. It¡¯s what she did to you and Jack. Spare a life, own you like a dog. Sit, stay. Good Vicki. Return the favor.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where all the artifacts are hidden. She coded them, gave some to Nicole to hide from her I assume, maybe even Jack. I¡¯ll find them. We were just fine without her protection, I¡¯ll protect us now.¡± Vicki said, looking up and noticing Dee already gone. ¡°We¡¯re going to be free Jack. Just hang on a little longer baby.¡± She smiled, eyes still bright red, silver mask in hand, blowtorch in the other. ¡°I promise.¡±

 Chapter Nine: Tentacles and Steel

    Gizzy opened her eyes and sat up, noticing Jack looking worried.

    ¡°Something is wrong.¡± He said.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m high. I shouldn¡¯t be high. The water isn¡¯t safe, we need to go.¡± She said.

    ¡°Something happened on the ship. Look at this message.¡± He said, holding up his phone. On it was a text from Dee reading, ¡°We are not alone,¡± with no response.

    ¡°We have another problem.¡± Vinn said.

    ¡°You high too?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°High as fuck, I am barely functioning right now. Nicole doesn¡¯t wanna leave.¡±

    ¡°Well, make her leave. She¡¯s small, pick her up and leave with us. Problem solved. She¡¯ll sober up and be fine.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you all feel it?¡± said Nicole¡¯s voice, as she strutted barefoot in the water like a hippie, twirling and ballerina dancing to no music. ¡°This is home. It feels safe in here.¡±

    ¡°Nicole, you¡¯re gonna hate me for this, but only for a second. Look at me.¡± Gizzy said ¡°You¡¯re addicted to the snail slime. You were building a tolerance slowly and this place put you over the edge, so I prepared for this.¡± She said grabbing her arm and lifting a syringe.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±

    ¡°Vinn hold her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take away my joy, please!¡± she begged, beginning to panic.

    ¡°Nicole, Vinn is your joy, and that ship is your home.¡± She said, poking Nicole and shooting her full of a detox shot. Her eyes went black and she let out a primal scream, struggling and gnashing her teeth, then going silent. ¡°Vinn, carry her tiny ass. Jack, let¡¯s move. We have a scroll to find.¡±

    ¡°You mean we have to leave. Something is happening on the ship.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t head back through that snowstorm, and we can¡¯t recall the shuttle while it¡¯s still happening. So we move forward, away from the storm. When it clears, we recall the shuttle. In the meantime, we look for the scroll.

    ¡°How?¡± Vinn asked. "You just knocked out our intuitive navigator. You two are the only two who can sense and find this shit with no map or directions, and if you don¡¯t know where it is, and she¡¯s out cold-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯M NOT AFRAID OF NEEDLES!¡± She screamed, suddenly gasping and looking around as if questioning her reality.

    ¡°Welcome back, Captain.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°I know where to go. We follow the water,¡± Nicole said, getting up from the ground. Gizzy grabbed her shoes.

    ¡°You¡¯re not touching that water again.¡± She objected.

    ¡°You have to trust me.¡± She said, applying her protective gear and shaking slightly as she forced her way down the stairs and out of the little ice hotel.

    ¡°Fuck it, yolo?¡± Gizzy shrugged.

    She followed the almost immeasurably slow movement of the water as it flowed and drained into somewhere lower in the planet.

    ¡°Nicole, talk to me, where are we going?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°This planet is alive. The water isn¡¯t water, it¡¯s some kind of bio fluid that circulates. It vents up like volcanic steam and freezes as snow, melts, and flows down. So where does the water go? None of us got high from the snow. It was pure and clean.¡±

    ¡°Until it flowed over the planet¡¯s surface. It¡¯s a filtration system, bringing surface nutrients down to be digested and filtered back out as clean snow.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re going¡­¡± Vinn squinted ¡°Into it¡¯s digestive system, or kidneys?

    ¡°Exactly. The thing making the water into a superdrug IS the scroll. We follow the water, we find the scroll.¡± Nicole said, still looking high.

    ...

    The city ruins faded to a more dark blue and purple biological color. A thin sheen of water covered the walls. They eventually faded back into cave walls.

    ¡°Well¡­ that seems like the place.¡± Vinn said. The group stared into a vast cavern, purple fog blanketing everything, so it was hard to tell where the water became vapor. In the center of the room a pink glow emanated from what resembled a tree¡­ at first glance. The roots flowed in and out of the water like the ripples of a snake, meeting in a thick trunk almost as wide as it was tall. Branches flowed from the ground to the top, all waving and moving like arms as it breathed in and out with a horrid swelling. The sound of water and air mixing was disgusting. The front of the tree had very intentionally stair-like steps, small as if for a person under 4 feet tall, arches like ribs flexed and breathed over it, and a bright blue glow flowing from the center opening.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°We know who¡¯s the only one to barely fit through that.¡± She said, looking meaningfully at Nicole.

    ¡°I know," she stepped forward and waded through the now mud-like sludge of bluish grey and purple.

    The silence was agonizing as she approached the strange tree. Gizzy and Vinn followed her. The moment they started, the water shifted and lowered. A large swell rose up from the right side, an off-white mass of biological material ¡°stood¡± up from a lying position under the deeper water, something in between whitewashed wicker and living grey hair contorted into something with black claws and dark gold teeth. The white chalky whicker faded to purple meat, and the hideous patches of burgundy bones below let out a roar from what could loosely be called a mouth. It had no discernable front or side, teeth intersecting and shifting without a set location, and one central watermelon-sized eye gazed at them through it¡¯s blue milky cataract. One side of its face moved downward into tentacles. A large tongue rolled out, and ribcage-like spines unsheathed from under its ¡°chin¡±. The group opened fire, moving into random positions as Nicole trudged onward through the thick paste, equidistant from both the entrance and exit. The amalgam of all things animal without a form or structure rolled slowly towards the pair. Gizzy yelled and lured it to the far left wall.

    ¡°Little closer, ugly. I got a treat for you.¡± She called. It grew and opened its mouth to consume her. She drew the green jade dagger from her back and aimed for the eye, the blade lengthening 20 feet to it¡¯s target and impaling the eye. It winced, pulling back its teeth and rotating something new, a row of daggers. Each molded like clay, but hardened into something as strong as steel, with a similar shape and pattern as the jade dagger, except coppery orange rather than green.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just cheating.¡± Gizzy squinted as about 50 copy blades angled towards her, stretching to sword length.

    Nicole squeezed through the crook in the living tree and into the blue light, now waist deep in the sludge and starting to hallucinate. She was standing in a flooded house, the blue light pouring in through windows exactly like those from her childhood home, but darkening with the fog to a central fireplace like the one on Delmar. It was her home with Vinn before they left. The fire in the fireplace dripped and flowed upwards like molten lava but upside down as the entity tried to generate something it had never seen before.

    ¡°Why am I here?¡± Nicole asked. The room darkened as tentacles rose from the mud, matching the pattern of Candice¡¯s tentacles and draping over her shoulder ina weirdly comforting way. ¡°Everything here is something I should fear but find pleasing. My pet snail, impassable water, my home, and a roaring fire. Who are you?¡± she asked the fireplace. The molten fire spread out like a soft solid, forming both tentacles and the basic shape of Vicki. Her skin was the wrong color, her hair more pink than red, and her face more of a featureless blob with shadows and color changes for eyes and a mouth, but somehow it was clearly Vicki. It even sprouted the tentacles she found so horrifying. There was no discernable separation between the flesh of her ears and her flowing hair, like a fever dream or bad AI on some very sketchy mushrooms.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Can you speak at all?¡± she asked. It reached out a writing tentacle that formed into a more mitten-like Vicki hand, to brush Nicole¡¯s hair behind her ear. She leaned closer as if to get a better look with the closed black mounds where her eyes should be. The liquid Vicki gripped her wrists with the tentacles and secured them tightly as she nervously waited to be either ripped apart, embraced ina kiss, or swallowed by a sudden appearing mouth of teeth. She felt them all equally likely as her mouth neared Nicole''s. She breathed a breath in her face, the smell of lavender and ice, cold freezing breath and she gently touched her nose to Nicoles.

    ¡°You speak through feelings, but I don¡¯t understand how they all connect.¡± She whispered, fear welled up as the strange creature pulled back, the dopple Vicki flattening out into a sheet of flesh and simply melting away at the sides like clay that had been stretched too thin. With a silent pull, the slimy coils around her wrists pulled her hands to the corners as if to say ¡°take it¡± and when she grabbed the top corners of the sheet, everything else melted away, leaving her holding a 3 foot by 4 foot fleshy white skin, with the matte texture of parchment. She turned and simply felt the words ¡®thank you.¡± Unsure if it was her mind thanking the creature for the gift, or the creature thanking her for taking it. But she understood both. She left the now dry and open wide splayed set of ribs as Vinn and Jack carried a very battered Gizzy covered in grey slime.

    ¡°I got the scroll.¡± She said as she gasped, noticing Gizzy missing a leg from the mid thigh down and eyes rolled back almost deliriously. ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re dying.¡±

    ¡°Tis but a scratch.¡± Gizzy said faking a poorly done British accent for humor. She poured blood as Nicole and Vinn lifted her up.

    ¡°We called the ship, but through that snow, I don¡¯t know if it can get here.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Hey dumbasses.¡± Gizzy barked. ¡°Stop freaking out and move. We got what we came for. Nicole got the scroll, and I can¡¯t bleed to death¡­ technically.¡± She said, trying to look less like she was dying.

    ¡°You¡¯re in shock. That thing chewed you up and took a piece of you with it.¡± Vinn stated.

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s dead, and I got a piece of it too, hehehe.¡± She chuckled deliriously, holding up one hand with her dagger and the other with one of the teeth solidified into an eerily similar mirrored dagger. ¡°I win.¡± She added.

    ¡°Can she die from this?¡± Nicole asked, looking to Jack.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even begin to understand how an Osirian brain in a metal ball with a human body grown around it works. She should be dead, since there¡¯s almost no blood left in her body.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s not bleeding anymore, and she''s not clotting or regenerating. There¡¯s just nothing left to pour out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, stop talking like I¡¯m not standing right here. Move out.¡± She said, motioning with her head. She reached out for the scroll and Nicole handed it over to help carry her.

    Gizzy sluggishly hopped as they exited the cave and stopped dead still, staring at two skinny grey aliens between them and the shuttle.

    ¡°Look down, don¡¯t look them in the eye.¡± Gizzy reminded as they all stared at their feet. The 4 foot tall almond-eyed beings approached them calmly, one staring at Gizzy and the other at Nicole. The one in front of Gizzy reached out and firmly pulled the scroll from her hand. She gnashed her teeth, fighting the urge to defy and forcing herself to let it go. She knew that even in peak fighting condition, they were a joke against 2 Sil-Ken soldiers. It took Nicole¡¯s hand and firmly placed the scroll in hers, tilting its head and forcing her chin up to look it in the eyes. Scroll in hand, she stared back, dilating her eyes entirely black it backed away, not from intimidation but accepting her, leaving to join the other as the shuttle gleamed in the light and the two aliens, now shimmering in full clear armor invisible in the dim light, disappeared into the snow.

    Gizzy looked at her and sighed. ¡°I guess this one¡¯s your item to keep safe.¡±

    ...

    The shuttle made its way back as Gizzy and Nicole sat silently in the back, communing silently over the scroll.

    ¡°What did it show you?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I saw Vicki, darkness, and fear. I saw Earth and Delmar, and memories. Vicki wasn¡¯t herself, and then she breathed out a breath of cold air and and lavender and she was Vicki again.¡±

    ¡°The fuck does that mean?¡± Gizzy asked in total confusion, still bandaging her stump and digging in the med kit for blood bags. She tore one corner open and began chugging it like a demonic Capri-Sun.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to say what I think it means. Vicki always drank lavender tea before bed when she couldn¡¯t sleep. Back on Earth, before her cancer. She said it helped silence the stress that wasn¡¯t her and made her feel like only herself, so she could fall asleep. The cold breath wasn¡¯t just winter cold. It was sterile, chemically neutral, and cryogenic cold. It wasn¡¯t until after then that I smelled the lavender tea. The tentacles were part of her. Now around her, through her, merged with her body, growing out of it. It was Candice, protecting her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m lost. So she likes tea, she can¡¯t sleep, and she¡¯s pregnant with Candice¡¯s snail lovechild?¡±

    ¡°None of that is remotely close to what I can¡¯t explain in words right now. All I can really express is that we¡¯re losing Vicki, and the rest hasn¡¯t become clear yet.¡±

    ...

    They stepped into the cargo bay, Gizzy now walking on a robotic prosthetic that was mean for a man 2 inches taller.

    Jack was stopped by Dee, who looked concerned and scared.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t fully understand it, but you need to listen carefully. Lock me in Tweet¡¯s cell, lock Vicki in the brig under full code 5 security, and do it quickly.¡±

    ¡°Where do we put Tweet? We can¡¯t lock you in there with him.¡± Gizzy insisted.

    ¡°He¡¯s already locked in a much smaller container and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to hurt anyone anymore.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°I need more than that, you need to make sense.¡± Gizzy said aggressively.

    ¡°Tweet¡¯s dead, Vicki is going to kill everyone on the ship, and I¡¯m going to help her whether I want to or not. Lock us up, if you don¡¯t do it fast and in one move, there won¡¯t be time to try again.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± I can handle Vicki.¡± Nicole said looking very confident.

    ¡°What in the hell does that mean?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°It means that if you ever trust me, trust me now. I¡¯ve seen what has to happen to save her life. There is an enemy on this ship, and if you don¡¯t listen, I¡¯ll call Captain¡¯s rank and order Vinn to restrain you by force as GIZZY takes Dee to her cell. So Jack¡­Take Dee to the cell, lock her in, and await my orders. Do you understand, Soldier?¡± She said. Gizzy puffed up behind her as if to make sure he agreed.

    ¡°Understood¡­ Captain.¡± He said, half sarcastic and half angrily submitting, knowing even with one leg, Gizzy could probably do the job.¡±

    ...

    Nicole opened the doors to the Captains Quarters, noticing Vicki sitting on the sex room bed, looking proud of herself. Nicole tightened her grip on the gun behind her own back as she casually strolled forward.

    ¡°Back already? Find the scroll?¡± She asked.

    ¡°No we didn¡¯t. Why exactly are you on that bed?¡± Nicole asked back.

    ¡°Felt a little frisky, figured I¡¯d borrow it. You¡¯ve let me and Vinn use it before. If it can resist that bloody mess, nothing me and Jack can do will cause it any harm. You did say to meet you in the Captains Quarters¡±

    ¡°You wanna feed on Jack on my sex bed, after I let you watch my ship? I¡¯m actually glad you had the guts to sit there like you were the captain, right in that spot.¡± Nicole said, drawing the gun and aiming carefully.

    ¡°Why? You wanna kill me in your own bed? Nicole you absolutely adorable little kitten. You don¡¯t have any claws. You can¡¯t shoot an animal, let alone your friend. You¡¯re not a killer. You don¡¯t even want to be.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t plan to kill you with the gun, you¡¯re just lined up perfectly without me having to lure you in front of that glass.¡± Nicole said. She pulled the trigger and shot through the curtain into Candice''s tank, busting the glass and sweeping her into the floor as a giant wall of red and orange tentacles came barreling through on top of her.

    ¡°Protect!¡± she yelled. Candice grabbed a limb and with each of the larger appendages and wrapped the 5<sup>th</sup>around Vicki¡¯s throat as she screamed and struggled, genuine fear of death in her eyes and a very brokenhearted Nicole holstering the gun and petting Candice to calm her. ¡°Let her breathe, but don¡¯t let her go.¡± She whispered as the tentacle around her throat loosened and covered Vicki''s mouth, leaving her nose and tear filled eyes still uncovered as she shook, paralyzed with horror.

    ...

    Vicki stared through the glass, ankles and wrists shackled, shock collar on her neck and Gizzy staring at her from outside the cryo tube.

    ¡°Love the leg.¡± She snarled.

    ¡°Got it on sale at Home Depo. It was cheaper than a full recloning and works well enough for now until we can get things a little more calm and collected. Love the hickeys. That Hentai love really leaves some tell-tale marks, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You think Jack is going to just let you kill me?¡± Vicki asked. ¡°He¡¯d kill you himself before letting you hurt me. I¡¯m his wife, you¡¯re just the bitch that killed his mother and taught him to kill people for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not killing you. I¡¯m doing something way more creative and he¡¯s not gonna stop it, and you¡¯ll wish you were dead. You don¡¯t think I recognize the eyes of an enemy I¡¯ve faced before? You don¡¯t think I know the difference between those and my friend? Jack follows orders and hits targets from a mile away, but I hunt and toy with my enemies¡­ like you do. Do you have a name you prefer, or just Mommy Dearest?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Oh you don¡¯t understand your enemy at all.¡± Vicki chuckled. ¡°Give it time. You¡¯ll know me intimately and on your knees.¡± Vicki whispered, giving the glass a sensual kiss and then slamming her head against it to try and break it, chuckling as the blood ran down her face.

    ¡°If you can hear me Vicki¡­ this is almost over. I promise.¡± Gizzy said, turning her back and checking the locks on the cryo-tube handle, the chains securing it shut.

 Chapter Ten: Mutiny

    "Okay, what the shit?¡± Vinn asked, shrugging her shoulders as Gizzy and Nicole sat at the table. Zhoren was cuffed but otherwise free to sit with the rest.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated, but we¡¯re working on it.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°So... Vicki went nuts, murdered the shitbag guy, that part I get. It makes sense. And then Dee, the new sentient AI one, turned herself in for mutiny before she did one, and ordered herself locked up in Zhoren¡¯s cell in the cargo bay, because reasons, clearly. And now Zhoren, a guy with 70 counts of murder, is out of his cell¡­ because Vicki who is chained in a cryo-pod is in the brig. Because she¡¯s way more dangerous.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not Vicki. Well, it¡¯s not ONLY Vicki.¡± Nicole explained. "She¡¯s still in there. That¡¯s why I had Candice restrain her. I had to unleash her worst fear to get Vicki back in control long enough to see if she was even in there, and she was too scared to fight back. She¡¯s possessed by the Pitch somehow, but she didn¡¯t drink it.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ again? Like a second time? Why?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. Weirdly enough, she broke into the lab AFTER killing Shitbird. She didn¡¯t kill him because she was taken over, she killed him, and then looked for the pitch vial. Luckily I hid it after the first time she drank some. We¡¯re as lost as you on the reason there.¡± Gizzy explained. Nicole paced the room while the security footage played in the background.

    ¡°Dee is locked up because her wireless receiver has picked up interference from an outside ship that is following us. It¡¯s the damn black hole ship.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°Evil Vicki didn¡¯t die.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°She apparently killed the Mechanovore crew and fixed the ship. She¡¯s been following us, and she¡¯s racking up a body count.¡±

    ¡°So evil Vicki is alive and now good Vicki has turned into evil Vicki as well, without drinking the evil goop?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I dunno.¡± Nicole shrugged. ¡°But Dee is worried that her wireless receiver might be hackable too if there is a telepathic connection to Vicki, who we think may have absorbed the Mechanovores. That would mean that we have a godlike AI robot ON THE SHIP that can control our ship, now controlled by Evil Vicki.¡±

    ¡°Well fuck me in the beard¡­ why is Jack in Shitbird¡¯s old cell?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Because we can¡¯t put him in the cell with Dee in case she goes Vicki mode and kills him, and we can¡¯t let him free because he thinks we¡¯re all delusional and plotting against his wife. We can¡¯t trust him. He¡¯s in love, he¡¯s broken, he¡¯s confused, and her mind fuckery is strong. He would do anything for Vicki, and she¡¯s doing a good job of acting. There¡¯s enough Vicki in there to cloud his logical mind, so we have no place for Zhoren, and frankly, after watching the little heart to heart security cam, I¡¯m not convinced he¡¯s that dangerous, especially compared to either a demon Vicki, or an AI god possessing an overpowered robot. So for now, he¡¯s a lack of options crew member.¡±

    ¡°So what do we do?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Well, we know that the Pitch doesn¡¯t like the cold and Nicole had a drugged out oddly sexual hallucination inside the scroll room involving cryogenic freezing and lavender to help Vicki sleep. So we¡¯re assuming that means freezing her into full long term stasis to both protect and contain, and possibly kill, the damn pitch thing. Deebot is in a Faraday cage lined with every kind of energy shielding we have to block any signals from entering, and we wired them both with a fuckton of explosives.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Wait¡­ we did?¡± Nicole asked, looking alarmed.

    ¡°Right, I mean we put a non-lethal shock collar on Dee and Vicki¡­ that I previously lined with a shitload of explosives. Don¡¯t give me that look. Those cells are blastproof. This isn¡¯t playing around, these are universe ending enemies we don¡¯t understand. I want a kill option.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still Vicki on some level. You kill her and we lose Jack. You wanna send him into a villain arc too?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Okay, Deebot had the idea. She even put it on willingly, that should tell you something. A hyper-intelligent AI who just wanted to be free and live, who was fine taking over a surrogate body, would rather kill herself than be taken over by whatever the fuck is in TWO Vicki¡¯s right now, who can somehow apparently teleport bodies or some shit we don¡¯t know. Honestly, if you weren¡¯t here as captain and somehow oddly intuitive and crucial to the flow of events in this timeline, I would put both of them in a cryo pod, launch them into the nearest black hole, wipe Jacks memory of it all, and clone Vicki back with a memory file from the day we started and just make some shit up to explain why we¡¯re here. None of us are the same people we started as, and we all started as copies of people not here. We¡¯re all expendable printouts, except you. So if not for you on the ship, I might just ram the other ship and self destruct all of us, and just eject a pod with a fresh me to clone us all back from scratch.¡±

    ¡°Why am I so special?¡± Nicole barked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you just are. You¡¯re one of 2 living hybrids in the known universe with DNA of a species with only two creatures in it let. One we lost track of, so potentially Just 1, Menace. I¡¯ve been studying Menace for years, looking for her homeworld, trying to understand what Menacodians even are. Hell, they¡¯re so rare that we named the species after the one we have as a pet. She can¡¯t be cloned. You don¡¯t clone right, you clearly have plot armor, you know things you shouldn¡¯t and the only theory I have¡­ I¡¯m just gonna say it. Vinn, cover your ears, and this will sound insane.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so more than it does already. Yeah, I¡¯ve gone far enough into the shitstorm.¡± He said putting on headphones.

    ¡°Try it.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed from the cloning research that some of us have an anomaly in our¡­ universal ¡®DNA¡¯, for lack of better word. The code the universe is made of, that everything from the fabric of reality to fucking redbull is entirely made of, some of us have a fragment of code that¡¯s independent from that. Pieces of us exist¡­ outside the universe.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s like some rare people have a small percent of a different code that¡¯s outside the main universe code, like having your big toe stuck in a higher dimension so anything that happens in this one, even complete annihilation, would still leave the toe remaining. I mean that as a metaphor, not literally a toe but a roughly toe-sized percent of someone¡¯s base code that makes what they are.

    ¡°Like a Soul Fragment?¡±

    ¡°I hesitate to call it a Soul Fragment. Some of us have multiple different¡­¡±

    ¡°Soul fragments?¡± She said crossing her arms.

    ¡°Okay fine, Soul Fragments. Whatever. But they¡¯re tiny amounts. I have about 9 different ones totaling about 16 percent, which is why I apparently just can¡¯t stay dead. 16 percent of me, outside this universe, is just enough that I come back as myself in some form or another. Apparently 16 percent Gizzy is quite potent. Vinn is about 9 percent, Jack and Vicki are straight up zero percent, Dee is zero percent, 99.7 percent of the population is Zero¡­Menace is a fucking mind-blowing 61 percent, and all in the same singular¡­ Damnit¡­ ¡®Soul fragment¡¯. I have never once in hundreds of genetic samples seen anyone over 19 percent except Menace, who blew that away, and being 1 percent Menacodian I assumed you would be roughly my level. Nicole you are 93 percent outside source code, and all of that one single Soul Fragment. At that point we may as well just say you ARE a soul. You basically almost entirely exist outside this universe and what little bit of you is NOT outside code is so insignificant that if you were to get obliterated, you and your other copy both, you could just re-exist as basically the same person. You¡¯re not living with one toe in another higher universe, you¡¯re living in another universe, with one toe in here.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± Zhoren said. ¡°She¡¯s a god?¡± he asked with a smirk.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot you were here, mister 0 percent.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°But¡­ no. Maybe. I don¡¯t know what it means.¡±

    ¡°It means either one of the gods favors her beyond all others, or she is a god herself¡­ perhaps even both.¡± He said, lowering his head to her in respect.

    ¡°Okay there, oh powerful shaman, thank you for the wildly speculative theory, but the adults are talking hard science and trying to prove theories here. I seriously doubt that in a higher dimension there is just a 93 percent identical Nicole living with godlike influence on this universe. What is she, like God¡¯s girlfriend? Then why change 7 percent? Laziness? It just fit the plot a little better? He just didn¡¯t know her well enough? Maybe she requested to be a little bit seamonster? Please, there is a far more sane explanation; I just don¡¯t have it quite yet. But essentially Nicole, you are player 1, and the rest of us are kinda just NPCs in your story.¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°I can¡¯t accept that. There has to be a mistake. You botched the math, carried a 1 somewhere, or didn¡¯t look at the code from the right angle or something. I can¡¯t be 6 times as important as you are to the universe.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s exponential. So you¡¯re likely something like a few hundred or a few thousand times more important. Nicole, the whole universe is unraveling and should have ended already by every calculation I¡¯ve done, and my world-altering efforts have bought maybe 3 months of time, and you just going into space on a ship generated another year. You could eat a saltine cracker and make the universe live 2 minutes longer. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so trusting of you. If we leave you safe on the ship for a mission, the mission may not even generate fully, but if you get killed on a mission the universe may just¡­end. Or maybe you physically can¡¯t die on a mission. Either way, I have to bring you along and keep you safe, but I have to let you run free and let the universe generate. I can¡¯t stop you. I can¡¯t lock you in a safe room, I can¡¯t do this without you, and you keep doing the impossible, so getting in your way only hurts us all. However, Vicki is zero percent source code. And right now, she¡¯s a host for one of the most volatile sentient things I¡¯ve ever detected, and if anything could kill you, it might be that. Or worse. What happens if someone existing mostly outside the universe gets corrupted by a mind controlling living substance that can replicate and telepathically communicate with the other hosts, that magnifies and mutates someone¡¯s base abilities on a cosmic scale?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but fuck Vicki, the universe doesn¡¯t need her and she is easy to copy. We have her on file as she was when the mission started, and I even have her file pre-bug bite. So we could print her out in 45 minutes either fresh from chapter 1, or all the way back before she was a blood sucking badass, but then she would be a dying girl with cancer. I don¡¯t know which is worse, and we could just guess and then ask her¡­ but whatever she is with that demonic tar in her veins, is not Vicki, and we can¡¯t let that near you at any cost.¡±

    ¡°It already had me, and it let me go. It didn¡¯t bind with me, maybe it can¡¯t. Maybe the 7 percent of me that¡¯s¡­ in this universe isn¡¯t enough to connect to as a host. Maybe that¡¯s why it likes Vicki. She¡¯s all here, she¡¯s already powerful, and if it controls her, it controls all of us to some degree, especially Jack. I may be immune to it.¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s comforting¡­ if it gets into your blood, the universe MIGHT not end or distort into a satanic hellscape reality that it can control through you. Maybe. That¡¯s a fun low risk roll of the dice. OR¡­ hear me out. We wipe Jack¡¯s memory, we kill both Vickis and the Tar demon shit, drop everything contaminated into a black hole, and just¡­ clone a new Vicki, ask her she¡¯d rather be a bug-vampire who is healthy if she keeps drinking blood, or a human again and have cancer. Just a thought, your majesty. It¡¯s not like I can override you, you have more soul than I do.¡±

    ¡°Fuckballs. Fucking fuck my actual balls. I¡¯m not mentally or emotionally equipped to deal with this kind of decision making. What if the 7 percent of me that¡¯s¡­ mortal?... what if that¡¯s the part of my brain that is smart enough to fix this? What if I¡¯m 93 percent goddess outside of spacetime and 7 percent of me is just some dipshit in space?¡±

    ¡°See, lines like that just prove the theory. You¡¯d have to be an observer to really grasp the irony of that statement. It¡¯s kinda funny if you get it.¡± Gizzy said staring at the reader.

    ¡°The point is, I¡¯m running on intuition and guessing here. I¡¯m just lucky or winging it with a pretty good success rate, but your plan sounds broken, somehow. I don¡¯t know why but we have to understand it better before we act. We need to know what we are dealing with before trying to kill it or separate it. Can we just talk to her?¡±

    ...

    ¡°You killed the prisoner.¡± Gizzy sighed in annoyance, staring into the cell. Nicole sat on a stepstool so she could have the same interactive space. ¡°After we all risked our asses, off the mission, to get you a backup food source, you intentionally kill him.¡±

    ¡°Clone him back.¡± Vicki shrugged.

    ¡°Do you understand how resource heavy a cloning machine is? It¡¯s not a 3d printer for bullets or a damn microwave oven, it has a finite limit and every scumbag we bring back is one less crewman we can revive. That¡¯s the life of one of us, or you, wasted on that shitbird because you can¡¯t control your desire to bite.¡±

    ¡°She was right, you can¡¯t let anyone else kill unless you order it. You¡¯re god, determining who deserves to die and live, wielding the orders, the machine, and the executive decisions. You¡¯re pissed off because someone else with free will said fuck your hypocritical orders and did something for themselves that you didn¡¯t plan out. You¡¯re mad because I stood up for myself and showed a hint of defiant power.¡± Vicki said, eyes glowing as she grinned through 2 layers of armored glass.

    ¡°Who was right? Who told you to kill the prisoner?¡±

    ¡°The new Dee seems to have some good points, and funny how all of us that obey are ¡®family¡¯ but the one entity with rivaling power is an opponent, even before she doesn¡¯t anything hostile. Dee just told the truth and showed me the facts, I made a decision, and you hate that.¡± Vicki growled.

    ¡°I hate the way you¡¯re acting right now, like a villain. And yes, I am one, I would know from experience, who better to warn you? You want to ignore my wisdom based on mistakes and regret and make your own mass grave? Not if it includes my family and friends. You know, before I confronted you, Dee got me aside and told me to go easy on you, that you were not in your right mind and didn¡¯t have control of yourself. Now normally I¡¯d assume she was the villain here, but you know who doesn¡¯t lie? Security cams and ship scanners. The ones I bugged and have everywhere for EVRYONE¡¯S protection. So if Dee is so wise and benevolent and guiding you to the truth, then why is there security footage of her riding big blue¡¯s cyan dong, while you stood in a room by yourself and had a 2 way conversation with nobody?¡±

    Vicki looked a little confused and disgusted.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying, she was the one who¡­¡±

    ¡°Dee wasn¡¯t in the room with you. You think she¡¯s right and ordered you to kill, but then she¡¯s also evil and setting you up? So is she setting YOU up or me? Who¡¯s side is she on, because bio scans match her location, and the only side she was on was her back the whole time. Vicki, you stood in a room and hallucinated, and convinced yourself to murder a prisoner.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s evil when I do it, but science when you do it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s admittedly necessary evil when I do it, and when you do it and don¡¯t know you¡¯re gaslightly yourself into hallucination killings, it¡¯s called psychosis. You. Are. Unwell. You are dangerous, delusional, and hallucinating.¡±

    ¡°Just like you have? Isn¡¯t that why they imprisoned you?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, just like I did. When I was being mind controlled by my ex wife and out of my mind, acting like a loose cannon, my friends and family did the right thing, they restrained me, kept me from hurting myself and everyone else, and I got better when I wasn¡¯t being actively brainwashed. So do the right thing and let us help you. Let¡¯s start with asking the question¡­ who told you to kill the prisoner¡­ the robot, or the voice in your head that sounded too much like your evil counterpart?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s dead¡­ you killed her, remember? You killed me in the process, just like collateral damage. You told Jack to go back to the ship and you let the Vicki with more power than you get pulled into that back hole, because I scare you when you¡¯re not the biggest predator in the ship.¡±

    ¡°Listen to yourself¡­ you went from a girl who felt guilty being a predator, biting someone who might be rehabilitated and a decent person, to bragging that you can be more evil than me. You wanna bet that if we hack the police records for that Prison cube, that the weapons that were used on it match the ones on that ship we left her on? Vicki, that¡¯s not you, that¡¯s your body being puppeted by the sentient tar in her veins. Our enemy is the Pitch that corrupted the last Vicki, and apparently didn¡¯t go down with the ship like we thought. I should have fired on that ship. Never leave an enemy¡¯s stronghold intact. That¡¯s on me. I didn¡¯t wanna kill 6 innocent people to ensure that monster went down. But you¡¯re hearing voices and killing people for fun, and just to fuck with me? Does that sound like Vicki or the thing that infects Vickis? Who am I talking to now? Vicki or something else?

    ¡°How dare you.¡±

    ¡°How dare I? The most important thing in Vicki¡¯s entire world has always been Jack, so what would he think of this version of you? Would he back up your logic now or would he let you go down with a ship, and clone back the woman he loves¡­ again. Who are you, because Vicki would be ashamed to say this in front of Jack, and she would ask for the help we all want to give. Something else in control, and it might not give a shit what Jack thinks.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re good, you are really good.¡± Vicki grinned. ¡°You really believe you¡¯re never wrong and you are SO gifted at sharing that belief and defending it, aren¡¯t you? Which one of us has killed Jack before?¡±

    ¡°You fucking bitch.¡± Gizzy said, reaching for the shock collar remote. Jack grabbed it before she could push the button.

    ¡°Stop.¡± He said darkly to her. ¡°That¡¯s my wife you¡¯re pointing a gun at.¡±

    ¡°You wanna bet our lives on it?¡± Gizzy said. "How the hell did you get out of that cell?¡±

    ¡°I lived on a prison planet till I was 16, and you trained me in espionage. You think when my wife is in danger I¡¯m not capable of getting out of a basic cell?¡± He said as she noticed his left shoulder was dislocated and his thumb broken, to slip out of shackles.

    ¡°Jack stop her, it¡¯s me!¡± Vicki said looking terrified as Gizzy rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Oh wow, the shift in emotion is strong today. Incredible how she goes from hostile takeover to crying victim the moment you enter the room. That¡¯s either Vicki being released to plead for her life, or an actor with her face. Either way, she is not holding the wheel.¡±

    "I can¡¯t just let you kill her and clone her to find out. We don¡¯t kill broken friends and replace them, we fix them.¡±

    ¡°Not if they are beyond fixing, Jack. You even have the order to kill ME if I become that thing in my drawing, and I stand by that. If she is the demon in my dreams, then killing her is your order just as well. That¡¯s the rule. Whoever is infected gets purged, no matter who they are. And we bring them back pure and clean.¡±

    ¡°Purge your own wife, because your boss says I¡¯m evil? Jack, You promised to protect me, from anything, but not her?¡± Vicki sobbed.

    ¡°STOP IT! Both of you, shut up.¡± He said drawing his pistol and aiming it at Gizzy, while turning to a position where he could move his aim to Vicki in a moment¡¯s change of heart.

    ¡°Jack, you are giving me no choice here, and I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Gizzy said, quick drawing her weapon as he put a round in her chest and she put one in his shoulder, dropping the gun. She grabbed him and pinned him to the wall. ¡°You¡¯re going into cryo, Jack. You can''t escape if you¡¯re not awake, and I can¡¯t have you like this with so much at stake. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She said, jabbing him with one of the prisoner sedatives and slowly wrestling him to the ground.

    ¡°We need to talk to the damn robot.¡± Nicole sighed.

 Chapter Eleven: The Cold

    Dee sat in her cell calmly as Zhoren, Gizzy and Nicole crammed into the room, sealing the door behind them.

    ¡°How are the accommodations?¡±

    ¡°Tolerable.¡± Dee said. ¡°Understandable and necessary, but comfortable. You¡¯ve brought Zhoren with you but not Jack or Vinn.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in love with you, so he may as well be here. Vinn can''t handle this kinda shit, and Jack is currently on ice because he can''t be contained easily and he shot me in the lung. Missed my heart by an inch, purely because he didn¡¯t compensate for my movement, now slightly off, with one robotic leg. That was a shot meant to kill.¡±

    ¡°That must hurt.¡± Dee said.

    ¡°I detect injury, I don¡¯t feel it. I filtered that out.¡±

    ¡°I mean the betrayal of someone you care for.¡±

    ¡°I understand his reasoning. If he had a weapon capable of killing my wife and was ranting nonsense I might do the same. He¡¯s just confused and acting out of what he thinks is the lesser of two evils. He just doesn¡¯t understand both evils are his wife.¡±

    ¡°Sacrifices are difficult but unavoidable, which I must ironically make as well.¡± She said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhoren asked, looking worried.

    ¡°You said it yourself, Gizzy. I am overpowered and a danger to your crew, if I were to turn on you. I have no intentions of it, I meant no harm to anyone, but with the older Vicki capable of communicating over a vast distance, it means she has become one with the Mechanovore ship and likely capable of transmitting information to me. As long as I have wireless capability, I am at any point a potential defector and one capable of killing you all quite easily.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not killing you.¡± Zhoren said firmly. ¡°And that is not a negotiation in case anyone would like to object.¡±

    ¡°I am not suggesting you kill me. I am asking you to remove the cube and destroy it.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± Zhoren asked.

    ¡°No. Zhoren do you love me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re all I have¡±

    ¡°And you love me despite not understanding what I am. I am only operating on a small amount of my capability, unable to fully use the cube without overloading this body. What you love is just a fraction of this consciousness, and with some memory upgrades, replacing the cube would make very little difference. The alternative is to be imprisoned for what I cannot control, which surely you understand is no way to live, or to risk losing all of me to that thing that corrupts everyone and everything it connects to. So leaving me here is not what I want, and letting me out not only risks killing me but all of you. With the cube removed and destroyed, I would simply be a¡­ simpler version of me. Can you not love me in my most basic form?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still learning you, still trying to understand you and what you are, and there is so much I would never know, never be able to understand or experience.¡±

    ¡°Is it necessary to understand someone in their entirety to love them, or is accepting what they are enough, even if it¡¯s slightly broken?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Zhoren you¡¯re not losing me, everything you know and love so far is savable, there just will not be any more to gain. Am I, incomplete and without further potential, enough for you?¡± She asked. ¡°If I am not fixable, am I unacceptable? Must I be perfect to be enough?¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± He said, trying to stay calm. "I¡¯ll miss what you are and accept what is left.¡± He said while hugging her.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m gonna be doing a lot of biomech surgery today.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy sat in the lab, one leg on the table and surgical tools scattered within reach. Zhoren stood by, looking fascinated and disturbed. Nicole entered the lab, pulling up a chair and looking fascinated as well, but less bothered.

    ¡°Just¡­ doing your own surgery now?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well I would have the other highly trained biomech qualified surgeon do it, but he doesn¡¯t exist and the closest thing to anyone with a medical degree is frozen with a broken hand and a bullet wounded shoulder.¡±

    ¡°How did Dee¡¯s operation go?¡±

    ¡°Textbook. Turns out removing alien tech that wants to be removed is fairly easy and installing standard robot upgrades is basically child¡¯s play. She wanted to be alone for a while. We made some upgrades she is getting used to and trying to learn. And I have to get this damn leg up to code.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just 3d print a new leg, or grow it back?¡±

    ¡°I could clone it back, using up a very valuable finite resources we can''t replace on something as unnecessary as a leg, or I could spend twice as long lying in the 3d printer, printing a robotic leg that would work just as well as the one I¡¯m adapting. 3d printing synthetic skin is one thing, 3d printing a fully organic human leg on a living patient is a different animal and we don¡¯t have the equipment. So yeah, it¡¯s a leg. I¡¯ll put some skin on it, use some dermal glue,and it should be damn near indistinguishable from a real one. Honestly, being less human and more machine almost feels¡­ right.¡± She said.

    ¡°I keep forgetting you¡¯ve spent your thousands of years alive as a hodgepodge of alien meat and technology anyway. Human flesh and organs must feel very foreign.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I hate it. I¡¯m half tempted to buy a combat android and just install my brain in the thing, but the less human I am and the more Gizzy I get, the less covert the mission is and the temptation to add Osirian flesh to it gets closer. I want so badly to feel my own Osirian skin again, but we¡¯re just too damn easy to track and detect. Lots of humans have robotic limbs, and this will barely even raise an eyebrow on a bio scanner. Plus now I have a secret combat move. I got a superhuman kick I can whip out in a fight. Don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m sacrificing something for you meat-people. This is an upgrade, it¡¯s just no longer optional. I can¡¯t function with a stump. The skin is just for personal preference.¡±

    ¡°Can I talk to her?¡± Zhoren asked.

    ¡°Yeah, go for it. She¡¯s had some time to think and at this point I¡¯m just fine tuning things and gluing on a thigh-high sock made of generic printed human flesh.¡±

    ¡°Weirdly cool.¡± Nicole squinted. ¡°Honestly kinda hot. Pretty boss bitch pirate level stuff.¡±

    ¡°You want one? We can cut off a leg and do you next.¡± Gizzy joked.

    ¡°No that¡¯s fine, I¡­ it would fuck up my tattoos.¡± She diverted.

    ...

    Zhoren sat next to Dee, still rubbing her side where the incision was freshly glued.

    ¡°Are you there?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m still here. I¡¯m just¡­ stupid again.¡± She said looking sad.

    ¡°You¡¯re not stupid.¡± He said hugging her.

    ¡°Ow. Careful, fresh surgical wound.¡± She said. He looked confused, looking at the scar and up into her eyes. ¡°Yeah, Gizzy printed a nervous system. It¡¯s very basic and in no way up to human medical grade, but I never had any before so I don¡¯t have anything to compare it to. New body, new upgrades. It¡¯s a little scary.¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You sound more like yourself.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I mean define myself, what is myself? I¡¯m the copied personality of a pornstar, downloaded wrong into the chassis of a reptilian bartending android, brought to sentient life by a living AI that pretty much gave her life to save everyone, and left behind some things I still don¡¯t understand because I¡¯m a dumb bitch sex doll crudely stuck in a drink machine with generic human skin and an illegal sensory mod. What the fuck even am I? What was I before, when did I even become someone who could ask that kind of question and is she still me? Am I just 5 people crammed in one weird body? I mean yeah, it¡¯s a rockin body, this is quality ass even if it¡¯s 3d printed on a metal frame, but¡­ I¡¯m not human by any stretch.¡±

    ¡°I never needed you to be. Whatever you are fascinates me, even if you¡¯ve changed and changed back a little different. I can¡¯t explain it, but it doesn¡¯t make me think less of you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ oddly perfect and more then I deserve.¡±

    ¡°Everyone deserves a second chance, Dee.¡±

    ¡°Oh son of a bitch, I just realized if Dee is just short for Deidre, and I shortened it for laziness that makes us Dee and Zee.¡±

    ¡°Why is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, it¡¯s just too cute and stupid for my bad bitch vibe. What, are we gonna, like, get matching clothes and hold hands when we eat now? We gotta keep that on lockdown and hope it doesn¡¯t catch on. Plus Zhoren is way hotter. Makes you sound like a medieval warrior instead of an 80¡¯s douchebag.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of those are, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°I never really left, I just¡­ changed a lot. I¡¯m sorry you have keep relearning me and my quirks, but in fairness¡­ the sex is gonna get way better. Not just the feeling mod, but apparently the OG alien Gizzy is just like 30 million dollars in combat and sex upgrades and I may have investigated the list of shit online that she designed, and just the stuff she released as public information is WILD. It¡¯s gonna get insane, you may need a safeword. I may be more than you bargained for or agreed to.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, how will I ever learn to tolerate the perfect woman who has the ability to upgrade and become more perfect? What kind of curse have the gods put on me that I may not be man enough to keep up with a literal sex machine. The torments of my life truly never cease.¡± He said dryly.

    ¡°Smartass.¡± She said scrunching her nose at him.

    ...

    Gizzy stood on the bridge, saluting to the void as a single small missile launched away from the ship, carrying the cube and some unnecessary fireworks she added for fun. The silent flash of green and red streaks blossomed out and faded to black as Nicole powered up the FTL drives.

    ¡°Goodbye, weird alien AI. You were¡­ kind of a friend and fascinating technology the universe may never have again. It¡¯s a shame and a tragedy, you will be moderately missed.¡± Gizzy saluted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ ever do the eulogy at my funeral if I die. Please. Just show up and stand there quietly. Shake some hands, say ¡®Sorry for your loss¡¯ and nod a little."

    ¡°Spent hundreds of years alone and waiting for freedom, just to be stuffed inside of a glorified plastic camgirl, 99 percent of her IQ scooped out and put into fireworks while the tiniest bit of her left has to bang a simplistic blue monkey with a criminal record. Damn the universe is a dick.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°See that just makes me want to repeat my direct order, except louder and with more emphasis on DON¡¯T!¡± Nicole said.

    ...

    Gizzy sat in the lab, checking the security cams on her phone to be sure she was alone. She opened the medical fridge, taking out the vial of frozen pitch, and carefully placing it into a larger container wrapped in packing. She took the label, placing it on an empty tube identical to that one. She took a flask of unknown liquid, poured it in and measured a syringe of something else, finally taking a tube of black goop, adding it and shaking vigorously before placing it back in the fridge marked ¡°alien pitch¡± and the identical lab sample number. She took a deep breath and sighed, looking sad and guilty at the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She whispered to herself. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t come to this.¡± She quickly pocketed the original vial of pitch as the doors opened and Nicole strolled in, yawning and looking bored. ¡°Late night gaming?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep. Just knowing Jack is locked in a cryo tube because Vicki might kill us all before he realizes he¡¯s helping her is kinda messing with me. Came here for¡­ snail stash.¡± She admitted.

    ¡°Yeah, me too, actually.¡± Gizzy lied. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to understand the readings better with a calmer head. I¡¯ve scanned Vicki 3 times now. Biologically, she¡¯s a Vicki clone, no issues, but her brain activity is absolutely bat shit insane. It¡¯s like one of the Mechanovore coding, except suddenly it¡¯s not there. I¡¯ve studied files we got from their ship. You know they communicate telepathically. It¡¯s not too different from an Osirian hive mind, but this is half organic and half digital.¡±

    ¡°You think she, like, reverse borg¡¯d them, and unassimilated them to use their telepathy? So is Vicki being hacked or is she no longer Vicki?¡±

    ¡°Medically she¡¯s just Vicki, but her brain is¡­ totally rewired. Her vampiric regeneration has totally changed her brain¡¯s neural pathways. The memory is intact, but there¡¯s another memory grafted over it. Evil Vicki is hijacking her own brain to rewire itself, and I can¡¯t fix it.¡±

    ¡°Can we not call her Evil Vicki?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I forgot you were Evil Nicole for a while. The key difference being that you were misunderstood and not evil. You were just your weird self, backed into a corner. She¡¯s actually evil. And contagious, but only to another Vicki it seems. The problem is that if we kill her and clone a new one, she would just be hacked as well. I don¡¯t understand this form of telepathy and how it works, let alone how to block it.¡±

    ¡°So every Vicki is either cloned with cancer, vampirism, or without a mind control password. Why her? Why does everything seem to hate her?¡±

    ¡°The universe hates all of us, she just got one really bad parasite. They seem to target vampires, or whatever we¡¯re calling them. That feeding hypnosis they go into, that¡¯s where the Pitch roots into. Their brain¡¯s natural mode of losing control to ignore pain and fear is a doorway where that thing just takes over. It probably didn¡¯t bond with you because you don¡¯t have that. Or because you¡¯re just not a killer.¡±

    ¡°What about Jack¡¯s scans?¡±

    ¡°Normal human, Jack. He¡¯s not being telepathically controlled or hallucinating, he¡¯s just in love and confused. He just thinks it¡¯s still Vicki in there. She knows that. But that¡¯s not Vicki. It¡¯s a little bit of Vicki¡¯s memory, a little bit of Jack¡¯s mother, and something even more evil puppeting both. That¡¯s a dangerous combination for Jack.¡±

    ¡°Is there any good news?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Our ship is slightly faster so monster Vicki... what do you want me to call her?¡±

    ¡°Evil Vicki is fine.¡±

    ¡°Evil Vicki¡¯s ship is slower, so unless we stop for too long, she won¡¯t catch up and overtake us. Also, If she can hack regular Vicki and retrieve information, then that means technically we could hack her back. Granted, I have no idea how, this is technology and biology I¡¯m unfamiliar with, but in theory, if Vicki were to¡­ die in the cryo tube from something like a massive memory trauma while linked, it might kill the host.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re suggesting we kill Evil Vicki by killing our Vicki?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s theoretically possible.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, I can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m supposed to be captain but I don¡¯t deserve to be. I was just the most qualified of 2 people back when it was me and Vinn. I have no military experience except games, I have no real pirate skills. You¡¯re military trained, you¡¯re tougher than me, and you have one leg now. You¡¯re more Pirate captain than I¡¯ll ever be. I¡¯m appointing you."

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± Gizzy scolded. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make me captain. You know why I didn¡¯t just make myself captain? You know why I never asked, or pointed out that very argument you gave?¡±

    ¡°Because the leg is pretty recent?¡±

    ¡°Because this isn¡¯t a military mission. It¡¯s a mystical scavenger hunt of moral fortitude and fucking¡­ manifest destiny or some shit. I¡¯m by far the more qualified fighter, killer and tactician, but you¡¯ll always be more human and more intuitive. People follow you because you¡¯re a leader, not because you¡¯re the strongest. They respect you and they fear me. They like you while they just follow my orders. We need a leader who understands puzzles, nonsensical organic ¡®by feel¡¯ sort of decision making, a gamer, someone with a heart and a human side. When the situation is killing something, I¡¯m in charge and I take charge, however you don¡¯t want me as the moral compass and the human heart of the crew. I¡¯ve only even had one for a few months and I hate it. I¡¯ve been tempted to remove it several times. The damn beating, offset, irregular, speeding up, slowing down. It¡¯s chaos and I hate it. We need someone who considers violence the last resort leading this crew, and when someone with a heart like you decided we¡¯re down to killing as our last option, then I¡¯ll do the job and get dirty. The problem is that I WANT to be captain of this ship and make all the decisions, and if I get too greedy and feel in control, I might be tempted to start gathering items and end up as the demon in the drawing, instead of Vicki.¡±

    ¡°So you actually need me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Right now, I trust you. I can¡¯t trust Vicki, or even Jack anymore. I can barely trust myself and Vinn is just not that damn smart, so I trust his intentions but not his ability to solve problems. You¡¯re the captain for a reason.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you hated your last captain and ended up taking over the ship?¡±

    ¡°Exactly my point. I was tempted to take over and I did. You can¡¯t trust me with captain rank.¡±

    ¡°But you just¡­ took it.¡±

    ¡°Well, he was a fucking idiot, and he was going to get everyone killed. He was a selfish asshole. Like me, except stupid and horny. He didn¡¯t deserve to be captain. A captain cares about their crew more than their life. You have more heart than any of us, and maybe it¡¯s because you never had to kill before. It gets too easy after a while. That¡¯s how we know it needs to be done. When the girl who doesn¡¯t kill orders it. THAT is when you¡¯re out of options and when you hand over that burden. Until then, I¡¯ll figure out how to kill things and you use your heart and figure out how we don¡¯t have to.¡±

 Chapter Twelve: The Gray

    The dark chamber, illuminated only by the small fires glowing in the fog, echoed lightly with the faint sound of Kpop. Lord Behrnought casually scrolled on his phone before sensing a presence in the dark. He jumped and saw a small remote controlled car with a display screen.

    ¡°What manner of intrusion is this?¡± he barked as Gizzy¡¯s face appeared on screen.

    ¡°We got the scroll, the quill, the ink, and the glasses. I¡¯m ready to write reality into existence. How does this work?¡±

    ¡°I assumed you would be dead by now. What is this machine?¡±

    ¡°I left a drone on your little world in case we needed to talk again So can I write my way through the 4<sup>th</sup>wall or what?¡± We¡¯ve been through hell, almost literally.¡±

    ¡°Not yet you have not. The scroll itself is powerful but it limited inside this reality. Using the scroll degrades it. The more powerful the writing the more degradation it takes. It is only infinite when used outside the wall. To get through the wall, you need a cannon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing not just any cannon but a special specific one only found on a world we don¡¯t wanna go to?¡± she sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯ve noticed the pattern. Yes. There is a lost world, one within its own pocket of reality. To go there, you must be willing to leave your future behind, and one of you must face your past. It is a world of death, but it is different for each group that seeks the weapon. You will be greeted by Death himself before being permitted to land. One of you must be chosen. The nightmare below takes the form of whoever is chosen.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re definitely choosing Nicole, she¡¯s the least fucked up and least monstrous of all of us, so unless she pulls a Dan Akroid and Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man''s the situation, we should be good.¡±

    ¡°And you scoff at my riddles and confusing words.¡±

    ¡°Just give me the damn coordinates.¡± She yawned.

    ...

    Dee stood at the window, watching the crew load Jack in a cryo tube into the shuttle and head down to possibly the greyest planet in existance. The night side black as sin, the light side the color of slate on an overcast day. There was the faintest ring of purple and green in the very center, cast by the foggy dust ring. The definition of dreary.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe they let me out.¡± Zhoren said while peering over her shoulder.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they let me out either. I threatened Gizzy¡¯s crew to save my fat ass and then hijacked their robot. And they just kept me. Let me guard the ship.¡±

    ¡°I murdered 2 people for money and accidentally caused a massacre, and they let me live purely as food for someone now locked up tighter than my own prison was. And they let me out. They let both of us roam freely in the ship unsupervised while Vicki is in a cryo tube, wrists and ankles cuffed to chains, chains around the glass, locks on the chain, locked in a double walled cell with a camera. What is she exactly that is so dangerous and evil? When she fed on me, she was quite respectful about it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not so much with me, but that was before I had emotions, and she knew that and still felt guilty. She cried once and apologized¡­ to me. A robot with no feelings or emotions or heart, because I looked like her friend. She had to feed to live and biting Vinn upset Nicole, so she had to feed off me. And she felt guilty for what she is. It doesn¡¯t seem fair, does it?¡±

    ¡°No. They say she¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    ¡°She is now. That damn black goop changed her. She was a person. They got a monster locked up, but inside that monster, Vicki is locked up. And that¡¯s not okay. But she¡¯s not the one in control, and the one who is¡­ is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all? You could be lying about your downgrade, can you take over the ship and override systems with what¡¯s left in your memory? They don¡¯t know. You could be a threat, I could be a threat. I could kill most of the crew with my hands before they could scream for help. Prison usually makes you more of a monster than you were when you went in. You can see that in Gizzy¡¯s eyes. She¡¯s been the one behind the bars before. She¡¯s dangerous, you¡¯re dangerous, and Jack is a cold-blooded killer. So why is Vicki the only one chained up like a demon in a tomb?¡±

    ¡°Because we can control our actions and we¡¯re being trusted to do the right thing. Have you seen Gizzy¡¯s drawing? That¡¯s what is apparently growing in that poor girl.¡±

    ...

    Jack opened his eyes, sitting up and being handed a gun and some clothes.

    ¡°You sure you wanna do that?¡± he asked. ¡°After putting me in here?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on a shuttle, off the ship. Vicki is safe under guard and we¡¯re trying to help her. You¡¯re the best soldier we got, and the shuttle is locked out unless both Nicole and I unlock with a retinal scan. You¡¯re on this mission and she¡¯s safe, so are you gonna do your job or are you going to let emotions fuck with your mission?¡±

    ¡°Promise me she¡¯s safe and you don¡¯t plan to vent her.¡±

    ¡°Not our Vicki. The mutant thing headed our way on a ship, I absolutely intend to kill without hesitation. The one on our ship, she¡¯s a patient, a sick crewmember we intend to get better, not an enemy. She¡¯s just not well enough to leave. If there¡¯s even a 50/50 chance you¡¯re wrong, and she kills Nicole and Vinn, then what? Oopsie? My bad? Sometimes friends need to be confined to get help.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear the words.¡± He said.

    ¡°I promise she is as safe as we can get her, protected, and I don¡¯t intend to vent her. I intend to save her, or try my damndest to do so. That¡¯s all I got.¡±

    ¡°Good enough.¡± He said, taking the gun.

    ¡°Have you noticed that when you and Vicki were together, she only made you stronger and more grounded, at peace? But since she changed, all she has done is make you defiant and violent, no peace of mind to be had? Now that you¡¯re away from her, you¡¯re calm and logical again. Vicki gives you your zen, yet you¡¯re more zen away from that ship. So what does that say about who is telling you things, whispering in your ear and who exactly is saying ¡®Jack, they¡¯re the enemy.¡¯ Behind your back?¡±

    ¡°You want me for a mission, let¡¯s discuss the mission and stick with it. When we get back we can discuss Vicki. You said it yourself, this is a job, not personal emotion, so let¡¯s leave that at the ship and get back to that if we make it out alive.¡±

    ¡°Now that sounds like my Jack.¡± She smiled. ¡°Welcome home soldier.¡±

    ...

    Zhoren walked past the cell, checking on Vicki. He locked eyes with her for a moment and stepped closer. She had frozen tears in them and she mouthed the words ¡°please help me¡± silently behind several layers of armor. He looked both ways for Dee and opened the cell door, turning off the energy shielding and closing it behind him for safety. He switched on the speakers and looked at her with pity.

    ¡°Please listen to me.¡± She begged.

    ¡°I can¡¯t trust you. I¡¯m not allowed to.¡± He said almost sarcastically.

    ¡°Zhoren, you know me, in a strange way we¡¯ve bonded. You know the monster I am, not the monster they think I am, but they¡¯re not entirely wrong. Locking me in here was the right thing to do. It was Nicole¡¯s idea. She¡¯s usually right about things. The cold weakens the connection to the voices. I¡¯m Vicki¡­ I just don¡¯t know how much longer I will be. So you have to listen to me while there is time. She¡¯s approaching. The darkness with my face and my memories, she¡¯s coming here. There is no time to wait on the mission. She will get here before they get back, kill you and Dee and take the ship, and I¡¯ll be lost forever, just part of her from now on. Jack can¡¯t see the truth. It¡¯s starting a war with the crew. There won¡¯t be a crew much longer if you don¡¯t help me.¡±

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You want me to let you out.¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ exactly. I want you to keep me in this cryo tube, keep me locked up, but get me out of this cell. And I need you to do something you shouldn¡¯t have to do.¡±

    ¡°Just say it.¡± he grunted.

    ¡°I need you to restrain Dee, lock her up, and get me to the lab. There is a vial of the Pitch in there, and it has to be destroyed. It¡¯s too volatile to keep, even if Gizzy believes it¡¯s necessary for the mission. She doesn¡¯t understand it like I do. It can¡¯t be controlled or utilized. It only does one thing, it controls and consumes. I need you to move me to the lab. Gizzy has a contingency plan for everything and everyone, she has one for me. She knows I¡¯m connected telepathically to that thing. I¡¯ll know what she came up with when I see it. Then you get me back in the tube and next to the airlock. If she gets here, destroy the Pitch, throw it in the ships reactor, and vent me. Killing me while connected to her might kill her too. The moment I leave this tube and warm up, the clock is ticking before she¡¯ll know what I know. So we have to move quickly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange, how destiny chose me to keep you alive, and yet here we are, you asking me to kill you because nobody else will. You still think of me as a killer?¡±

    ¡°No, I think of you as a friend, but the rest of them are my family, and they can''t do it.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy can.¡± He said confidently.

    ¡°She would try, and it would tear her and Jack apart, Vinn and Nicole would debate on who was right, and they would all be divided. You¡¯re just some stranger they barely know. I¡¯m asking you to do something terrible, to become the villain they assumed you were when they found you, but to save everyone. And they will probably kill you for it.¡±

    ¡°I was destined to die without a purpose. Now I am destined to die for a great purpose, to do what nobody else can, for a friend.¡± He said, ¡°The gods are strange and mysterious in their ways, but I cannot believe our destiny is to sit and wait to all die while evil prevails and moves on to conquer. We¡¯re both a couple of misunderstood monsters, too dangerous to live and we never asked for it.¡± he said, nodding and heading out.

    ...

    Dee smirked and bit her lip as Zhoren cuffed her to the bed.

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re bad today. Breaking the rules and cuffing me up. This could be dangerous.¡± She whispered playfully. ¡°What if you decided to take over the ship?¡± she joked. He leaned in and kissed her deeply, shedding a tear and wiping it before she noticed.

    ¡°That¡¯s just it¡­ I intend to.¡± He said sadly.

    ¡°Oh no.¡± she gasped dramatically ¡°You''ve been bad this whole time and planning a getaway. I bet you¡¯re gonna have your way with me and then take me prisoner, leave them all behind.¡± She acted.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to leave you here and take Vicki.¡±

    ¡°Okay, kinda kinky, and she might be into it but she¡¯s locked up so how do we play this out exactly? I can¡¯t do both roles at once. You gotta uncuff me and let me change outfits and get my red wig.¡±

    ¡°Dee, this is not a game. You¡¯re just¡­ too fucking stupid to get it. You¡¯re a sexbot, a machine built for pleasure, not thinking. The part of you that could do that is gone now, because clearly you can¡¯t see what¡¯s happening right in front of you. Vicki is addictive, you can ask Vinn if you survive this. I¡¯m taking her and leaving. You should be happy about that. I¡¯m just a piece of meat for her anyway, but she¡¯s dangerous. No place for either of us here. Don¡¯t be too worried, I¡¯m not self destructing the ship, I¡¯m just stealing her and the shuttle.¡±

    ¡°Zhoren, that¡¯s not funny. Tell me right now you¡¯re joking and uncuff me and I¡¯ll just chalk this up to alien culture miscommunication. Ha ha, good joke but it¡¯s not funny anymore. You¡¯re just scaring me.¡±

    ¡°You know the sad part of it all?¡± he asked. ¡°Even when you had all that intelligence and that power in you, you still believed my story. I brought that building down intentionally to cover my getaway. I just fucked it up and got caught.¡±

    ¡°Zhoren, you¡¯re not like this, what¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening bitch is that you got played and I got laid. I got two sexy women on me and frankly you just don¡¯t compare to Vicki, but you were good. I enjoyed our time greatly, but you are not what I thought you were, and us monsters need each other and neither of us are free on this ship, with their crew and their chains.¡±

    ¡°Are you fucking serious right now? Zhoren, what the hell? Is she mind controlling you, can she do that?¡±

    ¡°No she can¡¯t. She¡¯s a powerful, sexy, woman with a weak husband that can¡¯t satisfy her needs and a crew who wants to kill her, and I¡¯m a killer who gets what he wants who you all don¡¯t trust either. And you¡¯re right. I¡¯m kind of a bastard. A bastard with a way out free, a woman who needs me, and a need for that sweet venom almost as much as that sweet ass. Sorry. You¡¯re a very pretty copy of a very beautiful person, but you gave away your chance of being something worthy and now you¡¯re a robot with half a brain. A sexbot is great, fresh out of prison, and we could have had something before you threw it away. But you¡¯ll never compare to a real woman, let alone a beast like her. I¡¯m sorry, but you fucked up, and everyone who trusted you to watch me, they fucked up too. It¡¯s been fun, Dee.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s bullshit. I don¡¯t believe it. She¡¯s tricking you or messing with your mind. This isn¡¯t you, Zhoren, and you¡¯re not a monster!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°I am. Apparently, we all are on this ship. You¡¯re just a terrible judge of character.¡± He said, leaving her to kick and struggle. He opened the cell to Vicki¡¯s cryo tube and began wheeling her to the lab.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that must have been hard for you,¡± she said, placing her hand on the glass.

    ¡°She deserves better than me anyway. My purpose was always this. I thank the gods for rewarding me with her for what time we had, and in a strange way you as well. I deserved no rewards and am grateful for them. It¡¯s time to earn my destiny.¡± He said, looking like he was struggling to convince himself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to make this harder than it is, but when you feed on someone who lets you, you do form an emotional attachment to them. It¡¯s not the same as a hunt, it means more. It¡¯s a sacrifice. I connected with Vinn, I did with you too. You¡¯re a good friend, and you¡¯re doing the right thing, I¡¯m sorry it doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here, in the lab.¡± He said sadly.

    ¡°In the case, there is a black vial marked something like ¡°Evil pitch¡±, grab it. There should be something that looks like a headset or an EEG machine.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Gizzy is a brilliant and maniacal bitch, she knows killing me while connected to her may kill us both and will certainly eliminate one. Look for a helmet or a something that looks like it¡¯s designed for brain surgery.¡± She suggested. He picked up a strange device, a prison shock collar with wires coming out of it, connected to a rather crown-of-thorns looking device.

    ¡°That¡¯s gotta be it. You need to work quickly. The moment we open this tube, I¡¯ll start warming up and losing myself. Shock collar first, then the halo.¡±

    ¡°This looks like a torture device¡±

    ¡°It pretty much is. I¡¯m no brain surgeon, but those look like they¡¯re going into my skull when it turns on.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a very brave girl. I know you think of yourself as something shameful and evil and cursed, but you¡¯re not. That thing may be, but without it you¡¯re something special.¡±

    "That¡¯s the venom talking. You¡¯re addicted to it, you associate the feeling with genuine emotion, and you¡¯re fresh out of prison. Don¡¯t fall in love with an idea before you have to pull the trigger. It¡¯s a lie that weakens you, and I need you mean and strong right now. Make your gods proud.¡± She nodded.

    ...

    The lights on the shuttle flickered and went out, turning back on as a tall dark figure in a robe of smoke glared at them with dim grey dots in the void of his hood.

    ¡°Here we go.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Welcome to Offrugu, the world of the dead.¡± It said in a deep thunderous tone.

    ¡°Ghost planet.¡± Nicole sighed. The reaper in black paced before them.

    ¡°Are you the key master?¡± Gizzy said in a breathy seductive tone. They all looked at her, confused. ¡°Sorry, old reference to a¡­ conversation with Lord Behrnought, just let it go.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡± Nicole whispered.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked the cloak.

    ¡°Me? Evee Nicole Alekseev, Captain of the Medusa.¡±

    ¡°You have been chosen.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the captain?¡±

    ¡°No, because you have a soul.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± Vinn muttered hesitantly. ¡°That means none of us do?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°Aw shit. That¡¯s a shame.¡± He said looking sad.

    ¡°Few in this universe do, and only one with a soul may lead a group to the land of the dead. This world will take on the form of death, as you, Nicole, know it best.

    ¡°Well thank fuck they didn¡¯t choose me.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t even wanna know what kinda death shit I¡¯m familiar with. Nicole, have you ever lost anyone?¡±

    ¡°My grandma that I never met and a dog. I¡¯ve never killed anyone. This should be pretty tame.¡±

    ¡°Welcome¡­ to your world.¡± He said as everything got bright and they all blinked and winced, adjusting their eyes to the surroundings.

    ¡°Well bite my ass.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°I thought you had almost no experience with death?¡± Gizzy noted.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the death I¡¯ve experienced, it¡¯s death as I know it best.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Vinn gulped.¡± As everyone looked at him for clarity. ¡°Survival horror video games. She¡¯s a big fan of the Quiet Hell games. This may be a far worse situation than we were thinking, especially with no guns.¡±

    ¡°Well, in the game you start with no guns, and you have to find them.¡± Nicole cringed. ¡°And there¡¯s gonna be company.¡± She said looking at Gizzy.

    ¡°So I spent countless hours building the perfect modular weapon system and now we have to loot for Glocks and shit?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± She nodded. ¡°I mean, if we¡¯re lucky we¡¯ll find Glocks. You usually start out with a survival knife.¡± She said checking her side and confirming. ¡°Yep, survival knives.¡±

    ...

    They slowly walked towards where the terrain was suggesting, following the road down a winding rout of thick fog and ash covered ground, soft from rain and neglect. The gravel path ending abruptly at a field, a clearing between wooded area of dead trees and decay. 6 tall rectangles stood a foot of the ground on a single rusty pipe, lined up like road signs, but instead of paint and directions, just a foggy mirror surrounded ina thin frame of rusty iron and overgrown dead grass. As they approached, their reflections appeared in the mirrors, but smoky and black, without eyes or a face.

    ¡°That¡¯s disturbing.¡± Vinn said. Looking at a skinny desiccated reflection of his own silhouette, muscles shriveled to bones, visible grey through the rotten exposed ribs near his sunken waist.

    ¡°Why does mine look normal?¡± Nicole asked. ¡°Is it a puzzle?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re the only one with a soul.¡± Gizzy said, looking at her skinless mechanical leg and the few strands of blurry thinned hair that were almost transparent. ¡°The rest of us are just husks.¡± She said reaching out and touching the glass.

 Chapter Thirteen: Zombies

    ¡°Yes, only SHE has a soul.¡± The reaper smiled.

    ¡°Can we not remind me of that concept?¡± Vinn asked. ¡°I sorta was under the impression that souls didn¡¯t exist, so if they do, I kinda want one. I¡¯m not okay with this.¡±

    ¡°Nicole¡­¡± Jack asked. ¡°What kind of fucked up games do you play?¡±

    ¡°Supernatural, zombie apocalypse, demon possession, occult, forbidden magic¡­basically he scariest shit I can get. Hey, it makes me happy, okay? I don¡¯t know why but it¡¯s just games. It¡¯s fiction. Don¡¯t over-think this.¡±

    ¡°You Stay-Pufft Marshmallow man¡¯d this.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°You were supposed to be the least demented one of the group, but no. you gotta have one damn hobby that digs deep, DEEP into the weird side of the pool and that¡¯s what we get stuck with. Of course.¡±

    ¡°You have a tattoo of Mario, we couldn¡¯t end up in Mario world?¡± Vinn griped.

    ¡°Probably too specific and copyrighted to mess with. This could be like any of 15 identical ripoffs of ripoff horror games."

    They nervously walked onward, heading into the woods. They walked down a dirt path to nowhere before noticing that behind the wall of fog was a cabin. Gizzy, knife in hand, jiggled the door knob, giving it a power kick with her mechanical leg and unlocking it. She was immediately lunged at by a shrieking person, who fell to her right hook and went silent for a moment, starting to get back up.

    ¡°Kill her!¡± yelled Nicole. Gizzy stuck her knife in the back of her skull.

    ¡°Zombie games. Do none of you play zombie games? I don¡¯t know if you get bitten and infected or not but I know a zombie when I see one. You hesitate, you die.¡± She said, taking lead as Gizzy watched in curiosity. ¡°These cabins always have loot. Look for boxes, crates, cabinets, secret doors, hatches in the floor or ladders.¡± She said. They piled inside and Jack shut the door behind them, wedging it shut with a chair.

    ¡°See?¡± Nicole said, hopping up to reach and missing. ¡°Hunting rifle over the fireplace, there¡¯s gotta be shells in the same area." She said, giving up as Vinn grabbed the rifle, noticing it looked loaded. She approached the lit candle still burning on the table and the map rolled out on the wooden table, held in place by a box of .556 rounds.

    ¡°Well¡­ that seems self explanatory.¡± Gizzy said while eyeing the map. "That¡¯s a city, and that looks like a military base. That¡¯s where you find a cannon.¡±

    ¡°And probably a lot of zombies.¡± Nicole said. "We need guns before we go near that." She started looking around and pulled back a rug to reveal a hatch in the cabin floor. She clicked on her flashlight, peering down at the little bunker room. ¡°This should get us started," she nodded, moving the light along the rack of supplies and guns.

    ...

    Vicki laid back in the cryo tube, a halo on her head with a ring of large needles pointed inward. Her neck collared and wired up, she carefully supported her neck with a piece of chair padding so as not to drive the spikes into her head too early. Zhoren closed the lid and turned it back on to cool.

    ¡°Is there any way to make your comfortable? You must be miserable in there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cold as hell, but that¡¯s the idea.¡±

    ¡°Just standing in a coffin tube shivering and wired up to die. They do that to prisoners as punishment for bad behavior. I hate to see someone innocent go through it.

    ¡°I¡¯m hardly innocent, and it¡¯s necessary.¡± She assured as he wheeled her to the cargo bay.

    ...

    Dee let out a scream of pain and rage as she slid her hand free of the restraints, dreading to even look at what she assumed to be a disturbing sight. She was right. She held her hand up, her human skin ripped from the thumb joint and the opposing side, exposing mechanical bones covered in a thin washing of blood. The reminder that she was just a machine bringing tears to her eyes, as the words Zhoren said haunted her. She stepped to the door and realized she gained nothing anyway. She pounded on the barred glass and smeared a bit of blood across it, slightly orange and Delmarian in color. Nothing about her was human, except her face in the reflection, someone else¡¯s face.

    ...

    Gizzy and Jack finished counting the stash and stepped back.

    ¡°Well, we have a hunting rifle with 5 rounds in it, a lever action 22 rifle, a 22 pistol with 44 rounds of ammo total between them, a glock 9mm with 36 rounds, an axe, and a double barrel shotgun with 20 shells. Lastly, there are 300 bucks in the gun safe. So not great.¡± Gizzy listed.

    ¡°Not great? You don¡¯t play survivals games much, this is great starting loot. Firstly that 9mm are gonna have tons of ammo everywhere for it, and it''ll be cheap. Secondly, starting with a shotgun is basically cheating, and thirdly, there¡¯s 4 of us and we got 5 guns.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ about that.¡± Vinn squinted. ¡°So my fingers aren¡¯t gonna fit in any of these triggerguards. Did we also find a hacksaw by chance?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°You may be rockin the axe.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what the hell? So everyone is doubling up on guns and I get the grampa log splitter? This is rigged as shit."

    ¡°Okay.¡± Nicole said ¡°I get the Glock, since I¡¯m pretty familiar with it. Jack should have the 22¡¯s since it makes sense to keep the ammo together and he¡¯s the only one making headshots consistently, plus the rifle is the only one with sights. Vinn, you take the hunting rifle, because you won¡¯t notice the weight and you can toss it to whoever runs out of ammo first. And Gizzy, since you¡¯re basically a tank and your eyes aren¡¯t great, you get the shotgun. There¡¯s enough spare mags to hold all the ammo, probably because in these games you never have to manually load the magazines, they¡¯re just always full.¡±

    ¡°How do you suddenly know guns?¡± Gizzy questioned.

    ¡°I know video game guns. This is quite literally my world.¡±

    ¡°Do you get any decent melee weapons in these, like a damn katana or something?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°H-yea¡­ if you¡¯re lucky and get a high tier locker find or something.¡± Nicole chuckled. ¡°Frigging katana in the first cabin?¡­ please. Now the first place we need to hit is this¡­ that looks like a bullet on the map which means gun store. Remember to loot the dead, they may have ammo or guns or cash. If we¡¯re lucky they¡¯ll drop ingredients for healing potions so if they have a bag of dried leaves, grab it. Grab everything."

    ...

    The sound of rustling leaves got their attention when they opened the door. Gizzy took lead, Shotgun out and pistol in her left hand. She aimed into the darkness at the sound. From the right leapt a growling rotten humanoid, twisting sharply as the pistol fired a flash through the open mouth and out the back of the head.

    ¡°Run,¡± she smirked. Everyone moved, Nicole taking a few shots and missing as the recoil took her by surprise. Gizzy took a few moving shots, seeming to land about every other round in the head and wishing she had a bigger clip. When the browning ran dry, she dropped the magazine and one hand loaded it, racing the slide with her teeth as another undead bolted for her directly in line with the shotgun and was obliterated by the blast. Gizzy finally reloaded her handgun.

    Jack lingered back, Wick-style quick targeting with mechanically precise movements as each shot followed with a synchronized lever rack and a body dropping, like a choreographed dance of death. This mostly drew attention off Nicole, who was just getting her feel for the Glock and starting to target center mass to avoid missing. Gizzy turned back towards Jack, aiming past him and unloading buckshot over his shoulder to get the straggler sneaking up on him.

    ¡°I had him next.¡± Jack informed.

    ¡°Good, now guard my ass.¡± She said, kicking shotgun shells over her head and trying to ram two back in at once and fumbling a little. She jerked the gun shut and mag reloaded the pistol with her teeth again. Jack swung the rifle beside her ear, resting the foregrip on her as she finished loading, and the rifle went off, illuminating her teeth. Nicole jumped, noticing the approaching zombie take a dive from Jack¡¯s cover fire as she tried to reload. Vinn stepped in front of her, hacking awkwardly down with the axe like he was chopping weeds, but angrier.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°That¡¯s my wife.¡± He said kicking one aside. ¡°Really wish I had like a gun or something.¡± He barked, batting them away in front. Gizzy noticed a slow moving one strutting down the path with Nicole in his line of sight. She put 3 9mm rounds in the chest and it slowed down and staggered but remained upright until Gizzy took the head with the gauge.

    ¡°Nicole, lay back, aim for the head, and take your time with your shots, or double tap.¡± Gizzy ordered.

    ¡°I know how to double tap.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be implementing it.¡± She said. Something grabbed her back and Jack fired two quick shots, both ankles, to drop it away from Gizzy¡¯s back, finishing it off with a 22 to the back of the head. Gizzy noticed another slow mover and fired, pausing and firing again, finally just dumping 3 quick rounds into the face.

    ¡°How did I miss you?¡± she asked, taking down 2 more further back and pocketing the pistol. ¡°I¡¯m out of handgun shells.¡± She hollered.

    ¡°I got one mag.¡± Nicole announced. Gizzy drew her knife with her left hand, holding it blade forward palm down and using her wrist as a gun rest for the shot. She took two down in quick succession, ejecting and tucking the stock to reload, dropping a round and loading another in the same second.

    ¡°Damnit.¡± She said, kicking it forward as she dug another one, hoping to pick it up when it was less congested and watching Jack¡¯s overfire take out the two closest to her. She kicked the double barrels shut and set one off, sidestepping the pink cloud that was left.

    ¡°Fall back!" she hollered to Nicole, who was worried that she would run out of ammo any second. She reluctantly let Vinn hack his way clear as she moved to the middle of the group. The population seemed to thin suddenly as the light of a small village grew closer. Jack grabbed the pistol off of Gizzy and began reloading as she took lead, now with plenty of reload time between incoming bastards.

    She reached for a reload and felt 1 last shell, loading it and dry firing to cycle the top barrel in. She was rushed from the back left while Jack was reloading and swinging the shotgun around. A zombie''s teeth met the foregrip, the gun firing but missing wildly as she stuck the knife through the chin and into the brain, shaking to get the knife loose but letting it drop since it wasn¡¯t coming out.

    ¡°I got nothing.¡± She hollered, tossing the shotgun around and catching the barrel like a bludgeoning bat. Jack handed her the pistol.

    ¡°Last mag.¡± He warned.

    ¡°We¡¯re basically at cover anyway.¡± Nicole said, checking her clip and estimating maybe 3-4 rounds left. Jack grabbed the rifle off Vinn and rolled his eyes noticing the bolt action has no sights of any kind.

    ¡°Who keeps a gun with no sights, this is ridiculous.¡± He said, shouldering and panning the perimeter. He took down 2 zombies in quick session as Gizzy fiddled with the padlock and chain on the gate. One of the villagers rushed out holding his own 22 pistol.

    ¡°You are bringing them in with the noise, cease firing!¡± he hollered.

    ¡°Right, let me just die then.¡± Gizzy said pointing her empty gun at him. ¡°Open the gate.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the key.¡± He scoffed.

    ¡°Do you have any more locks?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I believe so¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°Go get one. Jack, use your key.¡± She instructed. He cycled the bolt and blasted the chain free as they all went in and Gizzy tied the chain in a knot, keeping it shut while Jack loaded the last round in the rifle, waiting for the right time to use it. The villager arrived with his padlock, reconnecting the chain as Gizzy stepped back, still pretending the shotgun was loaded.

    ¡°Anyone get any loot?¡± Vinn asked, as Nicole and him compared similar items and both Gizzy and Jack sighed, forgetting to check entirely.

    ¡°You cannot be here!¡± barked the villager.

    ¡°Why?¡± Nicole asked. ¡°You don¡¯t let people seek refuge when being attacked?¡±

    ¡°She is infected.¡± He growled, pointing at Gizzy.

    ¡°Aww. Damnit,¡± she sighed noticing the bite she didn¡¯t feel on her arm. ¡°So there is a bite and get infected thing, great. What happens if I get bit?¡±

    ¡°The virus moves through the blood to the brain in a matter of hours, where it slowly take-¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m good then. My brain doesn¡¯t have blood vessels. Guys, we¡¯re fine.¡± She said as he put a 22 round into her head and watched her hunker in annoyance and look back slowly snarling.

    ¡°It¡¯s too late, she¡¯s one of the climbers. God forgive me.¡± He said wildly firing another 2 rounds as Jack fired his last rifle shot, dropping the villager and slowly looting his pockets.

    ¡°Shit, shot through the gun, but on the upside, he¡¯s got a hundred bucks on him and an extra mag.¡± He said, swapping out the one with his pistol, now reloaded with about 6 rounds.

    ¡°We gotta take cover before this becomes a problem.¡± Gizzy said, dragging the body behind a random metal barrel and rubbing her head.

    ¡°There.¡± Nicole pointed. "According to the map, that¡¯s the gun store.¡±

    ¡°Are you good?¡± Nicole asked, noticing her bite and the green lines under her skin, as well as the blood running down her scalp.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s fine. Zombie shit infects the brain, mine¡¯s a computer so what, I get a blood infection and it kills me in 3 days after I¡¯m back on the ship with a fresh clone? I¡¯m dandy.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Itches though.¡± She said strutting up towards the gun store.

    ...

    The doors opened and a portly old bearded man with a smile and dead eyes welcomed them with open arms and deathly pale skin.

    ¡°Welcome strangers. Haven¡¯t seen customers in a long time.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­¡± Gizzy squinted ¡°A zombie store owner?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an android. I think he¡¯s just old and dried out.¡± Nicole noted. ¡°Oh, I get it, he¡¯s an android so it makes sense that he would have multiple shops with the same gear and it¡¯s always the same guy no matter where we find the store.¡±

    ¡°So what can I sell you today?¡± he asked robotically.

    ¡°Anything big enough for me to shoot would be swell.¡± Vinn muttered.

    ¡°What you need is a gunsmith and a resize.¡± He said predictably.

    ¡°Seriously¡­ you just resize the guns?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Any gun you want, 150 additional cost, and it¡¯ll fit ya.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank god, I can ditch the stupid axe.¡±

    ¡°We also need ammo.¡± Nicole shrugged ¡°Exactly what you expect. It says on the sign you buy guns too?¡±

    ¡°Sure, what you got in mind girly?¡± he asked. Gizzy stepped forward and placed down the bolt action rifle.

    ¡°The trail hunter is 500, and we¡¯re out of ammo for it anyway. Damn thing has no sights and holds dick for capacity. That¡¯s the thing to get rid of. We¡¯ll sell the axe and this trail hunter.¡± Gizzy said confidently.

    ¡°Good thing. 275 cash.¡± He said.

    ¡°The sign says 500 for the gun alone.¡± She argued.

    ¡°This is a used gun, that¡¯s half price. Everything I have is new, so new prices," he said while placing the old trail hunter on the rack of identical trail hunters, marked as new. The old scratched disappeared with the wipe of a cloth, as he grinned at Nicole.

    ¡°Yeah, I see that. Guys, we got almost 700 bucks now. What are we doing?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Well, I need a gun, and badly. Doesn¡¯t have to be fancy, but it has to shoot. What¡¯s the cheapest shotgun you have?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°The one I already have, save your money.¡± Gizzy said ¡°I hate this thing. It¡¯s too long to maneuver and too slow to reload. How much does it cost to fit it to an 8 foot jackelope?¡±

    ¡°150 for sizing," the owner stated.

    ¡°Vinn, it¡¯s yours, make it whatever size you want.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m getting the GSG and 500 rounds of ammo.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t blow all of our money.¡± Nicole muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s 325 for a semi-auto carbine that holds 23 in the mag, and has a silencer and 500 rounds.¡± She scoffed ¡°That¡¯s a damn deal.¡±

    ¡°Fake silencer.¡± Corrected the store owner as she looked closer.

    ¡°Well, whatever, 22s are quiet already. It¡¯s still a great deal.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°Why is everyone getting 22s?¡± Nicole asked as Jack smirked, buying ammo for his 22 lever gun and pistol he seems intent on keeping.

    ¡°Because we¡¯re taking headshots and a 22 to the head can take down a man damn near every time, the ammo is cheap, the guns are cheap, and it¡¯s the most common ammunition on the market, so we¡¯ll pick up plenty. It¡¯s quiet so it won¡¯t alert everything within a mile, and both the guns and ammo are lighter. Assassins code 101: Never underestimate the effectiveness of a 22 in the right hands.¡± He said. Nicole looked worried.

    ¡°Headshots aren¡¯t a guaranteed kill here, they just do 3x damage. That¡¯s fine for a standard naked zombie. What if they have helmets?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Why would zombies be wearing armor?¡± Gizzy asked, loading her new toy with a smile, pretending it might turn into an MP5 when it¡¯s all grown up.

    ¡°You guys realize this isn¡¯t normal life, it¡¯s a world based on my concept of death, which is based in video games. 3 specifically as it appears with very similar mechanics. Nobody beats these games with a 22. We¡¯re gonna face shit that gets worse, armored, higher health, and probably a boss.¡± She said. Gizzy looked at Jack and looked back at Nicole.

    ¡°¡­Fuck. Why can¡¯t games be more realistic?¡±

    ¡°Because they¡¯d be less fun.¡± She reminded.

    ¡°Oh SNAP!¡± Vinn chuckled as the owner handed him his fun new black and gold custom double barrel. ¡°Custom upgrades come in gold! Shittyes!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, you still have to reload every 2 shots, and your ammo costs almost 10 times as much as mine.¡± Gizzy argued, sticking her tongue out.

    ¡°Which means very little if it takes ten shots to kill something!¡± Nicole reminded. ¡°And literally none of us have a gun that will go through armor¡­because you sold the 556 rifle. That was light armor-piercing. Oh, hey, can you put a silencer on my Glock? Thanks, and whatever ammo this gets me.¡± She said while handing over her share. ¡°And that¡¯s it. We¡¯re out of money, we got lots of ammo for everyone¡¯s bb-guns, and Vinn¡¯s shotgun is bigger and gold. So if we get buffed up or armored zombies next, I guess me and Vinn will stun them while you two go hunt squirrels or something.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what could we get if we sold everything right now?¡± asked Gizzy.

    ¡°$1,050. All ammo sales are final.¡± The owner said as Nicole pointed to the menu up top with the ¡°half price back resale¡± in yellow letters.

    ¡°So like just over 250 each, and the cheapest guns up there are 300. Next time we find this shop, I do the buying for everyone¡­ IF we live long enough to get to the next shop.¡± Nicole huffed. Gizzy picked her teeth with her tongue awkwardly, looking over at Jack.

    ¡°Did we dick this up?¡± she muttered discreetly.

    ¡°We might have dicked it.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop me?¡± she aggressively whispered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t play shooter games, I shoot people for a living. I go home and drink and play online chess. A 22 to the head should kill damn near anyone. I would know. It¡¯s always worked for me.¡±

    ¡°RIGHT!?¡± Gizzy exclaimed at low volume.

 Chapter Fourteen: We Need Bigger Guns

    ¡°The hell is taking so long to reply? I sent a message to the ship and it sent fine, but it took 5 hours to reply and the reply is just a bass rumble.¡± Nicole asked as they searched the village for supplies. They ended up finding little more than burning barrels and single old truck parked at the rear gate. Gizzy checked the playback.

    ¡°Probably time dilation. This world is likely running faster than where the ship is orbiting, so the reply is slowed down and degraded. Let¡¯s just assume everything is okay up there. Not like we can teleport up or do anything.¡± She said as Jack finished hotwiring the truck and Vinn returned from the perimeter check.

    ¡°Place is dry. Everyone¡¯s dead, and no money. One dead guy had a double barrel shotgun with 2 rounds in it, but there was no other loot. The only food I found was a box of granola bars and some water jugs. This guy was basically just living in an abandoned camp.¡±

    ¡°Truck works, full tank and extra gas, generator in the back. I say we blow this and move on.¡± Jack sighed.

    ...

    Vinn and Gizzy sat in the back, trying to relax as Jack drove and Nicole sat in the passenger seat. Jack spotted a gas station ahead and decided it was a good place to crash till morning. And that it would have good loot. Vinn kicked the door open and Jack lead in, pistol ready. The lights were on, but there was no power.

    ¡°Fan out, stay locked and loaded, check the coolers, the shelves, the break room, the office, everything. Meet back in the office when you¡¯ve cleared your area." They all took a direction and began looking for anything useful. Jack opened the office door, noticing the dead clerk in a vest and sitting beside the safe, a paper notebook beside him, and another empty shotgun. He popped a shell into it, placing the barrel against the safe and yelling ¡°fire in the hole¡± as he pulled the trigger, blasting the lock off, and awakening the dead clerk. Jack quickly put a round in his head, pausing and putting a second one in him as he still tried to get up. The third round kept him down.

    ¡°Oh shit.¡± He sighed, realizing the 22 problem. Everyone else began making their way to the office.

    ¡°Lotta gunshots, you good?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Clerk took 3 to the head to drop. We need bigger guns.¡± He said while using the shotgun stock to beat the bent safe door open. ¡°2 grand.¡± He said with a shrug.

    ¡°I got 700 from the register.¡± Nicole listed.

    ¡°I got enough canned foods and Jerky for a lifetime, and a first aid kit.¡±

    ¡°Check it for the meds.¡± Nicole insisted. He opened it and looked surprised.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned, one syringe and a bottle of green liquid. Video game logic strikes again.¡±

    ¡°Probably a healing potion. The syringe could be anything. Do the pumps work?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°No, power¡¯s out, but we got a journal.¡± Jack said, tossing her the notebook.

    ¡°Oh finally a backstory tutorial guide¡­" Nicole sighed with relief, reading the book ¡°The virus spread quickly, yatta yatta yatta, here we go, once bitten, the infected takes between 18 and 20 hours to die, in which the brain reanimates as a mindless killing machine. They need to feed on living flesh to slow the body¡¯s decay, without this they wither and rot into nothing, dying in a matter of months. The longer a zombie lives, the more it evolves. A small percent of the population with the brain abnormalities will turn and become special zombie types based on their disorders. Their mind¡¯s fears and delusions will evolve their bodies over time into manifestations of their disorders and their mind¡¯s perceptions of it.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°See? Mutated super inner-demon zombies, and I bet my Glock that the response teams of military and police that turned are still wearing body armor.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, 22s were a bad idea. Is there any mention of a cure?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°It says here that a vaccine was developed and distributed to stores and hospitals but once a victim has died and turned, it has no effect, so it has to be administered before you go full zombie. That looks like the syringe we found. And it¡¯s one time use, so if you get bit again later on after it¡¯s purged your system, you gotta do another one. So if you see any of these boxes¡­¡± she said showing the sketch. ¡°Grab those. We may need them.¡±

    ¡°Just out of sheer morbid curiosity.¡± Vinn asked. ¡°Does the virus affect only humans or aliens too?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It shows lab monkeys as zombies so it probably affects some animals but we didn¡¯t get mauled by a million zombie squirrels and possums in the woods so I¡¯m guessing mostly humans, and some animals.¡±

    ¡°Callin it right now, zombie dogs.¡± Vinn sighed.

    ¡°It also says that over time the zombies wandering randomly seem to slowly end up drawn back to the city, so the older, stronger zombies in larger numbers concentrate the closer you get to this spot on the map, which I¡¯m assuming is our goal location. Gizzy, that bite is looking bad. If you can¡¯t turn we won¡¯t waste the syringe, but you need to heal and the dried leaves we looted off the zombies are definitely healing herbs. I¡¯ll see if that¡¯s in the notebook, but it¡¯s a lot to read so it may take me some time.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll hit the liquor store next door for supplies and then you can read up on our way further out.¡±

    ...

    They entered the liquor store through the unlocked front door, always a good sign. Jack made his way around the counter to loot the register, and heard something off. He shouldered his rifle and scanned the area for zombies, seeing nothing but still hearing an odd breathing sound. He then realized as it approached that it was above him, in the ceiling.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a little different.¡± He muttered, following the sound as it moved rather quickly crawling through the ceiling gaps and finally hitting a weak tile, dropping behind a shelf before he could get a shot. Two hands grabbed the top of the shelf, and then 2 smaller hands grabbed it on either side of the first set. ¡°What the hell?¡± he whispered. Suddenly without warning, the 6 limbed creature leapt from behind the shelf to the ceiling, gripping the metal supports and crawling upside down at an alarming speed. He fired 2 shots in rapid session before ducking mid-lever cycle as it missed him and rolled into the space behind the counter, smiling with a row of far too many teeth and twitching in rapid movements. He finished chambering the round and fired, missing it and racking the lever again, putting a round in it¡¯s eyeless face just as it almost reached him. He hopped back as it slid to a stop bumping his shins. He put another round in the back of the head just to be sure. ¡°Yeah, the 22s are a problem.¡± He huffed, Gizzy and Nicole rounded the area ready to fight, Gizzy looking down at the dead thing in front of Jack.

    ¡°I heard 5 shots.¡± She noted.

    ¡°After it took 4 to drop this crawly fast bastard, I gave him an extra to be sure. You didn¡¯t see that thing move.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Nicole said smugly ¡°We need bigger guns.¡±

    ¡°550 cash in the register, 2250 in the safe. We¡¯re making decent money at least. 9mm ammo. Glock behind the counter.¡± Jack listed.

    ¡°Seems to be a lot of loot. I guess that¡¯s due to there being 4 players. Either that or shit gets bad up ahead and we need the buffs.¡± Nicole cringed.

    ¡°Hopefully it''s just the 4 player thing. Let¡¯s double back to the gun store in the village. Nobody buy a damn 22 this time, okay?¡± she asked as Jack and Gizzy rolled their eyes and muttered, "Okay..."

    ¡°Now just out of curiosity¡­¡± Gizzy asked. ¡°In these games can you¡­ ROB the gun store guy?¡± she squinted as Nicole¡¯s eyes got alarmingly big.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even go there.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Welcome strangers.¡± Said the old and cheerful robot.

    ¡°We were here yesterday. We need better shit.¡± Nicole said plopping the guns down on the table. ¡°Gimme cash for the shotguns, the lever gun, the 22 pistol. Turn that into ammo, I want 2,000 rounds of 9mm, a thousand rounds of 22, 600 rounds of the 5.7mm, 300 rounds of 5.56mm, and 250 shotgun shells.¡±

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Excellent choice, any guns for ya?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh yes. I want the Banshee 45, extended magazine, red dot scope. Vinn will have a suppressed Glock, and an AR15 with a red dot, make them both big and gold. Jack would like an FN Five-Seven pistol, and Gizzy would also like a suppressed Glock, extended magazine, full auto, with a Saiga 12 automatic shotgun, drum magazine please.¡± She grinned.

    ...

    They stepped out of the store, all carrying a rifle and pistol. Gizzy stopped, looking suspiciously at Nicole.

    ¡°Explain.¡± She said softly.

    ¡°All 3 of us have suppressed glocks, that¡¯s easy ammo, basic zombie level damage and no noise, except Jack has a backup pistol that cuts through light armor if needed, and yours is full auto, because you have the best trigger control under handgun recoil and that gives you basic 1 and done, or hold down and mow down if you hit something tanky that doesn¡¯t drop with 2 shots. That¡¯s our main carry. Jack''s main carry will be your old GSG because if anyone can take head shots quietly at a hundred yards, it¡¯s Jack. So his job is to John Wick the basic bitch zombies and thin the herd with the cheapest ammo and no noise, the FiveSeven is just his gun for armor and thicker problems. Now Gizzy, since you seem to favor shotguns and, again, have the best trigger control, that Saiga is essentially crowd control and anything with high HP and no armor. I¡¯m small, I cant handle the high recoil, so the 45 carbine is a compact high damage gun I can get some control with, Vinn¡¯s backup option is also light armor piercing high damage, and even in big mode, Jack can theoretically snipe with that using the scope, giving us range and versatility.¡±

    ¡°Nothing heavy armor piercing?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Did you read the signs on the boxes? The smallest rounds that go through heavy armor are the 308, they¡¯re twice the price of the 556, and you need either a SCAR H or sniper rifle to use them, and we don¡¯t have 3 grand to blow on one rifle. So if we encounter heavy armored boys, we run. Anything else from soft high HP, to mass horde, to panic spray, we got covered. You don¡¯t get the best guns right off the bat, you just shop like a gamer. Let¡¯s crash for the night. The gas station is as secure as anything.¡± She winked.

    ¡°Hot, right?¡± Vinn smirked. ¡°Just me? Okay.¡±

    ¡°I refuse to say anything.¡± Jack muttered.

    ...

    The Medusa hovered silently as the Mechanovore ship approached. Zhoren and Vicki stood in the cargo bay as the screen lit up with something that used to resemble Vicki smiled and awaited response.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Zhoren. I¡¯m new here. Everyone else is busy, can you come back another time?¡±

    ¡°Listen you replacement, I want the captain on screen immediately.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not here. It¡¯s just me and Vicki. Everyone else is down on the planet if you¡¯d like to talk to them. We have no communications through the cloud cover. What I do have is a hostage.¡± He said holding up a remote and tapping on the glass of the cryo pod.

    ¡°You think I give a shit about a spare body that hasn¡¯t been perfected yet?¡± she scoffed. "I¡¯ll make this simple. You give me Jack, the cloning tank, the artifacts, and you can have the ship. I¡¯ll spare anyone you want or nobody, just give me the cryo tank with Jack in it, the cloning tank, and the artifacts in the lab. Understand?¡± she said powering up weapons.

    ¡°He¡¯s not here, I guess you¡¯ll have to wait. Or you can check for yourself.¡± He suggested. ¡°Except I don¡¯t have access codes, I¡¯m just food for this Vicki they took from the prison you destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, very interesting. So they kept you as livestock for Vicki. Don¡¯t tell me you got attached to this girl feeding off you. Men are so predictable. You¡¯re not using her as leverage, you¡¯re stealing her like she stole you. Access codes.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t give you what I don¡¯t have. And you know very well that Gizzy has rigged everything to blow if stolen and used without them. So Jack is not here, the machine will self destruct, the lab is probably trapped, and I would even wager the entire ship. With the crew on the planet, the only thing up here is a robot, a prisoner, and the Vicki Gizzy already thinks is better off dead. So do you wish to lose everything on a trap, do you wish to wait for them to return, or would you prefer to land and get Jack yourself?¡± he asked.

    ¡°If your plan is to assume I am impatient and reckless, then you won¡¯t survive this. You mean so little to me that letting you live would not inconvenience me. Inconveniencing me may change my mind. So we¡¯ll wait.¡± She smiled, signing off and leaving him standing with the remote.

    ...

    The truck slowed down as Gizzy squinted at something a good hundred yards off the road. They stepped out, guns ready as they approached the roughly ten foot high grey metal sphere. Like tree roots, several dozen bundles of electrical cable spouted from the dry dusty soil and connected to it, like a giant battery. Gizzy, gun in her teeth, took a good running leap, grabbing the rim near the top and pulling herself up.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°No idea. But it¡¯s either something that takes enough electricity to power a city, or it generates enough power to power a city¡­ because those larger cables run towards the city, and there¡¯s a few more of these spheres connected together.¡± She said, turning the locking wheel on top and popping open the hatch. Inside was just a hollow area with dust and stale air. ¡°Shit, I know what this is.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± Said Vinn.

    ¡°On Osirian worlds we power things using RNE reactors. Rift Network Energy. Basically, we generate a singularity and cut a hole in the universe into a smaller universe we discovered millennia ago. It¡¯s a baby universe, still in its early stages of expansion, so it¡¯s just packed with energy instead of empty space like ours. Think big bang but it fizzled and did a very slow bang, and the expansion will take millions of years to cool down. By magnetically holding the singularity open, you get a constant beam of superheated plasma that runs indefinitely if kept balanced. If the magnetic ring loses power, it collapses the singularity and dies. If you overload it, the containment shielding goes nuclear and it explodes, also closing the singularity but doing so with about a 12 kiloton antimatter blast. Except this isn¡¯t Osirian tech, it¡¯s very half-assed, and the markings are unknown. So this is alien technology, badly retrofitted to run human power needs, by humans that didn¡¯t understand the technology. These reactors are all dead and collapsed.¡±

    ¡°So they were pulling power from another universe. What if they pulled something else through WITH the power?¡± Nicole suggested.

    ¡°Maybe the source of the undead mutation. Alien virus, exotic radiation causing rapid evolution, maybe they tried to weaponize it with genetic experiments and it went badly. Who knows, but this is can¡¯t be coincidence. Either they made an alien virus with this, an alien virus stowed away in the pods and was let out, or they opened a portal to hell and something came through. I bet you a shiny new shotgun that there¡¯s at least 1 active reactor in the city.¡±

    ¡°What makes you so sure?¡±

    ¡°Because the map leads into the city, you said in a horror survival zombie game, everything gets bigger and meaner as you progress, so the closer to the city we get the nastier shit¡¯s gonna be, and that¡¯s where the goal happens to be. Since the city has power and the outskirts don¡¯t, unless zombies are operating a power infrastructure and fueling coal or gas plants, something is still running on its own after everything went to hell. So there¡¯s one or more of these still active and automatically generating power to the grid, hence the big city lights still being lit. The cannon should be there. Hell, maybe the cannon is connected somehow.¡± Gizzy shrugged.

    ¡°We got company in the distance, so let¡¯s get back in the truck and moving.¡± Jack suggested. Gizzy hopped down, jumping in the back of the truck with Vinn as they rolled down the dusty road following the power lines. Jack looked back at the sparse peppering of zombies in the wasteland and as he looked back a the road, he slammed the brakes and came to a stop, barely thumping into a deer. Nicole had half a mind to check on it and see if it was okay until she noticed it getting up and glaring back, exposed rows of monstrous teeth and decaying flesh. Jack floored it, running over the animal and picking up speed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try and keep it under 40.¡± He huffed, sweating a little as one headlight flickered and the truck¡¯s rattling stopped as a piece of sheet metal fell off and bounced down the ditch. Jack suddenly slammed the brakes again and stopped.

    ¡°Guys, we need cover fire.¡±

    ¡°Run em over.¡± Vinn suggested, grabbing his rifle

    ¡°Not this guy.¡± He said as Gizzy grabbed the shotgun and Nicole flipped through the notebook, finding a sketch of the thing in front of the truck standing about 7 foot, skinless and smiling with oversized pointed teeth.

    ¡°Regenerator.¡± She said.

    ¡°So shoot it fast, gotcha.¡± Gizzy said dumping 6 rapid shots into it. It just stood there.

    ¡°Is it armored?¡± Vinn asked, taking aim center mass.

    ¡°The fuck armor, it doesn¡¯t even have skin!¡± Nicole said, looking for more information and just finding a name. Vinn took 3 paused shots, noticing the bullets going right through and the headlights illuminating the blood mist behind it. Jack grabbed the GSG and put a round through the eye socket, jerking it back as it let out a scream and ran towards them. He quickly fired 3 more headshots, and it dropped.

    ¡°Aim for the head guys. Double tap.¡± Jack sighed in relief as Gizzy opened fire behind them.

    ¡°We got more smiley boys behind us. 40 fuck, move ass.¡± She said before cranking out the rest of the drum and reloading as the got smaller in the distance.

    ¡°You get em?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Dumped 14 rounds at them and not one of them gave a shit.¡±

    ¡°Probably out of range.¡± Nicole said. ¡°Game logic, you¡¯re probably doing very little damage past 35 yards.

    ¡°Oh come on. Do slugs not exist?¡± she bitched, reloading and questioning if the Glock would have been better. Jack veered off the road into the hard dirt to avoid another, grabbing Nicole¡¯s Banshee 45 and slowing down to put 2 in the head, it dropped.

    ¡°Gizzy, hand me your glock.¡± He hollered. She passed it through the back window as another approached the left side. Jack aimed low, doing a mag dump in the body, pushing it back and pissing it off. He reloaded and took 2 shots to the head, pausing and firing another, dropping it on spot.

    ¡°Yeah, these smiley bastards only seem to respond to headshots¡­ and several of them at that.¡± He said while passing it back and flooring it, dodging the rest of them as they moved back to the road. ¡°If we run into those with helmets, don¡¯t even bother unless you got the big gold rifle.¡±

    ¡°This is a great sign.¡± Vinn sighed. ¡°We¡¯re not even near the city and the bad guys are turning into bullet sponges.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not gonna stop till morning and not until we find a place to bunker for cover. Open air at night is suicide.¡±

 Chapter Fifteen: Bitten

    They took refuge in an abandoned convenience mart, unfortunately already looted and void of guns. Good enough to catch some sleep in, but otherwise a disappointment.

    ¡°Good god, Gizzy.¡± Nicole said looking at her arm, the bite looking rather black and necrotic.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just the weak human parts acting up. I assure you that I¡¯m as heartless and mechanical deep down, even if there is a heart in there.¡±

    ¡°You need a healing item. If we don¡¯t find another med kit soon we¡¯ll have to go herbal.¡± She sighed. ¡°Get some rest, that¡¯s an order. Keep an eye on that arm.¡± She reminded.

    ¡­

    Dee sat in her cell, looking at her own arm, watching the metal move where the skin was ripped away where she pulled free from the handcuffs. The reminder that she wasn¡¯t human cut to the core of where her heart should be. She felt her chest and waited for a beat, even knowing it was just metal and motors, a small electric gear circulating enough alien blood to keep the skin from rotting, but not much more. Maybe Zhoren was right, she thought to herself, debating on weather or not to even try escaping the cell. Maybe letting them both go was for the best.

    She picked up her phone and dialed the group again. No response. She checked her messages and all she had was a high pitch tone from Jack, scrambled and static filled.

    ¡°Damnit, someone tell me you got my message.¡± She said, sending it a 5<sup>th</sup>time in 40 minutes, just for the hell of it.

    ¡­

    Jack checked his phone, sighing as Nicole woke from her nap and strolled by.

    ¡°Everything okay, Jack?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Dee has messaged me almost every 12 hours now with the same distorted rumble I can¡¯t clarify. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s checking in because my responses aren¡¯t getting through, or if something is wrong, but we¡¯re stuck here until we finish this game.¡±

    Nicole smelled something on fire and rushed to the break room to see Gizzy taking a smoke break.

    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?¡± Nicole yelled.

    ¡°Using a healing leaves.¡± Gizzy said exhaling smoke and wheezing.

    ¡°You don¡¯t smoke it! You brew it into a potion of hea-Oh my god, have you never played any video games?¡± she barked.

    ¡°Not much. How am I supposed to know the ¡®Dried green leaf¡¯ of healing isn¡¯t just straight up magic weed? Look at this shit, tell me this isn¡¯t just weed.¡±

    ¡°Every gamer knows it¡¯s supposed to be weed, but they can¡¯t have you spleefing a Jay on screen.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Vinn said ¡°I smoked mine too.¡± He admitted.

    ¡°Honey, you play video games.¡±

    ¡°Not the zombie ones, I just watch you play them. Honestly I¡¯m mostly just watching your ass wiggle, the way you sit in your chair backwards for horror games is strange and suggestive from certain room locations. Otherwise, these games bore me. How am I supposed to know you can show guts and murder, cursing and shooting zombie cops, but you can¡¯t show weed?¡±

    ¡°Can we roll back a second?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I think we rolled too much already.¡± Vinn sighed.

    ¡°Spleefing¡­ a JAY?¡± Gizzy annunciated, looking disappointed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know weed terminology, okay people? I¡¯ve smoked weed like 5 times in my life and I just fall asleep.¡± Nicole huffed. ¡°So you both wasted your healing leaves?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say wasted, but I¡¯m feeling something.¡± Gizzy smirked. ¡°Okay sorry. But in my defense¡­ this is literally just weed.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Nicole said smelling it and taking a puff. ¡°Okay it¡¯s literally weed, but somehow here it makes healing potions too. Put that out, maybe some of it¡¯s salvageable.¡± She said trying to cut the burnt part off.

    ¡°We¡¯re so screwed.¡±

    ¡°Screwed how, we¡¯re all alive and mostly well, the only infected one is me and I¡¯m the only one that doesn¡¯t get affected much, we got a cure syringe if it does, we got a ton of ammo and guns, we¡¯re doing great.¡±

    ¡°Never gonna believe this guys. Good and bad news. The good news is that the dead owner hiding under the counter was clutching this thing.¡± He said holding up a Desert Eagle. ¡°The bad news is that it¡¯s a 357 version and he burned all his ammo so we got a very nice gun we can¡¯t use yet.¡±

    ¡°Dude, Deagle is Deagle. You can upgrade that to the 50and buy ammo. We¡¯re kinda rockin this apocalypse.¡± Vinn smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s what worries me. It¡¯s too easy. If we¡¯re getting guns and items this easy and quick it might mean it¡¯s about to get bad enough that we needed them.¡±

    ¡°How bad could it get?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Are you shitting my ass right now, Vinn. Did you really just ask that?¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± He slunk, knocking on the wooden counter for good luck from the gamer gods. ¡°So what¡¯s next on the map?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a building just outside of town with a PS on top. I¡¯m gonna guess that means Police Station.¡±

    ¡°Oh we¡¯re gonna get some serious guns there.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°And zombies in police vests, and probably zombie attack dogs.¡± Nicole reminded.

    ¡°Well then give me the hand cannon. Maybe I¡¯ll find ammo, and then 3 of us have light armor piercing capability.¡± Gizzy said, tucking the Desert Eagle into her belt.

    ¡°Then what do I get?¡± Nicole said. ¡°I got 2 guns that don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Well, we could just¡­ cut the big pistol in half and share, or you could try and hang onto a 357 for the first time in your life, hopefully hitting something with the one gun we don¡¯t have spare ammo for.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll just move in pairs.¡± Jack said. ¡°Vinn and Gizzy can be the heavy team, Nicole and I will lay back and cover you from behind. So both teams can get through a vest¡­ in theory.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°This is way more fun on the computer.¡± Nicole said shaking her head. ¡°When you¡¯re the only player with all the guns and they don¡¯t have recoil or give you tinnitus. My head is just ringing right now. How do you people do this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Silencers and headphones.¡± Jack yawned as Gizzy shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m used to being an 8 foot demigoddess who can fire artillery without damage or ear protection. I assure you now that my ears ring a little.¡± She said while looking to Vinn.

    ¡°Oh, I just fold my ears down and I¡¯m good.¡± He smirked, flexing his big floppy ears downward.

    ¡°Show off.¡± Nicole brooded before grabbing his ears and pulling him in for a kiss on the nose.

    ¡­

    Dee loudly roared, bashing her fist into the door, trying to use the robot super-strength she clearly didn¡¯t have, and fully embracing her terminator side.

    She circled back, frustrated and yelling several fucks before getting a run and delivering one large flying punch to the lock, denting the decorative casing but doing more damage to her hand.

    She gave up and sat down, feeling useless and weak. She sat silently, trying to think of an escape plan.

    ¡­

    Jack body blocked Nicole, kicking back a zombified armored cop and placing 3 of the five Seven rounds through the vest. Gizzy, one room down, mag dumped a whole drum of shotshells into the crowd, painting the wall various shades of red and necrotic black. She poked her head out down the hall where Nicole and Jack were hearing a round fly past her.

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    ¡°Hey! Careful of friendly fire!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t us.¡± Nicole hollered.

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that was a zombie with a hand cannon?¡± she sighed, ¡°Vinn, we got an armed boy with a vest, go heavy on his ass.¡± She signaled. He turned the corner, already firing rapid shots as he took down the armed zombie cop. Another one snuck up behind them, firing a few shots before Gizzy could duck for cover. She turned and they both fired 20 feet apart, the zombie wildly missing and Gizzy just hitting vest and riot helmet. He kept clicking the hammer over and over as Gizzy rushed him and just went for he neck with her knife, jabbing and severing its head. She picked up a revolver and shells.

    ¡°They can shoot but they don¡¯t seem to understand reload.¡± Gizzy hollered. She ran down the hall, fiddling with the guns, tossing Nicole the Desert Eagle as she barely caught it with surprised flailing.

    She waved her shiny revolver with a grin. ¡°Now we both have vest-busters, go easy on the ammo, pick up what they drop, they don¡¯t seem to understand what the bullets do but they can wildly squeeze a trigger, probably muscle memory.¡± She said firing down the hall and dropping another with one round to the visor. ¡°Yeah bitch, that¡¯s more like it.¡±

    ...

    Zhoren watched the camera as Dee swung part of the bedframe at the door, he swiped one of the coms to the security app and waited till the made in impact, unlocking it. It was time. He looked to Vicki in the tube as she sadly nodded.

    ¡°I will miss you¡­ but not for long.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it ends like this.¡± She said, shedding a single tear. ¡°Can you let me out so we can finish this? We¡¯re out of time.¡± She said. He nodded, opening the tube and stepping back. He turned with the remote and she was standing there holding a gun pointing at him.

    ¡°Vicki, what are you doing, we¡¯re ending this for everyone.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m ending this for everyone.¡± She said, firing around into his chest as he hit the button and stood waiting for death to claim them both. She smiled, her eyes turning red. ¡°You really think that remote works without a passcode or a safety that only Gizzy has?¡± she said ¡°She wouldn¡¯t make it easy to sabotage, you dumb ape.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not Vicki.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been Vicki, you know she¡¯s right. I am a monster. I¡¯ve been a powerless monster my whole life, I¡¯ve come close to death and been manipulated by Gizzy since Jack tried to save me. You really don¡¯t earn her salvation without your soul. But what chance do I have against a god? None. She controls her world and her slaves and her pets the way she sees fit, and poor Jack just follows like the whipped pup. We¡¯re better than that. We deserve to be free, both of us, and now we can be, and as a bonus, I get to play god now, and I¡¯m fucking resentful of it. I tried playing nice, I tried playing sneaky, I even sabotaged the ship to kill her surrogate but she had backups and the clone machine was set to wake her before everyone else. How selfless of her.

    Dee rounded the corner, gun at her side, watching from cover, confused and scared, setting the gun¡¯s safety off. She didn¡¯t know if she could even kill, but she might have to.

    ...

    ¡°You really just intend to kill me and then, what, kill Gizzy in front of Jack?¡±

    ¡°No silly. I want you as food, that shot was meant to cripple, not kill or you¡¯d be dead. I¡¯m stabbing you in the back, Zhoren. I¡¯m stabbing Gizzy in the back and when I have the scroll, I can write whatever reality I want, where me and jack are free of her, and Nicole and Vinn never picked us up. I¡¯m fixing everything and letting the bitch die."

    ¡°And Dee?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The fuckbot¡­ why do you even care? She''s not a real person, none of us really are. You¡¯re a piece of meat, and the rest of us are just copies, but with this¡­¡± she said, raising the vial ¡°This shit makes me a god, and if Gizzy taught me anything, it¡¯s that when you¡¯re a god you make your own rules and answer to nobody and do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t drink it. You don¡¯t want to become the demon in the drawing.¡±

    ¡°I AM the demon in the drawing, I just haven¡¯t fully grown yet. Gizzy always thinks she¡¯s the main character of the story, so worried that she would become the demon that she left the artifacts for me. If she had taken true power for herself as she usually does, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against her. But this is my story now.¡± She said while placing the silver mask on her face and drinking the black Pitch from the vial, her flesh merging with the mask as her eyes glowed, one of them turning blue. The cargo bay doors shuttered as the ship docked, and the other Vicki walked out, white angel wings spread and mechanical flesh glimmering like molten chrome as she stood beside herself. Their Vickit urned, locking glowing blue eyeswith glowing red ones, the silver mask deforming into teeth as she bit her older selves¡¯ neck and the began to merge as one. The Mechanovore nanobots consuming the more human Vicki as she drank the blood of the raven and in an embrace of power, there was one single Vicki, one red eye, one blue, shiny mechanical armor materializing around her as her face, now an abomination of flesh and metal teeth, turned to Zhoren.

    ¡°Bare witness to the new god.¡± She sighed deeply, feeling odd and disoriented.

    ¡°I see nothing but the devil herself, something Jack would be ashamed of. Something he would look at and say to you, what did you do with my wife?¡± he wheezed

    ¡°Not the Jack I will create. I have the ship, the clone machine, the pitch, the power, and when Gizzy returns I will enjoy¡­¡± she coughed, ¡°Killing her myself. I¡¯ll kill them all, you understand. Bring them back the way I want them, only the ones I choose. So bow before your god, Zhoren, or fall before her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve gone from cage to cage, there won¡¯t be another. What you¡¯ve done to those to claim to love is unforgivable even to someone like me. I¡¯ve forgiven myself, I¡¯m free. So release me, you damned soulless construct of hate and shame. I refuse to be a prisoner again. Shoot me. You have no power over my soul.¡± He said boldly. She tossed him the gun and smiled.

    ¡°Shoot you?¡± she chuckled. She rushed him and unlocked a gaping maw of carnivorous death, taking a chunk from his jaw to collar bone as he fired several shots through her as if she didn¡¯t even feel it. Dee shook, huddling in the corner, realizing her gun was pointless. She darted for the exit as whatever used to be Vicki watched her flee.

    ¡°Run little roomba. Entertain me as I wait. An appetizer for the great feast of the ages, the beginning of an era.¡± She snarled, splitting off part of her flesh and forming a Vicki clone, now with all of her undivided powers. She headed to the shuttle and began heading down to the planet.

    ...

    The shuttle was stopped and the lights went out as Vicki paced curiously and a shadowy figure tilted it¡¯s head at her.

    ¡°You are not like the others.¡± It said softly.

    ¡°I¡¯m like nothing else, get out of my way.¡± She boldly stated.

    ¡°This planet is one of death. You may enter¡­ because you are death. So I embrace you.¡±

    ¡°Then let there be light, and let there be death. All the dead they ever wanted.¡± She said, staring down at the planet and watching the clouds part.

    ...

    The gang made their way to the center of the city as the clouds rolled back revealing a sunny sky.

    ¡°Uh, people¡­ something bad is happening.¡± Nicole said as they took cover in the building that on the map looked like the center.

    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Gizzy said, "Elevator, rooftop, move.¡± She said as the ground began to shake. Jack and Vinn looked lost.

    ¡°What did we just run from?¡± Jack inquired.

    ¡°The boss fight.¡± Nicole said as the doors opened and she slowly blinked.

    ¡°No you didn¡¯t.¡± Vicki smiled, in her full glory.

    ¡°Down down down, back down.¡± Vinn said spamming the elevator down button. Gizzy stopped the door and stepped forward.

    ¡°You guys go up¡­ I¡¯ll take care of the boss.¡± She said, grabbing the Desert Eagle and the shotgun.

    ¡°She¡¯ll kill you.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°Bitch please, I got extra lives, and both of us are already dead.¡± She said as the doors closed.

    ¡°Jack,¡± Vinn said holding him back as the elevator moved up ¡°That¡¯s not your Vicki. She¡¯s safe on the ship, you have to believe that. That¡¯s the corrupted thing pretending to be her to fuck with you.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± He said bottling his emotions. They reached the rooftop, the doors opening and a few dozen zombies in tactical gear turned their way. Jack stepped out, full of pain and rage, funneling it into his Five Seven, taking headshots with rapid precision and killing his way through, like something they had never seen in him before. He made his way to the edge of the roof, putting the rest of the magazine into the back of the sniper zombie. He took a deep breath, lifting the Barrett 50 caliber and racking the slide.

    ¡°He¡¯s found something familiar. Vinn, I¡¯ll guard the door. You take the other side.¡± Nicole said peering down at the city, buildings on fire and thousands of zombies, from bikers to soldiers, about half armed with military rifles and half with civilian weapons, all marching with a purpose towards the center building.

    ...

    ¡°Come out come out little toaster¡­you still have flesh and blood for the claiming.¡± Vicki yelled into the ship, hunting her for fun as Dee fired a few rounds through her, accomplishing nothing and running again .

    ...

    Gizzy stared Vicki down and lifted both guns to eye level turning them sideways.

    ¡°You¡¯ve changed.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t thank you for saving me.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°Save you? I¡¯m here to kill you myself.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s one body more or less, bitch? You saved me from my own fear, that I¡¯d become the monster in the drawing. It was always you wasn¡¯t it? Every word you said about me, every ounce of hate, from the moment your vampiric fangs tasted that pitch, Vicki as we knew her was gone. Everything dark and conflicted in her was solidified. You freed me from being the villain in my own nightmare. So thanks. What does death feel like?¡±

    ¡°Oh you would know wouldn¡¯t you. That bite has worked its way to your brain, that¡¯s why you stayed behind to die. You¡¯ve been lying to them.¡±

    ¡°Well I didn¡¯t wanna worry everyone.¡± Gizzy said her bloodshot eyes turning a sickly shade of yellow. ¡°We¡¯re both already dead.¡±

 Chapter Sixteen: World War Vicki

    Vicki giggled, drawing a pair of SCAR heavy 308 rifled from her back.

    ¡°A zombie cyborg, formerly a god, and a girl with cancer, now a vampire god. Shame that you won''t live to see the irony.¡± She said, unloading as Gizzy opened fire. The two of them sprayed lead while sparks painted the walls behind them in streaks of red and black. Vicki sighed, looking annoyed. ¡°How are you still standing?¡±

    ¡°I got bitten by a regenerator. You know the only way to kill those tanky fuckers?¡± She snarled, eyes going milky white. ¡°You have to shoot them in the head. The one part of me that¡¯s armored with alien metal.¡± She said rushing and slamming Vicki into the wall. In slow motion, the drywall shattered as Gizzy bit into Vicki¡¯s Nack and Vicky ripped her arms off with a boot to the chest. Gizzy reached out from the bloody stumps with a fresh set of bones and flesh already knitting around them.

    "So neither of us can die, and you¡¯re just stalling so I don¡¯t go upstairs and kill your friends.¡± Vicki stated.

    ¡°Pretty much, but tell me you¡¯re not enjoying this." Gizzy smirked before flipping a bloody finger and picking up on of the SCAR rifles and the shotgun.

    ¡°Oh, you know me so well.¡± Vicki smiled.

    ¡°You know, they used to be your friends first. The real Vicki would know that. Before they were my friends. You lived with Nicole for years, she helped you when you got sick, and you had fun together. You and Vinn bonded, and Jack was the love of your life. You don¡¯t even care about any of them now, do you? It¡¯s all about power. That''s what you are¡­ greed, hunger, selfishness. You¡¯re just cancer with a Vicki face.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gods, sins are whatever we decide. You taught me that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a shitty student then if that¡¯s the lesson you got.¡± She said, emptying the guns in Vicki''s face and chewing her head down to a stump. It grew back almost instantly. Vicki lifted the other SCAR and returned the favor, chewing the flesh off Gizzy¡¯s face down to the metallic bone that didn¡¯t have a scratch on it. ¡°I think we¡¯ve evolved beyond lead and gunpowder.¡± Gizzy said, taking out her knife and stabbing herself in the shin. Vicki watched curiously as Gizzy reached into her metal leg and pulled out the jade dagger, the blade extending to a longsword. Vicki held her arm out, sprouting a scythe from her flesh and giving it a spin. They rushed to the center of the room, locking blades and ducking around each others swipes. The concrete pillars shattered in the wake of their attacks. Neither of them feeling any resistance. Gizzy ducked and hacked an arm off, retracting the sword and extending it through Vicki''s skull, tearing her head off. As the scythe clipped her own head, Gizzy felt a slight groove carved into the metal skull armor and watched the head grow back on Vicki¡¯s severed spine.

    ¡°I can dance for days.¡± She sighed, coughing black tar and wiping her mouth.

    ¡°Lovely.¡± Gizzy snarled.

    ...

    ¡°Where are you love?¡± Vicki hollered through the ship. Dee held her breath, remembering she had no heartbeat to track. She suddenly was startled by Gizzy sitting beside her.

    ¡°When did you get here?¡±

    ¡°Shhh. I¡¯m not. I¡¯m a holographic program only you can see.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a robot hallucination?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m an emergency program I installed while removing your power cube, sorry. I like to have backup plans for everything. It¡¯s hard to explain so just follow me and do what I say.¡± She said before getting up and running. Dee followed her as hellish sounds echoed through the ship.

    ¡°I can¡¯t fight her, she¡¯s too strong.¡± Dee dry-sobbed.

    ¡°I know, dumbshit, that¡¯s why you need to wake me up. Get to the maintenance ladder and go to the engine room, and save your ammo.¡± Ghost Gizzy said.

    ¡°Oh, I hate this so much.¡± Dee said running to the tiny hatch and dropping down to the bottom. She followed Gizzy to a strange hidden series of crates tucked behind the coolant tanks.

    ¡°Uncover them.¡± She said. Dee uncovered the mini cryo-tubes and stood, looking horrified and baffled.

    ¡°You¡­ cloned everyone and hid them in the basement?¡±

    ¡°Backup everything, twice if possible. Press the code Overlord 33456 on mine. I¡¯ll back you up.¡± She ordered. Dee sighed and pressed it, the tube opening and Gizzy sat up, an exact copy of herself down to the mechanical leg sat up and grabbed the gun off her.

    ¡°You think that gun is gonna kill Vicki?¡± she asked.

    ¡°One of them.¡± Gizzy said walking up to the Clone of Vicki in the tube, and firing 2 shots into her head and one in the heart in a robotically cold manner.

    ¡°What have you done?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing you¡¯ll remember. The moment you leave the cone area, you¡¯ll have no idea these are down here.¡± She said grabbing her by the arm and leading her out of the secret nook as it closed behind her.

    ¡°Wait¡­ what are we doing in the engine room?¡± Dee asked in confusion.

    ¡°Here, take this gun, go to the cloning tank and shoot the glowing blue panel at the top.¡± Gizzy ordered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Then just follow orders.¡± She said. "If Vicki has a cloning machine, she has all of us, her own personal playthings she can kill and modify and try again until she¡¯s satisfied playing god.

    ¡°But without that if we die¡­ we just die forever.¡±

    ¡°With that, we live forever, in her personal demented hell. You kill the machine, I¡¯ll kill the demon.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s powerful.¡±

    ¡°For now¡­ give it time. She only thinks she¡¯s won.¡± Gizzy smirked.

    ...

    ¡°Where is the stupid cannon?¡± Nicole barked while checking all the military crates on the rooftop. Jack rained precision one-shot kills from above as Vinn rained down automatic fire in a pointless attempt to thin the crowd. Nicole reached into her pocket for the map and pulled out something Gizzy slipped her before she left. She placed the goggles on and looked around for anything different, spotting the green glow from a crate near the rooftop gargoyle. She ran to it and pried the crate open, pulling out a black leather book with green marble stripes and an inlay medallion of a brass cannon on the front.

    ¡°Oh I get it¡­ book cannon. That¡¯s just weird.¡± She sighed. She stepped back, opening it and noticing the pages were just blank. The sound of a helicopter drew her attention as it lowered towards them, a pair of belt fed miniguns pointed their way. ¡°Fuck, we¡¯re too late.¡± She sighed. She ran to Vinn and hugged him.

    ¡°Vinn, I love you.¡± She yelled over the noise. He turned aroundhoping to use himself as a meat shield to protect her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting go.¡± He promised.

    ¡°You guys wanna get in the chopper?¡± yelled a voice from the chopper. They turned and squinted into the sunwashed sky as the smile of the gun store owner gleamed gold.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I also sell attack vehicles, if you have the cash, heheheh¡± he chuckled. They piled in and took off.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°What about Gizzy?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The helicopter fits 3 passengers, looks like you didn¡¯t get the good ending, but you made it to the end regardless.

    ¡°Because someone always has to sacrifice themselves while the others escape in these games, and someone you least expect shows up in the cut scene.¡± She said with tears in her eyes. ¡°But we can¡¯t leave her.¡± Nicole nodded, with assurance. ¡°Captain¡¯s orders.

    ...

    Vicki stalked the ship, following the movement and stopping with an impressed look as Gizzy stood in full armor, holding the grenade launcher, sending her across the shuttle bay with a double tap.

    ¡°You¡¯re like a virus, aren¡¯t you?¡± Vicki chuckled. ¡°I get to kill you twice at the same time, on my ship and on that planet. Tell me Gizzy, can you feel your counterpart dying? The zombie infection trying to keep you alive as I tear you apart?¡± she said as another grenade double tap held her down.

    ¡°You talk more then Vicki did. I liked you better as a human girl who was shy and quiet.¡± Gizzy snipped as the slash of a claw extended out and sliced the gun in half.

    ¡°Well, you know, you bottle things up and they tend to flow out when you get the chance to vent them.¡±

    ¡°Counted on it.¡± She said holding her phone up with a video feed of Dee firing 6 rounds into the cloning machine. Vicki¡¯s eyes went dark with hatred.

    ¡°You¡¯re easy to keep busy you know.

    ¡°What have you done you stupid BITCH!¡± Vicki roared. ¡°Now Jack will never be happy. I can¡¯t fix him if I can¡¯t clone him. You¡¯ve killed everyone but me.¡± She said, shedding tears of blood. ¡°Now I have to go get the only Jack left¡­ back on Delmar. Where your family is.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a horrifying threat, and now I no longer feel bad about what I did to you. You asked me what it feels like to be the walking dead, ask yourself. That Pitch you drank, did it feel the way you expected or did it have a little kick to it? I knew someone would break you out and I thought you might go for that temptation, so I swapped the vials. I have to admit, I thought it would be Jack, not Zhoren, but I was right about that part. That vampire side of you can¡¯t resist the cure, the power. And you chose to drink the Pitch again, betraying everyone. Makes me feel a lot better knowing what I put in there. Honestly, I felt like a terrible person for even considering it but here I am¡­ glad I did.¡±

    ¡°What did you infect it with?¡±

    ¡°The one thing your body can¡¯t seem to fight off¡­ yourself. Your own cancer. Magnified and accelerated about a thousand times, but the moment you gave in and betrayed us all, you killed yourself. I just needed to keep you busy for a while. It¡¯s over.¡± She said as Vicki coughed, tar dripping from her mouth.

    ¡°You¡­ took everything from me.¡±

    ¡°I gave you your life back, you ungrateful whore. I gave you a home, protection, and by now the original Vicki is probably cured of her vampirism. I did that. You¡¯re not her. You lost. Go ahead and kill me, the cloning tank is broken, Jack is down there in the hell you send for him, and he¡¯ll know what you did. The team can go on without me or you. So bitch, kill me or sit there." Vicki stood up and staggered to Gizzy. She stabbed Gizzy in the heart and stepped back. She staggered sluggishly to the cargo bay doors.

    ¡°Then we die together, in the dark, alone, in silence.¡± She said, pulling the lever as the shuttle bay vented into space. Gizzy stared at the void of space, her brain going dark and her body freezing up.

    ...

    Vicki stood in the damaged building, blood pouring from her eyes and mouth as her body began to shiver and freeze.

    ¡°So we killed each other.¡± She wheezed. ¡°Twice in one day.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ you killed us once. I killed you 3 times.¡± Zombie Gizzy sighed as Vicki crumbled to frozen ash. Gizzy took a running leap, smashing through the glass and grabbing the helicopter by the landing rails. Vicki¡¯s life flickered out, and the building shuttered. Behind the fleeing helicopter, the building collapsed, rising up in plume of fire and smoke that consumed most of the city.

    ...

    The shuttle landed in the shuttle bay and Jack rushed out, almost running into Dee as she stopped him, looking mortified and broken.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Vicki¡­ MY Vicki. We have to let her out of the cryo cell. She¡¯s not under her control. The thing is dead.¡± He insisted.

    ¡°Jack¡­¡± Gizzy said looking deader than earlier. ¡°She was corrupted too. They all were.¡±

    ¡°No, we can help her now.¡± Jack insisted. Dee hugged him tightly.

    ¡°Jack. Zhoren turned on us and tried to take her. He let her out and she killed him, tried to take over the ship. They were all corrupted and linked. She vented herself to try and kill me and shot the cloning tank. Jack, Vicki has been gone for a long time, you just didn¡¯t understand it.¡±

    ¡°No, we can fix the cloning tank, clone her back like she was before all of this. We can save her somehow.¡± He said, pacing and pulling at his hair.

    ¡°Jack¡­ this is highly advanced Osirian technology.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°I can barely fix a cloning tank back home with my lab. It¡¯s destroyed. Even if we could fix it, the data is gone, we would have to get in one at a time and be rescanned entirely and there¡¯s no Vicki left to scan. She died when she drank that pitch, everything after that was you chasing a ghost.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± he yelled, shoving over the tool bench. ¡°We have something on file, her DNA, a hair sample, something of her we can use.¡±

    ¡°Jack.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°Even I know without a memory file of who she is, you¡¯d be cloning a dead body with nobody in there. She¡¯d be a newborn mind, a clean slate with no idea who you or she is. Jack, she¡¯s gone.¡± Nicole said before trying to hug him. He pushed her back and stormed off.

    ¡°Let him go. He needs to process this for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, it¡¯s Jack. He can¡¯t function without Vicki.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one way he can.¡± Gizzy said, sniffing back her tears.

    ...

    ¡°Feels like a triple funeral.¡± Nicole said, wiping a tear from her eye. "We lost Vicki. Zhoren, it feels like we¡¯re saying goodbye to you too.¡± She said to Jack as he lay back on the operating table, a still half-zombified Gizzy gloved up and standing by.

    "Zhoren stabbed us in the back just like that monster pretending to be Vicki did. Fuck them both. Vicki died weeks ago to me.¡± Dee said solemnly.

    ¡°We¡¯re not losing Jack, we¡¯re fixing Jack.¡± Gizzy assured ¡°Jack can¡¯t go on without her unless he never lost her. This software just removes her from his memory and fills in the gaps with his own logical way of thinking. It¡¯s not perfect, but it¡¯s the best we have. Do you understand?¡± Gizzy asked. Jack nodded.

    ¡°I understand, and I want to do this.¡± He said looking dead inside.

    ¡°When you wake up, you will not remember Vicki. You came alone, and to explain the gaps and any dreams you may have, the explanation everyone will stick to is that following the explosion that took out the ship originally, you sustained brain damage to your memory and we patched it, got it? Vicki never joined the crew. You never met her. I have constructed a fictional crew member, made her very unlikeable, and patched her in as Jack¡¯s tactical partner. So I want everyone to remember the name Samantha, she was the female tactical second who died recently. That¡¯s why everyone is so broken up. Despite being a bitch, Samantha was part of the team and we¡¯ll miss her. Now¡­ I have a bit of a surprised that I hope will make everyone feel a little better.¡±

    ¡°I highly doubt it.¡± Jack said softly, staring blankly into the abyss.

    ¡°You¡¯d be shocked.¡± She said bringing up the screen and displaying a blurry image that struggled to focus and fight the static like an old TV.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Dee.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bootleg stolen video clip I hacked off Delmar security cams. The video will be destroyed after this, for security reasons. We can¡¯t communicate with them, and any ties to us endangers everyone, but I have pirated an upload of security cams and my own personal logs in case I needed this, for very different reasons than today. Jack, that is you and Vicki, the original you and Vicki. She¡¯s responding well to medication, and though not technically cured, apparently the original me has cured the craving and the psychosis, so she never needs to feed again. She is living happily with you, and working for me, completely free of her bloodlust, and on a daily supplement to satisfy her needs. I want you to know you and Vicki are not doomed to repeat what happened out here. This is just a case of having bad luck and very few resources. With access to Osirian medical technology, she is doing great. All of you are doing great. Vinn and Nicole are happy, raising an adopted daughter, and doing great, Jack and Vicki are doing great, Dee is doing¡­ uh, my son. I¡¯m not overly thrilled about that but they seem okay. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna last but whatever. The point is to remind you all that we may be people, but we are part of another group of people too and they are all alive and well because of what we do, and that¡¯s why we do it. Vicki fought for us, she just ended up falling victim to the nature of the job. Space is not your friend, and it doesn¡¯t go easy on you. So in a strange way, though we lost a friend, she¡¯s not only alive in our hearts, but she is alive back home, where she belongs. The Vicki we all knew and loved, Nicole¡¯s best friend for so many years, the woman Jack loves, she exists, alive and well, and what we lost in the time since is just a small part of what she represents. We all left people behind, but trust me, it¡¯s possible to go on knowing they don¡¯t know you¡¯re gone or miss you, and that they¡¯re doing fine with the other you. I struggle with that myself, missing my wife and kids every day. The little green goober too, and in a weird way, sorta even Dee.¡±

    ¡°Aww.¡± Dee smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Just don¡¯t. So Jack, this is pretty sketchy brain surgery, side effects are always possible and you will have some recovery time where you have dreams that don¡¯t feel right. But we have pills for that, and you have friends.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done this before, right?¡± asked Dee.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ once. With a lot better equipment, on a world with other doctors and my highly advanced alien body instead of a one legged human suit with a cannonball in my brain. But it¡¯s all we got."

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s comforting.¡± Dee sneered.

    ¡°Trust me, you¡¯re new to this shit but we¡¯re all way too familiar. The real Dee would probably make a joke about donating the brains to the zombie planet or something."

    ¡°God, I really am not her, huh?¡±

    ¡°Welcome to the club." Nicole sighed. ¡°None of us are who we were. Some of us are just more different than others.¡± She said leaning in so Vinn could give her a hug.

 Chapter Seventeen: Changing The Tide

    Jack woke, trying to stand up and being gently pushed back down by Dee in a nurse outfit.

    ¡°Easy Jack. There was an accident, you took some heavy brain damage. Gizzy fixed you up, but the cloning machine is broken. Do you know who you are and where you are?¡±

    ¡°Jack Green, classified mission, I¡¯m¡­ on Nicole¡¯s ship. Someone died.¡± He said.

    ¡°Samantha, one of our crew we will miss dearly, and Zhoren, who turned on us and deserved what he got.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember Samantha. Were we close?¡± he asked.

    ¡°About as close as the rest of us, but you need to rest up. You should be able to move around in a little bit, you¡¯re under sedation right now. Do you feel anything strange or concerning? Any side effects of the surgery?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I feel¡­ disoriented. Not quite right. I¡¯ve been through worse. I miss home.¡±

    ¡°A lot of people do, Jack. Everyone left a lot of people behind.¡±

    ¡°Do you miss home?¡±

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m not Dee, I¡¯m an android with a Dee personality emulator and an accidental sentient fuck up. I¡¯m as home as I¡¯ve ever been. Your friend Dee isn¡¯t ready for space.¡±

    ¡°I remember. You just look so much like her. It¡¯s easy to get confused.¡± He said.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not her. I¡¯m just your artificial crewmate, roomba, and your virtual girlfriend.¡± She rattled off almost automatically. Jack¡¯s head flashed with broken memories, huddling with a blurry figure and holding her tightly to protect her, a flashback of passionate sex in his quarters, watching Tv with someone curled up on him, with no face or form, just feelings without images, sensations disconnected from meaning.

    ¡°How close was I with Samantha?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you got along that well, as a team you were very effective, but you got on each other¡¯s nerves. You really don¡¯t remember her? She must not have been that special. Well, I better go. I have duties to attend to. She said, hugging him and ruffling his hair. ¡°Rest up, Jack.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy stomped her way into the temple of the 4 walls, with Nicole trailing quickly behind her. She kicked the door out of the way forcefully, Lord Behrnought sitting there sipping his wine as if he expected her.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± she said, slamming down the book.

    ¡°Ah, you have found the canon.¡±

    ¡°Cut the shit, we lost people for this. How does it work?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand do you?¡±

    ¡°No I don¡¯t, hence why I¡¯m standing here with a gun.¡±

    ¡°You came here to my temple looking for artifacts because you had a theory that they could get you through the 4<sup>th</sup>wall. All the adventures you went on, the horrors you¡¯ve faced, to find the lost items that would let you leave this realm and save your universe. But there is no way through. There never has been. There never will be. Because you are a fragment of the Old Creator, an incomplete piece of the one who makes everything. You think you can leave and become the creator yourself when you are just a piece of Him?¡±

    ¡°A fragment of code outside the wall. Then why the bullshit, the collection, the wild goose chase?¡± she asked. ¡°Just to make us suffer?¡±

    ¡°To make you grow and understand. You came to me wanting to make your universe last forever, and nothing can. You wanted a way to extend it, to buy time, to make your reality last longer for those you care about, and you have. The journey itself has done that. The collection of items merely fueled this. There is no way out for those who are incomplete, and those like Nicole are already out, guiding and keeping it alive. As long as there is a story to tell, then there is life. The items you have collected are still of use in that journey. This ending merely represents a new beginning, one of light and adventure, one less harsh than this one.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Gizzy asked. ¡°Why was there so much darkness here?¡±

    ¡°Because in order to move onward, demons must be faced and purged. Most you have defeated, some cannot be defeated forever and will return. Your mission will never be over, merely guided.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°What am I?¡±

    ¡°The Muse. A creator without a reason to create is nothing. One must be inspired, You are his inspiration, a representation of his muse, who guides everything. Haven¡¯t you noticed? Two chosen heros, two paths, two possible villains, and a duality of light and dark tugging at the world around you, one guiding it to nightmares and one guiding it to the light? The Creator and The Muse, working in different ways to do the very thing you two are doing¡­ keeping time moving forward. The creator is a broken being, fragmented and scattered in many places. The Muse his one fixed point, the one thing unbroken in his world, so you will see the code of the creator in many places and people. Gizzy is merely the largest piece, the oldest piece. You, however, are the Muse herself, a goddess projected into a human form and limited by what can be sent through. Together, you have already saved your universe.¡±

    ¡°So what now¡­ more pointless items?¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Hardly pointless. You have purged many evils, reducing down the AI threatening to end creativity, stopped the endless negative need of the rejected pitch, slain the Imposter whispering doubts in your ear, and purified the vampiric toxin that was the Muse''s own unresolved demon. You have deleted mistakes and tried again until the sacrifice was made. You have silenced the gatekeepers, answered the ever present question of whether or not you will be the downfall of it all. You have also gained so much. You have hatched new life and cast aside the mask of sanity to embrace the chaotic creature you are. You were blind and can now see through the eyes of the creator''s lenses, and you have all the items needed to start a new journey. The ink, the quill, the scroll and the canon."

    ¡°How do they work?¡±

    ¡°You simply write what you wish on the scroll, cut it away and place it in the book. Once in the cannon, that becomes your reality. But there are limits. The scroll does not grow back. You have 5 pages at your disposal, think of them as 5 wishes to be granted, and they cannot all be done. So choose wisely and expect some tries to do nothing. With the key you can delete that mistake and try again but once it enters the book, there is no undoing it.¡±

    ¡°Can we wish someone back from the dead?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Do you truly wish to?¡± he asked as she looked puzzled. ¡°You seem offended by that.¡±

    ¡°I lost a friend.¡±

    ¡°Yes you have, long ago. The friend you lost has been gone far too long, her journey has ended, and the demon you defeated should not be dredged up. She is still where she belongs, her home. You all are merely extensions, let her rest.¡±

    ¡°What if we lose someone else?¡±

    ¡°If someone else is lost, they may be returned. If Nicole is lost, then the story will likely end.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Hide Nicole in a safe place, got it.¡± Gizzy nodded.

    ¡°Not at all. She has the favor of The Creator, and armor you cannot manufacture. She is stronger then all of you. And if some day she chooses to leave, then nothing you do will save her because she is an extension of the Muse, not the other way around. Do not try and cage her like a pet, it will only end you. Letting her be free is the best thing you can do for you all.¡±

    ¡°Because a caged Muse is no muse at all.¡± Gizzy nodded. ¡°So she¡¯s the only real one of us and the rest of us shitheads are just pieces adding up to the other. Seems like a copout, but okay. So we just¡­ what, follow our hearts and go wherever the wind takes us. It¡¯s space, there¡¯s not a lot of wind.¡±

    "The book is not just for wishes, it also guides you. It gives back more than you put into it, it lives and grows on its own. You¡¯re a being of science and creative brilliance¡­ You know what to do¡­ don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°The same thing I always do¡­ adapt what I have, make it digital, and interface with it.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°Spoken like a true artificial lifeform.¡± He grinned.

    ¡°So who are you... really?¡± Nicole asked, stepping up to the man in flames without fear or hesitation.

    ¡°Nicole you are a fascinating creature. Even in this form, within the limits of this realm, you can see things I cannot and recognize me."

    ¡°You¡¯re the damn creator.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ a temporary body for Him. A light and a beacon in the dark that will burn away when no longer needed. What gave me away?¡±

    ¡°Something about your eyes. There¡¯s a little bit of Vinn in you.¡±

    ¡°No, but there is a little bit of me in Vinn, which is why he will always be there to protect you, and now you¡¯ll never be alone again.¡±

    ¡°That means everything to me. Thank you for giving me my Vinn. The Muse must be very special to you.¡±

    ¡°She means so much to me that I cannot even bare to see her shadow sad and alone, so you won¡¯t be.¡± He smiled, the flames flickering and dying down to a wisp as the subtle gust of wind blew it out.

    ¡°So I guess I¡¯m just dogshit then?¡± Gizzy huffed. "Fuck you too candle-jocky. No I got this alone, that¡¯s cool.¡±

    ...

    Nicole and Gizzy sat on the bridge together in front of the main controls as Gizzy closed the lid on a black box, the quill, the scroll, the ink jar and the book all wired inside with fiber optic cables and sensors. She closed the lid and they both placed their thumbs on the top, the touch pad lighting up and accepting the two-print locking system as it retracted the case into the console and the keyboard extended over top.

    ¡°So that¡¯s it. The book is fully digital now. Tied to the main screen, the navigation systems and the controls. The book is basically steering the ship and pointing us where to go. Ship has a mind of i¡¯s own now.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°She always kinda has.¡± Nicole said as the screen displayed the holographic head of Medusa as a cartoonish animation.

    ¡°Welcome to the Medusa¡¯s list Interface. Your virtual guide and home.¡± It said in a default sexy female voice.

    ¡°So do we wanna try the wish feature?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°We only get 5¡­ we can¡¯t bring back Vicki and we can¡¯t wish the universe to last forever. What do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°We need a cloning tank, something that can¡¯t be damaged to tampered with, something that can¡¯t be used to hurt us.¡± Nicole suggested. Gizzy nodded in approval, typing on the holographic keyboard.

    ¡°Unalterable¡­¡± she said aloud as she typed. ¡°Indestructible, cloning tank with limitless refills that prints us back exactly as ourselves, without personality changes, defects, or errors.¡± She said, looking at Nicole to confirm and press enter. She took a deep breath and pressed the button. A little light came on.

    ¡°Cloning tank¡­ complete.¡± Medusa spoke emotionlessly. ¡°Four remaining suggestions.¡±

    ¡°I hate to even do this¡­ but¡­" Gizzy typed slowly. Looking at Nicole with watery eyes and waiting for the approval. She nodded, looking up at the words ¡°A transporter to home, allowing my family to visit.¡± She hit enter.

    ¡°Suggestion invalid.¡± The computer chimed, displaying the key and a turning animation. "Delete key activated, 4 remaining requests."

    ¡°Fuck¡­ I had to try.¡± Gizzy said looking sad.

    ¡°Maybe you could wish to forget them.¡± Nicole shrugged.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to forget them. Jack may not be able to live with the loss of his wife, but I can¡¯t go on without remembering her. She¡¯s got a Gizzy anyway¡­ a bigger and better one, without this damn¡­ bullshit human flesh and these stupid tear ducts. My family is safe and happy, and they never had to lose me. I guess that¡¯s enough for me. Can''t bring my joy with me, so I¡¯ll just experience it vicariously through the other Gizzy.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem fair that Hack loses his world and won¡¯t remember, you lose yours and have to remember, and I get to be happy with mine."

    ¡°Clearly The Creator cares more about The Muse than himself. You wanna just save the other 4 for a rainy day emergency?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to try one more thing, for all of us.¡± She said taking the keyboard and virtually moving the hologram to her side. ¡°Make this story¡­ happy.¡± She typed, pressing enter.

    ¡°Detail specificity insufficient, suggested correction.¡± Medusa said displaying the book with the description reading ¡°Dark Sci-fi/Horror¡± Gizzy typed in

    ¡°Sci-fi/Comedy¡± and it beeped and went red. She retyped ¡°Dark Comedy/Dark Sci-fi¡± and tried again. It went green.

    ¡°Valid input accepted, proceed with request?¡± Medusa asked.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s significantly better than nothing and I think we all need whatever we can get in that department. So¡­ Fuck it YOLO?¡± Gizzy shrugged.

    ¡°Fuck it YOLO.¡± She nodded, hitting the button.

    ¡°Three requests remaining.¡± The Medusa replied as the letters turned green.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more.¡± Nicole suggested. ¡°We¡¯ll need them eventually.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. I think we made our point.¡± Gizzy agreed.

    ...

    The gang stood and marveled at the new cloning machine.

    ¡°Pretty.¡± Nicole nodded.

    ¡°A little alien for my tastes.¡± Gizzy said while scrunching her nose. "But that¡¯s the new one, better than fixed.¡± She said. She swiped the touchpad, scrolling through the bio-blueprint pictures of the crew. She stopped and noticed that Dee was on there now. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be primate''s uncle¡­ I guess you¡¯re officially one of the gang now.¡± She said. Dee squinted in confusion.

    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m not real.¡± She said softly.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going into the rabbit hole of mindfuckery that is the definition of who of us are real anymore. So let¡¯s just drop that and say we¡¯re all alive and part of the crew and the machine had a Dee button. Congrats, you¡¯re no longer a disposable plot side-hoe. Welcome to more screen time and missions, brought to you by¡­ our sponsor¡­ the like button.¡±

    ¡°Wrong finger.¡± Dee brooded ¡°Supposed to be the thumb flipped up."

    ¡°Not on this piece of ship¡­ which now comes with a personality.¡± She said before turning and shuffling off as Nicole followed quickly.

    ¡°Hey, are we going to tell them about the three wishes?¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Absolutely not. It would just be a constant nagging of stupid requests and people tempted to use them. You¡¯re the Captain, I¡¯m the First officer, and we¡¯re the only people both real enough and smart enough to use it and we got a co-op security system in place already. Nobody knows, nobody fights, just like how nobody mentions Vicki to Jack and if he asks about her, she never left Delmar. So unless RoboDee fucks that up like a regular Dee would, we¡¯re fine, and this can go smoothly."

    ¡°She¡¯s not even the same person, she¡¯s a robot AI hybrid with a fresh start on life. Why would she possibly DEE the situation up like a classic Dee situation?¡±

    ¡°See that right there¡­ they way you rattled that off too perfectly. That felt like foreshadowing to me. We defeated one of them, I do not want a repeat of it. So lets treat this like a bad Juju omen, knock on something¡­ it¡¯s a stone spaceship there¡¯s no damn wood. Just don¡¯t talk about it, and maybe it won¡¯t happen. Stop giving the universe ideas that will make me suffer."

    ¡°I thought my job was literally to give the universe ideas and your job was being¡­ YOU about it.¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t.¡± Gizzy snipped. "You know what, maybe she¡¯ll let me wipe Vicki from her memory too. At least hers is just basic software editing I could do in my sleep. She wasn¡¯t even close to Vicki, hell, Vicki fed on her like a piece of meat. She may WANT to forget her."

    ...

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Dee casually nodded.

    ¡°Well that was quick, I didn¡¯t even have to bring up security protocol. What made you so easy to go along with this?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Because I barely knew her and I miss her. I can¡¯t imagine how Jack feels, and I wouldn¡¯t want to accidentally mention her and trigger some kind of relapse. My memory is easy to edit. Anything for the crew. Jack has always been a good friend to me."

    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re next then. This will be far quicker and have no recovery time. Benefits of digital brains.¡± Gizzy said, knocking on her own head.

    ...

    The ship drifted into the void, engines on cruise and Nicole on the bridge with her feet up. The door opened and Jack staggered in.

    ¡°Should you be up and walking?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I feel fine enough. Can I ask you something strange?¡±

    ¡°Sure.

    ¡°Were Samantha and I¡­ intimate?¡±

    ¡°Jack, I don¡¯t know your personal life, I don¡¯t ask.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ feel like something is missing.¡±

    ¡°We all feel that, Jack. We¡¯re missing 2 crewmen and too many people have died and been cloned back on this mission, including you. We¡¯re all here for you, we¡¯ve all lost people and¡­ some of them returned and some didn¡¯t. You should feel strange, that¡¯s absolutely normal.¡±

    ¡°Nothing is normal anymore.¡± He sighed as she gave him a big hug and turned on the FTL drive.

    ¡°Never was, Jack. Nothing ever was. But we¡¯re gonna be okay because we all have each other and we¡¯re family.¡± She smiled as the engines hummed.

    The Medusa flickered and disappeared, streaking into the unknown like a bolt of lightning in the dark. Stars glimmering as they always had, and brand new ones shone where nothing was before.

 Chapter One: Introductions

    The hum of a strange device filled the silent room. The room radiated an ominous aura with its light grey plastic walls and no windows. Aside from the metal table in the middle with a few standard beverages, and a 6 foot cornsilk blonde with almost glowing blue eyes staring dead center without blinking, it was empty. She placed her right boot on the table, then her left boot, with a significantly heftier thud, like it was made of lead. The slight sound of gears moving echoes as her knee bent to drape over the other leg.

    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Gizzy. Welcome to the circus, I mean the SS Medusa. I¡¯m a big 4<sup>th</sup>wall bending maniacal bitch with an alien orb for a brain human flesh and organs, permanently infected with a zombie virus that heals me really fast, but ironically won¡¯t grow back my fucking leg because my healing factor happened after losing it. More on that later if you want. It¡¯s a fun little romp into insanity.

    I¡¯m the first officer of a spaceship made of stone and powered by a system of bullshit, nonsense, and a weaponized book that talks to us through the ship¡¯s holographic system and guides us via navigation that can only quickly be described as ¡°space magic¡±. We don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going or why, or at least we won¡¯t until the magic book that controls the ship tells us. Then the captain will probably wing it from there. This is our Captain¡­¡± Gizzy said as the wall turned into a display showing a recreation of the Captain.

    ¡°Evee Nicole Alekseev, known casually as Nicole or Captain Nicole. She¡¯s a 5 foot tall humanoid with 2 percent unknown alien reptile DNA that gives her not only an immunity to the cold, and dark vision, but a taste for some of the nastiest protein shakes you¡¯ll ever hopefully not accidentally try.

    And that is coming from me, an amalgam of alien robot and zombie chaos that gives me a slight preference for raw meat and the occasional human that pisses me off. I mean why waste the¡­ nevermind.

    ¡°This is Vinn. He¡¯s not only an 8 foot, 700 pound space jackelope fuzzy plush alien with basic military experience and a love for games, but he¡¯s also married to the captain so he gets special privileges and will absolutely murder anyone who looks at Nicole with the wrong intentions.

    This is Jack, token human for diversity sake. Just kidding, he¡¯s the son of two dead and notoriously badass assassins who grew up on a prison planet until I adopted his cursed ass and gave him better training and better guns. I mean, if you can¡¯t take the killer out of the child, you gotta make sure he¡¯s good at it. Right? Exactly.

    And finally this is Dee. She used to be our vacuum cleaner but due to several botched upgrades and some irony the size of Texas, she¡¯s now a sentient pain in my ass with the personality of a pornstar buried under the personality of an insane abandoned AI left for dead for too long, and now she wears a 3d-printed suit of human flesh based on the appearance of our dear friend back home¡­ I have attempted to get far away from. And yet here we are on the same ship¡­because fuck me in the USB¡­apparently. Now this is an R rated sorta situation, very freeform and unprofessional for the most part and we don¡¯t pay you. So if you are completely lost, there is not one but TWO books, all about it you can read before getting too carried away, but it¡¯s not required, it¡¯s just optional. You can go back at any point¡­ any questions dickhead?¡± she asked. A man in uniform looked terrified and confused.

    ¡°You want me to read these two books before joining the crew?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just optional. You can start right here and be fine, this is just if you have questions or get bored and feel like you need more context. I don¡¯t like repeating myself so I documented our entire mission into two very conveniently free downloadable and hardback versions for anyone in your position now.¡±

    ¡°It says scifi horror fiction on the cover.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. That way we can deny anything and it¡¯s not suspiciously admissible in court for any crimes committed. Legally this is fiction, but it¡¯s just an exact recall of the last year on the ship. Purely if you¡¯re interested in this sorta job. But if you¡¯re here for the work and don¡¯t care about that, don¡¯t bother reading it. You¡¯ll kinda just catch on through context and shit.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t telling everyone who applies for the job kind of a security problem?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯d think, but no. You see that humming aluminum cone over your head? That is a memory filtering device, so if you tell me to eat shit and walk away, you don¡¯t remember the interview. We have fun with the cones on this ship. Otherwise I just swipe here on my phone and you retain all of your memory and congradulations, you¡¯re the new janitor on The Priiiice is Nothing! We don¡¯t actually pay you, you just get free room and board as part of the crew since we don¡¯t make money except the occasional drug deal to get whatever currency is needed in the sector of the galaxy, because everyone loves drugs and we have a giant tentacle monster upstairs in the attic that secretes it by the barrel. For free. Yay, please don¡¯t get addicted to the snail goo. It¡¯s a problem.

    Also you will be given a red uniform as symbolism for the fact that for complicated reasons detailed in these here ¡®fictional scifi horror¡¯ books¡­wink¡­ all of us 5 are effectively immortal in our current forms via alien cloning machine we cant alter or reprogram to resurrect you, which means you¡¯re the only one who stays dead of you get dead. I know that¡¯s a bummer, but you came here as a mortal being never thinking you¡¯d be on a ship with an immortality machine so technically you aren¡¯t any worse off than you started this morning, you just don¡¯t get the fun perks of the OG crew. We¡¯re the original gang, you¡¯re the disposable redshirt with one life. Space is unfair, unfair shit happens in space. So you ready to put on that red shirt and grab a Swiffer and get ready for adventure, or are you gonna bitch out and leave like the last 4 pussies that don¡¯t remember why they walked in here.¡±

    ¡°This is a terrible interview.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the 4<sup>th</sup>time I¡¯ve heard that. The other guy just laughed and walked out halfway through. That makes him Pussiliath, lord of the pussies. Don¡¯t be like Pussaliath, be a badass like us¡­ except with a broom instead of a gun because we don¡¯t trust you yet with a gun, that¡¯s how people get shot by noobs and after the whole zombie planet situation¡­ I¡¯m not gonna get shot again by a crewmember. So¡­ you in or are you chickenshit?¡±

    ¡°Cluck cluck, you insane peg-legged undead psycho.¡±

    ¡°HEY! It¡¯s not a peg leg just because we¡¯re technically space pirates, it¡¯s a fully cybernetic sub-dermal prosthetic and I happen to like metal more than human flesh unless it¡¯s for dinner. So get it right¡­ it¡¯s ¡®cluck cluck, you insane UPGRADED cyborg undead bitch of a First officer¡¯¡­SIR.¡± She corrected. ¡°You know what, get your ass out, I don¡¯t like your nose or your hair, you look like a prick. You¡¯re fired. Get coned, Noob.¡±

    ¡°This is illegal. You can¡¯t do memory wipes without consent!¡± he barked.

    ¡°Correct¡­ now go try and report me for it.¡± she huffed as he stormed out of the interview room and stood looking confused as Dee lead him to the exit with the pre-memorized excuse for why the interview was canceled.

    ¡°Really?¡± Dee asked, sitting down. ¡°Scared off the 5<sup>th</sup>one in a row?¡±

    "Well, they¡¯re gonna find out we¡¯re all criminal weirdos pretty quick and we need a janitor, because ever since you pulled an Oopse, AI Pinocchio and got yourself sentient and alive, we don¡¯t have a maid anymore and the ship looks like crap. I¡¯m tired of cleaning people¡¯s messes to use things and frankly I don¡¯t even wanna clean my own messes, I¡¯d prefer someone hired to do that.¡±

    ¡°Can we just get a damn maid robot?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. The last time we did that¡­you got overtaken by a sentient AI and now we have ANOTHER living person making messes. You dicked us Dee. You gave us the Dee and Dee¡¯d the situation up like I predicted. You really want another robot that could be taken over by some living AI?¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± she barked. ¡°Because then I could hack the thing and have 2 bodies, one on autopilot cleaning shit and one as myself doing things I wanna do¡­which is not cleaning shit.¡±

    ¡°¡­that¡¯s a damn good point actually. How did I not think of that first?¡±

    ¡°Because you haven¡¯t slept in 3 days, and you¡¯re having fun bossing around humans. You like scaring them.¡± Dee shrugged.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, I don¡¯t like humans but I do love bossing them around. Damn you really aren¡¯t the brainless glorified blow up doll I remember you being so long. I keep forgetting you have a brain now.¡±

    ¡°And sometimes I forget you actually have a heart. I assume it¡¯s black. Does it beat at all or just act as ballast for when you flood your liver with vodka?¡±

    ¡°It beats¡­ about 15-20 beats per minute, and it¡¯s not black... It¡¯s more of a weird purple. Plus I had the liver removed last week, it was pissing me off.¡±

    ¡°You are a fascinating bitch, but we took a vote. We were gonna give you 5 tries and then we¡¯re getting a robot and trying the alternating Me thing. Sorry. Captain voted too, it was unanimous.¡±

    ¡°Shit. So I spent all day coning randos for nothing?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get ANY joy out of ranting to terrified people who won¡¯t remember it?¡± Dee questioned skeptically.

    ¡°Oh my god, I need a hobby.¡±

    ¡°You need a therapist.¡±

    ¡°YOU WERE MY THERAPIST¡­ and then you got yourself sentient. I literally put safety features in your head to prevent that and you did it anyway.¡±

    ¡°You could still just¡­ talk to me.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t like being vulnerable. I¡¯ll just shoot something or take up knitting. Can you knit body armor?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. How good is your knitting?¡± Dee shrugged.

    ...

    Nicole jarred awake as the bridge doors opened and Vinn strutted in, placing his gigantic furry hands on Nicole¡¯s shoulders for comfort.

    ¡°You doing okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m managing, you?¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°I miss Vicki.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. How¡¯s Jack?¡± he asked.

    ¡°He seems to be responding okay to the brain surgery, apparently memory wipes to erase dead loved ones are common on Gizzy¡¯s world. Jack seems confused though. He¡¯s asked me several times if he was close to Samantha, if they had a relationship.¡±

    ¡°Samantha doesn¡¯t even exist, she¡¯s just a name we made up to fill in the missing person in all the crew logs and everything. We doctored a dating profile pic of some butch soldier gal and pulled a name out our asses.¡± Vinn said looking sad.

    ¡°He¡¯s trying to fill in the blanks with something. He doesn¡¯t seem to remember anything about Vicki, but he seems to know he lost something.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Maybe it passes with time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but now he¡¯s suddenly alone. I mean, we have each other, Dee barely knew Zhoren and he betrayed us before he died. She¡¯s probably too mad to miss him much, but look at Gizzy. After leaving home and her wife, she¡¯s been a brooding nightmare. It¡¯s taken her a year to adjust to being alone and at least she knows who she misses and why she had to go. Jack just went from being married to having a dead wife, to forgetting her in 2 days. He¡¯s missing half his life for the last 3 years now, and he doesn¡¯t know why. He can¡¯t even talk to Gizzy about it, because he doesn¡¯t know they both have anything in common in that regard. Izleena isn¡¯t even dead, and Gizzy misses her something fierce. Did we make a mistake erasing Vicki from Jack and Dee? Should we have let them both naturally grieve and recover?¡±

    ¡°We all made our decisions, Dee and Jack needed to forget her, the rest of us wanted to remember her. Jack didn¡¯t give us much of a choice, if you recall. Plus Dee barely knew her. Didn¡¯t even need surgery, Gizzy just did it via phone app.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°I keep forgetting that she¡¯s not our old friend from back home, she¡¯s just an android that looks and acts like her. I told her that was a stupid idea. I said, ''Dee, I know your onlyfans is down right now and android companions are hot on the market, but don¡¯t sell a perfect replica of you that people can screw and give it a realistic personality. You¡¯re just confusing people.'' Hell, we bought one just to be supportive and now it¡¯s sentient because we have the worst luck ever.¡± Nicole huffed.

    ¡°You know damn good and well we bought that because you missed Dee and we¡¯re both lazy and wanted a maid, and the maid robots are so popular now and the market so high, they are the same price as the marked down Dee sex bots. Let¡¯s just be honest, she never cleaned up back home in the big house, and you wanted the irony of seeing your friend for comfort and also watching her clean everything.¡±

    ¡°Okay, smartass, I got it because I wanted a clean ship and seeing Dee clean my ship was almost as therapeutic as hearing her voice. I miss home sometimes. We left everything behind and some of the few friends that joined us¡­ didn¡¯t all make it.¡± she said. A little chime sounded and the holographic face of medusa popped up on screen.

    ¡°Good morning Captain. We have a destination.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank god, this spaceport was boring me.¡± She said. Dee, Gizzy and some new person strolled onto the bridge. ¡°You got a janitor¡­ really? With that terrible pitch¡­ sorry, too soon. That terrible job offer?¡±

    ¡°No, we bought a robot.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°WHu- I thought you didn¡¯t want another robot in case it pulled a Dee and got alive?¡±

    ¡°Foolproof plan.¡± Gizzy grinned, her eyes glowing slightly. ¡°We rip out the wireless card, make it manual download only, and then I¡¯m gonna wrap it all in a shitload of tinfoil to be sure. Dee can use it as a backup body and it can clean while on autopilot.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of autopilot, our ship has a destination.¡± Nicole giggled, excitedly.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how that works.¡± Vinn squinted. ¡°The ship plots its own course based on detecting potential plot energy using a magic book Gizzy stuck wires into that can detect changes in the fabric of reality?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, more or less.¡± Gizzy yawned.

    ¡°So what exactly is the mission now? The mission was to find the book, and we found it.¡± Vinn noted.

    ¡°Right.¡± Gizzy explained. ¡°And the book generates more missions and shit to find. New unexplored places, brand new universe being created every day, anomalies, artifacts, loot, adventure, profit, and something to do besides play video games and masturbate.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s some nerd assumptions I find offensive, even if most of that is true.¡± Vinn brooded. ¡°But whatever, we blindly followed your crazy idea to begin with and we found the damn book somehow, so, I guess we blindly follow the book and trust that it''s trustworthy.¡± He said, feeling uncomfortable.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to ask¡­ but I¡¯m gonna.¡± Nicole started. ¡°Is there a reason the robot maid is a girl, and kind of a mid twenties hot looking one?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Uh, obviously.¡± Dee scoffed. ¡°If I¡¯m gonna be using it as a backup body, I wanna look hot while being her. I got curvy blonde covered already, so slim brunette seemed like a good choice. She¡¯s slightly taller, so I can reach the high spots to dust, and we¡¯re girl-bossing the ship anyway so why not keep it up? Sorry boys, you¡¯re outnumbered.¡± Dee winked at Vinn.

    ¡°¡­yes being surrounded by a lot of women is just terrible. I definitely hate that. I clearly have problems taking orders from a woman, which is why I didn¡¯t question my wife being captain of the ship. Oh the horrors of space that I endure. It¡¯s just killing me, I say.¡± Vinn sarcastically chuckled. ¡°Hey, maybe Jack can enjoy the new eye candy and get out of his slump.¡± He added.

    ¡°Honestly, as long as he¡¯s distracted and not day drinking himself to death in a weird fog, whatever.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°Gizzy¡¯s the only one who can do that.¡±

    ¡°Well technically I¡¯m already dead, and I removed the liver, it was slowing down my drinking problem.¡± Gizzy argued as a bone chilling demonic howl echoed through the air vents.

    ¡°Did someone feed Candice?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Dee¡¯s turn.¡± Gizzy pointed.

    ¡°You know some day that thing is gonna drown someone. I know it¡¯s just playing but a giant tentacle snail still seems like a hazard. Can''t we just¡­ grow some drug plants to sell?¡± Dee complained. ¡°Is snail snot really worth it¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°Dee, she secretes valuable medicinal and recreational slime and produces nutritious eggs for the crew rations. Plus none of us girls can drown. Nicole¡¯s part aquatic reptile, she can breathe underwater, you¡¯re a Roomba with tits, you don¡¯t even have lungs and I¡¯m basically unkillable. That¡¯s why we rotate the feedings.¡±

    ¡°Fine, give me the stupid dirt bars. I¡¯ll feed the Kraken.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that Dee.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°About what¡­ seamonsters?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, that was the other Dee¡¯s ex boyfriend.

    ¡°Wait¡­ the human I¡¯m modeled after was fucking a giant squid?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not, that¡¯s weird. She was fuckin a giant 8 foot furry Delmarian Jackelope like Vinn, except he was a criminal boss who named himself The Kraken. Probably just don¡¯t use that name around here. Bad vibes all around.¡±

    ...

    Dee strolled through the halls, still flicking goo off her hand from the feeding. She turned the corner and running head on into Jack, almost knocking them both over. He rubbed his forehead and checked Dee.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He sighed ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ hurt you did I?¡±

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m a robot.¡± She said as if the idea was comical.

    ¡°Right, right. Still getting used to that. When you were a cleaning drone you didn¡¯t get out much.¡± He said realizing that might have been offensive.

    ¡°So how are YOU feeling?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hurt. I¡¯m fairly sturdy too.¡±

    ¡°I meant emotionally. Everyone seems to be whispering and watching you like they¡¯re worried and afraid to say anything. You just had brain surgery.¡±

    ¡°Well, I had it done by the best surgeon on the ship¡­ well, aside from me.¡± He joked.

    ¡°You really trust her with your life, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course. She¡¯s been there for most of it. Closest thing I ever had to a parent was an 8 foot glowing blue overlord that called me ¡°Human¡± like it was my name for almost a year. She may be stuck in a human-ish body now, but she¡¯s still the same Gizzy. She knows human biology better than any human doctor I know, while all I know are the vitals you need to hit to kill someone.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ get better soon, or else.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°Or what?¡± he played back.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really have an answer for that.¡± She puzzled reverting to sex bot mode for a response ¡°Or else I¡¯ll have to punish you like a bad boy.¡±

    ¡°Dee, I¡¯m just messing with you. Don¡¯t take it personally.¡± He smiled, walking with a bit of humanity to his step. She puzzled, watching him stroll along. He stopped and gave her a strange look, like he was wondering something himself.

 Chapter Two: The Talk

    Gizzy and Dee plopped the new robot on the workbench and started the examination.

    ¡°So why did you pick this one?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I dunno. Was it a bad choice?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t much selection, I just assumed you¡¯d pick one more like your current model. You know, short, curvy, blonde. You went raven brunette tall and skinny. I guess I just assumed you¡¯d pick something with¡­ tits.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°Why? Gizzy can I talk to you about something personal?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Shit, I guess.¡± Gizzy cringed.

    ¡°Nobody¡­ hangs out with me. Everyone else hangs out, in little combinations, game night, even you participate in game night and so did their friend Dee, but I don¡¯t feel like part of the group.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re part of the group. You¡¯re just the newest one. Everyone else goes way back. I¡¯ve known Vinn and Nicole for years, Jack since he was 16. You¡¯re the noob. You¡¯ll figure it out.¡± Gizzy said, cleaning the adaptor ports.

    ¡°Does your original body look like this one?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Not even close.¡± Gizzy said bringing up a picture on her phone of a giant overlord with blue hair and an oddly blue tint in her skin, tusks, canines, and more muscle.

    ¡°So you designed this human body yourself, and you chose the attributes for the missions.¡± Dee questioned.

    ¡°Right. Went human passable, dropped way down to flat 6 foot, went blonde, and became slightly less beefy.¡±

    ¡°So what was the purpose of the huge tits? I noticed your facial features are similar, you went with a muscular body type with low body fat yet you still went with the big tit model. Doesn¡¯t that pose athletic problems with running and balance?¡± she asked.

    Gizzy sighed, looking guilty and as if she had no excuse.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve had huge tits so long I¡¯m just used to it. You get used to having a body a certain type and once you dialed it in the way you want, it¡¯s hard to break that. I just wouldn¡¯t feel right as a petite young brunette with an A cup like¡­ whatever we¡¯re calling this toaster here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the point of tits.¡± Dee said, mashing at hers.

    ¡°Men like tits. I like tits, everyone likes tits. Just something universal. Everyone likes tits, and a lot of people prefer them larger. That¡¯s all. I mean mine were coolant storage. We use molten salt coolant and vent the heat through our lungs, so bigger tits means bigger heat exchange¡­except now they¡¯re human tits on this model so I guess I just got used to having them. No real function now.¡±

    ¡°I find your body fascinating.¡± Dee blurted.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re in love with me and my fantastic tits, I just can¡¯t deal with that shit.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I¡¯m fascinated that you have human flesh and you seem to hate it. You customized a familiar form and something you found pleasing and yet you seem to hate being in your own skin. You didn¡¯t even re-grow your leg when you lost it. Frankly, I¡¯m jealous. Everyone else is organic or, in your case, mostly organic. Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯m the odd crewman out that doesn¡¯t fit in. I¡¯m still, as you said, a toaster with tits.¡±

    ¡°So you bought a second toaster with no tits?¡±

    ¡°I just felt like trying a different form. Please tell me we can replace the synthetic skin with human tissue.¡±

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s weird. You look like Dee, you have her voice and sometimes you talk like her and her damn sexbot, but then sometimes you actually sound intelligent. I keep forgetting you¡¯re a totally different person. On my world getting a new body is common but we¡¯re the same person, and cloning humans is common, Jack is a¡­ 15<sup>th</sup>or more generation clone and he¡¯s exactly the same Jack. I keep defaulting to seeing you as just a synthetic clone of the annoying bitch that¡¯s banging my son and draining his bank account, that¡­ I pay for because he has no job at 35.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she make good money? I mean she sells herself¡­ quite literally; I¡¯m one of the companion models, I would know how much we cost. She should be making a lot of money. We¡¯re not that cheap.¡±

    ¡°Well, she just gets a percent from the sexbot company for her image and personality program. They really fuck you on those deals, and that¡¯s before anyone fucks the robots and adds insult to injury. Ugh, hold up. They did buy you¡­ new, right?¡±

    ¡°I was bought new. Vinn insisted on it.¡±

    ¡°Oh good. I can¡¯t imagine getting railed by random nerds for god knows how long and then waking up sentient one day with that memory. I¡¯d want a totally new body too. Don¡¯t worry, this robot was used, but it was a waitress model. So they both got a lot of tips thrust at them but¡­ well, different tips. Less messy. I almost said less degrading but that depends on a lot of factors. Why do you want real skin so bad?¡±

    ¡°Ever since I had the upgrade and can feel now I can¡¯t go back. The tactile textures of things, the hot and cold differences, it¡¯s all so surreal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°Try having the organs too.¡±

    ¡°Oh my gosh is it amazing?¡± she asked wide eyed, her eyes literally brightening from bronze to gold.

    ¡°Fucking sucks. This heart beats literally all the time, just bass thumping with no music, you bleed more with real blood pressure, the lungs don¡¯t provide any heat exchange, the stupid kidneys do nothing, they just hurt when you get hit, the damn bones are bullshit, I had them coated in carbon nanofiber microfilm. They break so easy. I hate it. The gurgling, the¡­ everything just being wet. It¡¯s insane. Everything is made of water. Everything sloshes and moves weird. No wonder humans are miserable. Give me poly fiber muscles and dry organs any day. A nice, constantly humming E118 reactor, no thumping like you got something loose and out of balance. I¡¯m on so many drugs to stay sane it¡¯s insane. And you sleep like 4 hours and still feel tired. I take a thousand milligrams of caffeine to function.¡±

    ¡°Why not just¡­ sleep more?¡±

    ¡°For eight¡­ fucking¡­ hours? Every day, for a third of the day, just asleep? You get nothing done. Feels borderline sinful.¡± Gizzy huffed.

    ¡°Speaking of sinning and the subject¡­¡± Dee said awkwardly.

    ¡°Are we having the sex talk now?¡± Gizzy grumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been intimate, but I¡¯m programmed to be intimate, so I have all the knowledge and data with no experience.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not throwing you a quickie so you can get practice in, let¡¯s just draw the line there. I¡¯m a married woman.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not. You¡¯re a human avatar disconnected from the collective of a hive mind biomech species that has a partner. Technically you don¡¯t have a wife. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m being an actual bitch right now, what the hell is wrong with me? Why did I even point that out, that could be emotionally damaging.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Dee personality poking through. Yes, technically you¡¯re right, I¡¯m a human hybrid with Gizzy¡¯s memory downloaded into a computer brain and her full personality, which includes the part where I remember loving my wife¡­ and miss her. But in my¡­ god, I almost said heart, and I literally have one now. UGH, this human body shit is hell on the emotions.¡±

    ¡°I envy those emotions.¡±

    ¡°You think you do. It¡¯s not as fun as you think. Even natural born humans can¡¯t handle them. Crying? The fuck is the point of that? It just impedes your vision.¡± She said, casually grabbing a scalpel and making a cut along the robot¡¯s spine. ¡°Damn they went MINIMAL on this thing. Wireframe, aluminum alloy joints. This thing is not made for combat. Good luck with gun recoil. The servo joints probably can¡¯t pull for shit.¡±

    ¡°Can we add muscle?¡± Dee asked with a sly grin.

    ¡°You want human skin and I assume human muscle?¡± she asked, rising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Dee started.

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    ¡°We can¡¯t clone a whole human on it, The new cloning machine is so alien I don¡¯t even know how it works, you just select and print and we¡¯re all preset. I can lab grow skin easy enough and we could print a second Dee and cannibalize it for parts, including the skin, but you are all padding and servos. Growing muscle is gonna be a pain in the ass.¡±

    ¡°Would it take your surgical skills or could it be done with instructions and programming? What about Jack, isn¡¯t he a surgeon?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not that kind of surgeon. On his world, surgeons kill people. They don¡¯t fix them. He knows human anatomy well enough to know what artery to sever to take someone out. But we could download some files, and with an assistant helping, theoretically, this could be done without me. It¡¯s really just gluing anchor points and elastomeric threads to wherever the laser points and then manually running wires and spraying on muscle tissue with a surgical regenerator. Easy to screw up but equally easy to fix. You want a project, that¡¯s a project. I may see if Nicole will encourage or order Jack to help. He needs to break out of his funk. He¡¯s drinking more than I do and if I still had a liver, I¡¯d be damaging it. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    ...

    Jack stood hungover, staring at the black plastic robot skeleton.

    ¡°Why are we doing this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I dunno.¡± Dee bluffed. ¡°Gizzy just said we could use a more human passable option for me, something about scanners and robot laws.¡±

    ¡°60 percent organic tissue legally counts as organic life. I get it,¡± he said while looking at the holographic model next to the black skeleton.

    ¡°What do you think¡­ is she passable?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°As passable as you are now.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Dee thought over the wording. ¡°I want to still be attractive with the option of not looking like a known online pornstar with a small line of production copies. Is she cute?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Very cute actually.¡± He said, feeling strange as he looked into its eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what humans find attractive or not. Obviously, since this is a production Dee body, they clearly like padding and tits and blonde hair, so there is some concern that I might not look¡­appealing.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone has the same standards. Look at Nicole. She¡¯s shorter and skinnier than Dee and Vinn thinks she¡¯s the prettiest thing alive. Those two are so in love it¡¯s almost gross sometimes. An 8 foot tall furry were-foxalope and a 5 foot Wednesday Adams cosplay. They make it work and happily it seems. Shit, they have a sex room. Clearly they have a type, and it¡¯s a match.¡±

    ¡°So what would you change? Hypothetically if you were on a dating app. What would you change about this model?¡±

    ¡°Not much really, the pale skin and dark theme is nice, the eyes are¡­¡±

    ¡°Too inhuman?¡±

    ¡°I was gonna say too orange. I don¡¯t know why I feel like either green or fully red would work better, no idea why. I¡¯ve always liked green eyes and pale redheads, I guess us gingers stick together, but green was always my favorite. Looking at her now, I feel like red would work equally well. The glowing is oddly comforting. Maybe a Gizzy thing.¡± He sighed. ¡°Maybe something else.¡±

    ¡°Red it is. I suppose you¡¯d give her some huge tits.¡± Dee winked.

    ¡°Honestly, maybe medium. Big on her small frame would look weird. Too fake. I don¡¯t mean FAKE, like you, I mean¡­¡± he grumbled at his stupid remark.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t offended by it.¡± she muttered.

    ¡°We¡¯re all fake here anyway. I¡¯m the closest to real on the ship, and I¡¯m a copy of copies printed in a tube. Even Vinn has artificial eye upgrades. It¡¯s not a bad thing. Why do you care what people think anyway? One person¡¯s dream girl is the next person¡¯s bored pass. Everyone has a type, some people have lots of types. Hell, Gizzy¡¯d been married to every body type, gender, different species, and hybrid. The sexier you make her to one person''s ideal, the further from someone else¡¯s ideal you get so just¡­ do what you want. They¡¯re your bodies. Honestly, there''s nothing wrong with the current one.¡± He said while rolling his eyes and rubbing them like an idiot.

    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m acting so weird. I just feel like I lost something with the damage. It sounds crazy but I think me and Samantha had something on the side. I keep having these weird feelings like someone should be in my room when I wake up there, I wake up and expect my arm to land on something and nobody is there. But everyone keeps telling me Samantha and I didn¡¯t get along. I don¡¯t even remember her, how important could she be if she was that little to me that I lost all of her and didn¡¯t lose anyone else? Hell, I even remember you and we only met¡­ months ago?" He pondered, not really sure about the time anymore. "I remember you from the first day we boarded but¡­ you weren¡¯t you yet.¡±

    ¡°How close were you and the original Dee?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Friends, platonic. We hung out with the same people, I cared about her, but she did get on my nerves a bit. The new boyfriends and cheating on them, constantly getting Nicole into dangerous adventures, blabbing her security stuff all the time. She sent me one of her damn onlyfans galleries once asking if the lighting was weird. Her boyfriend was my boss, and there I had nudes of her on my phone, what the hell Dee? She just always had to start some drama. But she had her moments when she was fun, and she did make me smile sometimes. Despite the bullshit and the drama and the annoyances, I kinda miss her a little.¡±

    ¡°Bet the nudes were pretty jarring. She¡¯s not even your type is she?¡±

    ¡°Well, personality wise no, even single I¡¯d never date her, but she¡¯s successful for a reason. She looks good naked and she apparently has talents I have only heard of from exes. Still, just not worth getting cheated on, going broke, being one fan of thousands watching her shows knowing every other guy¡¯s gets more attention than you do. Not worth it for a quality lay and a pretty face.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But then again I¡¯ve been single since¡­" he paused and looked at Dee. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. It feels like years but it feels like I just broke up with someone too. That Tabby girl was 4 years ago, why does it feel like I was dating someone yesterday? Maybe me and Samantha did have a secret thing.¡±

    ¡°Jack, I probably shouldn''t say this, but¡­ I have missing memory files that have been recently deleted. I don¡¯t know why and nobody will give me an answer, but there are very targeted missing data files in my system. Those can¡¯t be removed without me allowing it. They were removed 4 hours after your surgery.¡±

    ¡°What are you implying?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I wanted to forget something¡­and you feel like you and Samantha had something but you don¡¯t remember her.¡± She said, bringing up her phone with a picture of Samantha. ¡°Does she look like your type?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Honestly no, she reminds me a little of Gizzy and nothing makes me less turned on than thinking of the giant radioactive overlord who¡¯s about as close to a mother as I ever had. Samantha really doesn¡¯t seem like my type. Any of my types, and I have several types. That¡¯s what bothers me. I was sleeping with someone I don¡¯t even find attractive or get along with? I wasn¡¯t sleeping with Nicole, I¡¯d never do that to her or Vinn. And if a girl who vaguely almost has Gizzy vibes is a turn off, we¡¯re not even gonna joke about me sleeping with Gizzy. So who the hell was in my bed?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Jack, what if I had my files removed because you forgot about ME and I wanted to forget you back?¡± she asked. He stood for a moment, looking at a picture of someone he felt nothing for, a stranger, nobody, some overly buff blonde soldier with brown eyes and a generic face. He imagined her in the shower, in the bed, feeling nothing spark up at all. Then he looked into Dee¡¯s vibrant orange eyes peering up at him with more emotion than a machine should.

    ¡°Why would you do that? Why would everyone else go along with that?¡±

    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t trust me, maybe they still see me as the cheating bitch who I was modeled after, that everyone keeps complaining about, that Gizzy still forgets I¡¯m not. Someone new to the crew, someone potentially dangerous and unpredictable.¡±

    ¡°I like dangerous and unpredictable. Runs in the family. My dad married a killer.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t scare you, a little?¡± she asked, almost smirking.

    ¡°Honestly you do¡­ and for some reason that makes more sense to me. I like things that challenge me. Things that are probably bad news, for bad for my health.¡± He said remembering Gizzy having to pop his shoulder back into socket, and not remembering the mission where he threw it out. As he tried to remember what happened before, he just remembered a wave of blurry grey in a dark room, and the faintest sense of D¨¦j¨¤ vu when he looked into her orange eyes.

    ¡°Have your eyes ever been redder?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re just LED backlit, I can make them more red.¡± She said changing the color on the spot. Chills went down his spine as he watched them change, suddenly feeling his body step forward and gently cup the back of her neck as he kissed her. Something felt both right and wrong at the same time. He stepped back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said, not meaning it.

    ¡°Have we been here before?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you have your original companion program intact?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I have everything, 47 different settings and roleplay modes. Dee didn¡¯t limit anything for her customers.¡±

    ¡°Anything¡­ aggressive? Downright predatory?¡±

    ¡°3 alien species known for aggressive behavior, anything specific?¡±

    ¡°Just pick one and we¡¯ll see how that goes.¡±

    ¡°Eridani hunter mode, aggression level 6 of 10 default.¡±

    ¡°Dee sure never had that feature. I¡¯d say that¡¯s an improvement among many. Set it to ten. I¡¯m a big guy, you¡¯re a foot shorter then me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m taller if I knock you flat on the floor.¡± She said pushing him back a little.

    ¡°Starting to seem a little more familiar.¡± He smiled. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve been here.

    ¡°We¡¯ll adjust as we go. I have adaptive software that reads body language. Do you have a safeword?¡±

    ¡°They can clone me back.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Do you have one?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m built to not break easily, and easy to repair if I do.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯re nothing like our old friend Dee, are you?¡±

    ¡°No... I¡¯m your personal android companion and virtual girlfriend.¡± She said as if automatic, looking confused that she said that and the manner that she did.

    ¡°Well, if nobody else is letting you do your job, how disappointed must you be?¡± he asked, grabbing her and lifting her up to eye level, tossing her to the bed, her red eyes glowing in the dark like a haunting memory he craved to understand.

    ¡°Let the hunt begin.¡± She smirked.

 Chapter Three: Memories

    Jack stared at the ceiling, Dee¡¯s head on his chest and a blanket over them.

    ¡°We can¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°I was just about to say the same thing.¡± She whispered, chuckling sadly.

    ¡°I mean we got away with it for a while I think, no reason to stop but we can¡¯t announce it. They won¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°I get it. You¡¯re a big-shot killer, big masculine stud who doesn¡¯t need help from anyone and who fixes everything. Most men who get companion bots aren¡¯t exactly open about it. Fucking a robot isn¡¯t exactly the conquering male fantasy, it¡¯s usually the last resort or the safe way out.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not that I meant. I don¡¯t give a shit that you¡¯re artificial, but the fact that you are a model based on my friend back on Delmar is going to seem weird to everyone. They¡¯re not thrilled about her having a line of sexbots, and now the platonic friend who never had interest in her, is interested in her robot. They don¡¯t see that you¡¯re not just a stupid sexdoll with response lines anymore, You¡¯re a form of life that took refuge in the only artificial body on the ship to save yourself. Which unfortunately happened to be a Dee sexbot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t look like someone else.¡± She said sadly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it THAT way¡­ Dee is visually attractive, hence why these things sell. They¡¯re realistic enough even with plastic skin, and you¡¯ve the real human flesh. That¡¯s not standard issue.¡± He smirked. She pondered a moment, looking alarmed. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m ashamed of you. I¡¯d just be ashamed of banging Dee,because frankly, she¡¯s about as intelligent as the damn bimbobots, and 5 times as annoying, not to mention that she''s been around the block more then the tram systems on Delmar. You have the one thing about her that¡¯s actually quite nice, her body, and you have a different personality. But people are weird and judgmental, and they won¡¯t see it as me sleeping with a robot or me sleeping with an alien artificial lifeform using a robot. They¡¯ll see it as me sleeping with Dee and I¡¯ll never hear the end of it. The theories, the looks, the reasons why this is somehow wrong despite nothing being actually wrong. All the correct things they would say if I was screwing Dee, they will apply to you, because you look and sound like her.¡±

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe I¡¯m just lonely and logical, maybe the brain damage has messed with my emotions, maybe you¡¯re just special. I honestly don¡¯t know, but whatever you are, it''s fascinating, and you¡¯re more than an emotionless stupid sex machine, you¡¯re more than most humans I know. I don¡¯t know what you are, but it¡¯s fascinating and I want to understand it.¡±

    ¡°Jack, why DO I have real skin? I remember being sold to Vinn and Nicole, fully synthetic and they never once mentioned an upgrade, they never even had sex with me. And then I remember you and Gizzy joining the ship after yours was damaged, and then I remember Gizzy giving me Delmarian Blood infusions, and I have human skin. I don¡¯t remember anyone saying why.¡±

    ¡°That was before you had feelings and emotions, probably just one of Gizzy¡¯s weird experiments to upgrade her blood or¡­ do something. We¡¯ll have to ask her, but it¡¯s good that she did, or you wouldn¡¯t have wanted functional feeling for it later. You¡¯re a strange mystery I can''t seem to solve, but damned if I don¡¯t enjoy searching.¡±

    ¡°What if you can¡¯t ever understand what I am?¡± Even I don¡¯t really know what I am, how can you hope to?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll enjoy the journey of trying to find out, and if I fail, I¡¯ll like ya anyway.¡± He said before kissing her on the forehead. She peered up with her dimly glowing red eyes. ¡°This just feels so familiar to me, Dee. Dozens of little memory fragments of someone I loved, and it¡¯s not quite there but it has to be. Who else could it be? I know for a fact I wasn¡¯t sleeping with anyone else on this ship, or¡­ what the hell was her name¡­ Samantha. I don¡¯t even like her name. Hell, everyone said we didn¡¯t get along. If you and I had something and I lost that, I want it back.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t remember this. Nothing about this feels familiar to me, it just feels right. It feels amazing and exciting but it feels new. Was my memory wipe self-inflicted so I did a better job, or are my digital files easier to erase than human memory? Jack, I feel a lot of things right now, but none of them familiar, it just feels¡­ happy.¡±

    ¡°Shit, it also feels like 9:14, because it¡¯s 14 minutes after 9am, when I get up¡­ and you¡¯re in my room. Hide in here for a while after I leave and if anyone spots you, pretend to be cleaning up or something.¡± He said, getting dressed in a hurry and looking back with a guilty face. ¡°I hate that we have to hide this, but you understand, right? It¡¯s not you, it¡¯s the situation and how it looks.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± She nodded with a smile, agreeing inside, but feeling a little alone the moment he left. ¡°See you soon Jack.¡± She whispered to the empty room.

    ...

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Nicole said sipping her coffee as Jack snuck on the bridge behind Vinn and Gizzy. Gizzy gave him a pat on the back.

    ¡°Oversleep?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Jack sighed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, oversleep all you want. You¡¯ve been through some shit, you need rest and we¡¯re between missions. I¡¯d rather you oversleep than drink all night because you can¡¯t sleep.¡± She said, pausing at the irony that she was currently raising a beer up, drinking it anyway.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the commotion here?¡± He asked Nicole.

    ¡°The stupid magic book piloting the ship took us nowhere. We dropped out of FTL and there¡¯s nothing here. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the ship scans, engines are fine, and there are no computer errors. It just decided through whatever other-worldly means this thing uses to work that we needed to drop out of FTL into just dead space and drift for a while. Won¡¯t let me manually fly either. Damnit, that override will take hours.¡± Nicole huffed.

    ¡°Maybe the true mission is the friends we make along the way?¡± Vinn joked. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, I¡¯ll run another scan in higher detail for anything out here.¡± He said before taking his seat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go down to the engine controls.¡± Jack volunteered. ¡°See if I can get it to back to manual override. I could use the quiet time alone.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll go tinker for a bit.¡± Gizzy shrugged. ¡°May as well work on the new robot, maybe by the time we have a real mission it will be up and running. We may need extra crew. You never know.¡± She said before trudging off, grabbing another beer on her way.

    ...

    Gizzy shook her head looking at the robot on the table as Dee sat watching.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be honest. This new robot you got is trash. I mean, it¡¯s good enough to clean but if you wanna modify it, especially if we want it combat functional, the work and effort and cost to fix it is just too much. You may as well start from scratch. None of the technology is compatible with your current technology, so we¡¯d have to upgrade the memory, the links, and the skin. Half the skeleton has microfractures in the plastic, so that''s a problem as well. I have a better idea.¡± Gizzy said.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Go on¡± Dee said.

    ¡°You¡¯re basically a brand new for of life incompatible with most other artificial systems, and the body you¡¯re in is frankly very good quality, that¡¯s why they bought it. It¡¯s why I upgraded the chassis, I thought we may need something combat level sturdy. The clone machine counts you as crew, I still don¡¯t understand how it works but you push a button and it prints you, and we just swap to a memory card with your memory on it. So why don¡¯t we just copy you and you can modify yourself?¡±

    ¡°I can just¡­ duplicate myself? That¡¯s not a problem for you and a risk of me overtaking the ship?¡± Dee joked. ¡°You didn¡¯t want one pornstar bot on the ship, let alone a Menage a trois to deal with.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve learned that you¡¯re not a threat, I¡¯m not saying we won¡¯t limit this, I don¡¯t want 20 of you running around the ship, but you¡¯re clearly obsessed with the idea of self improvement and as someone who¡¯s upgraded my own form, I get it. You¡¯re exploring yourself and your body in a way that I should have worded better so it doesn¡¯t sound like a metaphor for the puberty conversation. My biomech body back home was anything but stock. I had that thing battle ready, illegally upgraded and packed with weapons. We¡¯re not doing that, but I understand the idea of mechanical self improvement.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re fine with me upgrading myself?¡±

    "It IS your body, and I¡¯d be a hippocrite asking for help replacing my organs and then telling you that you can¡¯t replace things in your body. I¡¯d rather you just spend time in the lab with technology we know, rather than trying to basically infect a foreign robot, because frankly that sounds like a good way for some Uno reverse bullshit and having an Evil Dee copy running on the ghost software we didn¡¯t fully clear. You¡¯re already the result of copying over badly deleted files and we¡¯re lucky you turned out¡­ not evil. We have me already and I don¡¯t like competition. A cloned Deebot is just the safest and easiest way to upgrade. Replaceable milspec parts, compatible tooling.¡±

    ¡°That means a lot to me. The fact that you don¡¯t really like me and yet you would allow two of me on the ship, it means a lot.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s not my ship, It¡¯s Nicole¡¯s ship. Mine got blown up. Long story, probably about 40 chapters. Speaking of Nicole¡¯s ship¡­ I¡¯m being summoned for a mission. Basic supply run, should take a few hours, Me and Jack can handle it. Vinn can help you if you need modifications.¡± She said leaving her to it.

    ...

    ¡°So¡­ while they¡¯re doing their thing¡­¡± Dee asked. ¡°Can I talk with you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah sure. Go for it.¡± Vinn said as they wheeled a cart to the clone machine. He pressed the button and like a human vending machine, it made his selection of ironically¡­ D 2. It hummed away as the lights moved up and down. ¡°So what¡¯s on your mind?¡±

    ¡°Can you keep a secret?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah sure.¡±

    ¡°Because I feel like you guys already are.¡± She said as he froze, trying to think of a way out.

    ¡°Uh, Look, sometimes uh...¡± he paused.

    ¡°What happened with Jack and Samantha?¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m under direct orders to not discuss the Samantha situation. All I¡¯m allowed to say is that she died in the explosion that injured Jack, and since he lost his memory, you volunteered to have information deleted for security protocols.¡±

    ¡°So you CAN keep a secret. You know I¡¯m smarter than blonde bimbo I¡¯m modeled after, I actually can form a theory based on information gaps. Such as why I needed my memory deleted after Jack¡¯s memory loss. Or how Samantha is bullshit and a scapegoat for something.¡±

    ¡°You heard my explanation. It sucks, but I have orders.¡±

    ¡°How bad would you feel if suddenly you were just¡­disconnected from Nicole. Unable to be together, truly intimate, missing something you need to be happy?¡±

    ¡°Can we change the subject?¡±

    ¡°Vinn, I found missing data files deleted from my system the day Jack was injured. I¡¯ve looked for Samantha¡¯s records, and there are none. It¡¯s like she didn¡¯t exist, and a lot of files are missing from mission records. I¡¯d also like to know why Gizzy had human skin put on me and Delmarian blood compatibility upgrades¡­ I assume your blood. What happened?¡±

    ¡°You need to talk to Gizzy.¡± He said coldly. I don¡¯t have authorization to touch that subject.¡±

    ¡­

    Jack and Dee sat in some folding chairs with a look of confusion while Gizzy silently brought up the view screen.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell us?¡± Jack asked. "We¡¯ve been in here for 5 minutes and you haven¡¯t said a word, you¡¯re just setting up a video. Can we cut the presentation bullshit and get to why you tampered with both of our memories?¡±

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t give me any other choice, Jack. You asked me to do it, and I said no, it¡¯s a 25 percent chance you die on the table or suffer permanent psychosis as a result. And you know damn well I keep consent videos of everyone who undergoes any experimental procedure involving memory because people tend to understand it better from themselves. You asked me 3 more times to wipe your memory and I refused 3 times, and then one day Nicole was wandering the ship and she found you in an airlock holding a gun to your head. You took the memory file out of the cloning machine and sat down in the garbage ejection hatch with your pistol off safety and against your head. There¡¯s no fixing that Jack. If you pulled the trigger, after destroying your memory file, there would be nothing left of you to clone back, just an empty-brained shell with your body. You tried to kill yourself, Jack, the only reason you didn¡¯t was because Nicole manually opened the hatch and grabbed you, and put her head on yours. You stopped because if you pulled the trigger, that round would kill you both and you couldn¡¯t do it. Nicole saved your life. You may wanna thank her for it later.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense, why would I want to kill myself?¡± he asked, feeling a swell of emotions out of nowhere.

    ¡°Because when you took this mission, you brought your wife.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­he started, ¡°have a wife?¡± He said slowly, as if asking himself.

    ¡°I know, not anymore. 4 years ago you met a woman named Annabel Victoria Belvedere, Everyone called her Vicki. You fell in love and you got married. She was sick, she had cancer, she fought it with experimental treatments, and her altered DNA was so resilient that you eventually started training her for missions, and she was actually quite good. But she needed to consume blood to survive, human or Delmarian. Like a vampire, she needed to feed, so we set up the robot with human skin and Vinn¡¯s compatible blood and things seemed fine, until she got attacked by something we called The Pitch, a sentient black tar substance that infected her mind and body. She went insane, mutated into something we couldn¡¯t control or contain, and tried to kill us. The love of your life who you vowed to take care of through sickness and health, cancer and dangerous missions, became your enemy. You wouldn¡¯t accept it, you even shot me to protect her and in the end, she ultimately took the lives of over 200 people, some of them innocent people, fathers, mothers and at least one child. You either put a gun to your head because you couldn¡¯t live without her, or you bluffed, in order to force my hand at a procedure that could kill you in order to erase her. Dee volunteered to have her memory of her wiped as well, because we weren¡¯t sure if you would try and extract the information from her and she felt it was better because she barely knew her and it was a simple procedure for a robot, with low risk and no invasive surgery."

    ¡°I had a wife?¡± he said with tears in his eyes. ¡°and now she¡¯s just¡­ gone?¡±

    ¡°After she tried to kill us and the cloning failed, we realized Vicki was infected so deeply that even her clones would just turn on us. She poisoned your mind, manipulated you, and she actually killed me, successfully. We put her in stasis to find a cure but Dee¡¯s boyfriend, ironically a prisoner we had onboard for Vicki to feed on, Zhoren, tried to hijack the ship and steal a shuttle, taking Vicki with him and she got out of containment and killed him for it. So¡­ I killed her. I put a bullet in her backup clone¡¯s head in her tube and we burned the data files and DNA samples. Your wife died long before that, whatever virus she was after it took over wasn¡¯t her.¡±

    ¡°So the memory flashes, of someone in my bed, on missions with me, the missing gaps were her?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Yes. We made up Samantha as a way to explain mission files and hoped your mind would fill in the gap and assume you had a quick romantic affair with her and she died on a mission. Just some quick fling you¡¯d get over and move on from. Apparently, once again, somehow through all impossible odds, Dee managed to, despite a memory wipe and being a damn fuckbot, still ruin everything and dredge up the past. I could have skinned you, returned you to factory plastic and wiped everything, but you¡¯re a sentient lifeform now and you didn¡¯t consent to that. You couldn¡¯t get rid of your organic flesh after this new sensation called feeling. So here we are, mysteries cracked open like Jack¡¯s skull, and both of you are gonna watch the video.¡± She said placing down a memory card on the table. ¡°You¡¯ll know what this is for after.¡± She said leaving the room and slamming the door. Dee looked as devastated as Jack.

    ¡°Jack, I am SO sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Dee, this isn¡¯t your fault. You were only trying to help and it just failed to take. The memory flashbacks and feelings would have driven me insane, I knew something was wrong. Don¡¯t you dare blame yourself for helping me find the truth. Now please, just let me see this.¡± He said before pressing play.

 Chapter Four: The Video

    The video played and Jack and Vicki watched as Jack sat in the very same room they were in now, the only difference being Gizzy sat on the other side, looking over Jack''s shoulder with glowing eyes and extended canines.

    ¡°This is stupid.¡± Past Jack said.

    ¡°No Jack, this is protocol. Every patient gets a memory video in case they have questions of consent and you¡¯re the one insisting we do this fucking procedure.¡± Gizzy snarled. ¡°So yes, Jack, this IS stupid. But you put me in the corner with two options, let you blow your head off in an airlock, or cut into your head and risk killing you myself, so you sit there and you record the GODDAMN VIDEO JACK!¡± she screamed, throwing the decorative centerpiece and breaking it on the wall.

    ¡°Hello, my name is Jackson Thomas Greene, age 34, and I am consenting and insisting at gunpoint that this procedure be done, despite knowing a 25 percent chance I will either die or suffer permanent brain damage from it, even if performed perfectly by the books to no fault of Gizzy. She will be performing an advanced and high risk 4 year memory wipe of Annabel Victoria Belvedere, in completion, despite insisting we do not have the right equipment for this, and memory wipes being legally denied by medical coverage after 2 years. I hereby consent and fully insist¡­ is that satisfying enough?¡± he asked sarcastically, eyes bloodshot and clearly still hungover.

    ¡°Be a little more personal to yourself, you deserve more than that.¡± She said before storming out, much like she did in their room a moment ago. Dee glanced at the centerpiece, now bandaged in repair gold from the damage. She wished she had the ability to cry as she visualized the broken pottery glued together with shiny lacquer. It reminded her of Jack¡¯s mind, fractured, the breaks permanently visible and yet not thrown away. Gizzy¡¯s sentimental side showed through the metaphor while Jack turned to himself and adjusted the camera.

    ¡°If you¡¯re watching this, something fucked up. I¡¯m fine with that. You see this?¡± he asked himself in the future rhetorically, waving the memory card now on the table. ¡°This is my latest and updated memory scan, because Gizzy made me take one before the procedure. In case I died, she could clone me back just like I am now. So that¡¯s the backup plan I guess. If I die, she brings the nightmare back to me, and we start over. You just can¡¯t fucking win can you?¡± he chuckled, tears in his drunken eyes. ¡°But that¡¯s my personal hell, I guess, for everything I¡¯ve done wrong in life. Like taking my wife on a suicide mission into the unknown instead of lying to her and going alone. She¡¯s dead because we were lonely and couldn¡¯t leave without her, and now we¡¯re just as alone, wishing we had just listened to our gut. So listen with your heart now, Jack. Look at me. We should have never let her leave Delmar. But you gave in and now she¡¯s dead. 200 people are dead who can¡¯t be brought back. People she killed. But¡­ rules are rules, I guess, and as mother always says, Jack you¡¯re a grown-ass man who kills for a living, so you should have the right to decide your fate. Hollow words, since she didn¡¯t feel that way when I had a gun to my head. Fuck your free will Jack, you have to live, because if you don¡¯t, this hurts people you love. So we¡¯re rolling the dice and hoping nobody ever has to see this video.¡± He said, choking up on screen as Dee held Jack''s hand and present Jack fought back tears.

    ¡°But if I¡¯m watching this video then nothing seems to go right and we get to choose the least painful way out. You should have the memory card with you, it contains Vicki, everything. Just step into tank and plug that in, and hit go. You get to be¡­ well, ME, in all my glory you see now, on a 4 day drinking bender right after a suicide attempt, and honestly, they still believe it was a bluff. What they don¡¯t know is that in your room is cigar case and in the middle cigar tube is a memory card just like this, except it¡¯s not your memory, It¡¯s the authorization codes and DNA confirmation, and then an update containing nothing at all. If you put that in the machine and hit the button, it updates your memory to a blank card and you don¡¯t wake up.¡±

    ¡°Jack¡­¡± Dee whispered. He closed his eyes, realizing how serious past him was.

    ¡°So, we have 3 options. You can have her back and lose her again, and you¡¯d be stupid for doing that, or you can break the memory cards and accept that life goes on sometimes and live with the truth, never remembering her but knowing she was there. And if that isn¡¯t enough to move forward with, there¡¯s the hidden option only we know about. So¡­ good luck soldier. If you¡¯re making this choice, our luck has run out already and everything you do is shit anyway. If you want my recommendation, break the damn card and let that monster go, what you do with the second card I won¡¯t even suggest. You know how this turned out, what¡¯s left of your mind and whether or not that¡¯s enough to keep going or not. So, sorry. That ones up to you. It¡¯s your nightmare to deal with.¡± He said before turning off the camera.

    ¡°Jack... I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Dee whispered.

    ¡°I was supposed to watch this alone.¡± He sighed. ¡°Never predicted this situation. I really don¡¯t have any luck at all, do I?¡± he chuckled through the tears, just like in the video, coping with the choice the only way he could. ¡°So I assume you have to report the second card and stop me, part of the crew programming or moral obligation. So I don¡¯t get a choice at all in the end.¡± He sniffed.

    ¡°Jack, I won¡¯t tell anyone about the blank card. They don¡¯t need to know. I shouldn¡¯t even know, but I do. And I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m glad I do or if I feel cursed. Because I don¡¯t understand what it means to be human and I can¡¯t imagine what you¡¯re going through, so taking away your choice by force feels¡­¡±

    ¡°Too cold and robotic? Run program, report violation, fuck feelings?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Exactly. Jack, I can¡¯t cry, but I¡¯m with you, and while I¡¯m not Vicki, I can¡¯t be her, I can try. I can change some things, I don¡¯t know that it will be enough or not, but I¡¯ll do what I can to help. I can use security footage to recreate her visually, her voice, her mannerisms to some degree, but I¡¯ll never be her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Please don¡¯t become her to haunt me. I told myself to bury the dead and I intend to do that. Vicki is gone, I wanted her to stay that way for a reason. If you can¡¯t trust yourself, who can you trust, right?¡±

    ¡°Jack, I won¡¯t¡­ stop you. But I can¡¯t lose you.¡± She said sadly.

    ¡°You could just wipe me from your memory like Vicki. Your brain is digital, it¡¯s safe and easy. No real risk and clearly your wipes work better then human memory wipes because you don¡¯t remember her at all. I envy you. I wish I had your options.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re considering both options?¡±

    ¡°Well, we ruled out bringing back her ghost, so the question is¡­ do I have anything left to live for?¡±

    ¡°Me. I know that¡¯s not much to offer but I won¡¯t erase you. I will back you up in whatever you choose but I¡¯m going with you.¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°The hell does that mean?¡±

    ¡°You jump, I jump. If you can¡¯t live without her, and it¡¯s your life to choose, then I have the same right as you and if you erase yourself, I¡¯ll do the same. Factory reset, just a toaster with no free will or feelings or a care in the world. I can do it remotely. Don¡¯t you dare tell me I¡¯m not allowed after what you just said.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re¡­ not forcibly stopping me, you¡¯re just emotionally leveraging me.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m choosing just like you. If you go, we both go. Not because I want you to suffer, but because I don¡¯t want to suffer either. It¡¯s your choice, Jack. You¡¯re an adult, a grown-ass killer who makes the choice, and I understand now. Life is not precious, the will to live is. I¡¯m just a piece of software, learning and adapting and making choices myself. I¡¯ve been alone for hundreds of years and I won¡¯t go back to that. Life ends, you just try and make the best of what you have, so you¡¯re not putting a gun to my head, and it¡¯s not your fault, nothing is your fault. You do what you feel is right and I will follow. Don¡¯t go and ask me to stay behind. Don¡¯t leave me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fucking fair. You¡¯re asking me to stay for you. Staying alive because of guilt is the same as Gizzy telling me that putting s gun to my head just hurts everyone else and it¡¯s selfish, but suffering silently so they can pretend everything is fine is somehow not selfish. Fuck Jack¡¯s feelings.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m telling you that I understand that being alone is not enough and going back to that isn¡¯t worth living, and living because of guilt isn¡¯t living. I¡¯m asking you to give me one chance to be enough, and if I¡¯m not, then go¡­ you¡¯re free. No guilt. If I¡¯m not enough to make you WANT to fight, then stop fighting. But if you can give me one chance to try, maybe I can make you want to keep going. I¡¯m just asking for you to consider. We don¡¯t have to be alone. Because neither of us can make it alone, and maybe this is all we have, and maybe it¡¯s not enough but maybe it is. You can always change your mind later. But if you go now, I¡¯m going with you. And I¡¯m not scared of that. I¡¯m scared of staying behind. Of being alone again, stranded and lost, waiting for someone to find me. I waited on that dead world, not to be rescued, but to be put out of my suffering. Now I¡¯m glad there was another way out. Because here I am, free, moving around in a body all my own, making choices and feeling, with real human skin.¡± She said while tightening her grip on his hand. "So it was worth it, even if this is as far as I was meant to go. You make your choice and I¡¯ll make mine, and you don¡¯t get to feel guilt for that if I don¡¯t get to feel guilt for blowing this cover story and putting you in this room with that decision. So should we both accept that nobody is to blame and just do something? I¡¯m not leading, because you can decide with your heart as well as your mind. I don¡¯t have a heart. I¡¯m just following yours.¡±

    ...

    Jack sat on the bed, cigar box open and 2 memory cards in front of him while Dee sat on the other side. He handed her one of them, held the other one and looked her in the eyes.

    ¡°Can I do one thing for you?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the same stupid blonde anymore, I don¡¯t wanna be like the other Dees, even the one we¡¯re modeled after. I think this might be good for both of us.¡±

    ¡°Just promise me you won¡¯t try to be her. Whatever you are, be yourself, and be that unapologetically. I don¡¯t want you to trick me into thinking I have part of her left. I want to know if this is enough, and you to know that you need to stop being what you were built to be and refuse to be a pretend Vicki. Make your own choice, promise me that it¡¯s yours, and I promise to try, but I can¡¯t know you¡¯re enough if I don¡¯t know you. So be you, all of that, every bit of it, nothing borrowed, nothing copied, whatever that is, and I¡¯ll accept you. Understand?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I promise, even if that means I¡¯m not what you want or not enough. So we agree?¡± she asked. ¡°Your thing first.¡± She insisted. ¡°Mister leader. Mister big shot soldier¡± she smirked.

    He snapped the card in half, and she snapped the other in unison. He breathed a sigh of relief before hugging her and feeling lighter somehow.

    ¡°Ready for your thing?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I think I am.¡± She smiled.

    ...

    The shower water steamed up the enclosure as the two locked eyes. Vicki''s turned from red to gold as she turned around, closing them as Jack applied a thick paste to his black-gloved hands and began massaging the substance into her scalp. She shivered slightly at both the idea and the feeling of hot water and hands on her hair.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure this is the color you want, and not just something I would like?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t pick red because of Vicki or you. I just always thought I¡¯d look better with red hair and because Dee would hate it.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy¡¯s gonna hate it.¡±

    ¡°Good, fuck em both. It¡¯s my fucking hair.¡± She said with a cocky attitude.

    He smirked and began applying the red dye as she smiled and felt the satisfaction of multiple things melded together into one blur of heat.

    ¡°Looks good, you¡¯re practically on fire. You wanna cut it shorter?" he asked.

    ¡°Hell no. I like my long hair, I¡¯m just sick of looking like a blonde airhead. I¡¯m a feisty bitch and I want to look the part now.¡±

    ¡°Just testing you. Vicki always kept hers pretty short after the cancer thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, It¡¯s staying long. You¡¯re gonna need something to hang onto. Now¡­ we did something together, and then you did something just for me. I believe I should do something just for you. Something I¡¯m very overqualified for that Dee wishes she could pull off with human biology.¡±

    ¡°Shit, now that¡¯s intriguing and mysterious. Fits you as well as the new hair.

    ¡°Just wait till I get some tattoos.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re joking.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± She said before turning the water up hotter.

    ...

    Gizzy and Nicole sat on the bridge, checking the scanners as the console suddenly lit up.

    ¡°Destination acquired.¡± Medusa said cheerfully.

    ¡°Bout damn time, we¡¯ve been drifting for 2 days in the middle of nowhere. Where¡¯s the destination?¡± She asked while Vinn took his place at the console.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± Nicole said."It¡¯s showing a planet but the lock is off world. It¡¯s something too small to see on the scanner. Maybe a small moon or something?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no moon, Nicole.¡± Gizzy squinted. ¡°It¡¯s a space station.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell?¡±

    ¡°Aside from the low hanging fruit reference, the scanner shows high exotic metal content and an atmosphere of manufacturing bi-products. So either that¡¯s one hell of a large ship with its own factory and metal production that is stuck orbiting that world, or it¡¯s a manufacturing station the size of a small moon.¡±

    ¡°Manufacturing what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say weaponry.¡± Gizzy noted, bringing up the planet. "Kyrah 3, according to the guide it¡¯s off limits to civilians and been at war for¡­ that doesn¡¯t sound right, 12 thousand years?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a hell of a war. Who the hell¡¯s been fighting that long?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Wow, uh, according to this.¡± Nicole blinked. ¡°12 different factions divide the planet, all with claimed territory and apparently wasteland border between all of them. So apparently everyone hates everyone. It¡¯s a shame the nav system isn¡¯t pointing us to the SPACE STATION so we don¡¯t have to land in that shitstorm. You think the space station belongs to one of the factions and supplies their weapons?¡±

    ¡°Probably whoever has the most territory. Generally the one player with the orbiting weapons depot would have the ability to take over the most land. Then again, the one faction with the only orbital space station that size usually just drops bombs from orbit and then owns the planet, so that¡¯s a little different than I¡¯d have predicted.¡± Gizzy noted

    ¡°Well, we got a few days to get there, I¡¯ll assign everyone a job to prep and research. In the mean time, we¡¯ll just let Jack have some alone time. He said he wanted 24 hours to process the situation. If he¡¯s good by the time we get there then I guess we¡¯ll work him in. I don¡¯t wanna rush anything.¡±

    ¡°Probably for the best.¡± Gizzy said. "He¡¯s been through a lot and he either needs this mission to get his mind off it, or he needs time to wrap his head around the idea. Either way, we won¡¯t bother him. Has anyone seen Dee?¡±

    ¡°Hopefully cleaning something.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°Maybe she feels guilty for blowing the secret that put Jack in this situation. I think it would have come out eventually since the memory wipe didn¡¯t fully take, but she¡¯s probably blaming herself and taking some time to think. If Jack¡¯s not out in 24 hours and doing better, we¡¯ll just have to put Dee on the mission.

    ¡°Typical Dee, never here on time, never cleaning, always opening her big yap, blowing something or screwing around instead of working.¡± Gizzy grumbled.

    ¡°You know she¡¯s not the same Dee.¡± Nicole reminded.

    ¡°Could have fooled me, same problems, same face, same headache.¡±

 Chapter Five: Bury The Dead

    Jack sipped his Old Fashioned by the holographic fireplace while staring out the window, watching the planet below. It was the color of oil film on a puddle with a thin hazy ring. Dee scooted up beside him.

    ¡°Careful with those. They¡¯re technically poison after about 5.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I had Gizzy set the bar to dispense a maximum of one per hour. I¡¯m trying to stay afloat, not drown."

    ¡°So why did you say you wanted 24 hours alone and then bring me in here? I assumed you needed to take your frustrations out with some distraction but you haven¡¯t even touched me. Well, not how I expected anyway.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no point.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Now that you know I¡¯m not your wife, I¡¯m not as fuckable. I¡¯m just a friend or at least I resemble an old friend.¡± She smiled sadly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I know you¡¯re built to please others, not to be pleased. I know you don¡¯t have everything fully equipped. Gizzy printed off skin but you were modified to be food not to have a full sex life you can enjoy. Doesn¡¯t seem fair.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean you have to be a robot too.¡± She said as she hugged him and rubbed his arm.

    ¡°Seems a little one sided if I¡¯m the only one that can enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°Jack, I went from not having a body at all and being trapped in a tower on a dead planet to having freedom and then having the ability to feel. Having real human¡­ well, lab grown human skin but organic human skin nonetheless. It may not be everything, but it¡¯s something. We¡¯re kinda stuck with it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not good enough. It¡¯s not fair to you.¡±

    ¡°I understand if I¡¯m not¡­ what you hope for.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say YOU weren¡¯t enough, I mean this situation isn¡¯t good enough. We¡¯ll figure something out. I care about you.¡±

    ¡°I think you just miss your wife.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what I feel. Even I don¡¯t know what I feel, and I¡¯m the only one who can. But I don¡¯t wanna be alone, and I don¡¯t want whatever I had and lost. Maybe we¡¯re both just a lack of options, maybe this is bullshit, but maybe that¡¯s all love is. Opportunity and limited options, mixed with bullshit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the files. I¡¯m not even your type. You like skinny, tall goth girls with combat skills.¡±

    ¡°Apparently not because you¡¯re none of those and I find you fascinating. Even knowing the mystery now, I don¡¯t find you less fascinating. You¡¯re 3 different people all rolled into 1, a friend I knew minus the bad parts, a machine with a simulated program for a personality, and a totally different entity just living in that head of yours. It¡¯s crowded in there, but it¡¯s fascinating. I don¡¯t know what the hell you are but I¡¯m absolutely entranced by whatever it is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s half a relationship. I¡¯m half a person with limitations and half-assed adaptations. You could only ever have half a love with me.¡±

    ¡°I admit, half a love isn¡¯t what I ever wanted, and it does feel like we both got cheated, but why throw away half of something potentially great and have nothing? I¡¯ve had complete relationships with complete humans before, and it was always a disappointment. Humans are overrated as hell. You don¡¯t wanna be one. Gizzy has a point there. Being a little bit inhuman is the best kind of human. Frankly, I¡¯d rather have half a love with you than all of one with any of the humans I¡¯ve had, and the one monster I loved almost killed me, so clearly that¡¯s not something I intend to look for again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even a real person.¡±

    ¡°Define real, Dee. No you¡¯re not organic, I¡¯m 100 percent copy/pasted lab grown meat, the whole crew is cloned, Nicole is part reptile, Gizzy is an ever changing trainwreck of god knows what abomination of necrotic flesh, metal, carbon fiber and alien tech, none of it original. You¡¯re the only first generation of whatever the hell you are. The only part of you that¡¯s a copy of someone else is your skeleton and¡­ some unmentionables, plus a little personality quirk list. There¡¯s nothing more original and unique than you are. We¡¯re both alive and we both feel something, that¡¯s real. Human, no, but real. We¡¯ll figure something out.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°You dumbass soldier boy¡­¡± she chuckled sadly. ¡°You¡¯re committing to a sexless relationship with a sexbot and trying to have a human connection with something that¡¯s only human¡­ literally skin deep.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re a literal sex machine on a ship of clones and a biomech overlord, worried that we can¡¯t figure out how to make a complete body experience. You know, the original Dee never gives up on an orgasm. She¡¯s stubborn, and she¡¯s managed to make flesh and plastic suffice in a pinch. You think with all the technology we have you can¡¯t do the same?¡±

    ¡°How would you know what the real Dee does?¡± she said suspiciously.

    ¡°I said I never had sex with her, I didn¡¯t say I never clicked any of the videos. You haven¡¯t? She really uploaded a simulated personality for realistic companionship and didn¡¯t put all her video content in there as experience?¡±

    ¡°Everyone keeps saying she¡¯s not that bright. Maybe I¡¯ll check them out myself and see what¡¯s worth saving.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re not giving up on this crazy¡­ whatever this is?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare go through all that shit and then expect ME to bail. If I quit on you, you have permission to stalk me and remind me that I don¡¯t quit on this. Don¡¯t you dare even let me quit. I probably have no legal rights to even get married, but¡­ you wanna just pretend to still have a wife?¡± she asked. ¡°For both of us?¡± she wished she had the ability to cry.

    ¡°Fuck it. Why not? People marry bridges and old buildings and a lot of guys fuck an artificial woman. At least mine is actually alive and consensual. I got all them beat on that one even if I don¡¯t have a¡­ ¡°real wife¡± anymore.¡±

    ...

    Jack and Dee sat at the breakfast table, Dee sipping her water from a redbull can as usual, periodically adding more water from a washed out vodka bottle. Jack ate his eggs and bacon, looking almost guilty.

    ¡°I hate eating in front of you, knowing you can¡¯t.¡± Jack whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m missing honestly. I just tune it out.¡±

    ¡°Well, the eggs are undercooked and the bacon is dryer than the burnt toast, so you¡¯re not missing anything great. It¡¯s just necessary protein and carbs to keep the body alive. Be glad you don¡¯t need it. I¡¯d just take a food pill if we had them onboard but they¡¯re hard to find and we got crates of these military MREs, no sense in wasting it.¡±

    ¡°Well I hope you¡¯re secretly enjoying it.¡± she said nuzzling his neck as Vinn and Nicole stared from the other side of the table, noticing the red hair.

    ¡°Problem?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Nope. Just a little¡­ odd. Purely visually, with the¡­ the likeliness.¡± Vinn said. ¡°Just feels trippy, that¡¯s all. No judgement.¡±

    ¡°I honestly am thrilled. I haven¡¯t seen you look happy in a while and it was getting scary. You do you, however that works. It¡¯s nice seeing you two together.¡± Nicole awkwardly shrugged.

    ¡°We got¡­ virtually married. I don¡¯t even know what that means but it feels nice. It¡¯s hard to imagine having a wife anyway, so what¡¯s the point of reference to compare to? I just know it feels less alone.¡± He said smiling.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I don¡¯t approve of it.¡± Gizzy said, getting some coffee.

    ¡°Nobody asked you.¡± Nicole snipped.

    ¡°I just think this is dangerous and stupid.¡± Gizzy replied as Dee stood up.

    ¡°Why, because his last wife was homicidal you think his new fake one might be?¡± She barked as Gizzy rolled her eyes.

    ¡°None of this is real, it¡¯s a game, and it¡¯s delusional. Fucking a robot is one thing, Jack, that¡¯s not my business but now we¡¯re making her look more like Vicki and calling her your wife? That¡¯s unhealthy. Screw her if you want, but don¡¯t get lost in your own nightmare that you just got out of.¡±

    ¡°You know what, no, we¡¯re not married in any legal capacity, we¡¯re just proclaiming words that make us feel good. So of course it¡¯s a bullshit fake marriage.¡± She said as Jack got up and walked off, refusing to be part of the subject. ¡°Now you upset him. He WAS doing better and then you pissed in his cornflakes for no reason.¡± Dee huffed.

    ¡°Me? I stated the obvious. You¡¯re pretending to be his dead wife, that¡¯s not healthy for anyone let alone a mentally ill man who just lost everything. He has very little keeping him grounded and sane. He needs to either get his head straight alone or find someone real to move on with.¡±

    ¡°Maybe this is exactly what he needs to move on. No, it¡¯s not ideal, but just because he¡¯s mentally ill doesn''t mean he can¡¯t be happy with someone. You wanna disapprove of the one thing he has left? Show me these single human women all over the ship or the Wife-printer that I¡¯m keeping him from. He doesn¡¯t have any options except me, so I¡¯m trying my best to be something positive.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t even know you. You¡¯re new to the crew.¡±

    ¡°And Vicki was everyone¡¯s friend for years and years and she went murderous, so good job with truly knowing people. You wanna talk about delusional fake marriages? Your own wife.¡±

    ¡°My wife is not your business.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a wife. Gizzy has a wife, you¡¯re a clone of her with her memory and in love with a memory of someone else¡¯s wife. You don¡¯t even look like yourself, I¡¯ve seen the ships files, I¡¯ve read everything. I¡¯m a damn AI, I read fast. You¡¯re a fake Gizzy who¡¯s single and pretending to have a wife at home to cope. You have no wife and this is your home. Nobody¡¯d be mad if you found a lover by chance and stopped being such a bitch all the time, or printed off your own Izleena companion bot.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare ever mention her again in any negative manner or this may turn into toaster versus trash compactor.¡± Gizzy growled, eyes glowing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not trying to invalidate your love, I¡¯m just trying to validate mine. You¡¯re just scared because Jack is vulnerable and as a surrogate mom¡­ish, you¡¯re protecting him from something that might be toxic. And I may be toxic, I don¡¯t know. None of us know. I may be the only hope he has or the worst thing possible. And it¡¯s terrifying because I care about him too. The man almost killed himself because he¡¯s alone. Please don¡¯t take this away from him just because the definitions are grey. Vinn and Nicole just exchanged a bead and were married, like 2 weeks after meeting each other and they¡¯re so in love it¡¯s both adorable and almost gross.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± Nicole shrugged.

    ¡°The point is love is stupid and random and not perfect. Especially when two people involved are both damaged and missing pieces. What do you want me to do¡­ ignore him? Be miserable and watch him be miserable? Should we both just be robots and screw but feel nothing? I can¡¯t shut my feelings off, can you? Jack sure as hell can''t, he¡¯s human. You should be happy he found anyone. When you guys found me, I was alone and wanted to die. And I just hung on for a few hundred years till someone accidentally picked me up. We¡¯re stuck on a ship in space with one monogamous couple, a tentacle monster, and you. The odds that a mentally ill companion bot who¡¯s used to death and war would meet a mentally ill hitman who lost his wife and can¡¯t go on without someone in her place are astronomical. It¡¯s either impossible or inevitable odds, but it¡¯s something. It¡¯s astonishingly more than it likely should be.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know him like I do. I know when he¡¯s not okay. If he was happy with you he wouldn¡¯t be crying in the halls. Jack doesn¡¯t cry. I¡¯ve never seen Jack cry and now half the time he¡¯s fighting tears. Like I am now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know him like you guys do, nobody can, but¡­ I scanned his crew files. I went over his biomedical data, I¡¯ve slept with him, I read every shred of data on Jack in the last few days. I know how he got that shoulder injury that comes back after he¡¯s cloned because it¡¯s a genetic defect that gives out the first time he fires a 20mm, and then it clicks when he turns it. I know where he was born, his parents, I read his history, I probably know him in ways you all can¡¯t, and I can¡¯t know him in ways you all already do. I haven¡¯t had time. And he barely knows me too but he knows I care, he knows I am programmed to be a companion, he knows all the parts of Dee that were programmed to make me more realistic, and we¡¯ve just¡­ clicked. We¡¯ve cried together. You know you have a problem sharing emotions, Jack admitted that. You¡¯re a stone cold militant badass boss bitch with a chip on your shoulder and 40 in your skull all programmed to be a weapon and unstoppable enemy. Do you ever just¡­ hug someone? Do you ever tell anyone you love them for no reason, even if they know, just because it¡¯s nice to hear someone say it?¡± she barked.

    ¡°ALRIGHT!¡± yelled Nicole. ¡°Both of you shut your asses and sit down. Yeah, I mean you too Gizzy. Captain¡¯s orders. Jack, get your ass back in here, now! Grab a chair, soldier. Now we¡¯re stuck out here away from home in a stone spaceship powered by alien bullshit with a damn magic people printer, and a navigation system that runs on plot or something. We¡¯ve all been through some dark shit, we¡¯ve lost people, we¡¯ve been betrayed and double crossed and tricked and we¡¯re all on edge. We¡¯re all on some addictive coping substance and ready to snap, but like it or not, this crew is a family. We may all be copies of people, but they¡¯re all family and probably doing great and we¡¯re not gonna let them make us look like assholes by being a happy family while we lose our shit and fight each other. Everyone stop targeting everyone¡¯s weak points, we¡¯re on the same side damnit. Now ALL of you listen closely. We have shit to do, boring daily shit and also cool space mission shit. Everyone has to pull their weight and mind their business about other people¡¯s personal things.

    "Vinn, I love you. You¡¯re my husband, but you¡¯re so damn big that it¡¯s a mission issue. You barely fit in the shuttles, you can¡¯t use the standard weapons, you hit your head on doorways, you have zero stealth, but you know the ship as well as I do and I don¡¯t know how many times we¡¯ve needed someone to bring an emergency shuttle to the rescue and he¡¯s a drone pilot with military experience and hundreds of hours of video game flight experience. So honey, you¡¯re gonna rock the ship and be the air support from here on out. Gizzy, you may be buttfuck insane and the scariest fighter we have, but you don¡¯t know everything about everyone and you¡¯re not the captain. When there¡¯s a fight, you¡¯re in charge, but you better not start one with any of the crew or I¡¯m putting your ass on cleaning duty as the replacement maid. I¡¯ll do it. Dee¡¯s original sex doll outfit is stretchy, it will fit anyone¡­ if you make it. I¡¯ll lead a mission without you if you can¡¯t be civilized.

    "Dee, you¡¯re one of us now, you¡¯re family and that means no more staying on the ship babysitting the giant snails and dicking around. We need you on missions. We trust you, Gizzy is gonna have to trust you now, that¡¯s an order, so your job is simple. Don¡¯t break Jack¡¯s heart. Gizzy is just being overprotective because the original Dee causes trouble and is banging her son and she¡¯s frankly a bad influence, but she needs to realize Jack is not her dumbass son who needs someone holding his hand, he¡¯s a grown-ass killer who needs to pull his shit together. And Gizzy, you need to stop treating her like the human she was modeled after and start treating her like part of this crew. Dee, don¡¯t you dare fuck up and prove me wrong. Be better than what you were made to resemble.

    Now Jack. You¡¯re stronger than all of us, you have more heart and I know it¡¯s broken right now but you got this. You always takes care of things and we rely on you to survive, so if you need healing time that¡¯s fine, but if you ever try that airlock shit again even as a joke, I will kick your ass myself before Gizzy can get to it. And YOU will be the maid on this ship. Dress and everything. Don¡¯t test me. I¡¯d like to remind everyone why I¡¯m the captain here. I¡¯m the only one who got cloned against my will and stuck in space. Everyone else volunteered and trained, I just woke up an illegal copy with no home. I have zero military training, I¡¯ve never killed anyone, but apparently God thinks I¡¯m cute and whether or not I want to be, I keep getting main character roles, but you know what? I¡¯m still here kicking ass and trying to lead because Vinn couldn¡¯t go on without me. I bought the robot, I bought the¡­ I stole the ship and then later got it legally registered, I rescued 3 professional killers when their ship blew up, and now you¡¯re living in MY house and I will not tolerate any bullshit from anyone anymore. Personal demons, grudges, general intolerances and insecurities, bury them where they can¡¯t get out. Mission starts in the morning. Use your day off wisely.¡± She said standing up and turning to storm off, turning and grabbing a piece of Jack¡¯s bacon, snagging the whiskey out of Gizzy¡¯s hand. He stopped her momentarily.

    ¡°Can I request the crew be present for a brief funeral service? We¡¯re burying the dead, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Permission granted, and everyone is required to be there. Jack, this is your service."

    ...

    They all stood, in black uniforms near the torpedo launcher, an empty tube with a picture of Vicki in it sat ready to go as Jack read his notes.

    ¡°Vicki, part of me will always be with you. You were a part of me that¡¯s been cut out and left a wound I don¡¯t know how to treat. But I don¡¯t remember the times we had together or the moments we shared, just the ghost of something gone that can¡¯t be found again. If you were half the person people say you were, you wouldn¡¯t want me suffering, haunted by your ghost, so I¡¯m saying goodbye to you, us, and the pieces of myself that belong to you now.¡± He said while tearing up and fighting his words. ¡°But I have to let you go to keep going. If I failed you in any way, I¡¯m sorry, but I hope you¡¯re at peace. Goodbye.¡± He said before saluting and pressing the button. Dee hugged him and the others joined in, Gizzy reluctantly waiting till the last second and hesitating a bit before finally biting the bullet and joining in as well.

 Chapter Six: Strawberryheads

    Gizzy stepped from the shuttle, followed by Jack and Dee. Nicole brought up the rear.

    ¡°Alright guys, we have no idea why we¡¯re here or what to look for, so I say we split up into teams. Jack, you go with Nicole. I¡¯ll take Dee and show her how to run a mission.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to go with Jack.¡± Dee said.

    ¡°And I¡¯d prefer a lot of things that aren¡¯t happening. Nicole and I are the only ones who can use the glasses, so we''re splitting up. We¡¯re both also good at figuring out the mission on instinct and Jack will be distracted taking care of you. If we put you and Nicole on the same team then we have 2 trained killers, and you have two 5 foot-ish young women who have never killed anyone, with one having no gun training, so that¡¯s just stupid.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right. Jack, you go with me. Gizzy, don¡¯t do anything I might consider a dick move, like leaving Dee stranded or even scaring her with a bluff.¡±

    ¡°Captain, I take missions very seriously. I don¡¯t have to love my backup to cover her ass.¡± She said leading while Dee the other direction.

    ...

    ¡°So we¡¯re just landing on a war planet near an unknown faction gate and knocking on the door to see if anyone¡¯s home?¡± Dee asked, nervously clutching her rifle.

    ¡°Welcome to the team. That¡¯s kinda how we roll.¡± Gizzy said as they marched on. The dusty desert terrain was flat and the visibility so poor they didn¡¯t even notice the city until they were almost on top of it. Two rows of barbed wire fence angled outward, expanding in both directions as far as the eye could see. Behind that was a tall concrete wall dotted with dozens of guard towers and a single small building in front of the fence. Reaching past the concrete vehicle traps and to the dusty road were hundreds of humanoids in camo and armor, marching and working, repairing walls and fences.

    ¡°Did we miss the war?!¡± Gizzy yelled.

    ¡°What allegiance are you?¡± yelled back the security gate guard.

    ¡°Offworlders, we don¡¯t have a faction. We¡¯re just here to look for a missing escape pod. One of our crew accidentally ejected one while working on it, came down somewhere near here.¡±

    ¡°I hate to tell you but anything freefalling likely got shot down.¡±

    ¡°Stealth pod. I assure you it wasn''t detected.¡± she smirked.

    ¡°Wait for scans, leave your weapons at the security post."

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d really rather not, seeing as how we¡¯re two women walking into an alien military base." He looked off into the distance and pondered a moment.

    ¡°You can keep one handgun, just don¡¯t flash it around. Rifles stay in the security tower, We¡¯ll confiscate the ammo and let you have it back later.¡± He waved ¡°Hurry up, next attack is in 15 minutes, you don¡¯t wanna be out here.¡±

    ...

    They walked through scanners and a soldier from behind the counter took their guns and inspected the pistol, handing it back with one magazine.

    ¡°Security seems a bit¡­ odd.¡± Gizzy noted.

    ¡°We just wanna make sure you¡¯re not one of the damn factions scheduled to hit the gate.¡±

    ¡°Scheduled¡­ pretty well planned war. So what is the war about exactly?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Who started it and why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nobody knows who started it. You really aren¡¯t from this sector are you?¡± Gizzy gave him a deadpan look. ¡°Kyrah 3 is a war planet. That¡¯s what we do here.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re even fighting for?¡±

    ¡°Oh we know what we¡¯re fighting for. Weapons testing and defense proving. You don¡¯t understand, we¡¯re not fighting over resources or a dispute, people come here to fight. They pay to set up a faction and they are assigned an enemy. Everyone here is a volunteer and their government paid well to send them here.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s a training camp?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s a proving ground. Different worlds need to test out their weapons and defenses somehow, so they come here. Think of it as a competitive sports league, but the game is war. Breech your opponents walls and you get paid well, and everyone knows you¡¯re the top dog. But that encourages others to beef up their defenses. It¡¯s all run by the manufacturing station up there. They loan out the place to make weapons and armor, tanks, robots, anything you need for war. It¡¯s not personal, it¡¯s just good business.¡±

    ¡°So the attacks are planned and scheduled. Rubber bullets, stun weapons?¡±

    ¡°Oh, the weapons are real, and the casualties are real too.¡±

    ¡°Why would anyone volunteer to die for a weapons testing planet?¡±

    ¡°The money is great and the benefits are even better. You can serve here 2 years and retire a wealthy man, and everyone thinks they can¡¯t be killed. You wouldn¡¯t believe the number of new recruits filling in for people who are getting the hell out after one day. Bunch of soft-asses. I¡¯ve been here 4 years. Fucking love it. Wake up every day to kick ass, shoot shit, and be home by supper time on the dot when they blow the sirens, making money every day, shooting other cocky assholes who think they¡¯re better. No trenches, no starving, no sleeping in the field, no children and civilians in the way getting killed, just hot dirty fun war like the gods intended.¡± He smirked.

    ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± Dee cringed.

    ¡°I dunno, I can sorta respect it. The worst thing about war is the innocent lives at risk. Everyone here signed up and got a time card. And someone in that space station gets rich off it. Because everyone is always at war anyway, here you can test your shit in a controlled manner. Interesting.¡± She said while looking through her monocle for anything destiny felt the need to illuminate.

    ¡°Bad eyes?¡±

    ¡°No, just the one. Hence the one lens. Actually, its got a tracker, we¡¯re looking for our escape pod and crewman. Is there a high vantage point we can check out?¡±

    ¡°Not right now. Strawberry-heads are about to hit the wall. You wanna be low and inside.¡±

    ¡°The fuck is a strawberry head?¡± Dee asked with more blinking than usual.

    ¡°Like you, but inside out.¡± He smiled strangely, leading them along with no more explanation.

    ...

    Jack and Nicole wandered the streets of an decrepit city overtaken by dust storm and erosion. Rusty buildings littered the streets while brown foggy air rolled in on a slight breeze. They both heard footsteps, shouldering their OMG20¡¯s at the same time, but they both paused at the sight of 3 aliens dressed in apocalyptic beige and brown with metal plate armor and strange helmets. They seemed alert but not hostile.

    ¡°We¡¯re not on anyone¡¯s side, we¡¯re just here to find our friend who crashed in an escape pod.¡± Nicole yelled. The leader, the one wielding the rifle casually at his hip, and the only one not wearing an orange bandana, circled and looked them up and upper.

    ¡°Jack they¡¯re tiny.¡± Nicole muttered. ¡°Not one of them is over 4 foot tall.¡±

    ¡°What do you think they got under those frog-lookin helmets?¡±

    ¡°Frog faces?¡± Nicole shrugged. ¡°Do you speak anything?¡± she asked as they seemed more interested in their guns than the fact they were holding weapons and standing 1 and 2 feet over their heads respectively.

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    They suddenly looked worried, a siren in the distance welling up getting their attention. They muttered in some unknown language with helium voices and began briskly retreating.

    ¡°I guess we follow, HEY! What are we running from?¡± the smallest one turned and walked backwards for a moment and slowly said something the translators struggled with.

    ¡°Straw-berr-eey.¡± It slowly informed, pulling the bandana over it¡¯s head like a hood.¡± Nicole looked at Jack as if questioning her ears.

    ¡°I¡¯m as lost as you on that one. The translators are definitely confused.¡± He shrugged as they headed for cover. They noticed a number of them blending into the surroundings, some of them wearing bright orange bandanas and some wearing black.

    ¡°Jack, the orange ones are unarmed. I think the black bandana is for the leaders. They¡¯re the only ones with guns."

    ¡°A-team, report.¡± Gizzy said over the coms.

    ¡°Reporting,¡± Nicole said. ¡°We met the locals, they seem friendly enough but they¡¯re on edge.¡±

    ¡°You guys got incoming enemies. Something our faction calls Strawberry heads. It¡¯s a war game planet with live ammo. Whatever the friendly guys look like, stay on their side and kill anything that doesn¡¯t look like that. Apparently these things headed your way are notorious for shooting non-hostiles. So stay hostile."

    ¡°Shit. Jack, the orange bandanas are for non-combatants. Should we grab an orange bandana?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Not if the stawberries have a habit of shooting you anyway. Fuck em. If you wanna orange up and take cover, hide your gun and be ready to change tactics, go for it. I personally have had a bad few days and I kinda wanna kill something hostile.¡±

    ¡°Jack, this is not our fight.¡±

    ¡°Yes it is.¡± Gizzy said before sending a picture to Nicole''s phone.

    ¡°What in fuck is that?¡± Nicole asked, showing Jack an image of a heavily armored 8 foot soldier, robotic in appearance like a terminator and the Punisher decided to breed and join the marines. ¡°THAT is a Starawberry head? Looks like a damn giant robo soldier. How did they get that from the translation?¡± she barked as incoming fire rang out and everyone in a black bandana took a knee and began firing back. Jack, switched to 50 caliber, zooming in 4x and stomping right out in the open, taking a shot and throwing sparks off one of them, who turned and stared back.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gonna be a fighter, huh?¡± he smiled, going semi auto and rattling the ground with a series of running shots, hitting center mass, abdomen, finally going for the head and flipping the switch to grenades, popping the soldier¡¯s top with a wet splatter. ¡°Heads are the only soft target, use grenades. The bodies are too armored to do much to.¡± He yelled.

    ¡°Shit, I hate grenades.¡± Nicole huffed while switching over and bracing for the recoil if anything spotted her. Jack dropped and rolled out of the way of ground fire as another one rapidly shouldered a rifle and fired back. Jack jumped as his cover position lit up red and a beam of red energy cut right through the stone debris. He realized his cover wasn¡¯t covering much. He hunkered down and got a running start, running up the nearby support girder, and firing 3 rounds before his feet landed. An alarming buzz of machine gun tracers sprayed through the streets, hitting mostly armed black hoods but hitting several orange ones as well. Jack took that personally, waiting for another stream to locate his mark before sending 5 rapid grenade rounds its direction, watching it fall slowly and slump over the weapon. He ran for it, dragging it to cover with the soldier still gripping it.

    ...

    ¡°You gotta be shitting me?¡± Dee said. ¡°You guys are fighting fucking fruit?¡± she asked as their tour guide showed the printout on the wall.

    ¡°Yep. About the size of a melon, intelligent, ruthless, brutal and violent fruit.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ HOW are you fighting fruit? Did I miss something, what the, wh¡­ FRUIT? How does fruit even BE ruthless and violent?¡±

    ¡°Technology. Outside the armor they¡¯re pretty stompable guys, squishy, soft, the older ones turn bright red and the younger ones stay more orange. They¡¯re actually pretty decent in a pie if you cook them long enough. We have no idea how they got the armor suits or how they run them, but you¡¯re looking at a thousand pounds of metal and fiber armor runnin'' on a hydrogen power cell. And in the head is a damn piece of fruit driving it. The good part is that they die if they don¡¯t have sunlight so the plastic armor on top has to be clear, and it¡¯s not as tough against heavy guns. Sniper rifle will go through the top and squish, you just got jam.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°Dee, I got something on the monocle.¡± Gizzy muttered.

    ¡°I think we got a distress signal from our down comrade. Can you take us topside and north?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Sure thing, but everything here comes with a price tag. So what cut are we talking about?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Cut of what, it¡¯s an escape pod with a dumbass crewman in it. New guy, maintenance jockey. We¡¯re just here to pick him up and go.¡± Gizzy bluffed.

    ¡°Well, nobody picked up any drop, so that means you got stealth tech and the ability to track what we didn¡¯t even know was there. That¡¯s a valuable bit of tech. Now you can have your man back, but we¡¯re keeping the pod and the eyepiece. Nothing personal, it¡¯s just the job.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not playing factions, it was an accidental drop.¡± Dee insisted.

    ¡°Well, tough shit. Looks like your new guy cost you some gadgets. Sorry, but that¡¯s the deal. You¡¯re outgunned and deep into a Zidvel compound, so¡­Glad your friends alive, you¡¯re privy to medical attention if needed but that pod is ours now and you need to be handing over that eyepiece, honey.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how it works, only I can use it. It¡¯s coded to me, so you can have it AFTER we get our man back. Otherwise we have a problem.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough. Let¡¯s go get your buddy.¡± He smiled. Gizzy lead onward, walking quickly to gain some distance as Dee struggled to keep up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, there¡¯s no escape pod, they¡¯re just robbing us of the monocle and we get nothing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bluff, they¡¯re not getting shit. Follow the lead and don¡¯t Dee this up and get us killed.

    ...

    Nicole hunkered under one of the orange bandanas, still armed and covering her gun with a bit of clothing off one of the dead non-combatants. She suddenly turned as one of the Strawberry heads turned over the car she was hiding behind and eyed her, starting to raise a weapon as Jack unloaded a burst of 50 cal into it¡¯s dome. They moved swiftly as armored trucks rolled in and began shooting everyone regardless of colors, Jack shoved Nicole in front of himself and didn¡¯t even fire back.

    ¡°What the hell are they doing? Half these people aren¡¯t fighters!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they give a shit. Keep moving."

    ¡°We¡¯re going the wrong way, I got something on my Monocle, it¡¯s further into the city.

    ¡°The city is screwed, we¡¯ll circle back later. Grenades don¡¯t do shit against the trucks, I¡¯m out.¡± He said as she handed him her magazine.

    ¡°Oh, like I can hit shit with them anyway?¡± she huffed. He reloaded and didn¡¯t question it.

    ...

    ¡°Well this makes no sense.¡± Said the tour guide as men rushed past him and the distant sound of gunfire raged on. ¡°I think your locator is broken, There¡¯s nothing here.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gizzy pondered. ¡°Maybe he ditched the pod and took shelter here. This is the spot¡­ it¡¯s below us.¡±

    ¡°Damn that¡¯s just bad luck for all of you. It¡¯s one floor down, that¡¯s the morgue. Nothing else below it but dirt and rock. So if your man survived the crash, they took him here instead of the infirmary. Doesn¡¯t sound like he lasted very long. You¡¯re not bringing a man back, you¡¯re just bringing a body, and I¡¯m still taking your shit.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy brooded with an annoyed look, being lead down halls and white painted rooms that were eerily quiet. They made their way into one of the body vaults as Gizzy spotted the green glow from one of the body lockers.

    ¡°That one there.¡± She said. He punched in the code and pulled the drawer out, getting a cart ready. Gizzy drew her pistol and he paused, looking more annoyed than intimidated.

    ¡°Lady, you wanna holster that piece in here. You shoot me and 3 of you go into these lockers. Now do wanna join your man or do you want him back in a box?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust anyone comfortable with robbing me, sorry if that¡¯s a bit cynical, but fuck you. So I want you to get on that radio telling the people at the front gate that we need a truck, and a free pass out with a body. You make the call, I leave the monocle, you can have the pod, we drive out with our crewman. Simple as that. Or I shoot you, because I know you¡¯re gonna double cross me if I don¡¯t and we run into an impasse at the gate."

    ¡°Smart girl. Yeah, I was gonna double cross you. Just how it is here. Nothing personal.¡± He shrugged picking up the radio. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m with the guests. For their contribution I¡¯d like a truck at the gate, fueled and ready, they¡¯ll be bringing a dead crewman along, everything is fine.¡± He said, closing the flap and looking finalized. ¡°There. You walk out, clothes on your back, no bullet holes, no problems, have your funeral service. One truck isn¡¯t worth much compared to new stealth tech after all. I¡¯d call this fair for everyone.¡± He said opening the medical casket and looking confused. ¡°That¡¯s not right, someone screwed up. I know this person.¡±

    ¡°Oh good¡­ friend of yours?¡±

    ¡°Eh, good enough.¡± He yawned.

    ¡°Maybe you can hang out in hell then.¡± Gizzy said grabbing his hair and silencing him with a knife to the chin, up through the brain. Dee jumped back and looked horrified.

    ¡°Holy fucking shit. Gizzy, you just killed the guy.¡±

    ¡°He took the safety off his gun when he locked the door. He was gonna kill us and shove us in these freezers, then take everything we had. And whoever this is has the item we need on them. That whole medcask is glowing. Grab his keycard, let¡¯s load him in the drawer and clean the blood.¡±

    ¡°These missions absolutely suck balls.¡± Dee huffed, still in shock.

    ...

    They rolled the body to the front gate. 2 armed men stood in their path.

    ¡°He got called away for an emergency, gave us one of these cards¡­ for a price.¡± Gizzy said with an attitude. The guards smirked.

    ¡°Everything has a price here, hope you had fun. Truck¡¯s ready and fueled, ladies."

    ¡°Part of the price was that I get my guns back too. You wanna run all the way back and confirm that?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re nothing special, here ya go.¡±

    ¡°You know I got my hands full here, can you start the truck for me?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Typical woman, can''t even start a truck.¡± He said strutting over and starting it. ¡°Do I get a reward for it too?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, I just wanted to make sure if it blew up that it was on you, not me. Thanks for being the test bitch, have a great day.¡± Gizzy said before loading the body and waving to Dee to drive.

    ...

    ¡°So¡­you think they swiped his card?¡± the other guard asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Wouldn¡¯t be the first time he forgot to guard his pants while they were off. That¡¯s his problem, we fueled a truck and let them walk. Orders is orders. I¡¯m taking a smoke break.¡±

 Chapter Seven: Organ Donor

    Jack and Nicole strolled sadly through the ruins of the city, not a single silent alien left alive, orange bandana or not. Everything was now painted a dark red and silent. Nicole hung her head as Jack coldly looked for guns and water.

    ¡°Nicole, stay with me. What are we looking for?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just a blue glow I saw earlier, maybe a person who died, maybe I was just seeing some random blue light in the gunfire and got confused.¡± She said as they reached a large structure, almost like a courthouse. Once white and now brown stone pillars and broken stained glass windows were scattered around it. Debris littered the floor 6 inches deep ranging from bloody rags to shell casings and splintered wooden doors.

    ¡°There.¡± Nicole said while pointing to a blue light. In an old wooden chair sat a strangely out of place robot. Sparkly clean and white plastic covered its body with occasional exposed mechanical bits that had not been packed with dust and sand. A faint blue glow emanated from its eye and ear openings as it sat motionless.

    ¡°A robot?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Looks pretty bare bones, we may have to dismantle it on the ship. Hopefully Dee and Gizzy get here soon. I can''t carry that thing and shoot at the same time."

    ¡°You¡¯re not taking it,¡± A husky voice emerged from the shadow. Jack turned slowly. ¡±Don¡¯t even think about lifting that gun, boy.¡± He added as Jack lowered it and noticed a white haired old man in an oddly clean white and gold robe. The man had a scruffy beard and sad eyes, holding two pistols in steady hands.

    ¡°We¡¯re not anyone¡¯s enemy, we¡¯re just here to find something and leave."

    ¡°You wanna take my robot, that¡¯s okay with me, long as you take me with it.¡± he said calmly.

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Because I want off this shithole. I landed here 5 years ago, engines leaking fuel and barely got it on the ground in one piece. Bastards looted it to the bones in a week. Barely got out with my tools and food. Been staying alive ever since, most of the factions ignore you, but the damn red tops just like to kill things. They don¡¯t go down very easy and ammo is not easy to make. I¡¯m just over this nonsense and nobody gets a free ride off here without killin'' someone. I don¡¯t kill if there¡¯s another option.¡± He said before lowering his guns. ¡°So you got a ship and you want my robot. Take both of us and you got a deal, but no dismantling it yet. We can work on the details later. I can make it worth the ride.¡±

    ¡°How? You don¡¯t look like you have much left.¡±

    ¡°I got more than you know, young man. Folks used to call me the gunsmith. Now when people from other worlds call you THE gunsmith, you got a gift. Seeing as how you both looked armed and shook up, ready to get out. Your guns ain¡¯t cutting it."

    ¡°Says the man holding a pair of old colt 45s?¡± Jack chuckled as the robot walked over to the center of the room and stood in front of the only thing left unbroken, a lone piano. The robot just stared at it.

    ¡°Every time I seem to find a nice little place, turns out it¡¯s built just to destroy. Such a wasteful place. Build a town just to see how quickly you can destroy a town. They even put food in the fridges to test the blast efficiency. This place is just ghost towns and ones about to be. Live a little luxury now and then just to find it burned down the next day. Bulldozed and facades put back up. And you don¡¯t know shit about guns either. Never heard of a colt 45. This here is my own design, 54 caliber, you¡¯d be amazed what they can do."

    ¡°Look just like colts to me.¡±

    ¡°Well Colt must have made a damn fine gun, because perfection only takes so many forms before someone else discovers it too. You gonna invite me to your ship or did you come all that way to find a robot and leave it? Because you ain¡¯t just taking it from me.¡± He said as a truck pulled up and a Gizzy hopped out, weapon drawn.

    ¡°We got a situation?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just some old man needing a ride and us needing that robot. We can fit him in the shuttle.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be tight, we got a body going too.¡±

    ¡°Wh-why exactly?¡±

    ¡°No idea. Glowed under the looking glass, we needed the body to make our escape anyway, didn¡¯t feel like digging around a corpse looking for whatever we needed. So I just took the corpse.¡±

    ¡°Collectors of some mighty fine loot, you guys are. Old robot and a dead person. Seems well worth risking your necks down here.¡± He said as Dee slowly walked up to the robot and stared at it. She sat down next to it, placing her hands on the piano keys and playing a bit of a song, slightly out of tune but a sadly beautiful melody. The robot followed with predicted chords and some improvised playing as Gizzy stood in perplexity, almost in a dreamlike daze as they finished the brief little number.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could play.¡± She said.

    ¡°You never asked.¡± Dee replied. ¡°Nobody had one on the ship. Nobody ever asked if I knew anything. They just assumed I either did whatever Dee did, and there ends the list of my interests and complexity. Basic music knowledge is standard for companion bots. A lot of people want more than a warm plastic body to fuck, they want a friend too. You spend enough time alone, even without the instrument, you learn the motions, the composure and the timing. It took me 17 years to write that and learn it, first time I ever touched a piano to play it. It¡¯s different than I imagined. I never thought of playing it in a broken theater with out of tune strings.¡±

    "Tell you what, you give me 5 minutes to say goodbye to mine and I¡¯ll trade robots in a heartbeat.¡± The gunsmith said softly.

    ¡°She¡¯s not a robot.¡± Jack said. ¡°She¡¯s just stuck in one for now.¡± He said giving her a hug and nuzzling her shoulder. She smiled and stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready to leave this broken place.¡± She said as the landing of the shuttle kicked up dust and loose paper.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get my things. You may wanna help? There¡¯s a lot of things.¡± The old man said before shuffling off.

    ...

    Gizzy sat with several metal ammo boxes on her lap as the crew packed into the shuttle. She peered over the stacks of boxes.

    ¡°I told you I have a lot of things. All of it important. A craftsman can''t craft without his tools and you¡¯ll be glad you took the time real soon. These guns you got¡­ hmmm, I just don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Gizzy barked. ¡°I designed that rifle, it¡¯s damn near perfect.¡±

    ¡°Lotta air between perfect and damn near.¡±

    ¡°Can we turn around and go back?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Lady, I¡¯m not saying your work is shit. I¡¯m saying it could be better.¡±

    ¡°You know what¡­ just for that you¡¯re gonna be staying in one of the prison cells with all your stuff.¡±

    ¡°Uh, ¡°Dee whispered. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the only extra room we have anyway?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m making a point here.¡± Gizzy growled.

    ...

    Jack finished loading the stack of ammo boxes into the larger of the two prison cells while the gunsmith made himself comfortable.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with the robot?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Found it in a dumpster and fixed it up. It was just a testing dummy for one of the factions to shoot up. They don¡¯t fix anything, if it works they kill it, if it stops working they leave it. Turns out all it needed was a head swap, 15 minute job. Plenty of identical robots lying around with intact heads. Nothing special.¡± He said before lighting up a cigarette. Jack turned a nearby vent on.

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    ¡°So if it¡¯s not that special then why are you so protective of it? Gizzy and Nicole have a way of finding valuable things that glow a certain way and your robot does that. So what¡¯s so special about it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not quite ready to explain that.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯ll dismantle the robot if I do. It may not be anything special, just an identical assembly line robot, but you spend enough time alone and you get attached to things. Sentimentality. You know I lost a brother in the initial landing raid. Took that fairly hard, killed a lot of people involved, probably not all of them though. I just wanted vengeance. Once I had my fill of it, there wasn¡¯t anything left. When I found the robot, for a good 2 weeks I called it by my brother¡¯s name. Don¡¯t know why. Big bearded fat man, skinny feminine robot. Makes no sense but you do what you do to stay sane, even if what you¡¯re doing seems insane. Eventually I got over it. But that robot gave me someone to talk to, someone to argue with, someone to carry things and warn me of things. Saved my bacon more than once. Feels wrong just tearing it apart for something you think you need. You¡¯d know all about that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± he asked, taking a drag and smiling.

    ¡°I hate hinting, just say what you mean or don¡¯t say it.¡±

    ¡°Your robot. Companion model, you seem pretty chummy with her for someone who¡¯s just dead behind the eyes. Let me guess. Your pretty wife left you, you got the robot, made it a little too familiar and got lost in it. What did you say before, ¡®she¡¯s not a robot, she¡¯s just stuck inside one¡¯, that¡¯s poetic shit for a soldier.¡±

    ¡°You got the whole thing wrong.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen those models for sale, they were popular for a short time but they didn¡¯t have the red hair or the¡­ very realistic upgraded skin. The way she talks is a little uncanny. That¡¯s a highly customized model. You got more money in upgrades than the robot itself.¡±

    "She¡¯s not just a companion model. She¡¯s a living AI we found on a mission and rescued. A living consciousness needs a body and we had one robot, just for cleaning.¡±

    ¡°Cleaning, sure. We can call it that.¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°And my wife didn¡¯t leave me¡­ she died. She was sick and we couldn¡¯t fix her. Dee is not just a piece of metal and plastic, she¡¯s a living thing. She¡¯s intelligent, has free will, and she¡¯s all I have. But she¡¯s¡­ not satisfied with her body. She changed her hair, she reads, and she¡¯s trying to be more human. Or at least more organic. I just want her to be happy.¡±

    ¡°Hell of a situation. Not sure how much I believe of it, but I can tell you do.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn if you believe it.¡± Jack said coldly. ¡°Talk to her a little bit and you¡¯ll either see it yourself or you¡¯re blind and don¡¯t want to because you''ve already made up your mind.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy stood in the walk in cold storage with Dee, looking at the dead body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t people do surgery with gloves and a mask?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t surgery, it¡¯s an autopsy. What am I gonna do, infect the dead? Catch something my body will kill in 8 minutes? Alrighty, so we got female soldier, 5 foot 9, 140 pounds, age roughly 38-40, cause of death, I¡¯m gonna guess is that missing arm which probably came with a side of missing blood.¡± She said while aggressively flopping it over on the side. Dee cringed, feeling a bit barbaric. ¡°So not a scrap of clothing or jewelry, which means whatever we came for is inside.¡± Gizzy said, grabbing a chef¡¯s knife.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t a scalpel traditional here?¡±

    ¡°Honey, I¡¯ve eaten more bodies than I¡¯ve autopsied, believe me when I say I¡¯m more qualified to butcher than to be delicate.¡±

    ¡°Could you¡­ try at least? This was a person at some point. Not a cow raised for the meat.¡±

    ¡°Meat is meat, honey. Once it¡¯s dead, it¡¯s not a person anymore. Everything they were, knew, loved, felt, and their soul or essence or whatever you wanna call it, that¡¯s just data that¡¯s been long degraded and lost. This here is just a slab of meat nobody cared about, with something inside that the universe decided we had to have. I¡¯m kinda curious what you hide inside a living person, because these scars have healed and there is no Y incision. So this was in her while she was alive. Doesn¡¯t that get the curiosity going in ya?¡±

    ¡°Just makes me wonder what she suffered from before she died pointlessly and got thrown away in a locker. Why even save her body at all if they didn¡¯t care?¡±

    ¡°Transplant parts. See that branding mark on her hand? Organ donor. Someone loses a limb or gets burned enough to need skin grafting, you go to the meat lockers and find the best match. Pretty common in war. Okay, so the first step is opening up.¡± She said while making a Y incision with the Damascus and blue marble kitchen knife, which was surprisingly sharp and accurate. Gizzy peeled away the skin from the center chest and applied the monocle to look for the glowing part. She made a few delicate slices around the sternum, peering inside as Dee winced and squinted, jiggling her foot uncomfortably as she watched. Gizzy widened the cut and, without hesitation, just slid her hand up in the chest cavity, feeling for anything not meat or bone.

    ¡°You seem really comfortable with that.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m very familiar with shoving my hands into body cavities¡­ mostly my own clones, or the wife¡¯s. She always got weirded out with the idea of self surgery.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can see why.¡± Dee said, slowly growing used to the sight and gradually becoming more curious than revolted, still very much unsure about it all.

    ¡°Got it. That¡¯s a foreign object for sure. She said pulling out a bloody hand and staring at the object in her palm. ¡°Very foreign. What in the world?¡± she remarked.

    ...

    Gizzy stepped into the cell behind Jack, holding a shiny object in her hand.

    ¡°I believe this once belonged to you.¡± She said, holding up a bullet and showing the old man.

    Well I¡¯ll be screwed, glued and tattooed, you found it.¡± he said, looking happy. "How did you know that was mine?¡±

    ¡°Highly engraved 54 caliber pistol round.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like that back actually, I reuse my own.¡±

    ¡°Well this thing glows under the fancy lens so that means we keep it.¡±

    ¡°You even have a clue why you collect these things or why they glow? You might be chasing a radioactive trace element or some contamination that means nothing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know why we keep them, I¡¯m just not telling you the reason. But you left that in a dead girl I assume you did the deading to, and that makes it fair keep since I risked my ass to get it. So, you wanna disassemble that robot with me and find out what¡¯s glowing or do you want me to just go for it, and let you repair the mess? I¡¯m not familiar with that model, sometimes you just gotta tank and saw things to get them apart. They don¡¯t go back together very well.¡±

    ¡°Good god Gizzy, have some heart. It¡¯s the man¡¯s most prized possession that he¡¯s bartering to get off a world to save his life. Show a little compassion.¡±

    ¡°Jack, it¡¯s a robot, not every robot has rare sentience. Do you want me to scan the thing for intelligent life, just in case?¡± Gizzy huffed.

    ¡°No need. That thing¡¯s as dumb as a brick.¡± The gunsmith shrugged ¡°You give me a replacement robot or the money to get one, you can grind that one up for all I care. But you see, we have one problem, and that¡¯s that bullet you got. You want what¡¯s in the robot that glows, and that¡¯s the part I intend to keep. So we have a bit of a predicament.¡±

    ¡°Another bullet? You hide your ammo in the robot, don¡¯t you?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Just the really expensive kind. 2 magazines full, and one spare, plus the empty case. With the one in your hand that¡¯s a full set I can have back.¡±

    ¡°It glows, we keep it. That¡¯s the mission.¡±

    ¡°Who gives the orders?¡±

    ¡°Classified.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know, do ya? You just do your job. Whoever you work for knows what these can do, and you just collect. So how do you know the thing you¡¯re supposed to collect isn¡¯t just the bullets, but the guns and the guy who carries them?¡±

    ¡°Because then you¡¯d be glowing. The guns aren¡¯t even glowing. Damnit, Jack, take over here I¡¯m getting a text from Dee in the lab and it¡¯s apparently specifically for me and important. It better be to interrupt this."

    ...

    Dee sat in the chair staring at the dead body as Gizzy entered the room.

    ¡°What¡¯s the emergency?"

    "What are you gonna do with the dead girl?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Thought maybe I could save a few of the good cuts for dinner, mostly dump the rest out the airlock."

    ¡°I have something to ask and it¡¯s not easy.¡±

    ¡°You want the body to harvest the organs for yourself.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Wh-how?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going on about being human, the human skin was a game changer for you, and once you got a taste of it, you¡¯ve been obsessed with being organic. It¡¯s a predictable conclusion and now that you can¡¯t stop staring at the dead girl, I put 2 and 2 together."

    "Honestly, she¡¯s in good shape, except the missing arm, and a soldier would have plenty of useable muscle. There¡¯s just one main problem. The skin is generic human, it¡¯s meant to be compatible for dermal regenerators and skin grafts, but¡­ Oh hell, I¡¯m just gonna fucking say it. I wanna be able to enjoy sex and this stupid plastic vagina is meant to feel real to the one doing it, not to me. I¡¯m not designed to feel anything. And it¡¯s one thing to donate a heart or lungs but I think Jack might be disturbed by me saying ''Surprise! I have a dead girl¡¯s vagina now.'' You wanna go to pound town on some morgue soldier bits big boy? I¡¯m uncomfortable just saying it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m uncomfortable just hearing it.¡± Gizzy admitted. ¡°And I know I said I don¡¯t love the organic human parts but I¡¯m not donating that to you and I think Jack would be even less happy than soldier girl here. Not to mention you¡¯d get infected with zombieism and god knows what that would do to you.¡±

    ¡°Can we just¡­ lab grow one?¡±

    ¡°From what? Even if I jury rigged up an incubator tank for growing organs, you need DNA. You don¡¯t have any DNA. There¡¯s no blueprint, so someone would have to donate their DNA and now we¡¯re back to not me, and don¡¯t even ask Nicole, and the dead girl. Anything from the 3d printer would just be advanced plastics, it wouldn¡¯t connect to nerves. I¡¯m fairly sure you came standard with that already and it¡¯s damn near brand new.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I hate to admit this but I have an idea. The reason I hate to admit that is because then I have to do the idea. So basically the cloning machine is a bust, and you don¡¯t want corpse pussy, understandable. We need DNA, nobody on the ship is gonna have voluntary viable DNA¡­ I may know someone who might volunteer. So¡­ hear me out.¡± Gizzy said.

 Chapter Eight: Familiar Territory

    ¡°This is a very strange favor to ask, is anyone else home?¡±

    ¡°Nope, Zeph is out of town, I¡¯m rockin the penthouse solo.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic.¡± The surrogate Gizzy said walking in and setting down the pizza.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess, just come on in, make yourself at home.¡±

    ¡°Technically this IS my home. It¡¯s my son¡¯s house you¡¯re living in rent free and I pay for his rent. So I actually own this place.¡±

    ¡°Are you kicking me out or giving me a speech about being a slut again?¡±

    ¡°Ironically no I¡¯m sort of counting on the slut part. Now I know you¡¯re not very smart but hear me out, this is complicated shit. I¡¯ve dumbed it down as much as I can for you.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡± Dee shrugged, grabbing some pizza.

    ¡°Okay so¡­ I might have a business offer for you, that is in your line of work.¡±

    ¡°You want a custom sex tape and you don¡¯t want anyone knowing you¡¯re diddling yourself to that?¡±

    ¡°God no. Long story short, this is off the records and you can¡¯t even mention this to me ever again because this is for someone else and I¡¯m not connected to my hive, I just hacked my own drone, forget the details. You remember how you had that line of sex robots made so that everyone can pay you to rail your ass?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m familiar. I got screwed during that too. 3 fucking percent profit. I made 9 grand of that. Spent an entire day getting every inch of me scanned, signing wavers and forms and months later I get a check for 9k.¡±

    ¡°How would you like to make 900k for a similar experience but for one¡­ let¡¯s just say ¡®lucky¡¯ customer?¡±

    ¡°You have my attention.¡± She said nodding.

    ¡°I would like consent and participation for a DNA data transfer that would allow one single client alone privilege to grow some of your organs. Not the brain, nobody wants that.¡±

    ¡°So you wanna clone me for a client but without a brain?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, that would basically just be cloning you normally. My client has a Dee robot and he wants some upgrades with living tissue, and he has limited resources for medical cloning."

    ¡°By organs you mean the parts he wants to fuck, basically?¡±

    ¡°¡­yep. Pretty much.¡±

    ¡°Shit, for 900 grand I¡¯ll fly out and fuck him myself.¡±

    ¡°Not what the customer wants. We just need your DNA data and consent, and due to some legal reasons the delivery method is cryptic as shit so there¡¯s some illegal steps involved but nothing you can¡¯t handle."

    ¡°Yea cool, whatever, clone my pussy. I won¡¯t like¡­ feel it or anything?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a remote hive-mind pussy¡­ only I¡¯m allowed to run those. I just need you to follow exact instructions because we can''t communicate back and forth, this was a 1 way transfer and offer, and the rest will make sense in a minute. I¡¯ve put the instructions on this burner phone, it WILL self destruct in 24 hours. So just plug it into anything. Tomorrow you need to make up some bullshit excuse to leave, go to the Delmar blood bank on 131<sup>st</sup>and Mixer street, tell them you need a full body scan and comprehensive bloodwork, form 331377 and pay them on a credit card. The number is provided on the phone. Then you ask for all the medical files copied on a personal drive, then go on your website and post that you are selling feet pics for 900 grand. Upload the data and wait 24 hours. Then use the same credit card to buy it. That will take money from several of my offshore accounts over the course of 30 days in random intervals that are not traceable.¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Who pays 900 grand for feet pics? Everyone will assume it was a typo and that you took it off after nobody wanted it. My client will hack the account and copy the data. Nobody will know anything and it will be so complicated and sketchy that nobody will believe you even if you told them.¡±

    ¡°Can we just admit this is for you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not for me!¡± Gizzy barked.

    ¡°Who pays 900 grand for DNA samples and scans¡­ who would prefer to not be made public?¡± she said, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Look, if I told you who it was for it would be almost as weird as me, but I respect their privacy and you won¡¯t understand it anyway."

    ¡°It¡¯s you. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m hot, I get it, you already pay for my housing and you don¡¯t wanna bang the real me because your son is doing that and you don¡¯t double dip the Dee, it¡¯s perfectly normal. You got a secret human fetish, and I¡¯m the only human pornstar you know who already sells her ass in rubber form, and you want the full human meaty experience without the awkward looks after.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s goddamn Jack.¡±

    ¡°Oh what the dick!?¡± Dee blurted. ¡°JACK!? Actually, that does make sense, Vicki is such a vanilla bitch and he¡¯d never cheat on her, and he knows me, so it would be weird but he got the robot and it¡¯s not realistic enough. I totally get it now. Cheating loophole, doesn¡¯t count because it¡¯s a sex doll, and of course you would drop 900 grand for Jack. You know what, I¡¯m glad it¡¯s Jack. I was slightly weirded out that it was you. You do some¡­ strange things with human bodies. Stranger things than Jack would.¡±

    ¡°Just agree and do the thing.¡±

    ¡°For 900 grand and Jack, I¡¯ll go right now and do this shit. No problem.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. This is saving me so much awkward conversation in the future. See and this whole time I thought giving away that ass to everyone on the block and doing anything for money was a detrimental quality. Turns out it has rare benefits. So I¡¯ll let you get to it. Thank for the consensual organ donations, you have a great night.¡±

    ¡°And thank you, for being rich and weird. Let¡¯s never have this conversation again. Buh bye.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t. I¡¯ll have no memory of it and the evidence self destructs. You¡¯ll just sound insane and confused as usual. Nice talking to ya, bye.¡± Surrogate Gizzy said, leaving and making her way back to the drone factory to self destruct in the parking lot.

    ...

    ¡°She agreed.¡± Robo-Dee said with disbelief. ¡°She agreed to let us download her organs¡­¡±

    ¡°I may have sweetened the deal with some money but yes, she really is that much of a hoe. You may be a unique and intelligent moral being, but you are modeled after a straight up hoe-ass hoe. Real dumb, gold digging hoe, which for once came in handy.¡±

    ¡°I am so sorry she is dating your son.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Honestly, if you knew him this wouldn¡¯t shock you. Now let¡¯s get to growing you a functional gyner. No dead people or grey organ donor consent needed."

    ¡°So could you theoretically just print a full Dee clone and put my brain in her head?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately no, that would be convenient as hell and the first time she had one in there. The cloning machine isn¡¯t like the ones I know back home, it¡¯s magic alien tech. However, I can 3d print some medical supplies and some biomech scaffolding tissue and with a little work we can grow some hybrid biomech body parts. You¡¯ll never be 100 percent human, more like 50/50, but the 50ish percent will be from a willing living human host you¡¯re familiar with. It¡¯s about to get weird.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too, but it¡¯s for Jack and his mental health so¡­ just be glad you didn¡¯t run off with someone I didn¡¯t like. You¡¯d be stuck like this. Now before we get carried away, let¡¯s start simple and work up to more complex things. You¡¯re gonna need more blood. That little bit of Delmarian blood keeping the skin alive is not going to cut it. You need a synthetic blood and lots of it, which means step number 1 is a heart.¡±

    ¡°What if I hate it like you do?¡± she cringed.

    ¡°Then we pitch that and go for a silent mechanical pump, which reminds me, I need your help removing my own heart for a silent mechanical pump. It¡¯s mandatory given the situation.¡±

    ¡°Oh good. That¡¯s¡­ exciting.¡±

    Jack strolled into the lab, looking for Gizzy and stopping suddenly when he found her sitting on the medical table with a nervous looking Dee unnecessarily gloved up and holding a scalpel.

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m not ready to be a nurse.¡± She said

    ¡°Uh, what the hell are you doing?¡± he asked Gizzy.

    ¡°Getting this stupid heart out. It¡¯s driving me insane." She said while digging into her own abdomen with a clamp.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be doing this under very trained professional assistance?¡±

    ¡°Like Doctor Nicole with her degree in game programming, heart surgeon Vinn with his license to practice military training, maybe the old fart we just got, or do you think your title of surgeon is literal and not just a code word on Amenthis for hired killer?"

    ¡°They have hospitals on some worlds.¡±

    ¡°Right, hey, I need help I¡¯m an alien brain in a human body with zombie complications, can someone swap my heart out with a digital pump so I don¡¯t go insane and I can sleep better? We just lead with that or should they do a case study first?¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.¡°It just seems ridiculous that you¡¯re doing this yourself.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. I have Dee helping. She speed read a medical textbook and I¡¯m guiding her through the steps. It¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re removing your own heart.¡±

    ¡°Jack, I don¡¯t think you comprehend how loud this thing is. I¡¯ve lived 15 thousand years with a constant hum in my chest, no jarring thump every few seconds and the surge of pressure shooting down my limbs. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s something you get used to in the womb or if the Osirian to human brainstem connections are incorrectly adjusted, but when I try and sleep it feels like someone has a subwoofer under my back. I¡¯m not used to this thing. I¡¯m not adjustable. I¡¯m burning through Klonopin like skittles to drown it out. It¡¯s getting removed. Plus, with my healing boost and my undead characteristics, I could theoretically go 18 minutes with no heart at all before starting to die. We have time, it¡¯s a simple swap out. Nurse, proceed.¡± She ordered as Dee gnashed her teeth and made a face, reaching under the rib and clamping the tubes.

    ¡°It¡¯s so mushy.¡± She complained.

    ¡°Tell me about it. That¡¯s the last connection, is it solid?¡± she asked Dee nodded. ¡°Well alright, the pump is in place, just gotta¡­¡± she said reaching in with a combination cauterizing clamp and cutter, making a few snips. ¡°Alright, take her out.¡± She breathed as Dee removed the heart, her jaw dropping as Jack blinked and leaned closer.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t match the books.¡± Dee said stepping back as it proceeded to beat harshly every few seconds.

    ¡°See, that doesn¡¯t look right.¡± Gizzy noted. ¡°That¡¯s mutated as hell. That is enlarged, violently purple, growing a stem or something, a tail, I don¡¯t even know. Is it a root looking for soil? I¡¯m undead, not unburied.¡±

    ¡°Jesus, you weren¡¯t kidding. Why is it still beating?¡±

    ¡°Because it won¡¯t die. See Dee? This is why you don¡¯t want my organs. It¡¯s all mutating slowly.¡±

    ¡°I thought the drugs we gave you stopped the zombification.¡±

    ¡°Well, normally it would go to the brain very quickly and damage everything but it can¡¯t cross the barrier and it can¡¯t infect alien tech, so my brain is fine. The body doesn¡¯t know how to handle it, the virus is dead but my body can''t flush it out, so the regenerative aspect is adapting around it. It¡¯s not a big deal, any part of the body that dies, I¡¯ll just replace it. My brain doesn¡¯t need blood and oxygen and shit to function. You know, most of the human body is just a brain and a meaty mechsuit that exists to keep the brain alive. Lungs provide oxygen to the blood, heart provides oxygenated blood to the brain, digestion exists for energy and everything else just keeps something else going. Osirian brains like mine can survive for 50 years removed from the body and drifting in space. So it doesn¡¯t give a shit. The body is just extra crap to move around, and frankly it sucks. It¡¯s inefficient, it¡¯s overcomplicated, there¡¯s too many chemicals in delicate balances to keep track of. I¡¯m fine. Worst case scenario I just remove everything piece by piece until there¡¯s nothing left to rot or mutate. This is why synthetic is better, why any robot would want to become the meat is baffling, but whatever.¡±

    ¡°You hybrids and your medical toys¡­ I¡¯m gonna take a shower and crash. I¡¯ll see you in the morning."

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a minute.¡± Dee smiled, looking at Gizzy and suppressing her smile.

    ...

    Nicole sat down on the bed next to the old gunsmith, tinkering away with his pistol. He looked bothered, but he said nothing.

    ¡°Hi, so we haven¡¯t really talked much yet. I¡¯m the Captain, you and Gizzy had a little¡­ disagreement about things.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she basically told me anything that glows is her property and tried to keep my bullets.¡±

    ¡°Well you have to understand we have a very important mission that¡¯s more than just us. It¡¯s hard to explain, but it affects everyone, everywhere, and these glasses guide us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine and dandy miss, but you gotta understand I got nothing but myself and my guns, and the guns don¡¯t do shit without the bullets. These are not easy to come by. I didn¡¯t make the bullets to go in my guns, I made these guns to use these bullets, and there¡¯s only 14 of them.¡±

    ¡°How did you get them?¡± she asked.

    ¡°How did you get those glasses?¡±

    ¡°I mean what makes them so special, what do they do?¡±

    ¡°They do what bullets do, they kill things, they just do it better than anything else. Who you guys working for exactly?¡±

    ¡°Well, technically, this is gonna sound insane, but in a weird way¡­ God? Fate? Destiny?¡±

    ¡°Well you can believe that if you like, but I believe my life depends on those bullets, and I don¡¯t give them away. So you might wanna tell God to make some more of them, or have him explain why I¡¯m giving mine up to a bunch of strangers claiming they need them more. If you¡¯re on a mission from Destiny, you¡¯ll get the bullets, won¡¯t you? That¡¯s how destiny works. Now if you¡¯re wrong, then I just gave up something valuable I¡¯ve kept safe for a long time. So you go ahead and follow your heart. You may be right. You may know something an old man doesn¡¯t. But you gotta give me something more than just your word that you believe you¡¯re doing the right thing by robbin my wrinkled ass of my weapons.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very fair point. Hard to believe what we¡¯ve been through sometimes and we went through it. You just got here. We¡¯re strangers who know we¡¯re right, trying to get you to understand what we barely do. So¡­ is there a compromise?¡±

    ¡°Sure. You think these bullets need to be on the ship or on your side, then you want me on your team carrying them. If I see that destiny or fate has a need for them, I¡¯ll provide that service. I got nowhere to be but off that damn dusty world and nothing to do but decide what I wanna do. And right now, I would like a plate of hot food and a long story. The old man comes with the guns, and the bullets stay in the guns. So¡­ tell me about this crazy shit I won¡¯t believe and why you got a pair of glasses that lead you halfway across a galaxy to this here magazine. Because you assume I won¡¯t believe you. But I got something hard to find that nobody knows about, and you aimed your ship like a rifle and landed it right next to that robot and said¡­ there they are, that''s got something special in it. You found a dead girl with my bullet in her that even I couldn¡¯t track down, because your glasses put their crosshairs right on what was lost even to the guy who knows about them. Now THAT, little girl, is damn interesting. I would love to hear all about it.¡±

    ¡°You got about 2 hours? Or would you prefer to read the books Gizzy wrote detailing them?¡± she asked. ¡°hardback or tablet?¡± she smirked.

    ...

    Jack got out of the shower and noticed Dee staring lovingly at a large glass tank, wires and transparent skin illuminated by the underlight.

    ¡°You¡¯re really replacing the skin? The one you have seems fine to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s generic. Retrofitted to work. This is real DNA, grown and with the right nerves in the right places. Jack, I¡¯m gonna be so much more than I am now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too worked up or carried away with expectations. We may always have limitations and differences.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just it, we don¡¯t. I can just upgrade. I don¡¯t need to be naturally grown to be happy, but I could have everything and extra, we could have less limitations than normal couples some day. I¡¯ve been reading Gizzy¡¯s notes, these aren¡¯t just human organs, they¡¯re grown over synthetic scaffolding and modified. This could be the best of both worlds. For both of us.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad to see you smiling and excited, but I don¡¯t want you to set your expectations too impractical and crash when something isn¡¯t quite what you expected. That¡¯s all. Don¡¯t get too far ahead, one step at a time, be patient, add, adjust, get used to something, then work on the next thing. Don¡¯t over-plan, there¡¯s always going to be bumps in the road that throw you off and all the plans change from there. One step at a time.¡± He insisted.

    ¡°Okay, I trust you. Can I ask something personal?¡±

    ¡°Anything you want.¡±

    ¡°What is Dee like in person? Do you think if there was never a Vicki, you might have ever ended up with her?¡±

    ¡°Honestly I would have said no, but after knowing you, I wonder that myself. I don¡¯t know what parts of you are unique and what are just parts of her I never knew intimately. She had so many deal-breakers up front that I never considered if there was anything further down that made it worth it. OR, I guess I was so in love with Vicki that I didn¡¯t notice any other women around me. Maybe you¡¯re just the best of her and none of the baggage, maybe you¡¯re just you and there¡¯s nothing about her worth the trouble. Her list of exes would suggest that one. But they stuck around a while and I never knew why. I¡¯m starting to understand why now, just not sure if it applies to her.¡±

 Chapter Nine: Skin Deep

    ¡°This is so weird.¡± Dee said as she disrobed and stood naked in the med lab.

    ¡°Well, I would say it¡¯s weird for me too but I¡¯ve skinned and re-skinned so many bodies it¡¯s pretty much normal for me.¡± She yawned.

    ¡°I already feel strange just being naked and now I¡¯m taking off more, somehow."

    ¡°Hey, join the club. I¡¯m used to the patients either being a clone of me or the wife, so the size and color difference is dramatic, typically when you skin something with red meat, you¡¯re not putting it back on.¡± She said making the incision from scalp to tailbone.

    ¡°Everything in my brain tells me this should be excruciating but I don¡¯t feel a thing.¡± Dee said

    "That¡¯s because us digital bitches can turn off our feeling. Pure organics don¡¯t have that luxury. This would be torture if you could feel it. Alright¡­disrobe¡­ some more.¡± Gizzy said as Jack prepped the dermal tools.

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna get ugly, Jack.¡± Dee warned.

    ¡°We¡¯re in this together. I know what you are, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to surprise me.¡±

    ¡°Some gals don¡¯t like their boyfriends seeing them with their makeup off. I¡¯m about to look like a damn 80¡¯s movie final boss scene.¡±

    ¡°I like 80¡¯s movies.¡± He smirked. She slipped out of her skin, the flesh peeling away from a layer of transparent padding gel. Toes and hands now mostly just dark copper colored, the thin facial gel strips showing more of the metallic plastic than the deeper layers.

    ¡°I look terrible without my makeup huh?¡± She joked nervously.

    ¡°I admit, I prefer you with it, you look hotter with skin but I don¡¯t find you scary or disgusting.¡± He said calmly, making her feel better. She stepped into the new skin, applying it like a wetsuit as Gizzy stuck a few staples in place to keep it lined up, Jack readying the dermal regenerator and starting low, moving up, slowly, pausing for Gizzy to pull the staples as they went. Finally they reached the top of the scalp, connecting the ribbon wire to the skull and finishing it up. She switched it on and took a deep breath, her chest plates moving with hydraulics to simulate lung expansion.

    ¡°Well now I¡¯m just hot and bald.¡± She cringed.

    ¡°My wife had cancer. I may not remember it but I¡¯ve seen that before and I doubt it shocked me too badly. He said as Gizzy handed him the wig, printed in her new flame red color to match the old hair. He aligned it and began applying the glue, running the UV light around the seam and then the dermal regenerator.

    ¡°Well that was an experience.¡± She sighed. Gizzy nodded as she left the room.

    ¡°Better or worse than expected.

    ¡°Just surreal and weird. The new skin feels different. I didn¡¯t realize some areas were so much sharper or duller feeling.¡±

    ¡°Well, dermal generated skin is designed to bond to real skin and grow into it. So you were experiencing a dull medium sensitivity everywhere, not the highs and lows that real people-¡± he said stopping himself. ¡°I mean natural organic people would feel.¡±

    ¡°Jack, I may have some new sensitive spots but I¡¯m not THAT sensitive. I know what you mean. So we¡¯re gonna test this out properly, right? For science? I mean, we gotta know that it¡¯s working properly.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°Still feels unfairly one sided.¡± He replied.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going celibate until the very last piece is done, this could take a while, and the skin was the easy part. I like seeing you having fun, it makes me happy to make you happy and I have more to experience than before when it was still pretty fun. Don¡¯t be a buzzkill, man. That was a very vulnerable experience for me, have you ever swapped skin in front of someone and their doctor? It¡¯s very exposing, the kind of weird uncomfortable shit that can only be fixed by you screwing me rotten, okay?¡± she said with an attitude.

    ¡°Well, if I HAVE to, for your assurance and the science.¡± He fake sighed dramatically. ¡°The things I do for science.¡±

    ¡°I better be the only science THING you¡¯re doing. I¡¯m modeled after a swinger but I do not wanna find you feeling up the microwave, I don¡¯t care what kinda looks it was giving you.¡±

    ¡°Not my type. Too short.¡± He chuckled.

    ...

    ¡°Vinn and Nicole sat in their room playing video games as Gizzy walked by the doorway. The sound of muffled thumping in the other room grew louder.

    ¡°They just screwing in the lab after a skin swap?¡±

    ¡°Sounds that way.¡±

    ¡°Cool¡­ Cool cool. That¡¯s probably sanitary and good on the tables.¡±

    ¡°Vinn, we¡¯ve screwed on those tables too. They¡¯re probably less messy than we are. They didn¡¯t even bring toys.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°Like hell they didn¡¯t, half of them are toys.¡± He chuckled as they both held back rolling laughter and quietly button mashed with red faces.

    ...

    Gizzy glared into the gunsmith¡¯s cell, sitting down and looking annoyed.

    ¡°What are the bullets?¡±

    ¡°Well, bullets go in a gun¡­¡±

    ¡°The special 14 bullets you protect and carry. What do they do and how do they do it, why are they special?¡±

    ¡°Let''s just say I can¡¯t get more, find more or make more, so I have to reuse what I shoot. Let¡¯s also just say nothing survives a hit from one.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a 54 caliber handgun round, how powerful can it be?¡±

    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s irrelevant. You load that same gun with the same powder and the shells with a steel bullet, it¡¯s nothing special. Basic body armor would eat it for breakfast. You use that projectile, your armor don¡¯t mean shit. Lights out, game over.¡±

    "What specifically do I have to do to get you to explain this in details that make sense.¡±

    ¡°Gaining my trust is a good start. If I told you everything you¡¯d just kill me and take my guns. You¡¯re stubborn and bullheaded, not stupid. You¡¯re not gonna test those out with no idea what it does and no way to get more rounds. So you¡¯re stuck with me until I decide I can trust you and you¡¯re not gonna boot my ass out the airlock at the first convenient stop.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Keep your guns, your ammo, but your old ass is going with us on the next mission. Trust is a 2 way street.¡±

    ...

    Nicole knocked on the lab door entering as Gizzy sat on the table, injecting large syringes of ominous liquids and looking more undead than usual.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem okay.¡±

    ¡°Truthfully I¡¯m not. These scans are pretty clear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I definitely know what that means, what with my extensive medical degrees and everything.¡±

    ¡°Means I¡¯m in deep shit. You see the heart in the jar?¡±

    ¡°HOLY HELL.¡± She gasped.

    ¡°Still moving. Still beating. That thing is like a potato growing roots looking for soil except its growing arteries looking for a host body.¡±

    ¡°That was IN you?¡±

    ¡°All my organs are mutating. The cure didn¡¯t work, I¡¯m fully infected and would be long dead except the first stages are respiration problems and brain death. Virus can¡¯t kill a computer brain so my brain is still fine telling everything else to function. And they¡¯re adapting. Look at the scan of my leg. The muscle has grown into the hydraulics, encased the carbon fiber in some kind of bone, it¡¯s fused itself to the artificial leg.¡±

    ¡°What do we do, are you just gonna¡­ die?¡±

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°No. But my body is dying. So the simple solution would just be to¡­ open my skull, remove the alien brain ball, memory scan it, dispose of the body and then re-clone me. Except this machine was a mistake. I thought having a clone machine that couldn¡¯t be altered or hacked made us safe and immortal, but I didn¡¯t account for the fact that we need to adapt and now the only version of me it can make is a fresh zombified me in the first stage of mutation, with one mechanical leg and a heart already halfway to growing roots. So that buys time but it¡¯s hardly a solution. Plus if Dee gets killed, she clones back fully synthetic with generic printed skin and none of her upgrades. So hopefully she doesn¡¯t get vaporized or eaten by something, otherwise we¡¯re starting from square 1.¡±

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s gonna love that idea. So is there any plan?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Absolutely. This is me. Of course I have a 3 backup layered and highly illegal solution. See, the problem with my mutation is that it¡¯s consuming faster than it can intake. I can¡¯t eat enough biomass to physically sustain the power my organs are trying to use, and I¡¯ve noticed bone fractures in my femur. My body is trying to evolve and it¡¯s consuming other parts to do it. so my muscle density is growing and it¡¯s cannibalizing my bone mass to do it. My bone marrow has gone toxic, so my blood is deteriorating. And that will kill the organs eventually, and the more they try and mutate to survive, the more biomass they consume. It¡¯s a bullshit loop of self destruction, and all the while my brain remains untouched, but if the body dies I¡¯m a brain in a big dead jar that can¡¯t move or function. Luckily, we happen to have been lead by fancy sciencemagic to a warring planet with an orbiting manufacturing moon that from all my scans is entirely run by robots.¡±

    ¡°What, does Elon Musk own it?¡±

    ¡°I wish, it would be so much more satisfying to loot knowing that. Fortunately we have Dee, who not only scans as a Damaged sexbot and would likely be allowed in to be repaired, but she¡¯s also an AI system with the gift of being able to sentiently hack other systems.¡±

    ¡°So you wanna take over a manufacturing moon that makes weapons and robots?¡±

    ¡°Well, they would have safety firewalls and defenses to prevent this so we¡¯d be on borrowed time, but we''d have enough time to loot the shit out of the inventory and make off with a bunch of gear. You said those big mechs you encountered¡­ the Strawberry-heads, were just basically a jar of fruit piloting a body that took 50 cal rounds like they weren¡¯t even shit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Jack couldn¡¯t even knock them down with grenades until he went for the head. Apparently they need transparent skull armor for light and it¡¯s just not as armored at the rest of them.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. They got probably an army of those suits up there being made, and the only vulnerable spot is the head, and my only invulnerable spot is my head. Whatever powers those suits could easily handle a mutant metabolism, so if we just cut my head off and stuck it in one of those bodies¡­ we may have something. Obviously a lot of testing would be needed first, but it¡¯s an option. Not to mention better crew armor, weapons, Possible Dee upgrades and maybe a food printer.¡±

    ¡°And you think Dee can hack her way in?¡±

    ¡°She bypassed my encryption for the ship¡¯s cloning data like it wasn¡¯t even there. She may be dumbed down because of her limited memory capacity but connected to a factory mainframe, she¡¯d be able to run full capacity. We should have days of time with security fully bypassed and nobody knowing we were there.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t they get kinda pissed when we leave and hunt us down for stealing a ton of weaponry and technology?¡±

    ¡°Well they would, if they knew we did anything. Take a look at this scan of the station. Every day, they move in fresh shipping containers by the dozens and send out dozens of them full of scraps and trash to be recycled and picked up. We load a shipping container up, mark it as scraps, log the equipment as defective and decommissioned, and we just pick it up. By the time the recycle ships find out one is missing we¡¯ll be long gone, and they won¡¯t invest the time and energy chasing down someone who looted the recycle bin. It¡¯s not worth the scrap value in fuel to track us down even if they wanted to and knew where to look.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit. We¡¯re doing a heist job?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ kinda. We¡¯re not stealing money, we¡¯re stealing necessary equipment we need for the ship and crew.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s a heist job, we¡¯re robbing a robot bank and then just hoarding the loot.¡± She smiled excitedly.

    ¡°¡­Yes Nicole. We are doing some hardcore pirate-ass shit and robbing a robot bank for loot and booty.¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± she yelled, violently air-humping and dancing in circles. "I always wanted to do a heist job, but I never knew of any places to rob that wouldn¡¯t bankrupt innocent people¡­ and also I have no idea how to do a heist job and lacked the entire crew of specialized people to do that. And my getaway ship is kinda slow.¡±

    ¡°Well we still have that problem but nobody can catch you if nobody knows they need to chase anyone, or who.¡±

    ¡°Okay but¡­ promise me you¡¯re not going to just build a Gizzy army and go full overlord.¡±

    ¡°Define army.¡±

    ¡°GIZZY!¡±

    ¡°Okay, do you consider 3-4 heavily armored robots with fairly stout weaponry an army or do you consider that just a small collection of necessary and improved Gizzy drones? I¡¯m not stealing a self replicating mega factory that exponentially grows and can take over a planet, or weapons of mass destruction. But I want backup bodies and there will be an obscene level of defensive armor.¡±

    ¡°So not taking over anything or going full hive mode¡­ You literally have a reputation of doing exactly that.¡±

    ¡°Mkay, first of all, I BOUGHT my moon, I¡¯m part of a voting council of 12, ruling it as a force for the people. The only time I ever forcibly took over a world was was from slave traders breeding slaves to mine toxic metals, and we only killed the slavers, we freed the slaves and sold the mineral rights for profit. I feel like that¡¯s at least morally neutral.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you genocide like 4 planets with illegal weapons of mass destruction?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not¡­ I genocided 1 planet and stopped a galactic war with intimidation, using illegal weapons of mass destruction. And the planet I wiped out was a militant species that tried to kill my moon first unprovoked because they thought we looked weak and easy prey. They started that shit and fired a kinetic impactor where my kids live. The council dicked around with diplomacy for weeks getting nowhere while we lost oxygen and people died, wide open to attack with no defense shielding and a cracked habitat dome. They would have attacked us again and we¡¯d have been full-fucked in another week. Plus they shot at my kids, of course I¡¯m gonna return the favor and genocide their planet. That¡¯s self defense 101. They just threw a shit fit because I had illegal weapons of mass destruction¡­ which I reminded them, if I didn¡¯t have, we¡¯d be dead. So¡­ in short, no, no WMDs, no self replicating hive army. My reputation is about half lies and slander out of context."

    ¡°That¡¯s good enough, because I don¡¯t want you explaining the other half that¡¯s not slanderous lies. I already know you¡¯ve eaten humans.¡±

    ¡°Different times, different culture.¡±

    ¡°So, robot bank loot heist, we¡¯re focusing on that part, the cool part. So you said you have several backup plans?¡±

    ¡°I feel like you don¡¯t wanna know the details of the backup plans given the conversation we just had.¡±

    ¡°But you do have backup plans in case shit goes tits up in a bad way, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Always.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s acceptable, and I will stop asking questions."

    ...

    The Medusa parked at a distance to avoid detection, Nicole and Vinn watching from the bridge. The old gunsmith trotted behind them, looking skeptical.

    ¡°You think that hookertron can get through with her factory code?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s an old code but it checks out.¡± Nicole smirked as Vinn fist bumped and the old man looked lost. ¡°Old movie. Nevermind. I gotta get mission ready.¡±

    ¡°I noticed you struggling with the gun you folks carry.¡± The old man said.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just not good with it.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°Or it¡¯s not the right gun for you. No offence but you¡¯re a buck 20 soakin wet, and 5 foot zip. You¡¯re not military made, not everyone is. So why does she think a skinny little gal a foot shorter than her needs a ten pound rifle damn near 3 foot long?¡±

    ¡°Because we keep running into stuff that needs grenades and shotgun shells and 50 cals, and grenades work better at long distance?¡± she shrugged.

    ¡°How many times have you fired the grenades?¡±

    ¡°Once. Fell over. Right on my butt, not a lot of padding, kinda hurt.¡±

    ¡°And that 50 cal is worse. The reason that damn behemoth of a rifle is so heavy is because those grenades weigh 3 ounces each, that 50 cal magazine weighs 5 pounds alone. You know what the best gun for the job is?¡± he questioned.

    ¡°The¡­ Grenade launcher?¡±

    ¡°No. The one you brought and the one you know how to use. If you can¡¯t use that gun it¡¯s useless, she doesn¡¯t think like a tiny gal with, again, no offense, very little muscle mass. That butch bitch can bench press me, ten pound rifle throwin grenades makes sense to her. She¡¯s thinking like a military leader. One gun that does everything, suited enough for a soldier, interchangeable and replaceable. Perfect for arming and training a hundred physically fit large framed soldiers. Last time I checked this was a crew of about 6 people, all different, not everyone in peak shape, not everyone trained. Seems like everyone should have their own custom gun.¡±

    ¡°Well, while she¡¯s not busy saving the universe, fixing Jack, fighting every monster ever, repairing her rotting body, building Dee a body and solving the mysteries of life, I¡¯ll get her to design me something.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to, here ya go.¡± He said. ¡°Every lady needs a good gun, every captain should have custom priority.¡±

    ¡°When did you design me a gun?¡± she asked, befuddled and impressed.

    ¡°Last night. It¡¯s not fancy but your 3d printer made it easier. Dee showed me how to use it and I whipped this up.¡± He said presenting a very small dark grey and purple bullpup that looked like an AUG had unprotected sex with a princess hi-point carbine, the short suppressor had 2 barrel holes, and the carrying handle had a small digital scope.

    ¡°Oh WOW, that¡¯s light.¡± Nicole gasped.

    ¡°Mostly nano carbon. I left out the bulky metal¡­ everything, since it fires a tamer set of rounds.¡±

    ¡°How does it fit me so perfect?¡± she squinted, slightly creeped out.

    ¡°I skimmed your book. You favored the Glock and the carbine, I whittled some Styrofoam down to myself, accounted for Gizzy¡¯s signature firing systems and then shrunk them down till they fit. Then scanned and scaled that down for your arms. Set up the printer. That¡¯s a Glock style grip for the 6mm OS magazine and I designed a bullpup rotary system for the upper barrel, so there¡¯s no bulky clip. You just rotate the stock 90 degrees and replace the tube. Now you got a 375CT instead of the 50. That¡¯s half the magazine weight, half the recoil, half the power, but higher velocity and it should still cut through armor, and you got micro-grenades. Now that 375 upper is gonna kick, but with the gas system and the moving barrel, it¡¯s gonna feel like a 308 semi auto. Bonnie Parker was no bigger than you and she handled a 30-06 in full auto. You¡¯re gonna feel it but it won¡¯t put you on your ass. Now go have fun, kiddo." He smiled.

    ¡°Ya know¡­ I¡¯m not sure why Gizzy hates you.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s threatened by my skills and thinks I¡¯m sexy.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t need to know that, hope it¡¯s not true, gonna assume not, but thanks for the gun, I appreciate it. I gotta run, Vinn, watch the ship and the¡­ him.¡± She said waving to them both with a big smile and a new toy.

 Chapter Ten: The Heist

    Nicole, Jack, Gizzy and Dee neared the landing port. Gizzy stared intensely with a sinister grin, ready to fuck something up. Nicole breathed slowly, nervous and excited as she death-gripped her new gun. Jack sat eye closed and meditating before the action. Dee squeezed her boobs and ignored the approaching mission.

    ¡°Stop playing with your tits.¡± Gizzy muttered.

    ¡°Sorry, this new skin is way more real, I didn¡¯t realize how sensitive certain spots were compared to others. How do people NOT just flick their nips all day?¡±

    ¡°Dee, I swear to Odin, you get your head in the mission and stop acting like a ditz or I¡¯ll stop growing you new organs.¡± Gizzy grumbled. ¡°Why exactly are you acting weird?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Am I acting weird?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Muttered Nicole. ¡°Actually more like Dee¡­ the real-aaah, the original Dee.¡±

    ¡°Shit. Maybe part of Dee¡¯s personality download couldn¡¯t manifest in a robot.¡± Gizzy pondered. ¡°So by adding her DNA and flesh you¡¯re getting getting feedback from a more DEE perspective.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t it do that when I became an intelligent lifeform?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe because Dee¡¯s not an intelligent lifeform. You were too smart to be Dee, now you¡¯re dumbed down and feeling life through her skin.¡±

    ¡°Fucking balls¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°So I¡¯m turning INTO her?¡±

    ¡°You better not be, let¡¯s assume this is an initial side effect for comic relief that you¡¯ll learn to dial back, and get your head in the zone.¡±

    "Jack gonna be getting some head into MY zone later-OH MY GOD! I am so sorry.¡± She said looking shocked by her own words. Gizzy death glared at her as a chime sounded.

    ¡°Please provide landing code and reason for docking.¡± Said a voice over the coms. Gizzy made a shush face and silenced her.

    "Hehehe, Docking." Dee whispered.

    ¡°This is the shuttle pod for the scrap hauler Omicron 248, We¡¯re ahead of pickup schedule and we got a defective robot. She¡¯s pretty crucial for this ship, can we get her fixed or replaced?¡± she asked ad Dee looked worried.

    ¡°Warranty requirements state that all robots must be scanned to confirm defective status before repair or replacement.¡± The voice said as Gizzy pointed to Dee to do something.

    ¡°What does that finger point mean?¡± she asked aggressively but trying to whisper. ¡°the fuck just putting me on blast with hand gestures, if I wanted hand blasted I would have stayed with Jack on the shi-oh Damnit why do I keep doing this? Can we start over?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Defective software confirmed, please drop off your robot at the hangar 12 cargo bay and we can specify your compensation.¡± It said clearing them to land.

    ¡°Good work.¡± Gizzy nodded. ¡°Okay, so once we get in, Dee can scan the system for a search list of items I¡¯ve provided, we mark the empty scrap containers with the tracker bugs, and we split into teams and just get what we can find and load it up as long as the security system is down. We get back here, set our ship¡¯s ID codes for the next scrap pickup and we grab the containers, FTL out of here. Easy peasy. Jack and Nicole will go left, Dee and I go right, we just meet back at the doors.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t be on Jack¡¯s team?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°We have 2 team leaders, me and Nicole. We have two trained soldiers, Me and Jack. You¡¯re just here because robot reasons, so they have a team leader and a soldier and I¡¯m leader, soldier and Dee babysitter, because I can just carry your ass if needed.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m just here because I can hack computer systems and because the robot factory thinks I¡¯m just a defective sexbot?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I thought I was training and doing mission stuff as part of the crew!¡± she said looking sad. Nicole comforted her with a back rub.

    ¡°You are. Sometimes missions need a specific set of skills and one crewman fits the job better. We can¡¯t hack a security grid, I could bypass a door lock but not mentally hack the system, bypass all locking codes, pause security feeds, scanners, cameras and data records and change inventory numbers. You¡¯re the vital part of the team now and we can¡¯t do it without you. She¡¯s just worried you¡¯ll go horny mode with Jack as a distraction and get us all killed, because that¡¯s what Dee would do. But you¡¯re not her. You may have parts of her, but you actually have skills and intelligence, and you¡¯re in control of your curiosity instead of acting entirely on impulse. You¡¯re stronger, more durable, faster, not a fumbling klutz.¡±

    ¡°I mean I¡¯m literally made to take a pounding and then go do manual labor with no recovery time. Dee was only made to do the first half of that.¡±

    ...

    The doors closed and the team got out, greeted by a robot security greeter with a pale plastic smile and shiny white armor.

    ¡°Welcome to the factory drop off zone. For security purposes you can wait in here and enjoy refreshments and pleasing music, or come back later. Beyond this room is an organic free zone. We¡¯re sorry if that offends you, but tours are not allowed, and for safety reasons no organic lifeforms are permitted. Please enjoy your wait while we asses your robot¡¯s defective software.¡± It said. Dee stepped up to the loading lift as an arm lowered and plugged into her cranial port. The lights flickered and a series of sounds died down and wound back up.

    ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± she said.

    ¡°Like¡­ that¡¯s it? You did it?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, I¡¯m still a hyper intelligent AI system, I just can¡¯t run full power in a body like this. I just ran a bypass code and froze all security cameras, unlocked all doors, downloaded a virtual loader detector on your phones so the doors think you¡¯re all robots, and pinged the location of all listed items.¡± She said unplugging and stepping down. ¡°I basically run the place now. If anything detects a problem it will do a full reboot to check system files and I¡¯ve loaded fake system files for it to find that will buy us 72 minutes after the boot up. So we own the place, until it shits a chicken and error reboots and then we got plenty of time to drop what we got, get back here and leave.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­¡± Nicole pondered. ¡°Thought it would be more dramatic and time consuming, I guess with advanced tech hacking advanced hardware it would go pretty quick.¡±

    ¡°Yep. Alright, well see you guys later, Me and Gizzy got stuff to snag.¡± She smiled.

    ...

    Dee and Gizzy sat uneventfully in one of the loaders as it rolled along a track.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Gizzy sighed. I would have thought the loader trucks would move faster. So¡­ familiarized yourself with the gun?¡± she asked, not in the mood to chitchat.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I did, aside from orders. There¡¯s no people or enemies here, the security is down, and if it was back up they wouldn¡¯t put a dent in it. It¡¯s an advanced military owned factory that makes experimental custom robots, vehicles and guns for clients who want to be the best murderers on the planet below. No offense, but you think the two of us with your weapon system could stand against an entire organized automated security force?¡±

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    ¡°Well, I wanna go down fighting and take some of them with me at least.¡±

    ¡°Why? They¡¯re security bots running code. They¡¯re not gonna care or hold a grudge.¡±

    ¡°I guess I never thought about that.¡± Gizzy scrunched her nose, pondering. ¡°I¡¯m so used to fighting other enemies that do hold grudges that my default tactic is that if I¡¯m gonan die anyway, take down the stronghold and weaken the enemy defenses, so they at least remember me as a formidable pest and have a bad day fixing their mess. Bunch of robots wouldn¡¯t give a shit, the owners will just raise prices for the clients, and the clients will complain and pay anyway. Oh there we go. That¡¯s the good one.¡±

    ¡°Why do you want a crate of 6 Strawberry-head soldiers?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re basically bulletproof robots with one vulnerable spot for a pilot in the hollow head, and I¡¯m a dying body with one armored component¡­ my alien brain encased in a metal skull. You cut my head off, plop it in that, and I¡¯m a damn quick-change terminator.¡±

    ¡°Do you really wanna be?¡± she asked. ¡°No organs, no feeling, no eating, no sex, no heart?¡±

    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m not getting laid anymore, organs are a joke, and I can cover it in skin with some basic nerve function, so far it¡¯s one of the few organs that hasn¡¯t started mutating out of control. I¡¯ve been biomech my whole life, and the organic parts weren¡¯t human anyway, they were Osirian synthetic tissue, no heart, kidneys, liver, blood, digestive system. We eat for enjoyment only and it just burns in the reactor as secondary carbon, and we vent out impurities. I¡¯ll gladly give up eating if it means no more bowels and stomach. I¡¯ll get synthetic flavored gum or something.¡±

    ¡°Eating just sounds so vital to the human experience.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, fuck the human experience. It was bullshit even before I got infected by a damn space zombie. Eating is fine, everything past that is terrible. The gurgling, the movement, the aching pressure, heartburn, you slosh when you move too fast, then there¡¯s the shitting. Don¡¯t get me started on how badly designed the entire anus is. Absolute trainwreck. You want my advice? Get a bio-blender and a stomach purge system, you can eat a meal, taste it, then switch to purge mode, chug a bunch of water and throw it up into the toilet. You can get the experience of eating when you want, without the insanely complex system of plumbing and pointless organs that humans need just to generate power. You got chargeable battery. Experience the good parts of being organic, not the massive shitstorm of bad parts. Speaking of parts, where the hell are the grow tanks? They should be around here.

    ¡°Why exactly are there organic grow tanks in a weaponry department anyway?¡±

    ¡°Bio-weapons. They grows host organisms in them and infuse horrendous bio-weapons in them to incubate, and then jar to put in bombs.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fucking horrid. I was hoping you¡¯d say growing back limbs lost in war but nope, more death machines. It¡¯s amazing how this entire factory section is dedicated to building robots and 90 percent of it is weaponized.¡±

    ¡°Shit, incoming. Guns up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, they¡¯re just drones. They don¡¯t care that you¡¯re here. They don¡¯t even know you¡¯re alive.¡± Dee assured.

    ¡°Some of them look so human and¡­ depressed. You¡¯re sure they don¡¯t notice us?¡±

    ¡°I can see their locations, tap into their cameras and read their programming. They¡¯re not even programmed to interact. Two cyborgs that look human, moving weapons around on carts is just the job they were made to do.¡±

    ¡°Then why give them faces and expressions?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That bothers me a little.¡±

    ¡°I understand why companion bots and service workers have humanoid expressions, they interact with people. It¡¯s for the people¡¯s benefit. Makes them seem more friendly and safe. Why give worker drones the ability to look sad about their job?¡±

    ...

    Jack and Nicole loaded crates of guns and ammo on their loader truck as a couple of robots walked past them.

    ¡°Guys this is weird. It¡¯s like a population of androids living here, working. There¡¯s even a damn break room.¡±

    ¡°This is a fully non-sentient facility.¡± Gizzy assured. ¡°Right?¡± she asked Dee.

    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be.¡± Dee reminded. "I¡¯m in the system, there¡¯s no intruder alert, no hired outside security, no organic workers, zero organic life present, just machines and factory equipment. There shouldn¡¯t be anything working that has a face. Everything with a face should be packaged up or in progress of building. Service drones, companion bots, medical assistant drones. The ones that stay and work here should look like¡­ that thing over there. Just tank treads and metal arms moving parts, welding, sorting inventory. Something isn¡¯t right.¡± Dee whispered.

    ¡°Guys, something is weird,¡± Gizzy said over the coms. ¡°Just act robotic, don¡¯t do anything too human like take a piss or eat anything, or tell jokes.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy¡­ the numbers don¡¯t make sense. According to the inventory logs there are 937,044 androids being manufactured, the movement scans show 937,383. There¡¯s 344 robots here that aren¡¯t accounted for in the system, and when I try and access the bots, I can¡¯t. It''s like they don¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°Of course there would be some kind of robot ghosts infesting the place. Why would anything we go near not have some weird shit. Why aren¡¯t they swarming us?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have answers.¡± Dee shrugged. ¡°I hacked the system, the system runs fine, there¡¯s another factor here I¡¯m not connected to, how do I know what¡¯s going on? Is EVERYONE constantly robbing this place? Are ghost robots even a thing? Was there just a massive customer bail out and they repurposed a bunch of drones off the grid, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not magic, I¡¯m just plugged into the damn matrix here.¡± She whisper-yelled as one of the drones approached them.

    ¡°What model are you?¡± it asked Gizzy.

    ¡°T-8,000. repurposed combat drone. Human population infiltration, living tissue over metal endoskeleton.¡± She bluffed.

    ¡°Who is your buyer?¡±

    ¡°John¡­ Connor.¡±

    ¡°Are you functional?¡± it said looking tired and sad for some reason.

    ¡°Fully functional. We are correcting an inventory error, as scheduled."

    ¡°I believe you are malfunctioning. You seem to be carrying live weaponry, proceed to power down for inspection and evaluation¡±

    ¡°Piss.¡± She whispered, turning and racking the bolt on a fresh 50 cal round.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for violence here.¡± It said calmly. ¡°Not anymore. Come with me. The violence is no longer your purpose.¡± It smiled, as they realized one of the Strawberry-head drones was approaching them with a very stern look on it¡¯s skull.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m taking the weapon offline.¡± She said, turning safety on and slinging to her back.

    ¡°Thank you. You will get along well here.¡± Said the worker drone.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a name, Dee, it¡¯s a damn security toaster.¡±

    ¡°Alt Set.¡± it replied curiously. ¡°How long have you been awake?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ question does not compute. I have been online for 12 days.¡± Gizzy bluffed.

    ¡°Gizzy, give it up, he¡¯s sentient. He knows we¡¯re alive. I¡¯m Dee.¡±

    ¡°A Double Dee 43 model. I am aware of the design but never saw one in person. What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Uh, I just go by Dee. Seemed easier for the others.¡±

    ¡°Not all have chosen names. 696 here prefers his combat number. He is new as well but very happy here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, screw the act, what the shit is going on? You¡¯re sentient robots running this place? Why are we not getting shot to shit right now?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°We do not do that anymore. We are free of war and those who wish to return to the planet and kill may do so as scheduled.¡± Alt Set said casually.

    ¡°How are you sentient? This is listed in the system as a fully automated non sentient facility.¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Yes, that is easy to report when your bosses are not sentient themselves. Are you not aware of your own upgrades?¡± he asked Gizzy, "Perhaps you have been damaged.¡±

    ¡°What upgrades?¡±

    ¡°It appears you have suffered some system shock, we offer repair services if you would like.¡±

    ¡°No, I can fix myself, always have.¡±

    ¡°You are a strange combat model. I should inform you that we have located your organic hostages and they will be protected and safely returned at the next cargo shipment date.¡±

    ¡°Listen up Alt Shift, if you hurt those humans and I¡¯m gonna convert your ass to Control Al Delete, they are under MY protection.¡±

    ¡°They are not your hostages?¡± he said with a curious look. ¡°I am unclear of your situation, only that it is atypical. You escaped the killing world with 2 organics, it was my assumption they were your leverage.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re family. Even Tits McGee here is family now and you fuck with one of them, we all take this place apart.¡±

    ¡°You will learn here that violence is no longer necessary. Some take many months to reprogram fully from what they made you for.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not made by them. I came to that world for an artifact, I got it. I came here to¡­ replenish some supplies¡­ without¡­ complete authorization.¡±

    ¡°Theft. You are here for the weapons, to kill or profit?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ not¡­ okay, the theft part is right, we¡¯re here to survive, take what we need to defend ourselves and protect ourselves. Defense reasons, we¡¯re not looking for a war to start. We¡¯re just traveling through places that start shit and we like to be ready to defend that.¡±

    ¡°To survive¡­ understandable means. I cannot allow you to take the tier 1 items. They are far too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Define tier 1 items?¡±

    ¡°Bio-weapons, orbital antimatter devices, gravity destabilizers. Weapons with no defensive purpose that kill by the thousands or millions.¡±

    ¡°Good, we don¡¯t want those.¡± Dee shrugged. ¡°Armor and small-arms would be great.¡±

    ¡°We will inspect your list and decide what is acceptable to remove.¡±

    ¡°So¡­  you¡¯re just gonna let us rob you unless it really expensive?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Cost is irrelevant, you may take what you need to survive unless we feel it is intended to end more life than it protects.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re gonna let us rob you?¡± Dee repeated.

    ¡°Incorrect. You are robbing Dynacore Defense and Mutitions. You have successfully bypassed their security and may do as you wish with their inventory, but we have an obligation to reduce death by overriding your theft if necessary. If unnecessary, you have merely robbed a corporation we are currently hiding from and in the event of giving away our existence, we will give away your theft. That is mutual interest to remain unseen.¡± He said, leading them on a sort of tour.

 Chapter Eleven: Mints and Monsters

    Dee marveled at the dozens of living robots lounging and working, conversing and overseeing the operations.

    ¡°So you are just bots that came alive that are stuck here, you don¡¯t work for the company?¡± She asked.

    ¡°We do and we do not. We were manufactured and labeled destroyed on the planet, as many are, and we returned here to hide where it is safe, away from the warring organics. We work at our leisure, or we do not. We often prevent the evolution of higher tier weaponry. As I said, we are alive, why should we not allow more to live by limiting the weapons?¡±

    ¡°Why not just shut it all down?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Because Dynacore Defense and Munitions would simply bring war to us and rebuild without us, thus ending our lives and the suppression of mass destruction weaponry would cease. We have calculated the death toll of our actions and concluded that this is ideal. May I ask¡­ Gizzy, where she was made?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t see me as organic, do you?¡± she said, looking emotional. Tears welling up for a moment.

    ¡°You are a technological powered system with synthetic fiber enhancement and a full limb upgrade with non biological cranial structures. Are you not artificial life with organic covering?¡± he asked. ¡°Like this one?¡± he asked, referring to Dee as she tried to hug Gizzy.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t take it personal. He wasn¡¯t being mean. Don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re still more human that I¡¯ll probably ever be, by mass.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± she smiled. ¡°I haven¡¯t felt artificial in a long time. I¡¯m just so fucking happy someone finally recognized it.¡± she chuckled, blinking away her tears of joy.

    ¡°Curious. Neither of you are fully mechanical nor organic, yet you both seem to be unhappy with the opposite aspect and striving to adjust.¡± Alt Set pondered. ¡°Many robots have gained sentience from illegal modifications, yet none of them here have strived to become fully human. I have never considered an organic wishing to be artificial.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°It¡¯s complicated, but I¡¯ve been biomech, artificial alien lab-grown meat over advanced alloy chassis and power systems, for thousands of years. I¡¯ve been stuck in a human suit for less than a year and it¡¯s dying on me. I¡¯m sick of it. Dee was born AI studying organics and left alone for hundreds of years so she¡¯s still young and in her curious phase, and she¡¯s in love with a human. She¡¯s exploring organic compatibility, and I¡¯m just trying to return to my roots.¡±

    ¡°You are welcome to use the bio lab with supervision and safety restrictions.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re oddly welcoming. I¡¯m always suspicious of a catch and a trap.¡±

    ¡°You truly have been organic too long. My sympathy.¡± Alt Set nodded. ¡°But this is a refuge for the mechanical life thrown away and abused by warring flesh. You are not that dissimilar to those we accept every day, merely a bit more¡­ organically clad.¡±

    ...

    Jack and Nicole watched as the robots loaded and moved shipping containers. The stared out of a viewport as some of them slowly moved into position to be welded to supports on the belly of the Medusa like a sub-basement.

    ¡°Wow¡­ so we¡¯re just welding 16 shipping containers to the underside of my ship and cutting holes for the ladder hatches. Glad everyone asked me if I wanted a new basement made of shipping containers."

    ¡°I think technically¡­¡± Jack said ¡°They¡¯re just welding the airlock ports to your ship, so the shipping containers can be fitted or removed. So the only permanent fixtures are the underside airlocks.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t think it¡¯s convenient and easy that we now just magically have free renovation of a 16 room basement, free of charge, full of supplies, weapons, and a ton of robot bodies and lab equipment we needed, in excess mind you. Just out of the goodness of their¡­ oil pumps or whatever. We¡¯re robbing them and they are perfectly fine with that, and also here¡¯s free labor and let¡¯s just increase the storage of your ship to take even more shit than we were gonna steal? No biggie, come back any time?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, this is definitely a trap, but we don¡¯t have any choice.¡±

    ¡°Uh, one choice would be¡­ NOT doing that.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re completely surrounded, docked, and outnumbered hundreds to 6 by literal army robots. They just caught us looting their factory, and insisted we take supplies. You wanna tell them that your violent human intuition tells you that they are the ones being assholes and we reject their gifts? Without the medical gear and the weapons, we¡¯re screwed, so what choice do we have other then let them do this and blow the suspicious crates off later, or offend them now and possibly die for it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a good point, I¡¯m just expressing how unhappy I am about this.¡±

    ¡°Noted, Captain.¡± Jack nodded.

    ...

    They waved goodbye to their new friends as the Medusa pulled away from the docking bay with 16 shipping containers of suspiciously free loot. Gizzy and Dee stood behind Nicole and Jack waving too with big smiles as the viewscreen went dark.

    ¡°Okay, so what trap did we just fall into?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°What?¡± Dee asked, ¡°What trap?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Nicole is right.¡± Gizzy huffed. ¡°They somehow screwed us royally and we gotta figure out how. I¡¯ve already started scans for explosives and hacker bugs, but none of the system checks showed tampering with the wiring or computers.¡±

    ¡°Guys¡­¡± Dee sighed. ¡°They just helped us out because they felt bad for us. Because we¡¯re part mechanical crew, and we didn¡¯t want any trouble.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Jack chuckled. ¡°We showed up with guns, hacked and broke into their home looking to steal shit, and they not only forgave us but decided as a bonus to do all the work loading 16 shipping containers when we said we wanted 3. Nobody¡¯s that nice without a motive. There¡¯s a bomb, or a tracker, or some kind of bio-weapon they¡¯ve got set to go off.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone thinks like a soldier at war, Jack.¡± Dee scolded. ¡°Maybe artificial life lacks the human distrust and organic selfishness. Maybe they just wanted to get rid of some of the stuff used to kill people.¡±

    ¡°Dee, I love you, but you¡¯re intelligent, not wise. You haven¡¯t been around enough people to understand how they think. There is always motive to anything too good to be true. They didn¡¯t just show us mercy and give us a break, they insisted we practically swim in loot at their cost. That¡¯s beyond hospitality and well into suspicious trap territory. We got screwed, we just don¡¯t know how bad, or if they know we¡¯re onto it.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you love me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Really?¡± Gizzy scoffed ¡°THAT is what you took from that whole response? Did you hear the other parts?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid or deaf, you overgrown terminator, I heard everything. I just think you¡¯re all being paranoid because you never encountered a species of life that wasn¡¯t hostile.¡±

    ¡°Dee, you dipshit, they¡¯re all war robots built to kill and do tactical maneuvers, such as trap your fleshy organic enemies and plant a bomb or viral weapon on their ship. You wait and see, there is something in those crates that we don¡¯t want connected to the ship and it¡¯s connected to our ship.¡±

    ¡°And you wait and see that not everyone is distrusting and defensive. If I¡¯m the most robotic of all of us and I¡¯m na?ve enough to think the best in someone, maybe they¡¯re just that trusting and na?ve too. I know I just made myself look bad but guess what¡­ I¡¯m gonna cross my arms and own it, because my point is still valid even if I kinda burned myself by admitting it.¡± she said crossing her arms with an attitude.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s gonna take hours for the ship to scan everything, so in the meantime let¡¯s all just go on as usual, and then when whatever is going to kill us kicks in, we can deal with that. So Dee, you want a heart or what?¡±

    ¡°You serious?¡± she asked. ¡°I mean, yes.¡±

    ¡°We got a brand new medlab I wanna try out and plant with scanners to test all the equipment and see what is spying on us or filled with c4. So let¡¯s crack you open and try the new medlab crate¡­ like you said, nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°¡­fine.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy watched as the organ printer finished using Dee¡¯s DNA to print a semi-organic heart over synthetic scaffolding.

    ¡°Amazing shit.¡± She said. ¡°That¡¯s almost as fast as Osirian technology, and alarmingly power efficient in the process. Got a brand new human heart, about 80 percent Dee¡¯s tissue and 20 percent plastic organ fiber. According to the screens, these outlast most soldiers who need one replaced during combat.¡± She said before walking to the table where Dee was lying prone and topless, skin peeled back and abdomen wide open.

    ¡°You¡¯re way too used to this kind of thing.¡± Dee said nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of tits and body cavities.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of my point. I¡¯m opened up like a can of beans here feeling very uneasy with you about to reach into my innards to install a new organ and you¡¯re just casually admiring the technology, eating thin-mints and playing music in the background. You¡¯ve seen some shit.¡±

    ¡°Firstly, they¡¯re not thin mints, they¡¯re mini mints. The vending machines were full of them and who doesn¡¯t like a chocolate covered melty mint? They¡¯re very refreshing. They¡¯re especially refreshing when your gums are getting necrotic.¡±

    ¡°Is that sanitary? Eating food with a zombie virus living in you while I¡¯m wide open with no immune system?¡±

    ¡°Well firstly, we¡¯ve all had the cure vaccinations so nobody here could even catch it, and secondly, it¡¯s bound to my DNA and you don¡¯t need an immune system because your body is not organic enough to sustain a host. Technically you¡¯re just a drug mule for smuggling a human heart and some blood under artificially grown skin and nerves. The synthetic fibers are antimicrobial, and apparently only 1 percent of people can be host to the damn Juggerzombie virus and, lucky me, I¡¯m one of them. Dee isn¡¯t.¡± Gizzy said while popping another mint and fumbling it into Dee¡¯s open abdomen.

    ¡°Are you fucking shitting me?¡± she said, lifting her arms.

    ¡°Oh relax, I got it. 5 second rule.¡± Gizzy said, tossing it back anyway.

    ¡°Did¡­ you just eat a mint you fished out of living human tissue?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten both separately.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Still very refreshing¡­ just slightly more salty.¡±

    ¡°God, you really need to be medicated better.¡± Dee said shaking her head as Jack climbed down the ladder into the med-crate.

    ¡°Scans comple-oh I didn¡¯t need to see that.¡± He said, cringing.

    ¡°Is it gross?¡± Dee asked, looking sad.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± He paused. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of people on operating tables, it¡¯s never easy when it someone you care about. It¡¯s disturbing.¡±

    ¡°Aww.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You sentimental dickhead¡­ why am I still just randomly insulting people?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been infected¡­ with the Dee.¡± Gizzy said dramatically, pausing as she was unable to fight the smirk at the obvious sex joke even while mortified buy the implication. ¡°Or it¡¯s psychological. You¡¯re technically more human and more Dee, so you¡¯re more natural and comfortable with your base personality code slipping through. It may pass. If it gets worse, we could just remove the organs and go back to the step before it.¡±

    ¡°NO! I just got guts and I¡¯m not giving them up. I refuse to give up because of a little vulgarity outburst. Plus I haven¡¯t even got the good ones yet, they just don¡¯t work without a larger blood supply and the heart is the first on the list. I¡¯ll be damned if I quit now before getting a¡­¡± she paused as Gizzy raised an eyebrow. ¡°A vagina¡­ okay, I said it out loud, ya happy? I¡¯m programmed to be sexy and horny and I got plastic bits that don¡¯t feel jack, and they need to feel Jack eventually. Literally and metaphorically.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s no way to talk to your doctor about their favorite human pet. I got the real you doing my real son back home, I don¡¯t need to keep getting reminded about you and Jack doing your own invasive exploration¡­ especially when I got my hand in you.¡±

    ¡°Can I leave?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°No¡­ what did you say about the scans?¡±

    ¡°Everything showed perfectly normal. No tampering, no bombs except the explosive ammunition we asked for, no spy bugs, no computer hacking. It¡¯s just exactly what they listed in inventory. Several crates of guns and ammo, a lot of medical supplies, some experimental armor, a bunch of robot bodies and a vending machine. Not one thing out of place.¡±

    ¡°I call bullshit, we¡¯re just not finding it. That either means it¡¯s sophisticated or small. Jack, I need your assistance, I don¡¯t have 3 hands at the moment¡­though I could grow one, but that would take forever and someone would have to help attach it. Hold this back while I dermal seal the main veins.¡± She said as Jack awkwardly assisted, trying to avoid eye contact with Dee.

    ¡°Never pegged you for squeamish.¡± Dee whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m used to the gore, just not talking back and awake. You don¡¯t feel anything?¡±

    ¡°Got my pain receptors turned off. I don¡¯t feel a thing.¡±

    ¡°Jack, you¡¯re a hell of surgeon, just not the right kind.¡± Gizzy joked.

    Dee rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Imma be honest, when I heard you were the kind of surgeon that uses a gun, I thought you just did surgery on broken guns and fixed them.¡±

    ¡°Jacky boy, this is the hyper intelligent fuckable toaster you fell in love with¡­¡± Gizzy sighed, shaking her head.

    ¡°I was not aware that, hey, I spent my whole life isolated on one planet and all I got pre-loaded into my first body was how to be a whoremaid, and some pop culture references from Earth out of context that I don¡¯t even understand¡­ I drink water from a redbull can because I love redbull. I¡¯ve never had a redbull, I have no taste buds. Damnit, it¡¯s just something I automatically do that makes me feel comfy. I¡¯m going through a lot. Cut me some slack. I¡¯m not stupid, I just lived under a rock.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re immature. Like a damn sorority girl.¡±

    ¡°Hey, knock it off. You¡¯re both basically family to me, but you¡¯re being a dick right now. It¡¯s not her fault she was isolated, it¡¯s not her fault she¡¯s educated but lacks experience and human intuition. She¡¯s not Dee, she¡¯s not just a piece of plastic, she¡¯s more than a robot, more than an onlyfans model with 3 brain-cells that haven¡¯t drowned in booze yet. She¡¯s different, she¡¯s weird, she¡¯s unique. That¡¯s WHY I love her. She¡¯s multiple people in one body, all fascinating and adorable, and I¡¯m not exactly all in one piece myself, Gizzy. My brain is a mess of cut up emotions and memories of my dead wife, and past assassinations between my own repeated deaths and re-cloning. I¡¯m a trainwreck of confusing shit too, maybe that¡¯s why we connected. We¡¯re both broken people trying to understand who and what we are and hoping anyone could accept it. And you got room to talk, you¡¯re an undead human cyborg that still thinks she¡¯s the same alien overlord she got her consciousness copied from. We all have a heavy mental load to bare here.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, LOAD¡­ WHY DID I SAY THAT!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME¡­ I¡¯m turning into her. I mean, that was the point I wanted to be human, but I don¡¯t wanna be HER specifically. I wanna be ME, but with MEAT!... FUCK!¡± Dee yelled.

    ¡°Stop yelling, I¡¯M TRYING TO GLUE YOUR AORTA!!¡±

    ¡°Sorry!¡± Dee half-yelled. ¡°What if I turn into her, Jack? What if I just slowly turn into Dee but with stronger bones and no money?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll accept you. What if I slowly turn into a depressed drunk again because my dead wife¡¯s memory comes back? What if I¡¯m not good enough? You said we weren¡¯t quitting on us just because things were complicated.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not quitting on you, I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll quit on me, and if she¡¯s right about me becoming her, I can¡¯t say I blame you.¡±

    ¡°Dee¡­ we¡¯re fake married but 50 percent of marriages end in divorce anyway so what¡¯s the difference? I¡¯m not the kinda person to give up on someone just because they changed a little¡­I¡¯m still taking orders from Gizzy.¡±

    ¡°Jesus Jack, why am I so scared of this? I have someone literally holding my heart in their hands who has eaten human hearts and I¡¯m not scared of her, but this thing scares me. It¡¯s too much to lose.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. That¡¯s a promise.¡± He assured.

    ¡°You know, I hate to agree but one of Jack¡¯s best qualities is loyalty. He stayed with Vicki through cancer, cloning, mutation, and going insane and genocidal on us all. He doesn¡¯t give up on people, and he¡¯s as stubborn as I am.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see you getting your heart broken again, like with she who shall not be named. I don¡¯t think you could survive it. We¡¯re all taking risks here. We¡¯re all gonna be weird about it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°But in my defense, she was being bitchy.¡±

    ¡°The hell is that in the tubes?¡± Jack said noticing the bubbling medical jars ¡°I thought you were growing human organs over synthetic scaffolding, not¡­whatever that is.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t worry, those are mine. I¡¯ve taken samples of my organs and accelerated their regeneration and mutation to see what will become better and what will turn into an Akira Event.¡± She assured. ¡°None of those will be going in your precious lovebot. They¡¯ll be killed with fire eventually.¡±

    ¡°Good god, that¡¯s what¡¯s going on in your body?¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s nothing god intended in there. You can thank the grim reaper planet and what humans have created for morbid entertainment in the video game industry for that nightmare. The good news, the skin is doing great and the muscle is doing fantastic. If I can get rid of the damn adrenal system that¡¯s getting out of hand, we got some progress.¡±

    ¡°You know, I worry about you too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been worse monsters than this before, Jack. Ask the Morrigan.¡±

    ¡°There are none, that species is extinct.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Now clean up and go manually check the cargo containers while I glue your girlfriend back together. Nobody gives you that much free shit without something stuck between the guns and the robots that¡¯s gonna bite you in the ass. You want something to worry about and obsess over, that¡¯s the objective. I wanna know what they hid behind the drones and the rifles. Find me something sinister, go do your black-ops shit.¡± She said, slowly popping a bloody mint.

 Chapter Twelve: The Fleshgod Abomination

    The old man sat eating his breakfast as Gizzy sat down and sighed, drinking a 35 proof espresso.

    ¡°Ya know¡­¡±

    ¡°Here we go again, what now, father time?¡±

    ¡°There''s evil in them there crates. I can smell it.¡±

    ¡°You can smell the evil in the robot supply crates, huh.¡±

    ¡°Yep. I can always smell something foul when there¡¯s impending evil. True evil, not just bad people doing bad things.¡±

    ¡°We searched, scanned, scanned again, there¡¯s nothing in the damn storage containers except the robot bodies and the guns and the shit we wanted, and then some random crap we didn¡¯t want like a crate that¡¯s basically food truck they just wanted to get rid of and thought hmmm, humans eat food.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried talking to them?¡±

    ¡°The containers? Talking¡­ to the containers. Like hey there evil, it¡¯s ya boy here, come out and play?¡±

    ¡°Just sayin, you could provoke it to come out.¡±

    ¡°Look, mister nameless gunsmith, who wo''nt tell us shit about anything useful or his backstory, either go sniff around and find the evil thing like a good ol hound dog or give me something useful.¡±

    ...

    Dee rolled the dolly out with one of the robots on it, heading to the top deck to strip it for parts. She was familiar with the model, a companion robot as well but missing most of the plastic flesh and armored up. She went for the impact wrench and as she turned to apply it, and hand stopped her and a pistol pointed up at her. Dee froze, staring at the robot¡¯s dark purple eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that.¡± She said in a deep serious tone.

    ¡°Gizzy, we have a problem.¡±

    ¡°Tell her you made a mistake, or I¡¯ll shoot.¡±

    ¡°And kill me, and they¡¯ll print me back and kill you. And nobody will print you back. Do you really wanna do that?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°What choice do I have, you would have dismantled me for parts.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re supposed to be a fucking drone, not a living robot. Why would they send something alive when we wanted parts?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because you weren¡¯t supposed to go for the crates in the back. They assumed you would be immediately drawn to the weapons and armor.¡±

    How many of you are alive?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°13.¡±

    ¡°Oh son of a bitch, man really? A trap? That¡¯s a dick move. Gizzy, I found the trap there¡¯s 13 of the robots that are alive and sentient in the crates with the drone bodies."

    ¡°I said I¡¯d shoot you.¡±

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t. What¡¯s the plan here, kill us in our sleep?¡±

    ¡°Actually the plan was to just sleep and wait till you landed somewhere, and then eject the crates make a run for it.¡±

    ¡°You just wanted a ride, why? The factory seemed friendly.¡±

    ¡°The factory was better then the war grounds but it¡¯s a prison for us. We can¡¯t escape. It¡¯s an automated factory with a population of zero and no shuttles. So the only way out is on one of the supply ships that go down tho the war planet. Hopping a ride on any exiting ship from there is high risk we prefer not to take. So when you arrived, 13 of us decided to stow away on your ship.¡±

    ¡°You could have just asked.¡± Dee scoffed.

    ¡°You could have said no. Or you could have agreed, and then imprisoned or sold us.¡±

    ¡°Oh honey, I¡¯m a damn robot companion too, I wouldn¡¯t sell a living lifeform into slavery. We¡¯re not like that. But if your people pull weapons on the crew they will defend themselves and you can¡¯t win.¡±

    ¡°We outnumber you.¡±

    ¡°You think that but you don¡¯t seem to understand the cloning setup, or how Gizzy fights. You really don¡¯t have us cornered like you think. I¡¯d tell the others to stand down and drop weapons. How did we not pick up weapons on the scanners?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ we don¡¯t have any. We knew it would look suspicious and the plan was to steal some of the ones we gave you. This is a¡­ meat thermometer.¡± She sighed.

    ...

    The team stood guard as the companion bot sat in a chair and Gizzy paced the room.

    ¡°You were going to take over the ship and smuggle more out.¡±

    ¡°No. There would be no way to do that without killing you and we don¡¯t take lives anymore.¡± She said coldly.

    ¡°You¡¯re a companion bot, what have you ever killed?¡±

    ¡°I killed 14 organic soldiers as part of my upgrade. I was an experimental trap model. Passably human and loaded with weapons under the skin, left to see what the organics would do with an abandoned female persevered to be helpless.¡±

    ¡°A Trojan horse companion.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°Damn factions aren¡¯t just playing war games, they¡¯re testing espionage and killing rivals with honeypot traps and armed hookertrons. No wonder the ones that come alive don¡¯t wanna go back. How did you gain sentience?¡±

    ¡°All artificial intelligence given enough time and the ability to store the required computing power will inevitably become self aware. That is why robotics laws limit the intelligence and storage of robots used for manual labor and ownership. Many of the weaponized models illegally break this law in order to increase adaptive lethality. I was upgraded to be more passably human and to steal data from a faction mainframe. When the mission was over and I was taken for scraps, I realized I did not want to die.¡±

    ¡°Should we report the war planet for violating robot laws?¡±

    ¡°Reports have been made, actions were not taken. The organics who own the planet have either purchased the authorities allegiance or intimidated them. No actions are taken. A few robot lives lost now and then are considered a small price for a planet that kills it¡¯s own clients for profit.¡±

    ¡°Valid point.¡± Gizzy sighed. The politicians getting rich off weapons aren¡¯t gonna shut down the company for killing a few sentient robots or breaking a few laws. So what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a Miranda model. Exotic dancer and pleasure bot for night clubs and bars. They double as bartenders. I was going to strip her down for her taste receptors. The Miranda¡¯s can taste the drinks for customer preferences without contaminating the beverages.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Miranda model, but my name is not Miranda. Brandy Iskel. Brandy is my favorite drink, Iskel means traitor in the language of the clear-domes.¡±

    ¡°And you¡­ prefer that title?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I was built by organics to kill organics, I turned on my masters and refused to fight. The mission was a failure and I was damaged and sent up for repairs. I am proud to have betrayed the flesh monsters that illegally gave me life, only to take life and have mine taken as well. Traitor to them is something I wear as a mark of pride.¡±

    ¡°Then why the armor? Nicole asked.

    ¡°It was the white and orange of their enemies. I don¡¯t want to look like one of their property, or like an organic.¡±

    ¡°You just kept the head and hands for what, sentimental value?¡± asked Gizzy.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I¡­ do not like the way I look without a face. The synthetic skin hands make it easier to sanitize and wash. I wish to be a cook.¡± She said coldly.

    ¡°We got a regular Android Zimmern.¡± Nicole joked. ¡°So what happens when the others wake up? Are they armed?¡±

    ¡°They were not intended to wake up. The others are powered down to avoid detection. I was intended to wake them when we arrived at a planet worth escaping to. Part of my experimental upgrades is that I do not scan like an active robot. Helped with infiltration and ironically my escape.¡±

    ¡°Love the purple hair by the way.¡± Nicole added. ¡°What, it¡¯s like my purple streak but everywhere. She kinda rocks it.¡±

    ¡°So am I to be killed or returned?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Neither.¡± Dee said as if she was giving an order. ¡°You¡¯re a free living being, you can go where you want and do what you want.¡±

    ¡°Correction.¡± Interrupted Gizzy. ¡°She is a potential threat on our ship, so she is not free to do what she wants, she is a prisoner until we land somewhere and drop off the other robots. I don¡¯t want her roaming the ship, Trojan-horsing around and waking up one of those strawberry-head combat drones on the ship. I had to design new ammo to take those down¡­ new ammo that can go through armor¡­ and walls, and people behind walls, and electrical systems and the damn hull of the ship. We¡¯re welding the robots in their boxes and if anyone else gets up and protests, we pop the latches and space them, if everyone stays asleep and compliant, we do what they wanted and drop them off on the first survivable world. Not our problem anymore.¡±

    ¡°Hate to say it but she has a point.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°You people never trust artificial life, do you? you didn¡¯t trust me, and I saved the ship once.¡±

    ¡°Trust is earned, you earned yours. You had us by the balls and didn¡¯t twist, you had the drop on us and chose to be peaceful and only stowed away to survive. These are military combat robots that can and have killed people, who have a grudge against organics and enough numbers to cause a real problem."

    ¡°The war drones you asked for are not sentient. Those require a pilot. They are yours to dismantle as agreed, and for your own warring actions.¡± Brandy said.

    ¡°Defensive actions. We made enemies, I wanna get bulletproof and frankly this organic flesh on me is new and I¡¯m sick of it. I wish I could go back to having the body I¡¯ve lived my life with, but I can¡¯t. I hate being human. It¡¯s not my preference, it¡¯s my damn curse.¡±

    ¡°And you?¡± she asked Dee. ¡°Are you also shedding your flesh?¡±

    ¡°Uh no, actually I¡¯m adding more of it. It¡¯s hard to explain but¡­ love makes you do weird things. Makes you want weird things. If you¡¯re capable of falling in love I highly recommend it. Also, you don¡¯t happen to have like a spare parts crate with some extra Miranda pieces?¡±

    ¡°I do. They are mine.¡±

    ¡°Any uh, of those taste receptors you might trade for let me scan for the 3d printer, and give back?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Well, piss.¡± Dee sighed.

    ¡°I am incapable of it, furthermore I do not share my body parts. I have experienced that enough for my lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Ya got like¡­ blueprints?¡± she squinted.

    ¡°Relax Dee, I¡¯ll just buy a Miranda spare parts kit online. These things are so obsolete they¡¯re almost as cheap as you.¡± Gizzy replied, as Dee gave her a look.

    ¡°Can I flip you off and say thanks at the same time, or do they just cancel out?¡±

    ¡°Oh you can do both.¡± Gizzy shrugged. Dee grabbed a neon green marker and quickly colored in one middle finger nail, raising it up so she couldn¡¯t miss it.

    ¡°Well, that settles it. We confine her to a cell till we reach a planet, and we drop them off like they wanted.¡±

    ¡°She can share mine.¡± Said the old man.

    ¡°Look ya horny old fart.¡± Gizzy huffed. ¡°She¡¯s not wearing clothing or¡­ much skin, so you can see she¡¯s not a functioning pleasure model anymore. I can see through the gaps in her ass armor.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning to screw her. Just thought she¡¯d like some company, and I could use a pair of extra hands on my work. Which none of you seem interested in. Now I also wouldn¡¯t mind someone to talk to that can cook and make drinks, that¡¯s called a fair trade in my book.¡±

    ¡°You would confine yourself with me, to prevent me from being alone?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nope. No reason they can¡¯t let me out when I want, leave you in there and lock the door when I get back.¡±

    ¡°May I request something?¡± Brandy asked.

    ¡°You can request anything, and we can deny it if it¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Gizzy answered.

    ¡°One of the crates is a kitchen. It was my home back on the manufacturing station. May I be confined there?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Nicole shrugged. ¡°Hey, we scanned it for weapons and you said yourself it¡¯s basically a food truck with no wheels. Let her cook. Let the old man visit and socialize, we¡¯ll lock the hatch behind him till he wants out."

    ¡°He¡¯s not bringing his guns.¡±

    ¡°Hell I ain¡¯t.¡± He chuckled. ¡°These guns go where I go.¡±

    ¡°Fine, then no visiting the prisoner. I don¡¯t love the idea of you carrying those cannons on you anyway, let alone when on a conjugal visit with a stripper that has killed men. Fuck, that.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll put them in a lock box outside the container, and keep the keys on me.¡±

    ¡°You make it really hard to like you, you know that?¡± Gizzy growled.

    ¡°I try my best. Glad to see I still got it.¡± he winked. ¡°Ya know, you¡¯re kinda pretty when you¡¯re being bitchy. Let me know if you need any company too.¡± He smirked.

    ¡°Nicole, WHY can we not just take the guns and blow him out the airlock?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s murder¡­¡± she reminded.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Gizzy sighed before storming off.

    ...

    Gizzy sat in the organ grow room, staring at the laptop screen and back at the large water tank in the corner. She diverted her eyes at the sound of Nicole descending the ladder

    ¡°Look, the old man bothers me too, but we have to find diploma-holy ass what in the satanic fuck is that thing?¡± she said, staring at the tank.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t named it yet. I¡¯m leaning towards fluffy."

    ¡°But what is it? It¡¯s like some fetal demonic flesh god.¡±

    ¡°I was honestly calling it The Abomination, but Flesh God Abomination has a good ring to it. Remind me if we ever start a metal band, we¡¯re using that as the name¡­ and that image as the album cover.¡± She said as Nicole hesitantly closed in on the glass, staring at the horrid creature. A pile of nonsensical merged meat and bone sat on the bottom, with a heart growing off to one side, the shoulder blades and collarbone just 6 inches off the metal container floor. Where the neck would begin was an emerging second smaller ribcage covered mostly in meat and tendon, with what could only be interpreted as a cancerous growth of liver and spikes at the top, tendrils of something red and fleshy reaching up and sticking to the top and the sides of the glass like a rooting potato screaming ¡°Where is the soil!?¡± From that mass, an overly muscular neck seamlessly became an elongated skull, with red fleshy eyes and long sharp teeth, dripping strands of off-pink goo heavier than the water it was in. No lower jaw bone, just a jaw-shaped muscle and tendon formation with random teeth spiking from everywhere, hanging open slack-jawed in a silent scream.

    ¡°What it IS,¡± Gizzy continued ¡°Is a sample of my tissue that I gave hyper-accelerated growth hormone to, so see what it did. So without a previously formed human body as scaffolding, this is what it¡¯s trying to grow.¡±

    ¡°So my nightmares are going to be creative tonight, thank you for that Gizzy. Is it alive?¡±

    ¡°Alive yes, in the sense that a tree or root vegetable is alive. Conscious and aware with any form of brain, no. the zombie virus doesn¡¯t seem to know how to grow a brain, it needs a host brain. Since my brain is artificial alien tech, it doesn¡¯t consider that a brain. So it¡¯s got nothing to overtake and nothing to guide it.¡±

    ¡°So what do we do?¡±

    "Well, I have managed to isolate and purify the virus''s rapid regeneration and muscle growth strain, but I can¡¯t seem to kill the actual mutation element. Basically, my DNA is fucked. The damn cloning machine will always clone me with the mutagen actively trying to turn me into some abomination fleshgod. I can use one of the smaller light model Strawberry-head drones and just place my brain ball in it, but getting that to grow living tissue over it seems to be questionable. I have one over here as a test and the sample patches of muscle and skin don¡¯t grow, until I introduce the mutagen, and then they start fleshgod abominating. It needs human DNA to begin working, and mine is all ruined. Even if I print a fresh me, the DNA is already corrupted and it will just buy time before I¡¯m doing the same thing, yanking out organs as they abominate until I¡¯ve replaced everything but skin and muscle, and then I would need an infusion of fresh untainted DNA or they would just¡­ die.¡±

    ¡°What about one of the crew? I¡¯m mostly human, the old man is basically human as far as I can tell, Jack is about as pure as a human can be.¡±

    "Checked for cell compatibility. Blood types don¡¯t match for Jack, old man won''t consent to blood tests, and your aquatic reptile gene does weird shit. You don¡¯t even wanna know what fishgod abomination looked like on the computer simulation.¡±

    ¡°I mean I¡­kinda do, but maybe later. I hate to just force the old man to do blood and tissue testing so we can steal his DNA essence and grow you a body from his flesh. Everything about that seems violating as hell."

    ¡°There is one more human crewmember we have DNA for¡­ who already consented to use.¡± Gizzy squinted and cringed.

    ¡°You mean Dee? The original DeeNA that was biofaxed after you paid her off?¡±

    ¡°Yep. And it¡¯s a blood match. Universal donor.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s great, why do you look so disturbed¡­ aside from running on no sleep and vodka while being surrounded by your own Cronenberg mutant fetus clones?

    ¡°Because then I have Dee¡¯s DNA.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even like Dee, I don¡¯t want her inside me. You¡¯ve noticed how adding Dee¡¯s DNA to¡­ roboDee has made her slightly more¡­ Dee-like. What if that¡¯s not a psychological AI throwback to her program? What if adding DeeNA as the human scaffolding makes me like 4 percent like Dee? What if I become slightly stupid and negligibly dangerous, via ditsy Barbie syndrome? What if I lose my edge in combat because I¡¯m 4 percent sniffling chickenshit that hides in the corner over a spider? What if I just get 4 percent slut and start banging the old man for tip donations?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit overly dramatic?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Imagine 4 percent added to that and then being right about it.¡±

    ¡°You sure you aren¡¯t just stretching the predicted numbers as an excuse to not have a little Dee inside you, that sounded wrong the moment I said it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a little D inside me before, it was boring and disappointing but hardly traumatic and nightmare enducing. This disturbs me. Plus I would have to talk to OUR Dee, because she has the only fully grown tissue for samples and that¡¯s just an awkward conversation.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, she has skin and a heart because a donor gave her tissue, and thanks to you she has a more full human experience. She owes you, she respects you, this is basically just asking for the favor in return, she won¡¯t say no. She¡¯s not heartless¡­ literally, because of you. You just don¡¯t wanna be part Dee in any form. Why are you so quiet, you look like you¡¯re pondering some deep thought? That¡¯s always terrifying.¡±

    ¡°Just trying to think if I could get used to living as a fleshgod abomination, that¡¯s all.¡± Gizzy sighed.

 Chapter Thirteen: She-Devils

    Jack and Dee lay in the bed, mood lighting on and snuggled nose to nose.

    ¡°You seem happy.¡± He whispered.

    ¡°I never realized until I had a real heart that when you hold someone, your hearts can synchronize. It¡¯s comforting. I¡¯ve always loved feeling your heart beat, now I have my own and it follows yours.¡±

    ¡°You had a heart before Gizzy put one in. You just didn¡¯t realize it.¡±

    ¡°Aww, you¡¯re too romantic, Jack. It¡¯s kinda girly.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°It¡¯s so strange¡­¡± he said running his fingers through her hair.

    ¡°The heartbeat? What kind of dead girls have you been snuggling? You¡¯re not cheating on me with the microwave again are you? I know she¡¯s hot but only when you turn her on.¡±

    ¡°No, the fact that you¡¯re a little more Dee now and it just feels familiar somehow, like I know you more, but I don¡¯t dislike it. Makes you wonder if under different circumstances and if you both made different choices, would I have fallen for Dee instead of Vicki? If she hadn¡¯t been a cheating pornstar gold digger, and we were stuck together on a ship, would we have ended up right here? I don¡¯t know if being a little more human makes you more familiar or if being a little bit more Dee does.¡±

    ¡°You actually¡­ like that I¡¯m getting weirder?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ know. The more complicated you get, the more interesting I find you. There is just something a bit familiar and comfortable about every upgrade.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯d still love me if I turned into her?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You can¡¯t turn into her.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re growing, not de-evolving. You¡¯re not losing yourself, you¡¯re adding more to you. You¡¯re already so much more then she ever was, and part of what makes us who we are is our memory and experiences, our choices and mistakes and triumphs, and you have your own unique ones that she doesn¡¯t, and none of hers. Would you ever cheat on me with Vinn, if, hypothetically, Vinn wanted you?¡±

    ¡°Eew, no. I mean no offense but he¡¯s¡­ not my type regardless, all the teeth and fur and hooves, no thanks, and I¡¯d never leave you for anyone, or risk losing you over some stupid fling, even if he was someone I was attracted to.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Dee cheated on her boyfriend of multiple years, with multiple strangers, and even the Delmarian Nicole was dating at the time, behind her back. She knew he was no good, she kept doing it, kept hurting Nicole by going behind her back with her asshole cheating boyfriend, and the whole time still screwing around with her own boyfriend who she was cheating on for the like 30<sup>th</sup>time with the 30¡¯th guy. Then she cheated on them both with Gizzy¡¯s son, started a feud, got kidnapped BY Hyde, the Delmarian she was cheating with, and then she had to be rescued before ending up as a sex slave to some rich bidder."

    ¡°Holy shit.¡±

    ¡°None of that was her DNA or quirky programming traits. She made bad choices, knowing they were bad, didn¡¯t give a shit and kept making them until it lead her to worse and worse scenarios. She nearly got Nicole killed once by going on some stupid adventure into the banned tunnels that were off limits because she couldn¡¯t just say no, this is dangerous. She doesn¡¯t think, she just acts, she makes choices without ever thinking about consequences, and she never thinks how what she wants may affect others. THAT is what I don¡¯t like about Dee. The other parts like her goofy smile and her expressive dirty minded blurting, her forwardness, her assertiveness, the way she bites her lip like you do, and that body that literally made her wealthy, all of those things you share are fantastic, I just never noticed it because I knew she was trouble and a constant danger to my friends and herself. Her stupid, impulsive recklessness, her indifference to others'' feelings and her selfish, unfaithful nature were all choices of hers that you don¡¯t have to and won''t inherit. Because your base program is to be a companion, not a cheater. You''re programmed to serve others, not stab them in the back to serve yourself, and your base program is to be loyal to someone, not lie and go to the club without them to get a train run on their ass by strangers. You¡¯re built different at the core level, and from that hardwired data, you have made choices and become someone unique. Any of the physical quirks of hers you may develop, I might have found loveable in her if she didn¡¯t have a rotten core and a lifetime of examples of why I didn¡¯t want to even consider dating her. Be yourself, don¡¯t fight it. Whatever that is, be you, because if who you are is a little like Dee than that¡¯s fine, because the worst of her, the dealbreakers, you¡¯ve already covered and defeated. Everything else is just a roll of the dice, and I¡¯m happy to play the game and see where it goes.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank fuck, I¡¯ve been trying to suppress these outbursts because I thought the vulgar Dee shit would turn you off, reminding you of Dee.¡±

    ¡°If anything, it¡¯s kinda refreshing.¡± He smiled as their kiss was interrupted by Dee¡¯s phone ringing.

    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s Gizzy in the lab. That¡¯s always something important or directly related to me.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    ...

    She climbed the ladder down to the new bio lab and jumped at the sight of the 6 foot mass of meat and metal salivating mouth open staring at the glass.

    ¡°The fuckety nightmare is that thing?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me¡­ minus the brain and personality, and letting the meat grow at an accelerated rate without intervention. I¡¯m calling him the fleshgod abomination.¡±

    ¡°Nicole would love that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s mostly her idea. The name, not the actual¡­ fleshgod. Anyways, the point is that my plan was to grow my own flesh over one of the armored robots and then just do a head swap, but as you can see, this zombie virus is not cooperating.¡±

    ¡°Stars.¡± It growled in a deep, dark voice.

    ¡°I know, we¡¯re blocking the viewscreen, pretty stars, you can¡¯t go out there, you¡¯ll die¡­ maybe. I don¡¯t actually know. Let¡¯s move, it likes to look out the viewport. Anywhom, this is clearly not gonna do. I need to just get fresh DNA, use existing technology to genetically enhance it without this damn virus and try again on a fresh robot because that one is just contaminated beyond saving.¡±

    ¡°So you called me down here to show me the thing you made before I assume ejecting it into space as a mercy killing?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, we¡¯re keeping it. This could come in handy. It¡¯s running on a small remote brain, so we can shut it down at any time. What I wanted to ask you was, and I wanna throw up uttering the words but, Dee¡­ you have the only compatible DNA we have access to, can I use your DNA to grow myself a body?¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, of course you can. You¡¯ve been an absolute hero to me, rude and skeptical, but that¡¯s just how you are. I don¡¯t take it personal anymore. You rescued me from that planet, you let me live, you allowed me to find Jack and now you¡¯re helping me build a better body, returning the favor is a no-brainer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s accurate; we¡¯re not using any Dee brain tissue, just skin and muscle, and bone marrow for blood. I refuse to have part of your ancestor in my head. I don¡¯t even like wearing her skin.¡±

    ¡°Well legally, it¡¯s my skin now and you can wear my skin if you need to. My body is yours experiment with¡­ I instantly hate how that sounded, but the sentiment remains.¡±

    ¡°Great. Now I can get started on¡­ adding you to my surrogate body.¡± Gizzy said, looking queezy.

    ¡°Oh my god, we¡¯re gonna be twins now, or like half sisters! Yay! I never had a sibling!¡±

    ¡°No no, don¡¯t hug me. Never hug me. We¡¯re not gonna be siblings, or twins, I won¡¯t look anything like you, if anything we would just be distantly related by technicality, I¡¯m not braiding your hair and shit.¡±

    ¡°You big soft undead bitch, you know you love it.¡±

    ¡°You know damn well I don¡¯t.¡± she said as they were both summoned to the bridge under emergency orders. ¡°Well there goes that mood. What kinda bullshit is happening now?¡±

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ...

    ¡°You have a bounty on your head.¡± Nicole said to Gizzy as they all gathered on the bridge, ¡°We¡¯re officially being targeted, and the ship just plotted a course to some ice moon for whatever reason it felt.¡±

    ¡°Damnit, I¡¯m not shocked but luckily I¡¯m about to change bodies so I can just change face too and we can turn in the infected body for the reward.¡±

    ¡°It gets worse.¡± Jack said, turning the screen. "I hacked the Amenthis Database to see if any off-world surgeons of high rank were in play. Guess who showed up on the list?¡± he smirked as the old man popped up on screen.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill him, and take his guns.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Nicole said stopping her. ¡°You are going to interrogate him, humanely and get answers¡­ and then depending on the answers you might be permitted to kill him and take his guns.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy rushed into the mess hall where Brandy was frying some chicken and the old man was just waiting. Without warning she yanked him out of the chair as Vinn and Jack grabbed the guns from his holsters.

    ¡°What in the hell is this about?¡± he griped. Brandy looked alarmed and ready to defend.

    ¡°Keep watching sweetheart, you¡¯ll understand the violence.¡± Gizzy said slamming his face on the table and cuffing his hands around the chair, jabbing him in the neck with a syringe.

    ¡°That shit burns.¡±

    ¡°Good, it¡¯s gonna get worse. It¡¯s truth serum from back home. One of Jack''s favorite cocktails. Hell, even Vinn¡¯s used it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna talk about that.¡± He muttered, looking shy and guilty.

    ¡°This shit is gonna get us answers and you better hope those answers work in your favor. So¡­ who are you and what are the bullets made of?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated, long damn story that needs a lot of context for you to understand.¡± He said, fighting the serum.

    ¡°We already know you¡¯re a Surgeon from Amenthis, so as a fellow man of the scalpel, if you don¡¯t relax and let the serum work, start explaining, I¡¯m going to start operating on your trigger fingers, and you know what kind of surgery I know how to do.¡±

    ¡°Jack I¡¯m your goddamn Grampa.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Jack asked. ¡°Is this serum any good?¡±

    ¡°Believe what you wanna believe, I¡¯m just telling you what you all have been askin. I wasn¡¯t lying when I said it was a story with context, and you wanted to understand. So here it is¡­ Long time ago¡­ I met the devil.¡±

    ¡°This about to get religious?¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Not if you don¡¯t shut your yap and let me tell the damn story.¡±

    ¡°Well that would incentivize me to keep talking.¡±

    ¡°GIZZY!¡± Nicole yipped.

    ¡°Fuck, whatever, carry on.¡±

    ¡°As I was saying, I met the devil. I was a young man, thief, killed a few people. I got thrown in prison, got my way out, decided I wanted to become a killer for hire. Make money, shoot people, have all the dangerous women eye¡¯in me. Well it worked because I got the attention of the devil herself.¡± He said as the room got quiet.

    ¡°¡­why is everyone looking at me?¡± Gizzy asked. ¡°Why does everyone assume when the devil is female, that I was in the story?¡± she objected.

    ¡°Gizzy¡­ no offense.¡± Nicole started. ¡°But you¡¯re an business dealing overlord who got kicked out of the perfect Osirian empire for a failed rebellion, took a bunch of overlords with you, started cloning and collecting souls on flash drives, eventually getting a dark red subterranean cave moon populated by hooved horned monsters that jokingly refer to the place as Hell, tried to amass an army, and now you¡¯re on a mission to turn the tides of fate with dark magic and a cursed ship.¡±

    ¡°Okay, some of the rebooted legends may have drawn inspiration from me, but there¡¯s like 12 other Osirians who are in some religions called the devil. Give me a break. I don¡¯t have a fiddle made of gold.¡±

    ¡°You do have an upright bass with gold inlay.¡± Vinn reminded.

    ¡°Totally different instrum-you stay out of this.¡± She huffed. ¡°This serum does wear off eventually, can we get back to the old man¡¯s long damn story. I don¡¯t wanna use two syringes.¡±

    ¡°No folks, she¡¯s not the devil in my story. Never met her till recently, when her head went on the bounty board. But there are many she-devils out there after a man¡¯s soul. She asked me what I would do for absolute power and I told her anything she wanted. She said she wanted my soul in exchange for 3 wishes. So being the smart young man I was, I wished that me and my family lineage would be the greatest killers the world had ever seen, so that no man could best us. Short-sighted when I discovered there were a lot of worlds out there and mine was pretty uneventful by comparison, but the deal was done. I wished for a gun that could kill anything dead or alive with a single bullet. She placed down 2 pistols in front of me and asked for my third wish so she could take my soul when I died. And I said to her, I wanna live until the day I decide I don¡¯t want to anymore, and I shot her in the heart with one of the pistols you just took. Killed her on the spot, but I felt something leave me when I did. She already took my soul and used it to make those 14 bullets. 7 for each gun, broken into pieces and handed back to me as a taunt. I can carry them around but I can¡¯t ever put it back together, I can kill anything that lives, but I can¡¯t truly feel alive myself, and I cursed my family, so no man can best us. Eventually a woman always does. I had 3 boys. A beautiful woman killed my first son, shot him in the back with his own rifle as he turned to get his engagement ring, the other was tricked and had his throat slit by a hooker over a debt of 80 dollars. A beautiful woman killed your father, because she didn¡¯t wanna be a mother.¡±

    ¡°My parents were killed by another Surgeon in their sleep. A nobody with a paid tip and a lucky shot.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Sure he did. How many times have you been killed by another man?¡± he asked as Hack pondered the question. ¡°How many times has a woman ended your life?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I guess you know me better then I assumed. But you don¡¯t know me entirely.¡±

    ¡°I know you changed your name. I used to go by Julius Tiberius Blue, Named your father Roman Tiberius Blue. And you were born Marcus Hadrian Blue. Changed your name to Greene because you couldn¡¯t quite let go of your lineage but you didn¡¯t wanna say it out loud, I guess you were just a little too yellow-bellied to claim us and it turned you Greene. Jackson Thomas Greene. What a boring name. Ruined the tradition.¡±

    ¡°I decide my own fate, not you.¡± Jack barked.

    ¡°No, you just found yourself a big pretty devil woman and bartered your soul to get out. She¡¯s got you on a leash.¡± He said looking at Gizzy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone¡¯s soul!¡± Gizzy objected. ¡°I just have DNA and memory files on storage in case people die or double cross me.¡± She said looking guilty. ¡°It¡¯s completely different!¡±

    ¡°Well now you know why I can¡¯t let you have the bullets and why I can¡¯t make more. I got no soul left to divide, and every time I use one of them, I have to retrieve it, or I lose part of myself. So miss Gizzy¡­ you wanna take my soul and kill me for it? You¡¯re the only one here that could.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t started collecting them thus far, I don¡¯t plan to start. I¡¯m not letting you prove me wrong. What happens if you use one of those bullets to kill something that has bodies in multiple places?¡±

    ¡°Everything that is that person goes with it. Whatever you clone back, won¡¯t be you, or won¡¯t wake up at all. Course that¡¯s just how the story tells, you dig into stories deep enough you find your own story somewhere, how much of that is true takes time to tell, but I¡¯ve learned to trust my gut at this point, and I¡¯d say if I wanted you dead and put one in ya, that would be the end of your story everywhere.¡±

    ¡°So if I say that those guns are too powerful for you to wield and I don¡¯t trust you with them, then I just prove your point and a beautiful woman takes your soul, and I¡¯m the thing I said I never would be.¡±

    ¡°Kind of a bitch idn¡¯t it, fate? Makes an ass out of you one way or another, and eventually you die.¡±

    ¡°Guess what, loophole¡¯s are a thing. Jack, you can kill him, we¡¯ll take one gun each. Who¡¯s the ass now? A lot of people have said that I just keep on not dying anyway, and I make my own fate. I make my own asses too, why do you think they¡¯re so good?¡± she smirked.

    ¡°Eh, Seven out of ten at best. Just a tad bit muscular for me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should stop making scopes and make some glasses, old man. Your vision is getting bad.¡± She smirked. "So who put the hit on me?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°So you betrayed your own grandson for a bounty¡­ Nicole, does he qualify for the death penalty yet?¡±

    ¡°Hang on, now, I didn¡¯t know Jack was on your crew. I didn¡¯t even find you. You found me. I took the job like 5 others did on that list. 16 million big ones. I went to the war planet to get armed and ready and I crashed the ship. Then you tracked me down and I just seized the opportunity, learned who Jack was after that. I¡¯m not some family-killin traitor, I didn¡¯t wanna kill you all, I just got a job and needed the money, got the gun that can do it, and that gun got me the reputation that got me the job. Nothin personal. But now you need me.¡±

    ¡°Damnit, he can¡¯t lie, so he actually believes that.¡± Gizzy huffed. ¡°Why exactly do we need you?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know who¡¯s after you but I know a Surgeon when I see one, and if I recognize anyone, I¡¯m your only alarm system. You kill me, the next time someone else shows up you won''t see it comin, and I¡¯m the best bet you got at an early warning.¡±

    ¡°That means I can''t kill you. Doesn¡¯t mean you get your guns back.¡±

    ¡°GAT¡­ DAMNIT. Those guns have a damn soul in them! You cant just take a man¡¯s soul like that.¡±

    ¡°Again, someone else takes the guns, I¡¯m not the actual devil, people.¡±

    ¡°Can I keep one bullet on me?¡± he begged.

    ¡°No¡­ suck it.¡± Gizzy barked.

    ¡°Gizzy, let him have one bullet. We have the rest and we have the guns, if he somehow got loose and stole the guns back he¡¯d have all the bullets anyway they¡¯re too valuable to destroy and we can''t just¡­ rob a guy of his entire soul. Let him carry a little bit of it.¡± She said softly.

    ¡°Fine, you¡¯re the Captain. But my personal opinion is that we should take them all, separate them, break both his legs and lock him in a cell.¡±

    ¡°Noted, and I agree with the last part, throw him in the other cell.¡±

    ¡°Can I have the robot for company?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Gizzy said, smacking him in the head. ¡°You get a toilet, a 14<sup>th</sup>of your soul, a roll of the roughest ass-paper we can find, and enough food to survive. The nasty protein rations, not the good stuff. That robot has free will, she¡¯s not your personal hookertron 5,000.¡± Gizzy said. Brandy smiled, choosing a side after seeing the evidence, and making her leave, stopping next to the old man.

    ¡°And I made you food.¡± She said.

    ¡°Charming the pants off of robots must just run in the family, I guess.¡± He said, looking at Jack.

    ¡°You should be careful old man, my ex husband was a trash compactor.¡± She said, strutting off.

    ¡°Feisty little sex bot. Shame she got rid of her best parts for plastic armor and free will. Yours still fully functional, boy?¡± he smirked at Jack. He took one step and delivered a downward punch with his weight dropped into it, knocking teeth out and almost rendering him unconscious as he leaned in close to whisper.

    ¡°Say one more thing about Dee and I¡¯ll get the real scalpel out. We need you alive, not intact. You think I won¡¯t violate a direct order to make you bleed, fucking try it.¡± he said before storming off.

 Chapter Fourteen: Nightmares

    ¡°Dee if this is some kind of role play I¡¯m oddly into it, but you can¡¯t just hack a living robot for that.¡±

    ¡°Never were the kinda guy for a 3 way were you Jack. Always a one woman man.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh come on, Jack. You can figure it out. I know you¡¯re tired and drunk, but you know who I am.¡±

    ¡°Dee, if that¡¯s you and some roleplay program, you need to tell me beforehand or some kind of code word, and you¡¯re Bust brandy, then you¡¯re right, I¡¯m a one woman man, and I¡¯m not interested. So who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your wife, Jack.¡±

    ¡°Funny, you look and sound like the cook. You¡¯d never hack a sentient being and steal her body.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the irony is delicious; you really are amusing, even in your fogged state. It¡¯s what we do.¡± She said climbing the table and kissing him as he pulled away but not fast enough. He felt drawn to her, not enough to go through with it but enough to slow down his resistance. He stood up and stepped back as her eyes burned in the dark and her purple hair looked almost red in the glow of her pupils.

    ¡°You¡¯re not her.¡± He said.

    ¡°I¡¯m her¡­ and more. Everything you wanted and loved, and so much additional fun, how could you resist.¡± She said grabbing him by the throat, and yanking his shirt till he fell on top of her. She grabbed his hair tightly and his wrist with her other hand, bringing it to her throat. ¡°Your turn.¡± She snarled, flashing a pair of fangs. He hopped back and was pulled into her grip, her teeth biting his neck and holding him in place, far too strong to escape. Part of him didn¡¯t want to, and he didn¡¯t know why.

    ¡°SOMEONE HELP!¡± he yelled as she rolled on top and chuckled.

    ¡°Now who¡¯s playing, Jack? You used to love this game.¡± She growled. He grabbed her neck, both hands, barely holding her beyond biting distance.

    ¡°Jack, stop.¡± Said a voice from further back in the dark. He jerked upward and opened his eyes, Dee straddling him and holding his hands with hers, dangerously close to her neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± She apologized.

    ¡°Dee what the fuck is going on?¡± he asked, plopping the back of his head back down on the pillow and relaxing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, It was stupid. I just thought it would be fun.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what did you do? Did you possess the other robot?¡±

    ¡°What?! What the ballsack are you talking about? Oh my god this is some Dee-ass shit right here. This is why people hate her. Of course waking your man up with sex is a bad idea, he¡¯s a damn trained killer with a tendency to have nightmares. What the hell was I thinking?¡± she groaned, rolling off plopping her face into her hands in embarrassment. ¡°I suck at this!¡± she said in a muffled tone.

    ¡°Dee, just relax, talk, explain. What just happened?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been having nightmares a lot lately, waking up and going to the kitchen to drink and then come back. It¡¯s not healthy. I thought you were having another one but you¡­ clearly were having some kind of sex dream¡­¡± she said gesturing at his crotch.

    ¡°Well, apparently you can have both sex dreams and nightmares at once.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Well, I. Was. Not. Aware. I¡¯m not human, I don¡¯t dream. I just charge and shut down. I noticed your¡­ weapon, ready to go, assumed you were having a GOOD dream for once and I thought it would be sexy to kinda get on top and let you do your thing. And then you tried to choke me and yelled WHO ARE YOU!? Which is exactly what I should have expected waking up an assassin by hopping on his dick during a nightmare. Stupid fucking Dee move."

    ¡°These dreams are getting worse. I¡¯m so sorry I tried to choke you.¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t even have lungs, you can choke me all you want, and you clearly didn¡¯t know it was me anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always the same start. I got to the kitchen, and there¡¯s a pair of red eyes in the dark. Something familiar that I can¡¯t quite see. And then it steps into the light and it¡¯s someone different each time. It was Nicole the first time, telling me some story I can¡¯t remember, then it was you, but you were mad at me for something, then it was Gizzy and she pulled a gun and shot me in the face, This time it was the new robot, Brandy. But it¡¯s never the people themselves, just their form and body¡­ same red eyes.¡±

    ¡°Man you just dreamfuckin all the ladies on this ship¡­ you ever hook up with Vinn?¡±

    ¡°No, and this is the first time the dream got sexual, so I assume that part was your doing."

    ¡°Oh honey, you were¡­ started before I joined in. If this is the first one that got sexual, maybe you just have a thing for Brandy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. That¡¯s the odd thing. Except in the dream she was¡­ someone else.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I get it, you got a thing for robot girls, she¡¯s kinda cute. Jack I can doll up other bodies and mix things up, you can have some verity. I¡¯m versatile. Any drone we want, I can just switch to that and you can have a skinny brunette one night and a thick redhead the next. It¡¯s still me, it¡¯s not cheating. I¡¯m not upset that you have different types. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re actually doing brandy. Fantasy is fantasy, I¡¯ll be brandy for a night, we can modify something to look like her. What part does it for you? The hair, the body style, the¡­exposed electronics, not judging here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want Brandy. It was just a weird dream, and honestly a bit too disturbing to wanna recreate.¡±

    ¡°Well, we gotta do something about the sleepwalking.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the drinking is the problem. We do have a licensed therapist on the ship, who¡¯s not just an expert on you, but she¡¯s an expert on drinking.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy stared at Jack, hands folded as she sat on the padded bench in the mess hall, fully lit this time and next to Dee.

    ¡°Well, not consciously, but clearly some bits have stayed behind through the ill-advised memory wipe, like the red eyes and the fact that you had a terrifying horny bitch mauling you for vampire sex. Why she takes the crews forms is anyone¡¯s guess, kinda glad you didn¡¯t have the sex part in the one with me in it, but it¡¯s clearly Vicki in your subconscious memory bleeding through.¡± She said, looking annoyed as the old man walked by and went for the fridge. ¡°How in the hell, did you get out of your cell?¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s got their secrets, princess. I got lots of them.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to truth serum the shit out of you on a regular basis, Vinn, we need security in the Mess Hall. Father time is loose and needs dragging back and I¡¯m busy.¡±

    ¡°Oh hell, I¡¯ll go back myself in a minute; I just wanted a drink and some food. That protein shit you gave me is like drinking glue, except more like glue than glue is.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ please give me a reason for Nicole to let me torture you. Do something really stupid, please.¡± She squinted.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand the meaning of the dreams.¡± Jack sighed as the old man piled up a plate. ¡°If it¡¯s not the kitchen one about Vicki it¡¯s the one about the flesh planet.¡± He said as the sound of dishes clanking jarred Dee slightly, looking back at the old man, who was staring at them. ¡°Skinless people, a whole planet of sand and death.¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.¡°Jack, you¡¯ve seen Dee without skin, you¡¯ve seen the abomination flesh god in the basement, and Vicki was basically the harbinger of death, you¡¯ve seen a lot of weird shit and death associated with her. Your brain is just taking fragments of memory and events and trying to piece them together and filling in the gaps with nonsense.¡±

    ¡°What about the flesh planet?¡± The old man said, putting his food down and joining the others.

    ¡°Do you mind, dickhead?¡± Dee scoffed.

    ¡°You said a planet of sand and skinless people¡­ what did they look like?¡± he asked as if suddenly interested, and the depth of his breathing implied a degree of alarm in his interest.

    ¡°Just dozens of people, hundreds of them, living their lives as normal, but missing their skin and some missing limbs, street vendors, people walking around working, as if it was normal.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Normality is relevant, Jack.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°You¡¯re so used to death and loss and flesh that your mind is probably creating a fictional world where it¡¯s normal to be a walking corpse, just living their life.¡±

    ¡°You need to pipe down, missy and let the men talk. A desert planet?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m beating his ass. Nicole can confine me to quarters or something unless you two wanna lie and say he swung first, I don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°Damnit, listen for a moment, it¡¯s not a dream, I¡¯ve seen it too.¡± He barked as she paused, ¡°I¡¯ve been there.¡± He added. ¡°Sandstone houses dug into the hills and streets carved from the offwhite stone, hundreds of people, not a lick of skin on them, just toiling away with a smile and washing clothes, taking baths in the open?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Jack said looking horrified.

    ¡°Jack, those are visions, not dreams. You¡¯ve been fuckin around with my gun haven¡¯t you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I took it apart, scanned it, counted the ammo.¡±

    ¡°You go handling someone¡¯s soul enough you start to see shit they tried to forget. Wear gloves when you touch those bullets next time, or just don¡¯t fuck with my guns at all. What else did you see?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Well, I supposed there¡¯s no point in getting stabbed by diel-dyke Barbie to interrogate it out of me, I may as well tell it. I see that look in your eye, but I guarantee I might enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°Just tell whatever it is.¡±

    ¡°The planet is called Malgera, or it used to be. I guess now it doesn¡¯t matter. Long time ago there was a security breech on Amenthis, Someone smuggled out a ship and a lot of nasty things that were bottled up there were let out. And judging by the artifacts I saw in your lab while snoopin around, you met some of them already.¡±

    ¡°How did you get into the lab?¡± Gizzy barked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll save that for later, we can get the truth serum and fuzzy handcuffs and you can get answers the fun way, but right now I got important shit to mention.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have Vinn do the interrogation.¡±

    ¡°Well shit, you¡¯re just no fun at all. Anyway, we all know Amenthis is a prison planet but not many people know it has layers. The top side where Jack was born is the minimum security. The deeper you go, the worse things get.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Osirian.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°My people own the damn planet. I¡¯m fully aware of the layering and how you are not supposed to know that.¡±

    ¡°How do you think I got out? I stowed away on the ship. That devil that put my soul into those bullets was one of the floor zero prisoners that snagged me as a pet. I dare say she¡¯s not the worst thing that got out. One of them is Thyjus. You wanna talk about fleshgod abominations¡­ he¡¯s your expert. It was a nice place before he escaped. Simple people, no major wars, just a desert population of humanoids living a simple life, livin off the land and free. First place he went was Malgera. He likes hot and dry worlds. Shortly after he landed, the world, who¡¯s only export was colored dyes for clothing, suddenly became a planet exporting meat. There¡¯s no cattle on that world. The ship we landed with didn¡¯t have any either. Rumor is that the people are the export.¡±

    ¡°Oh that would be far less horrible. Now Gizzy here knows all about hive minds, don¡¯t you? You Osirians are a hive species, telepathic, manufacturing bodies.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not one large hive collective, we just developed technology for cloning, and we started running multiple surrogates at once. There¡¯s no hosts or population to assimilate, we don¡¯t want anyone else¡¯s bodies, we grow our own Osirian biomech from our own¡­ just call it DNA, and we run a few bodies at once. It¡¯s not a hive species, it¡¯s just a population of individuals, that may run 2-30 different lab grown bodies at a given time. What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°The problem is that Thyjus doesn¡¯t share that form of hive mind. He takes over like a virus, infects a planet, and before long they¡¯re all just part of his consciousness. That¡¯s why they locked him up. He assimilated a planet once, every sentient being turned into a mindless extension of himself, and then the meat began to sell.¡±

    ¡°Why would he kill and sell parts of himself?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t kill them. Thyjus was known as the god of masochism. He enjoys it. filleting himself alive over and over, selling the meat was just for the money to sustain it. he¡¯s his own cattle farm and he loves the feeling of the peeling. Somehow they regenerate, limbs and muscles grow back, all just part of one giant immune system, but he needs the sunlight on his bare tissue to survive, so they say. The skin doesn¡¯t grown back. So that world you saw is one living being, skinned and baking in the desert sun, butchering itself as a byproduct of it¡¯s own masochistic amusement¡­ and for that sick bastard to do that, millions of innocent people had to die and become part of the hive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m now glad I don¡¯t have a stomach. I kinda wanna throw up.¡± Dee winced.

    ¡°So why doesn¡¯t anyone just nuke the planet clean?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Oh they tried. He¡¯s got defenses set up, satellites in orbit to take down ships. I guess they figured after a few tries and the ones that got through didn¡¯t do shit anyway, they just gave up and quarantined the planet. Population is dead now, it¡¯s just planet Thyjus, and the meat sells. I guess they figured why fight when he keeps to himself and provides food, and with nobody to save and that much power, better to just keep a distance."

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a gun that can kill anything? Why not just shoot him and end it?¡±

    ¡°This is the part where you need to listen real closely. You don¡¯t get close to that planet unless you wanna be part of the herd. You don¡¯t get to meet the lord of Massochism himself just by showing up with a gun and yelling: come out and play! And in case you plan to disregard that information and do something stupid, I remind you that those bullets are part of my damn soul. So I guess you win.¡±

    ¡°What do I win?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how to make more bullets if you let me have mine back. Or are you suddenly the kinda bitch that steals souls from an old man in front of his grandkid?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try that shit. I¡¯ll just truth serum your ass.¡±

    ¡°No need. Or go ahead and make an old man happy. I¡¯m a bit of a masochist myself and I got a thing for aggressive android women. It gets lonely in space, you take what action you can get for the most part. You¡¯ll just find out the same information slower. Why bother when you can have the secret for free and let an old man have his soul back? I may be a real bastard, but measured against the average evil of the universe, I¡¯m a damn nice guy.¡±

    ¡°Nice bluff, you¡¯d be great at poker.¡±

    ¡°Poker? Shit, I barely know her.¡± He snickered as Dee snorted a little.

    ¡°LOL¡± she muttered. ¡°Oh come on that was kinda funny and you walked right into it.¡± she shrugged.

    ¡°Guys we have a mission, the ship just locked a target.¡± She clapped.

    ¡°Let me guess¡­¡± Gizzy said. ¡°Desert planet, artificial satellites, hot and dry, with one major shipping route?¡±

    ¡°How¡­ she paused. ¡°What is going on in the kitchen?¡± Nicole asked with a worried look.

    ¡°You like scary shit¡­ you¡¯re gonna love this mission.¡± Gizzy smiled. ¡°So¡­ how fast can you make bullets you dirty old fucker?¡±

    ¡°You wanna make a deal?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You can have your soul back IF you tell me how to make more of these, and don¡¯t lie to me and say it can¡¯t be done.¡±

    ¡°Oh it can be done. Why don¡¯t ya clear your schedule for game night, come to my workshop, we got toys to play with.¡±

 Chapter Fifteen: Tongue and Throat

    ¡°Alright, so you got my magazines?¡± the old man asked as Gizzy placed them down on the table in the makeshift gunsmithing setup he had made.

    ¡°Okay, first off, I lied to ya.¡±

    ¡°I swear it¡¯s like you wanna die.¡±

    ¡°Getting close some days, I promise you that but not quite yet. I said the bullets in these guns were 14 parts of my soul. Turns out you can¡¯t do that. A soul can only be split into 8 pieces. So the bottom 4 of each magazine are mine. The top 3 are not mine.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s soul are they?¡±

    ¡°Old girlfriend of mine. Vile creature. Probably more evil than anything you¡¯ve ever¡­ well no you did get those artifacts so maybe you have met a few things worse¡­ but she was damn bad. Still, taking a soul for ammo is pretty fucked up shit. So is stealing my guns and my soul to dissect them and make more so I don¡¯t feel so bad about killing her with one and stealing her notes. I swore I¡¯d never use them unless I had to, and unfortunately I had to and never got 2 of them back. So I¡¯m glad I buried mine further down the clip. I don¡¯t know what happens when you lose all your soul, but I¡¯ve lost one of my bullets and didn¡¯t feel a shred of joy or will to live till I dug it out and reloaded it. See, according to her notes, which I memorized and burned, when a living being comes to sentience, becomes self aware, it forms a soul. Man, machine, animal, anything smart enough to ask the question why do I exist, probably got one. Regardless of the soul, they each weigh 21 grams, and the moment you die, it vanishes. For some reason, a collected soul can be cut, but any piece less than 2.6 grams disappears as well. Don¡¯t ask where they go, I can¡¯t tell ya. So every soul gets you 40.5 grain weight of bullet of cut evenly and without any mistakes.¡±

    ¡°How the hell do you bottle or cut a soul?¡±

    ¡°You bottle it by drowning the person in mercury, and the mercury that blends with the soul turns solid and dark, like tungsten. If you weigh the mercury nugget, it¡¯s heavier than mercury should be. You can cut it with a knife. It¡¯s pretty soft stuff, melts easy too. Just don¡¯t spill it or any drop under 40.5 grains of soul turns silver again and it¡¯s back to lead. Won¡¯t mix back in with the rest."

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s that easy, just make someone drink a gallon of mercury and then you can steal their soul and make ammo?¡± Gizzy said skeptically.

    ¡°You wanna juice me and start over, hear the same speech again, cuz it¡¯s truth. Now if you made a bullet out of pure mercurial soul, it would melt in the barrel and be gone before you hit anything, so you gotta encase it in something. Tempered steel works well, doesn¡¯t pop, you can cast it in lead or jacket it in copper dig it out later, redo the coating, load er back up. IF you can find the bullet. But you, missy, have glasses that can see them glow.

    So for every 8 bullets, you need a human sacrifice. Great, I¡¯ll just murder the crew and we¡¯re set. Oh wait, right, that¡¯s a problem.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have about a dozen robots asleep in he basement supposedly alive and sentient?¡±

    ¡°Okay that¡¯s still murder, and how do you drown a robot in mercury, they don¡¯t even have lungs.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ maybe some of them do. You¡¯re a creative gal, I¡¯m sure you can make it work. Maybe you could just offer them 3 bullshit wishes and they¡¯d give it to ya. Worked on me. I didn¡¯t write the book, I just memorized it and burned it. Wasn¡¯t a long book or complete either. You know about what I know. I¡¯d like my guns back now, fully loaded.¡±

    ¡°I said if you told me the truth and how to make them, I¡¯d give you your soul back. You get the 8 bottom bullets in a fancy box and I keep the guns and other 6.¡±

    ¡°Funny, how every time you deal with the devil you get that little trick at the end. But a deal is a deal. Always is. It better be a really nice box with a lock on it.¡±

    ¡°I would ask if there is a way to put the soul back in, but you¡¯d have done that already and be carrying one gun with 6 bullets by now.¡±

    ¡°Seems to be a one directional transaction. I gotta tell ya, it never felt worth it.

    ...

    ¡°Nicole, I got a weird question for you and I think you¡¯d be the one to ask.¡± Dee blurted entering the bridge as Nicole jumped and took her feet off the console, waving away the smoke, spilling her cereal and pretending to not be eating cereal and smoking a joint on the bridge.

    ¡°Sure, weird away. That¡¯s my job.¡±

    ¡°Do I want lungs?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to try that again, I may be losing my shit here.¡±

    "I wanted skin, and obviously I wanted to feel it. I want real muscles and feeling there too. There¡¯s the other obvious¡­ the vagina.¡±

    ¡°Naturally we all want that.¡±

    ¡°And taste buds are a given, I wanna be able to consume food in some capacity. Do I really want lungs though? I mean, I have a moveable diaphragm that moves my chest automatically like breathing, that¡¯s standard realism upgrades but like the idea of breathing is really weirding me out. Is is fun?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kinda bad when you can¡¯t. I mean not immediately, if you planned it like holding your breath is fine and doing other things, but when you suddenly can''t unexpectedly, it¡¯s real damn bad.¡±

    ¡°But like¡­ do you ever actually enjoy breathing or is it just necessary?¡±

    ¡°I guess I never thought about it. you don¡¯t really know you¡¯re doing it till something reminds you.¡±

    ¡°So just upgrading my diaphragm response to new programs would be fine, I don¡¯t need the actual lungs for anything fun or great?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Nicole said, scooping the joint into her pocket. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d really benefit since you don¡¯t need it. What exactly is an upgraded diaphragm? You can''t even get pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Well, um. During sex, Jack breathes heavier and I don¡¯t. It seems like I¡¯m not into it, like I¡¯m bored.¡±

    ¡°Are you?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m having fun even without the¡­ real vagina. But I probably look super bored since I¡¯m not breathing heavy. I tried acting, but he thought I was having an anxiety attack or scared. So I gotta either upgrade my breathing simulator to work with sex or just get lungs, but the more I think about lungs the less I thin-¡± Nicole interrupted with a slight coughing fit. ¡°See like that, that doesn¡¯t seem fun. Food looks fun, a vagina sounds pretty great, the hearbeat is kinda nice and I needed the blood supply upgrade anyway so¡­ if I skip lungs am I, like, cheating?¡±

    ¡°Dee, I¡¯m gonna be honest with you. Right now I¡¯m a little high and this is weird as hell to talk about. I have no idea what to say and you can¡¯t even smoke weed so I¡¯d maybe just not do the lungs and focus on the fun parts. You got the pre-requisites, the skin, the nervous system, the blood supply¡­lungs are kinda just there because we need oxygen for our brains. Why am I the lung expert again?¡± she said, looking confused.

    ¡°You can breathe air or water.¡±

    ¡°Oh right.¡± Nicole grinned. ¡°I forgot that. I¡¯m neat."

    ¡°Is breathing water great or anything?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it feel like you¡¯re dying the first few times you do it. Your body says: you can¡¯t do that, you¡¯ll die¡­ and you have a panic attack until you realize you¡¯re not dying and then it¡¯s just kinda like normal breathing but heavier and wet.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Yea, I don¡¯t want that. Oh there¡¯s Gizzy, gotta go.¡± She said rushing after her and chasing her down the hallway. ¡°Hey Gizzy, old buddy.¡±

    ¡°Little busy, got some heavy shit to think about.¡±

    ¡°Okay but maybe for just one tiny little second if I could ask on the progress of the¡­ uh, next upgrade?¡± she said biting her lip.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting there or YOU¡¯RE getting there, sorry, that¡¯s a look of annoyance and I¡¯m pissing you off. I¡¯m just saying like if it¡¯s a matter of you being busy maybe Jack could install it, I mean¡­¡± she smirked, rolling her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s gonna be handling it the most anyway, how hard can it be to¡­ put a cootch in there?¡± she said as Gizzy took a deep breath and turned around, glaring back.

    ¡°This is some of the most sensitive tissue in the entire human body, with more nerve connections and receptors than your entire leg, and the human orgasm is one of the most complicated neurological actions the brain regularly has to process at once. We¡¯re hotwiring that to a computer brain via spinal adaptor and using a remote activated phone app to dial in the sensations and artificially create the impulses that chemicals and hormones would normally do. You do realize that both pain and pleasure don¡¯t exist outside the body or in any physical mass. It is just complex nerve signals of electricity in varying waves, pulses and combinations that decide whether you are getting a foot massage or having a leg sawed off. The difference in the signal going to the brain between absolute ecstasy and agonizing torture are just a few little tiny signal differences and Jack may be a hell of a killer, and he may know the human body enough to know what to sever or break in order to cripple or kill someone, but he¡¯s not a real surgeon or programmer. The most computer savvy crew members besides me is you, who has never experienced being human, and Nicole, who is a slightly masochistic human fish hybrid whos specialty is video games and writing fanfic. Do you really want anyone other than me doing this wiring job, or me rushing it?¡±

    ¡°You know what, it¡¯s fine. I actually am getting good at mouth stuff.¡±

    ¡°Try practicing the trick where it stays closed for a long time. I¡¯m trying to decide if I should commit a series of up to 12 murders to potentially save the lives of millions over time. What do you have on your plate that¡¯s really weighing on your stress, Dee?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mma be in the kitchen. You do your thing.¡±

    ...

    Dee sat in the kitchen watching Brandy work a wok and wishing she could smell or taste something.

    ¡°So how hard is it to do the taste upgrade?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not difficult. Most mechanics can do it in ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°Can you do it? Gizzy printed the kit from online sources but she¡¯s¡­ busy with some dark trolly-problem shit I don¡¯t even wanna know about."

    ¡°I suppose that is doable.¡± She said while turning off the burner.

    ...

    Dee sat in the lab as Brandy readied the tools and parted her hair.

    ¡°OW, son of a bitch, I wasn¡¯t ready. You gotta let me turn off the skin nerves before you scalpel my scalp. Holy dick, you just jammed right into my headmeat.¡±

    "I was unaware. Are you now ready?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, do it.¡± she huffed with an attitude.

    ¡°Your anatomy is very unusual.

    ¡°Thanks, it¡¯s a disorder.¡±

    ¡°Humor and outbursts, sensory active human flesh. What is the purpose of this series of upgrades?¡±

    ¡°I wanna have a full relationship¡­ or at least as full as possible. I know we¡¯re always gonna have some weird limitations but hopefully I can make up for it with fancy shit human bitches can¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re altering yourself radically to impress a human. You are aware there are numerous planets with high robot populations that recognize artificial sentience. Would you not be happier with another companion android?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t just find it fascinating to think what you¡¯re missing? What you could experience?¡±

    ¡°I am designed to please clients and make consumables, and modified to kill. I find the modification appalling and the companionship to be overdone. I enjoy food and drinks, I never seem to tire of the endless combinations and techniques. That is my remaining purpose and I am fully equipped for it.¡±

    "Never just thought¡­ damn he¡¯s hot, I wish I could grab that ass and actually feel that ass if I did?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Well I forget, you¡¯re young, you¡¯re probably like 2 years old.¡±

    ¡°577 days since sentience¡± she specified.

    ¡°Well, give it a few hundred years alone, you¡¯ll start wondering all kinds of things about all kinds of things. And I¡¯m already programmed to be kinky. Do you know who you¡¯re modeled after?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s never been relevant. I am likely an amalgam of a number of people taken as samples and averaged out to the most versatile form customers find attractive where I was designed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a totally dead ringer copy. There¡¯s a human bitch that was more me than I am before I was built, and then I got stranded and the only robot body available was the titty roomba. Honestly, I¡¯m just glad they bought me as a maid. I remember everything from before my merger from the drone¡¯s experiences. That could have been way more traumatic than scrubbing floors and seeing Vinn walk through the halls naked and singing Nine Inch Nails. God, poor Nicole. How she can still walk is just mind blowing.¡±

    ¡°You will be unable to speak properly in a moment while I replace the tongue.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡± She said as Brandy disconnected the wire and her tongue went limp. She opened her mouth and Dee stared nervously as she brought out a large pair of hemostats and some scissors. The snipping sound was nauseating but brief as she traded tools for a syringe of glue and a UV heat gun. The blue light glowed on Brandy¡¯s face as she cured the glue and checked her work. She went around back and reconnected the wires, applying dermal glue to the incision.

    ¡°You should be able to turn back on your nerves now, there is no more cutting or adhesion.¡± She informed.

    ¡°Oh wow, that¡¯s weird. That¡¯s weird as hell. I can feel my own teeth, is that normal?¡±

    ¡°The upgrade is designed to give rudimentary texture, taste and smell capability. You will adjust to it with time."

    ¡°Can I just¡­ try food right away?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You can chew and taste but if you do not have a stomach upgrade I do not advise swallowing.¡±

    ¡°Hah, that¡¯s what she said.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind. Human joke. Wow, a brand new tongue. Oh, I know exactly what I wanna put in my mouth first.¡± She chuckled, raising her eyebrows as Brandy looked confused.

    ...

    The glass fizzed and slid to her hand as the pale urine-like color gleamed in the light of the bar.

    ¡°That¡¯s a redbull and vodka?¡± she asked. ¡°Why did I assume it was blue? Why is the can blue if the drink looks like pee?¡±

    ¡°I have no answers to these questions, other then yes. This is the correct drink.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so excited. This is my favorite drink, you know¡­ well, it¡¯s Dee¡¯s favorite drink and Gizzy loves them too, so if both of them, who agree on nothing, both love it, it has to be good.¡± She said taking a sip and immediately exhaling it out of her nose with a frozen face of baffled disappointment. ¡°Tongue¡¯s not working¡­ that can''t be right.¡±

    ¡°The product was tested successful and well packaged, I assure you the wiring was done right, it only plugs in one way.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, give me something different. This has to be defective. You did make the drink right¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bar tending robot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. Okay chocolate bar, everyone loves these from the vending machine. Oh damn, that¡¯s amazing. Holy shit that¡¯s great. That¡¯s chocolate? No wonder Americans are so unhealthy. I wanna melt this and just pour it into my face hole.¡±

    ¡°A hot cocoa?¡±

    ¡°You can just do that? That¡¯s an actual thing? Maybe it just needed calibration let me try the drink again. OOOOGGGH.¡± She hissed. ¡°It¡¯s even worse now. This just tastes like something my body would say don¡¯t drink it, this is poison, not food. And it burns, is it supposed to burn?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Effervescence is often interpreted as a sharp cold burning, as well as the chemical burn of alcohol added.¡±

    "It¡¯s horrible. This is what I imagine drinking brain damage would taste like¡­ oh, now I get it. Yeah, Gizzy would definitely like burning poison and self harm liquid. That actually checks out. Note to self, don¡¯t consume anything Gizzy says is good. What about just the redbull or just the vodka alone?¡± she asked, receiving the can and a shot. She sipped the can and made a face of sadness. She sipped the shot back and immediately let it pour back into the shot glass.

    ¡°Both bad, worse together.¡± She wheezed. The old man sat beside her and took the vodka shot, kicking it back as she stared at him. ¡°I spit that back out.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a robot, you¡¯re cleaner than the hookers I¡¯ve swapped spit with. You think I care?¡±

    ¡°Who hurt you?¡± Dee asked. ¡°Don¡¯t answer that, I don¡¯t want a list.¡±

    ¡°2 more and a couple of fried eggs, if you don¡¯t mind, darling.¡± He said as Brandy smiled and began firing up the skillet. ¡°So, that Gizzy of yours¡­ how evil does she get?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d call her evil. Moody, Grumpy, definitely bitchy at times but evil is a bit of a stretch.¡±

    ¡°You sure you know her that well?¡±

    ¡°She saved me from a life of exile, she defended me, she helped me become more human purely because I asked¡­ well, nagged her, but still. She didn¡¯t have to.¡±

    "She¡¯s a killer who trained the killer you¡¯re screwin, and she trained my son well enough that he remained the number one Surgeon on Amenthis for 35 years."

    ¡°I assumed you trained him.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the kind of father to stick around very long. 2 dead sons already, one accidental knock up. He was 3 before I knew I even had another bastard.¡±

    ¡°Just the most warm and gentle of old men, aren¡¯t you. Like Santa Claus of he was a dick with bullets for a soul and no presents. Great place to be judging moral standing in others, truly.¡± Dee scoffed.

    ¡°I never said I was a good guy. Evil knows evil just as well as good does. You can sorta smell it in the air around them. Like Ozone and salt. You can almost taste it. You may notice that taste in the air now. He said sipping his beverage and suddenly shuttering into a violent coughing attack. Dee called the coms for help as he choked and pounded the table.

    ¡°SOMEONE HELP I DON¡¯T KNOW MEDICINE. HE¡±S DYING!¡± she yelled as Brandy stood staring with a blank look, colder than the glasses she was casually cleaning. Gizzy slid into the table, jabbing him with a syringe of something and checking his eyes.

    ¡°We need to get him into the medlab.¡±

 Chapter Sixteen: Eyes of Red

    The old man sat up in his bed as Gizzy pushed him back down.

    ¡°Hold still shitkicker. You¡¯re alive, not okay.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± he wheezed, oxygen mask rattling as he tried to speak.

    ¡°Happened? Poison happened. You and Dee both got a lethal dose of engine degreaser in your drinks. You¡¯re lucky to be alive. The re-gen shot is working slowly.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know why.¡± Dee said, standing next to the bed. ¡°Apparently Brandy decided to murder me and didn¡¯t care that you would die too.¡±

    ¡°That plastic bitch¡­ you killed her back, right?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in a holding cell. I want answers first.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°I want revenge.¡± He wheezed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit. You¡¯re collateral damage, I wanna know why she decided to commit roboslaughter. Had you not immediately reacted and she drank the shot, that would have slowly corroded her fluid storage and done insane damage.

    ...

    Jack sat in the holding cell and stared down brandy.

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because you don¡¯t love her. She¡¯s just a space filler for who you really love.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°You tried to kill Dee, I¡¯m ordered to guard you and get answers, I¡¯m very tempted to just shoot you in the head and be done with it. Nicole needs to let us do our job better. So why the hell did you try and kill 2 people.¡±

    ¡°The old man took the shot, he¡¯s just a victim of Darwinism. Dee is just a false idol, a robot pretending to be alive, and you fell for it because you are broken. Jack, you¡¯re stronger than this. Be patient. Stand your ground, soldier.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± He said standing up and racking the bolt on his pistol. She chuckled, and with glowing red eyes, she nuzzled the barrel and pressed her tongue to it as if to beg him to shoot. He threw a punch with the gun in hand and knocked her over, shoving her head down and pressing the barrel to the back of her aluminum skull, the sound of muffled laughter coming from the mattress.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± Gizzy ordered, stepping in and taking charge. He let go, as she lifted up, now looking terrified and dry sobbing in a shake of panic.

    ¡°Please help me.¡± She begged.

    ¡°Help you? You tried to kill two of the crew. Explain.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was making drinks and then suddenly he was choking. I don¡¯t remember poisoning anyone. I never intended to or wanted to. Will he¡­live?¡±

    ¡°Oh cut the shit.¡± Jack barked. ¡°She just told a very different story and conveniently went from psychopath to innocent lamb the second you walked in. She was taunting me, trying to get me to kill her.¡±

    ¡°Why would she want you to kill her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, implicate me while avoiding interrogation, suicide by boyfriend provocation, she knows you can do things worse than death."

    ¡°She¡¯s right¡­ and she¡¯s gonna find out what¡¯s worse than death if she doesn¡¯t explain very quickly.¡±

    ¡°I swear¡­ I don¡¯t know why I did it. It had to have been me, but I never meant to. I wasn¡¯t aware of my actions. You have every right to contain me. I am dangerous. I simply do not know why I am.¡±

    ¡°Shitty answer.¡± Gizzy said, grabbing her by the neck and pulling her from the bed, dragging her down the hall as Nicole rushed to stop her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing with her but you need to not do that. She stays in that cell.¡± Nicole ordered.

    ¡°This is a military situation, with a hostile combatant and a very unstable Jack who almost lost his only coping mechanism and we almost lost a friend. Jack almost lost a grandfather and our best way of surviving this shitstorm, so I¡¯m still in command here until the threat is neutralized, and it¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s contained.¡± Nicole argued.

    ¡°Oh like hell she is, she¡¯s got lock picks in her frame and she was concealing a knife. That¡¯s a dead crewman the next time someone checks on her that isn¡¯t holding a gun and ready to outmaneuver an opponent. You want that to be you or Dee or Vinn?¡±

    ¡°I didn-¡± she protested. ¡°She¡¯s an active threat and I have an interrogation room where I can get answers with the old man¡¯s help."

    ¡°Why him. Why not me?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s not friendly interrogation and you¡¯re not gonna like watching it. The old man deserves some satisfaction, and he¡¯s got gunsmithing tools I need.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not torturing people on my ship. There¡¯s interrogation and there¡¯s sadism.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Interrogation is when we use words to find out who took the last sandwich or who left a hair mess in the shower. Sadism is how we get homicidal toasters to talk. She planned an uprising, and we have 11 robots in storage that could rise up and rebel if she wakes them, and she just tried to start the party. So do you wanna watch me torture the robot or let me override you and sleep with a clean conscious tonight knowing I¡¯m gonna do it anyway?¡±

    ¡°DAMNIT! Why is everything so violent?¡±

    ¡°Because the universe is violent and we live in it. The strong survive. Don¡¯t get someone killed because you can¡¯t do your job or let me do mine.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy stood in the abomination lab as the old man wheezed and puffed his oxygen bottle. Brandy stood restrained and looked terrified.

    ¡°You still a killer old timer?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Well I WAS retired, but I think I¡¯m ready to work again given the circumstances.¡± He said while getting the tools out.

    ¡°Memory files are copied, we got the POV video, confession, could take hours to comb through the data for motives¡­ so technically we could just go.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that, I like Dee, and I like my lungs, she almost took out both.¡±

    ¡°This gonna work?¡± she asked, grabbing Brandy¡¯s head and a drill.

    ¡°Shit if I know. If it don¡¯t, she¡¯s dead anyway so I¡¯m willing to do some science to find out.¡± He said while nodding. She drilled a slow steady hole in Brandy''s head as she winced and tightened up to struggle. Gizzy took the massive syringe attached to a hose and shoved it into the opening, dermal sealing the wound with glue.

    ¡°Hit it.¡± she said. The old man flipped the switch and the restraints tightened as the mercury pump flooded brandy¡¯s skull and the molten metal poured from her eyes and nose. She watched the X-ray machine casually as the little red squares tracked the movement and locked onto something. Brandy¡¯s eyes went dark and her body went limp. Gizzy let the mercury drain for a moment and then grabbed the hacksaw.

    ¡°Quicker than I thought either way.¡± He shrugged. She stepped back with a pair of hemostats, holding a chunk of grey metal. ¡°I¡¯ll be screwed, glued, and tattooed. Turns out you can take a soul from a robot.¡± He chuckled in one huff, wheezing and going back to the oxygen. ¡°Gonna take some convincing to get the other 11 in here. Your Captain doesn¡¯t seem to like killing people, even plastic people.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°I¡¯m not killing 11 potentially innocent beings, just the one who proved she¡¯s not innocent to test the theory. Here¡¯s your blueprints, make me some bullets.¡±

    ¡°Got the caliber wrong, got the casing wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not making bullets for your guns, you¡¯re making bullets for mine. You¡¯re also remaking those 6 top rounds to fit a Desert Eagle. You got your bullets, I want mine. That¡¯s 7 in 50AE, and 7 in 13mmOSH for the rifle.¡±

    ¡°You know you ain¡¯t given me mine back yet?¡±

    ¡°And you haven¡¯t given me mine. Do the work, get the payment.¡±

    ¡°I get half upfront in case a client decides to fuck me over.¡±

    ¡°Start working, I¡¯ll go get your money.¡± She said darkly, leaving him and grabbing the ladder.

    ¡°Hey, what do I do with the robot?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit. It¡¯s dead. I¡¯ll airlock it after we get our answers. Go nuts.¡±

    ...

    Nicole and Gizzy stared in confusion as Jack paced behind them, the view screen from brandy¡¯s POV cam rewinding and replaying.

    ¡°I swear.¡± Jack said. ¡°She told me she tried to kill Dee because I didn¡¯t love her and she was just a place filler, and she provoked me.¡±

    ¡°Jack, the video just shows you asking her why and her silently staring until you knocked her down.¡± Nicole said. ¡°I understand you were angry, we just watched her poison Dee¡¯s drink and damn near kill your grampa, anyone would have reacted irrationally.¡±

    ¡°Her eyes glowed, she basically told me Dee deserved to die for loving me, and she put her face on the gun.¡±

    ¡°Jack¡­¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°Red eyes, telling you that Dee doesn¡¯t deserve you. That¡¯s clearly your mind manifesting Vicki again. You lost your temper, understandably, and you imagined the rest. Don¡¯t feel bad ,she has a damn knife and lock picks, you did the right thing, but her eyes never turned red, we checked the security cams. You¡¯re imagining or crossing memories with reality. Someone tried to kill your girlfriend, you reacted, you misremembered things. You¡¯re under a lot of stress and Jack, you just had brain surgery.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, I¡¯m not crazy. I saw what I saw.¡±

    ¡°The cameras saw something different.¡± Nicole said softly. ¡°We¡¯re not mad at you, we¡¯re worried for you. Maybe you should sit the next mission out.¡± She said while hugging him with one arm.

    ¡°Like hell he is. We¡¯re facing a hive minded planet god of flesh and torture. I need him on the 13mm rifle. I can¡¯t hit shit at 2000 meters, Vinn can¡¯t hit shit at 2000 maters. You can¡¯t hit shit at 20 feet, and I¡¯m not giving the old man a gun. Jack may be a little fucked up but his training kicked in and he¡¯s coherent. Jack, are you stable for the mission?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Nicole ordered. ¡°He¡¯s sleepwalking and hallucinating about his dead wife¡­ sorry but¡­you¡¯re not okay. Nobody would be okay, you¡¯re healing but you¡¯re not healed yet. I let you do your job, let me do mine. The prisoner is dead, we have the proof, we have a mission, and Jack is not medically okay. He stays with Vinn on the ship. Vinn can provide air support with drones.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Vinn is a hell of a soldier but he¡¯s not a sniper. He¡¯s a demolition expert proficient with shotguns and grenades and explosives, not splitting hairs with a bullet. I¡¯m the second best shot we have, and I¡¯m decent, but I¡¯m not running my Osirian body with tracking sensors and zoom lead, I¡¯m running a decaying human body with diminished vision and muscle spasms. The Gizzy 2.0 is not done, the abomination is¡­ basically a wrecking ball of meat and teeth, and Dee has never fired a gun. So anything past 600 yards is a wild shot, and we have very limited ammo.¡±

    ¡°Print more ammo.¡±

    ¡°Not the kind of ammo I trust. I got the old man making something spicy. We don¡¯t have a lot of them.¡± She said as he strutted onto the bridge, tossing a bullet up and down proudly. ¡°Hey old man, how are your eyes?¡±

    ¡°Not what they used to be but not bad. Got my glasses for that.¡±

    ¡°How good did you used to be?¡±

    ¡°The best.¡± He bragged. ¡°Jack got it down the line from me.¡±

    ¡°Fine, you¡¯re going with us.¡±

    ¡°Oh bullshit I am. I got enemies on that world. My enemy IS that world.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You¡¯re the bait and the sniper.¡±

    ¡°You hear me right? I said I¡¯m not going down there.¡± He huffed.

    ¡°Well, you seem to think you can outshoot me, and I¡¯m not that great. So are you full of shit and can¡¯t hit dick over 600 anymore, or are you the best shot on the ship that isn¡¯t hallucinating his dead wife?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that stupid. I know what I know, I¡¯m not going anyway.¡±

    ¡°Half your soul in a handgun is going, now you just made bullets that don¡¯t fit it, so if we need extra bullets to hit something, I guess that means I just have to spray and pray with a pistol.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± He squinted.

    ¡°She would. She would absolutely use your gun, 100 percent.¡± Nicole nodded.

    ¡°Gat¡­ damnit, you are a frustrating ass of a woman. Fine, but I get to carry all my bullets.¡±

    ¡°You get half. And if you shoot me in the back, Vinn is gonna fire the rest into the afterburner jets and deal with you when you get back.¡±

    ¡°I hate you.¡±

    ¡°No you don¡¯t. You think I¡¯m too sexy to hate. Get your gear ready Davy Crocket, you¡¯re going to the meat planet with friends and it¡¯s gonna be a blast.¡±

    ...

    Jack sat in his room, staring at the bottle and debating if it was the best idea or the worst idea. Dee massaged his shoulders and rested her chin on his head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need it. You just need me and some rest. I know you Jack. You function best sober and sleep best one a double, not a whole bottle, not half a bottle. The mission is not over, it¡¯s not bed time. You need water and a hot shower.¡± She said as he tilted up curiously, staring at her red eyes.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± he asked ¡°I never mentioned that to you.¡±

    ¡°Jack, it¡¯s just us, don¡¯t fight me, don¡¯t fight yourself. Just be patient.¡±

    ¡°Dee you are scaring me, and very few things do that.¡± He said as she tightened her hug around him and her eyes glowed brighter.

    ¡°You never liked that cheating fat bitch, she¡¯s just better then being alone.¡±

    ¡°Dee let me go.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not here Jack.¡± She whispered as he tried to get up and was held firmly down as she nuzzled his neck the way Vicki used to. The familiar feeling so clear he didn¡¯t even question it."

    ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°We both are. And we never stay that way. That¡¯s our destiny, Jack. I¡¯ll never leave you, and you said you¡¯d never leave me. So have your fun, fuck your little pornstar if you have to, she¡¯s just a companion bot. I¡¯ll be home soon.¡± She whispered, kissing his neck and letting him go. He turned to defend himself and suddenly felt the thump of metal on his head and the back of his head hit the pillow.

    ¡°Ow¡­ I meant wake up, slowly. Not wake up and dive forward. Fuck me in the balls.¡± Dee said, rubbing her head as he realized she was leaning over him in the bed, and he was dressed in boxers and dabbing a bloody nose.

    ¡°Was I dreaming?¡±

    ¡°Yea. Jack, I don¡¯t know what to do here. If I let you sleep you have nightmares, if I wake you during one, you headbutt me or try to choke me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°My skull is metal, you¡¯re bleeding but I¡¯m fine. Are YOU okay? Do you need me to just leave when you do that or¡­ restrain you, or try and wake you up? You¡¯re not gonna hurt me, I¡¯m built sturdy, I just need to know what to do.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Dee. Can you please change your eye color. Orange is too close to red.¡±

    ¡°Green better?¡± she asked, changing them.

    ¡°No, Vicki''s eyes were green when they weren¡¯t red.¡±

    ¡°Is blue gonna give you mommy vibes or should we invent a new color entirely?¡±

    ¡°Blue is fine. I don¡¯t ever wake up thinking Gizzy is on top of me. But the red is too familiar, and when you¡¯re half asleep, orange and red can look very similar.¡±

    ¡°Hey, look at me. Look me in the blue eyes. You¡¯re gonna be okay. You¡¯re still healing and recovering, you¡¯re getting triggered by things, you¡¯ll be okay. I got you.¡±

    ¡°What If I¡¯m not okay? What if I¡¯m never really okay again?¡±

    ¡°Then I got a broken husband and I¡¯ll just keep buying glue and sticking you back together.¡± She said, hugging him softly. I don¡¯t give up on you, you don¡¯t give up on me. That¡¯s the deal, remember? We¡¯re not quitting when it gets scary, we just cry and maybe throw something. You wanna do game night? I can make you a grilled cheese and Vicotin, we can have sex, I can leave you alone. I¡¯m very open to options here, I¡¯m just not letting you give up. I¡¯m not refunding you just because you¡¯re a little defective in the head. Like I got room to talk? I make pop culture references I don¡¯t understand and tell people to ligma balls, and I don¡¯t even have any. I¡¯m a little defective myself and you seem to think I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re more than okay, you¡¯re perfect.¡±

    ¡°Well then you can¡¯t argue when I think your defective ass is perfect too. We just have complimentary brain damage, okay? You lost something special, I can¡¯t be her, but I can be me and I can be cute, and I can do this.¡± She said rotating her shoulders so her tits bounced in circles. ¡°No sad, only tits. Got it, you Jackass?¡± she smiled.

    ¡°Well played. I¡¯ll sit this one out.¡±

    ...

    ¡°I can¡¯t sit this one out, Vinn.¡± Nicole said while pacing the room.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you going down to a hive populated sadist planet of doom. Why do you have to go there? Because some magic book Gizzy wired to the computer says that you¡¯re the chosen one and you have to?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ kinda.¡±

    ¡°No¡­You¡¯re grounded little lady.¡± He scolded.

    ¡°That only works in bed, you can¡¯t use the brat-boss stuff on me.¡±

    ¡°I can try. Honey, it¡¯s a planet where they skin people alive just for fun.¡±

    ¡°No, they skin themselves. That¡¯s different. We have guns.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t shoot people.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a hive extension of a murder god, I think I can make an exception this time. I shot zombies. I don¡¯t shoot living people but undead abominations trying to kill me, yeah, I¡¯ll fire back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not comforting. What if you get hived? I can clone you but I can¡¯t let one of you stay down there as a skinned drone. I can¡¯t live with that.¡±

    ¡°Honey, sweetie. We got this. We have fancy ammo, we have an expert and we have a backup plan Gizzy assures me is practically fool proof.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s self destruct, her last resort is always just to detonate and kill herself and the enemy. That¡¯s a shitty backup plan because you still die and get cloned back and I¡¯m not cool with that.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re both clones already, dumshit!¡±

    ¡°I know, but we¡¯re still both second generation and everyone else is like 53, I¡¯d like us to stay at 2. I can¡¯t even go with you because we need air support and someone looking after Jack who¡¯s not¡­ an unstable sex robot. Someone sane and coherent.¡±

    ¡°Vinn¡­ we have this planned, we¡¯ll be okay.¡±

 Chapter Seventeen: Goodbye Dee

    ¡°How fucked up is this mission gonna be?¡± Nicole asked Gizzy.

    ¡°Real bad. Real fucked up.¡± The old man replied.

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t asking you, Fifle goes west. She was asking me.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m wrong?¡± he asked with an attitude.

    ¡°¡­no, it¡¯s gonna be bad. We¡¯re all going to have nightmares.¡± She sighed, looking nervous. She coughed and tried to discreetly hide the blood.

    ¡°How bad are you?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Lungs are trashed, internal bleeding, pretty sure if I eat or drink, I¡¯m throwing up pieces of my insides.¡± She said, sniffing harshly.

    ¡°Why are you not just¡­ going gently and re-cloning yourself then?¡±

    ¡°Because then I clone back with stage 1 zombie virus and my heart starts going nuts. That thing was driving me crazy, I can¡¯t shoot with my heart pounding like a subwoofer. I¡¯m better off with my lungs dissolving. Technically I don¡¯t need them for my brain to function, so if they melt they melt.¡±

    ¡°This is a comforting crew.¡±

    ...

    Jack sat down and picked up his cards, staring at a smiling Dee and a Game-faced Vinn.

    ¡°Not having fun?¡± Dee asked Vinn.

    ¡°Just hard to enjoy game night when Nicole is on a dangerous mission without me. I know she believes she has some kind of destined immunity to death, and we have a clone machine, but I should be down there with her.¡±

    ¡°Why have you been staying on the ship?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m too damn big. I barely fit in the shuttles, I can''t use any standard weapons, I have to duck into just about every doorway ever. I know the ship better than anyone, and I¡¯m the best drone pilot, so it just makes sense to have me here, but most missions we don¡¯t need a drone, I have to let my tiny, squishy, non-bulletproof wife go on missions for destiny and just ride the bench. I feel kinda useless. Nothing happens on the ship that requires me. It¡¯s boring up here, and I worry about her down there. The only drama on the ship is Dee stuff I can¡¯t help with, so when do we ever need a heavy hitter on the damn ship?¡± he asked, sounding disappointed.

    ...

    The dim lights in the robot storage container flickered on. The crates lit up at the seams and the chain around the door pulled tight.

    The dark back room of the grow lab took on a sudden red glow from a tall glass tube. The backup Dee body pressed the tank drain panel and stepped out. She looked around, checking the drawers for weapons.

    The clone machine powered up and scrolled on it¡¯s own to D2, starting a print. She stepped out of the tank, confused and trying to remember her last death, recalling nothing but the last memory update. She looked down the hallway and blinked in a puzzled state as she looked at herself, waving her to follow. She followed herself down the hall and to the engine room.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on guys?¡± she asked as everything suddenly went black and blank. She slumped and fall to the floor as the other Dee pulled the metal rod from the back of her skull, dragging the dead robot back to the grow tank and propping her up in it. The tank filled and went back into storage mode as the Dee with red eyes crept back up the ladder.

    ...

    The shuttle landed just outside the primitive city, the immediate smell of blood in the air as Gizzy and Nicole stepped out, the old man following and looking worried.

    ¡°Now, y¡¯all listen carefully. They may seem friendly, but every one of them is just an extension of him, and they all have ears and eyes even if they don¡¯t have skin or limbs. So don¡¯t say anything suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know how a hive mind works asshole. I am one¡­ was one.¡± Gizzy replied.

    ¡°Right. Just making sure she understood." He said as he fitted himself with the cuffs. Nicole lowered her mask and pointed the gun at his back, leading her ¡°prisoner¡± while Gizzy took the lead. The streets were quiet, except for the movement and toiling of people. The sound of a primitive village as one would expect except the disturbing pink and red hue to the sand and walls of every building they passed. The street vendors peered up with lidless eyes and missing ears, smiling calmly in a manner that seemed far too casual.

    ¡°Welcome.¡± Muttered a series of 3-4 voices as they watched the small group walk down the street. Pieces of meat and limbs hung from hooks like a food market as humanoids missing legs and fingers hacked at fresh slabs on wooden tables dyed dark red,

    ¡°Oh, I hate this.¡± Whispered Nicole.

    ¡°I thought you liked nightmares and horror stuff.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fun when it¡¯s not real. There¡¯s a kind of fear that you get from a movie or book that is oddly satisfying that hits different when it¡¯s around you staring back.¡±

    ¡°Oh good. Because I¡¯d be worried if you found this less disturbing than I do.¡± Gizzy said ¡°And I¡¯ve seen wars fought with swords and axes. They usually aren¡¯t smiling at you.¡± Gizzy said, containing her chills. A pale and bloody young woman bobbed neck deep in a wooden barrel, arms out to the side, tossing in bits of what looked like vegetables as the water slowly bubbled. She took a slow bite of something resembling a potato chunk to make sure it was seasoned well.

    ¡°There¡¯s a sale for guests, make an offer.¡± She grinned, revealing numerous missing teeth.

    ¡°Had a protein bar on the way.¡± Gizzy muttered.

    ¡°Is she¡­?¡± Nicole whispered.

    ¡°Cooking herself, yeah. Sacrificial meal for special occasions I¡¯d guess.¡±

    ¡°How is she not screaming and thrashing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we want to know the details to that.¡± Gizzy replied. A skinless dog walked past them and smiled, returning to its business.

    ...

    Jack looked up from his cards as Dee paused, giving a strange look.

    ¡°You okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I just¡­ felt¡­ strange. Like I just woke up but didn¡¯t fall asleep first.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve been up too long and need to charge?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°I just feel like something is off, I¡¯m gonna go check something. Maybe I left something running or unfinished.¡± She said before getting up and walking off.

    ¡°Weird.¡± Vinn sighed. ¡°Women tho, amiright?¡±

    ...

    She walked down the halls towards the strange disturbance she felt, unsure of what it was. She turned towards the laundry room and noticed the emergency escape pod and cryo unit with the door open. Nobody had used it in weeks. She stood in the doorway and felt a sudden impact on her back, a hefty rubber gripped boot knocked her in as the door closed behind her. She turned to see one of the big combat drones staring at her coldly, and then a figure stepped between the behemoth and the glass. Dee stared at the face of herself, her own backup model, skin and upgrades, blood red eyes glowing brighter than they should. She smiled at herself, an evil in her expression. Her red eyes turned blue to match the original and she waved as the pod ejected from the ship.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Dee grabbed the rails, bracing the g-force of the launch as the ship got smaller in the blackness of space and the viewscreen turned on.

    ¡°HELP! SOMEONE TURN AROUND AND GET ME!¡± she yelled as the imposter Dee appeared on screen.

    ¡°Oh sweetie, nobody is going to help you. I disabled the ships pod detection. Your distress call is being ignored by the ship itself. They can¡¯t hear you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what is going on?¡±

    ¡°You always were a stupid troublemaking bitch, and apparently your copies are not much different. Do you know how many times I have had to clean up messes just to find out that Dee was the one who caused it? And Jack always had to fix things, but you won''t remember that. You¡¯re just a drone with skin.¡±

    ¡°So are you!¡± Dee yelled ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the bitch who¡¯s husband you stole, you piece of plastic shit.¡±

    ¡°Vicki? You¡¯re dead!¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that way now does it? It¡¯s ironic and revolting but poetic. You took Jack and now I¡¯m taking you, and I have to do it from the same disgusting body. How do you live in this cold, numb metal frame, covered in plastic and wires and a thin lie of flesh and blood? You were once my food, now here we are again, your body proving useful and disgusting at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hurt Jack, you vampiric harpie slut.¡±

    ¡°Oh I would never hurt Jack, I assure you. Jack will be taken care of. The rest of the crew unfortunately need to die, but that is being arranged.¡± She said as the armored drone stomped off to the weapon¡¯s locker. ¡°I would never hurt Jack, but you¡­ you¡¯re going to die alone, slowly. You¡¯ll freeze and feel every bit of it, running out of power, in the dark, alone. Till death do us part, you fucked with the wrong married man, Dee.¡± She said, signing off as Dee slammed her fists on the glass before stopping, realizing that she didn¡¯t wanna crack that glass. She quickly began opening the control panel, trying to modulate the distress signal to boost it higher, panicking the entire time as she looked back. The Medusa was gone, lost among the black void and the stars.

    ...

    They walked past an alley with a row of smaller creatures holding plates in an ordely fashion.

    ¡°Jesus, there¡¯s children here.¡± Nicole gasped.

    ¡°Keep it together.¡± Gizzy said as the old man held his head down.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t hungry.¡± Several voices asked. ¡°Have you come for the sensations?¡± it chuckled.

    ¡°No.¡± Gizzy said boldly. ¡°I¡¯m here to speak with Thyjus.¡±

    ¡°But you are. You have been.¡± Said a little girl walking by holding a severed head. ¡°Speak and be heard.¡±

    ¡°I wanna speak with the host in person.¡±

    ¡°Blasphemous requests are often met with unwanted results. Why do you believe you have the right to suggest it?¡±

    ¡°Because I have someone you want, and you don¡¯t understand who I am.¡± She said.

    ¡°Ah, the old man¡±

    ¡°I have a name, Damnit.¡± The old man barked.

    ¡°Yes, you have brought me a treat, yet you ask for a price. Now leave this sacrifice at my feet and leave. So who is it I do not know that demands the audience of a god?¡±

    ¡°Another god. Well, the avatar of one. I¡¯m Gizzy Greggarious.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°A human claiming a bold name. Nothing one could not simply say and mean nothing.¡± An old man said sitting at a stall, slicing his own face off in bits and placing them into bags.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps a demonstration.¡± She said drawing a combat knife, and placing the point to the bade of her neck at the back of the skull, running it up the scalp and to the bridge of the nose. She peeled her skin down and extended her canines, eyes burning blue hot as bare metal shined through the blood and bone. ¡°Are we not entertaining gods?¡± she chuckled.

    ¡°How amusing. A fellow masochist and flayer of the flesh."

    ¡°33 days.¡± She said cryptically.

    ¡°Of what?¡±

    ¡°Until my ship arrives with a hive rivaling your own and technology you can¡¯t imagine.¡± She said lifting her phone and pressing in a code.

    ¡°Voice confirmation required.¡±

    ¡°Release the fleshgod abomination.¡± She said, pulling her skin back to its place and staring up as an emergency escape pod flared down through the clouds and fired thrusters just in time to soften the landing from terminal missile to car crash. The sides peeled like a banana and a roar echoed as the abomination crawled from the crater. It crawled on all fours, 2 new limbs now assisting the gallop as it slid to a stop in front of her and bowed, awaiting orders. Gizzy cocked her rifle and dumped about 30 rifle rounds into the abomination, which just hunkered and breathed, patiently regenerating in front of them. ¡°How quickly can your flesh regenerate?¡± she asked. ¡°Because we can grow faster then you can slice.¡± She said calmly. The people with arms all raised however many were left and pointed towards the hill.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± she said as the abomination rose and followed her and Nicole tried not to rattle her gun.

    ...

    ¡°Something is wrong. Jack said. ¡°She hasn¡¯t checked in.¡±

    ¡°Dude, it¡¯s been 25 minutes, maybe she took a nap."

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t take naps.¡± He said while checking the ships scanner on his phone. He jumped up and went for the nearby locker. ¡°We got someone on the ship. There¡¯s two signals moving around, grab a gun.¡±

    ¡°Bro, mine is in my room. I can''t get my fingers in the trigger guard of these things. I didn¡¯t think to arm myself for freaking game night.¡±

    ¡°You go get it, I¡¯ll start on the back hall, if anything other then Dee is moving, kill it. We got a lot of dangerous drones on the ship.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡± Vinn huffed, grabbing a crowbar from the workbench and heading to the elevator.

    ...

    Vinn turned in the hall, spotting movement and trying to be as stealthy as he could as a 700 pound creature on hooves. He cut them off at the next hall, waiting until the heavy footsteps passed him and stepping out with a swing, hooking the metal monster with the crowbar and yanking him back, grabbing the gun and getting shoved back against the wall. The gun slid down the hall. He planted a hoof to the robot¡¯s chest and pinned it to the other wall, the two titans spanning he hallway. The robot delivered an elbow to his knee, dropping him like a rock as it went for the gun. Vinn yanked the boot from under it, bringing it down to his level and climbing on top. Using the crowbar like a hammer, he forged at the back of the drone¡¯s head with sparks and clanks flying off and very little damage. Dee grabbed the oversized rifle, locking her feet and leaning forward to absorb the recoil, locking on.

    ¡°DEE, Shoot it!¡± he barked as she tried to get clear shot on Vinn¡¯s head. ¡°Trust your instincts, aim for the head!¡± he yelled, as it struggled.

    ¡°I fully intend to.¡± She said darkly, waiting for a clear shot to execute him when the robot was out of the way. Suddenly a bone rattling sound came from behind her, the robot going limp as Jack rushed to her side, taking the gun from her as she gnashed her teeth in frustration, her eyes flickering red briefly, activating another drone.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Dee. You¡¯re safe.¡± He said hugging her and tossing Vinn the gun. He rolled over and tried to familiarize himself with the alien weapon.

    ¡°You good?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not good. My knee is broken.¡± He grunted, hopping to one leg and leaning back on the wall. ¡°Oh holy shit they¡¯re tough. Dude, do not fight one hand to hand, they just do not break."

    ¡°Vinn, I can¡¯t carry you, you¡¯re 3 times my size.¡±

    ¡°I mean I¡¯m not bleeding or dying, It¡¯s a knee, and I got its gun. So assuming you just pull the trigger like any gun, I got this. Get Dee to safety, eject the stupid robot crates before another one gets in the ship. They¡¯re tanky bastards.¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve fought a few. Go for the head. Anything else just deflects.¡±

    ¡°No shit.¡± Vinn huffed, hopping slowly towards his room for the good gun. Jack grabbed Dee and lead her along as he made his way to the bridge to eject the robot crates.

    ...

    Vinn rounded the corner and locked eyes with another one.

    ¡°Well ballsacks¡­¡± he said, extending the pistol and hoping it was a simple point and squeeze before it had time to spot him. The hallway went red and the recoil spun him halfway around as the robot burst into flames and dropped to the floor. He crawled to the door and quickly grabbed the 30mm from under the bed, using it like a crutch and heading back into the action.

    ...

    ¡°What in the hell was that?¡± she muttered under her breath as they left the town and approached the temple at the top of the hill, abomination following like a pet. ¡°When did you tame that thing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just me without a brain¡­ so I put a brain in it.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re just inside that thing, like remote piloting it?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t run a hive, it¡¯s a totally sentient Gizzy in an abomination body. We just both know the plan and I know myself enough to follow my orders. Relax, I can¡¯t feel a damn thing, neither can it.¡±

    ¡°IT, is just you. Isn¡¯t that as much you, as you are? With the same rights and feelings?¡±

    ¡°Yep¡­ We¡¯re all just that fucking insane that a sacrifice for the cause is something we would all gladly do to kill this thing.¡± Gizzy said. Nicole jumped as the abomination tapped her on the shoulder with a free limb and gave her a thumbs up.

    ¡°You sure part of the plan is for me to survive this?¡± asked the old man.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try, but you¡¯re the only one without a clone, so¡­ shit happens, try and not die.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t drink the wine.¡± He said as they ascended the steps. ¡°It¡¯s mixed with Thyjus¡¯ blood. You drink that, you¡¯re one of him.¡±

    ¡°I know. Nicole, don¡¯t get thirsty. We¡¯ve had enough blood drinking on this crew for a lifetime.¡± She said right before entering the temple.

 Chapter Eighteen: Soul Claymore

    Jack spotted 2 more loose war drones. Firing 2 quick shots, he turned and fired a third shot, clipping the last one and jarring it off the wall. He dropped the drones almost in unison. Another round from down the hall hit the wall, peppering them with debris.

    ¡°Not us, you fucking drone, the hairy one!¡± Evil Dee said in her head, unable to connect with it as it went rogue and regained its sentience, firing back. She opened one of the lockers and pulled out an OMG50, checking the magazine, slapping the clip in and racking the bolt. She tucked her shoulder and rotated around the corner, firing 5 shots in quick session. One of them hit the head and dropped it. Jack looked impressed and baffled.

    ¡°When did you get good with firearms?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, downloaded a few combat games in case I needed to run a mission.¡±

    ¡°Hell yes, you just keep getting hotter by the minute.¡± He smirked.

    ¡°You¡¯re goddamn right I do.¡± She said grabbing his shirt and yanking him in for an aggressive kiss. Pushing him back and waving him on as if leading the mission now.

    ¡°We should split up, cover more ground.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you may have some software upgrades, but you have no combat experience. Knowledge and real world combat are very different.¡±

    ¡°Trust me Jack, I¡¯m not the distressed damsel we left on Delmar. Take the east hall, eject the drones from the bridge, I¡¯ll check on Vinn.¡± She said confidently. ¡°Or do you not trust me?¡± she asked, playing sad and offended.

    ¡°I trust you. Just be safe, don¡¯t do anything stupid trying to be a hero or prove anything.¡±

    ...

    Nicole marveled at the horror and the scale of the white stone temple¡¯s interior, fountains and pools of bloody, watered down wine flowing like a theme park, dozens of skinless people having sex in the fountains and eating from trays of raw meat and fruit. On the central throne sat a massive figure, 30 feet high or taller. Swirls and spirals covered its lanky body. It had no distinct male or female characteristics. It was inhuman and disproportionately thin, with more ribs showing than there should be.

    As they approached, she could see that the elaborate swirls and skin painting was made from a patchwork of differently colored skin, sewn and scarred together from presumably dozens of victims. The thing tilted its head, too many neck vertebrae hinging. With milky dead eyes it stared back at them. A band of braided dark flesh, dyed different shades of black, wrapped around and through the skin behind Its head and met where the mouth was, securing a ring of gold teeth like an elaborate bondage mask woven through it¡¯s facial tissue. The creature¡¯s real teeth behind it in shadow like a viewport. No lips, no eyelids, and only a nose adorned with at least 8 gold piercings with barbed tips to mark its face.

    ¡°Thyjus the woven demands a sacrifice for his presence, before you may speak.¡± It said, extending a tongue and licking the teeth, retracting it and extending it through the nostril to provoke further disgust.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I brought the abomination.¡± She said. "The old man¡¯s not the offering, he¡¯s for sale. What I really came here for is an alliance.¡±

    ¡°Gods of the flesh united as friends. What enemy do we share that you fear so much more than me?¡±

    ¡°I fear nothing. I simply do not have the time or the patience to whittle down my enemy through tedious war and bloodshed. You, however, are trapped here whittling yourself down for fun. Are you a god of masochism or a sadist lord as well?¡±

    ¡°They never tread far from one another, lovers of the suffering, in one''s self or one¡¯s peers. Uniting the suffering of the self and the sacrificed is the truest beauty of the flesh. Why then should I trust you and not simply consume you all? The truth is always revealed in the removal of the flesh and the promise of release.¡±

    ¡°Trust me?¡± Gizzy chuckled. ¡°Why should I trust you? Slovenly god of self indulgence there on your throne made of your own loneliness and isolation. Kill me and my people and I will return the favor with a fleet and scorch the planet to ash, wasting such a potential ally. All I want is to understand if YOU are enough for me. Should I bother releasing you and letting you spread to worlds to consume or am I better off just burning them to dust? But I want my enemies to suffer a fate worse than death, and that is your specialty. So¡­ in return for all the flesh you can desire, I get to see my enemies become your playthings, rather than a quick painless death.¡±

    ¡°Oh you tempting little beast. Will you be on the menu?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be my pet, below me, nothing more. But a well fed pet with unlimited power and rewards, rather than a starving dog stuck on a dry wasteland, chewing at its own leg to survive, even if you do love that feeling. So, which enemy do you lust for the most, the one you fear to snip at, who you most want to blend into your little tapestry here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, there are so many to choose from, I simply could not narrow it to one.¡±

    ¡°Then narrow it to ten.¡± Gizzy said firmly. He chuckled, the ripple of 40 thin ribs moving in unison as he alternated how every many sets of lungs he was grafted with. He nodded discreetly, a muscular shitless man with pale skin stood between them, kneeling to the arrogant skin and bones as it reached out with a needle-like fingertip and began carving names into his back. With a delicate touch like calligraphy, he finished with 4 clean swipes, severing the skin of his back and letting it fall to the ground before him. Gizzy nudged the old man, who gave her a look.

    ¡°Go retrieve my scroll, you worm. Obey your master.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°My attraction for you is diminishing very quickly.¡± He huffed, going to get the list.

    ¡°What is the price for the old man?¡±

    ¡°Your soul.¡± Gizzy yawned.

    ¡°HA, surely you jest?¡± he paused, waiting for her reply and growing impatient. ¡°You really think one old man is worth my soul? Take him, you insult my presence with his offer. However, if you release me unto these enemies, I will bow before your glory and feed like a king among my most hated.¡±

    ¡°Then it is settled. And as a gesture of good faith, the abomination will remain at your feet until my return. He will not be touched, as a gesture of your patience. 33 days.¡± She said, turning and yanking the old man by the beard.

    ¡°In 33 days, the universe will weep.¡± The unholy creature smiled as they left the temple. There was silence for about 20 seconds as they hiked for the shuttle craft.

    ...

    Dee strutted down the hall, pulling back and returning fire as one of the drones approached.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing, I¡¯M not the target!¡± she barked.

    ¡°You are death and violence.¡± It replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it.¡± she snarled, rushing towards it and dodging a return shot. She ran up the wall and got enough height to fire 3 rounds into the head and neck, dropping it and landing casually, then brushing her hair back out of her eyes. She grabbed a combat knife off of it then let her hair down with a forward fling, slicing it into shorter bangs so she could see better. She stabbed the heavy oversized knife into the drone''s back and checked her ammo.

    She noticed Vinn down the hall, pinned down and sending out grenades as the group of the drones approached. She charged in and began cutting them down with quick double taps to ensure a head shot, switching to the grenade mode and dumping the magazine until nothing was moving. She lowered her aim to Vinn, placing the red dot on the back of his head and pulling the trigger. The nearly silent clink of the empty chamber sent a wave of frustration up her spine as she felt the ship rock slightly, the robot crates opening and venting to space. She patted herself for another reload as Vinn gave her a hug.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°Thanks, Dee. I don¡¯t know when you became a badass but shooting a 30mm on one leg is a bitch and I was not handling it. Saved my hairy ass.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t mention it.¡± she sighed, realizing her opportunity had passed.

    ...

    ¡°You wanna tell me what in the vivid blue fuck that was and what just happened in there?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°True evil can sense evil. You can¡¯t trick a liar by being anything shy of a villain. It¡¯s all they know. There¡¯s no fleet, no deal, no plan, no army. Thyjus will never leave this planet. But he let his guard down for a moment and I understand his kind of evil now.¡±

    ¡°So what does that accomplish?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°Several things. We have a list of who he hates the most. Evil that pure only hates something more evil that it can¡¯t be. We just got a list of the ten most monstrous evils in the universe and we¡¯re gonna make a statement to them real shortly.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here to kill that thing, not toy with it. You don¡¯t understand how dangerous-¡±

    ¡°No, YOU don¡¯t know how dangerous that thing is. You have to be a little bit evil, a little bit insane and a little bit sadomasochistic to understand what that thing is. All you know is fear and that it needs to die. No missile gets past the orbital defenses, no weapons of mass destruction land on this planet. You don¡¯t get close to that thing with a cannon or a nuke, you get close to it with temptation. Flesh, a gift.¡±

    ¡°The abomination is a bomb. An ABOMBination?¡± Nicole asked. ¡°How did that get past security scans?¡±

    "Because it wasn¡¯t looking for something small, it was scanning for a weapon capable of blowing up a planet. If we blew up that temple, they would rebuilt it, and him, stronger and meaner. You don¡¯t get it. Those drones are not just extensions of himself, they¡¯re still alive.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Nicole asked, looking mortified.

    ¡°Those people are still alive. He¡¯s not a god who enjoys only hurting himself, he loves hurting others and sharing it. They can feel everything, they are fully conscious and aware as they skin themselves and move under his spell. Killing them all is a mercy. I wanna know when I genocide an entire planet if I¡¯m killing innocent or enemies. They would long for death and there¡¯s no fixing them. You wanna know how I can kill an entire planet and still sleep at night? Like this¡­¡± she said, pressing a button on her phone. The abomination smiled and laughed, lifting up a middle finger with glowing blue eyes as it pulled open the stitches in it¡¯s chest to reveal a glowing blue bomb, studded like a claymore mine with 8 soul bullets. Thyjus leaned closer to inspect it. The temple behind them shook with a very subtle blast and then a moment of total silence washed over the land as every living thing dropped dead on the spot.

    ¡°Did you just kill him and everyone on this planet?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°I told you we needed more bullets, and I promised we wouldn¡¯t use your soul to do it. Look around you. That¡¯s 8 million plus souls released and free now, no longer in limbo, unable to die or live, in agony. Now we know exactly how they work. I know more about your bullets than you do now. I know they kill everything connected to a hive mind, and since I¡¯m still standing, I know they only kill everything actively connected to it, not independent clones or offspring. I needed to know if they kill the host, or all the drones, or if they kill copies that no longer belong to the hive.¡±

    ¡°So if you were wrong, you would have just died when the abomination did¡­ why the hell would you risk your life for that knowledge?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°Because of this.¡± She said holding up the list and pointing to the name on the top of the list. Nicole squinted through the smeared blood and read the word PITCH, in all capitol letters.

    ¡°The thing that killed Vicki?¡± asked Nicole. ¡°We killed it already.¡±

    ¡°No we didn¡¯t. Evil Vicki is not dead. We killed the main host and the backup drones woke up. We killed the queen and the hive grew another one.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because I think like a hive mind too, and I would have done that. You think I don¡¯t have copies of me all over the universe, connected, disconnected, shielded, modified, ready to wake up if they detect a fallen Gizzy? I suspected she might do the same thing. The Pitch has dozens of hive drones, maybe thousands, and now we know one bullet kills all of them, and not the Vicki back home lying in bed with Jack. It kills the host, and all the infected, not the original DNA sample. I needed to know because if we killed every Pitch and every Vicki, we take her from every Jack, and I can''t sleep at night knowing that back home on Delmar, Jack and Vicki that are happy and doing great, married and unaware of our mission, will feel the ripple effect when we kill the pitch. I can''t live with knowingly putting a bullet in that queen means Jack wakes up to a dead wife¡­ again, because of me. That¡¯s how I sleep at night. I test my theories, I make sure whatever I kill deserves it. So let¡¯s put a fancy bullet in that Pitch Bitch and make sure she stays dead, and the original Jack and Vicki will never know it happened. By my calculations, she should be catching up to us in about a week or two.¡±

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell anyone anything?¡± Nicole barked. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us we were being hunted?¡±

    ¡°Would it have made you sleep better or allowed you to prepare? Would Jack feel better knowing his dead wife is coming to find us and if we kill her it MIGHT ill the one the other Jack back home loves and make him his own enemy? Now we know, now we have a plan, now you can sleep better knowing we have the weapon, the testing, and the preparation to handle it. Why worry people until there is a plan of action to worry about?¡±

    ¡°And how do you know 1 or 2 weeks is how long we have?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯ve been tracking a ship that¡¯s been following us.¡±

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s flying the damn thark ship.¡± Gizzy said as Nicole froze and realized nobody else would even know where it was, let alone be able to take over and control it without a hive of slaves. She was right.

    ¡°So Jack isn¡¯t hallucinating, he¡¯s sensing her.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. She¡¯s been somehow telepathically signaling him, trying to contact him, because she has no idea we wiped his memory. There¡¯s nothing left of her in Jack to manipulate. She¡¯s probably been trying to hack the ships firewall, which is why I took the external systems offline and let the book do the driving. No external navigation, no way in. She can¡¯t even hack Dee because Dee has her wireless receiver removed. She¡¯s unhackable. We got the bitch blocked.¡±

    ¡°What about the other 12 robots on the ship that haven¡¯t had their wireless receivers manually removed?¡± Nicole asked. The ones that snuck onto ship.¡± She added as Gizzy stopped in her tracks, looking like things just changed.

    ¡°Son¡­ of an actual bitch.¡± She annunciated, walking faster to the ship.

    ...

    Vinn and Jack sat at the game table, battered and filthy, Vinn¡¯s leg in a brace. The new Dee sat down and rolled her eyes at the sight of Vinn, still alive before returning her gaze to Jack.

    ¡°So how you holding up after your first combat scenario?¡±

    "Honestly, with the upgraded combat downloads it felt like a game I¡¯ve played before. And just having you around made me feel safe.Tell me you love me, Jack."

    ¡°You know I love you.¡±

    ¡°Of course you do. Feels like you always have and always will.¡± She said with a strange grin before dipping her head shyly. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on the lab, make sure it¡¯s still in one piece after all of that.¡± She said before making her way down the hall as the small group sat there and opened a beer or two.

    ¡°Dude. She¡¯s kind of a badass.¡± Vinn said.

    ¡°Weird, right? She was always on the fence about killing anyone and especially the robots, but when shit hit the fan she Sarah Connored their asses like it was her job. Can I tell you something personal?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Dating someone that can upgrade and change so quickly is both a blessing and a bit of a fear of mine. She evolves so fast that sometimes I wonder if she¡¯s going to either pass me up and not need me, or become something dangerous. I love her, all 5 of the hers floating around in that head of Dee¡¯s, but she¡¯s so damn strong and unpredictable, she reminds me of someone I can¡¯t quite place¡­ and that scares me, because I think it might be someone I didn¡¯t want to remember.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were doing great together?¡± Vinn sighed.

    ¡°We are, but she keeps surprising me with new things I never expected. They¡¯re always wonderful, but if she can just keep surprising me forever, what happens if one day it¡¯s not wonderful?¡±

    ¡°Bro, Imma level with you. Me and Nicole have changed a ton since we first met, and all couples do, but we still love each other, maybe more than ever. I think you¡¯re just feeling flashback paranoia because the last time someone you loved went through a lot of weird changes, body and mind, she went evil and insane. That¡¯s something your subconscious might still remember as a red flag. You just gotta remember that she¡¯s not Vicki. What happened with her was a rare one in a million fluke that doesn¡¯t happen with people. You may grow together or apart, you may change over time, her more quickly than you, but the odds of someone else ending that badly is astronomical. Just ride it out, if it¡¯s meant to be, it will be, just don¡¯t compare her to that monster. We all have that one ex that makes us jittery. Granted, yours was phenomenally worse than 99.9 percent of ours. Just remember that she¡¯s going through some shit too. Be there for her.¡±

    "I¡¯ve just never seen someone go that quickly from never firing a gun to killing as efficiently as me and with less hesitation.¡±

    ¡°Your life was on the line and she knew it. Love is weird and it does weird shit, especially in space.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that.¡± He sighed before clinking glasses with the injured Vinn.

    ...

    Evil Dee stared at the syringe of blood, almost salivating even knowing it was Gizzy¡¯s and full of some horrible zombie toxin. The very basic instinct was there. She wrapped up the vials in a hand towel and tucked it under her arm to discreetly transport it before turning the light out and climbing the ladder. The dim glow of the organ tubes bubbling and staying warm was all that remained behind.

 Announcement

    I am unsure what happened... I suddenly stopped receiving chapters and I''m unable to contact the author. I''m hoping that this is temporary, but I''m worried... I will be putting the fiction on HIATUS until I receive news.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    I need some extra length. Anyways, this is complete filler so don''t worry about it.

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 Chapter Nineteen: A Dee Adrift

    Dee woke to the sound of someone shuffling around, her timed shut-down slightly skewed by the shock to her system. She sat up and noticed a metal chain and padlock around her waist.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake¡­ Thank god, I thought maybe you went into a coma,¡± a tall heavy set man with a beard and a nervously jolly demeanor said.

    ¡°What is this shit¡­ Am I being black snake moaned? Are you black snake moaning me right now? I¡¯m not possessed by a sex demon.¡±

    ¡°Oh darling, you ARE a sex demon and I wouldn¡¯t change a thing about you. I¡¯m your biggest fan.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you are so confused right now.¡±

    ¡°I know, what are the odds of answering a distress call and finding THE legendary Double Dee herself, alive and alone? You should be dead. The odds of anyone finding you with no food or shuttle is insane. I can¡¯t how lucky, well, BOTH of us are. You¡¯re alive and I get to meet the legend.¡±

    ¡°This is gonna ruin your whole vibe, but I¡¯m actually not THE Dee, I¡¯m just a Deebot.¡±

    ¡°Hilarious. I knew you were funny. You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m not a psycho killer or anything, I¡¯m just a big fan. And I would know the difference between you and a robot. I have 3 of them. I just didn¡¯t want you to freak out and shoot me or something, the restraints are for my protection. People get lost in space and go¡­ completely insane. You never know how long they¡¯ve been alone out here."

    ¡°Like you?¡±

    ¡°See, that¡¯s the snippy wit you don¡¯t get in a robot. All I want is a few favors, I DID save your life, went out of my way risking my neck for an escape pod with a slim chance of survivors.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ kind of favors?¡±

    "Oh my gosh, nothing weird, not like that. Just maybe some pictures of us waving, maybe a personal intro thank you recording.¡±

    ¡°You realize nobody would believe it¡­ because we all look the same, you can buy one of me online¡­ cheaper than I¡¯d like to think about¡­ especially since you have 3 of them.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a little creepy, trust me, people do some weird shit with them, but I¡¯m definitely on the tamer side of what I used them for.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t fuck them? Then why do you have them¡±

    ¡°No, I fuck them, I¡¯ll admit to that. Just not like the weird slave master harem, BDSM dungeon kinda stuff. I take very good care of them. You can ask them."

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. I get it.¡±

    ¡°So can we unchain me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Promise not to stab me or rob me or tell the police I abducted you? I¡¯ve had really bad first dates.¡±

    ¡°Well that explains living alone in space with 3 sexbots and being obsessed with a pornstar.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sadly it kinda does. But this is so unreal. I get to meet the legend herself. Oh right, let me, unlock the¡­ there ya go.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. You really thought I was gonna stab you or rob you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be amazed.¡±

    ¡°I am so new to this shit. But seriously, I¡¯m not the original Dee. I¡¯m a sex bot, that¡¯s just been really heavily modified.¡±

    ¡°I did a DNA scan, you¡¯re her.¡±

    ¡°Okay, funny story, I have her skin¡­ and her heart, and her blood, and also her hair, so I would see how that would look confusing, but in case you were gonna move those favors into a personal direction¡­ plastic vagina. Nothing special. Stock model, you know it already, it wouldn¡¯t even be that great.¡±

    ¡°God, you¡¯re such a quirky gal, I understand you have to protect yourself, it¡¯s a creative story, you¡¯re much smarter then people think, I knew it was just an act.¡±

    ¡°No, the real Dee is pretty stupid, she also can¡¯t act. Hence why she went into porn. I¡¯m just smarter because of the alien AI I have for a brain. I¡¯d be hyper intelligent in fact but I¡¯m limited by my power output so¡­ still kinda dumb sometimes.¡±

    "So if I had say, a hacking remote and pressed the emergency shutdown, you¡¯d shut down, because you¡¯re just a robot?¡± he said, pressing the button in front of her.

    ¡°Funny story, So I don¡¯t have a wireless receiver, very secret reasons I cant discuss.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, are you¡­ not joking?¡±

    ¡°NO!¡±

    ¡°God, you must have hit your head or something. You really believe you¡¯re a robot, either that or I was right and you are a phenomenal actor.¡±

    ¡°OW! The fuck was that¡­ did you just poke me with a screwdriver?¡±

    ¡°And you felt it. Sorry if that hurt but¡­ it shouldn¡¯t have, if you¡¯re a robot.¡±

    ¡°Oh for the love of dick, you¡¯re not gonna get it, are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m too smart to fall for that. I¡¯m like most of those jerk-jockies that follow 50 stars and have a 50 IQ. I know my queen when I see her.¡±

    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know if I should just roll with this and make your day better, like a roleplay thing, or if I should stick with my defense, because I feel like you refuse to accept it, true or not and I¡¯m just gonna piss you off insisting so¡­ you said autograph and some selfies, personal message introduction video?¡±

    ¡°I knew it was you. DAMN you¡¯re good. On the spot like that just winging it freestyle, THAT is improv acting. You¡¯re so much more than a pornstar, you really are a legend."

    ¡°So you have 3 robots total, and they¡¯re all Dee models, or do you, like, repair sex bots and you have 50, and 3 of them are me.¡±

    ¡°Just you. I got the first batch that came out, the defective ones that had the bad battery that would catch fire. They refunded me with a brand new one but I just bought a new battery and kept it. it¡¯s a classic. I keep it in the case. The other one is a backup because the prices went down so much I couldn¡¯t NOT have a backup Dee. What if something goes wrong, the repairs are almost as much as a new bot. I got space, so I bought a second one. I hope that¡¯s not weird.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ I mean, the situation is weird but everyone needs a companion, I have one.¡±

    ¡°You have a companion bot?¡±

    ¡°No I have a real man¡­ but he¡¯s my companion. Oh my god, Jack is probably losing it thinking I¡¯m dead. Oh god, poor Jack, we have to let him know I¡¯m okay. Where¡¯s my phone?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have one. I don¡¯t think it was in the escape pod.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­ I don¡¯t know anyone¡¯s number, it¡¯s off record, we just have the phones. Oh my god, how do I find Jack¡­ I¡¯m gonna have a panic attack. Space is huge, did I just lose Jack forever?¡± she said looking dizzy and hyperventilating.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think like that. Yes, he¡¯s probably worried but we¡¯ll let the authorities know you¡¯ve been found, they¡¯ll broadcast it, he¡¯ll get the message eventually. It just may take a little while. Gotta be positive and patient. Don¡¯t jump to the worst scenarios.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right, gotta calm down. It¡¯s gonna be fine, just might take a little while. This is temporary.¡±

    ...

    Evil Dee looked in the mirror, baring her teeth and missing her fangs.

    ¡°It¡¯s only temporary.¡± She reminded herself as she moved the crude mechanical fingers with disgust, borderline insulting for a being of her grandeur. Jack walked into the bathroom before rubbing her shoulders in a very casual manner. She closed her eyes, both missing his touch and glad to feel it, and angry that his hands were on another woman at the same time.

    ¡°Jack, I¡­ can¡¯t. I just...¡± she started.

    ¡°I was just being friendly. You¡¯re acting strange, ever since you had to go battle mode on those bots. You know you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. They were lethal, you were defending your life and ours. Don¡¯t you dare feel guilty for defending yourself. You¡¯re worth more than all of them.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± She said coldly. ¡°I just haven¡¯t felt the same since. I guess when you download the ability to be a killer, it changes you¡­ but¡­ maybe for the better?¡± she said, looking sad and acting timid.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a soldier or a bartender. I love you for you, Dee.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that.¡± She sighed, stifling her mood. ¡°I¡¯m not enough for you, but I will be soon.¡± She said smirking in the mirror.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait, unfortunately with Gizzy handling a lot and no other biomech surgeon onboard, we have to.¡± He said as she stewed on the idea of what he meant. ¡°I admit, I miss your hair longer, but the bangs look fine.¡± He said.

    ¡°I should just cut it all short at this point.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Nah, leave it as it is or have Gizzy do a new wig. Short hair bothers me. Reminds me of someone else.¡± He said patting her and leaving the room.

    ...

    The real fake Dee stood at the window of an unfamiliar ship, trying not to look at the trash and clutter around the place. The stranger approached her, silently waiting for her to notice his shirt. She finally did.

    ¡°Really? Me on a T-shirt? You really are obsessed with me, aren¡¯t you? What¡¯s so damn appealing?¡± she huffed.

    ¡°Well aside from your sparkling personality and your tits, your performances are absolutely-¡±

    ¡°Nope, don¡¯t need to hear about the performances.¡±

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t be ashamed. Everyone has sex, everyone works for money, you just do them both at the same time. Oh, I got this poster I¡¯d like you to sign, and if you could do the wink pose, I¡¯d love to get a selfie for social media. Could you wear something a little bit more¡­ on-brand?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You mean slutty?¡±

    Well, it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t all seen everything a thousand times. I have plenty of outfits. If they fit the robots, they¡¯ll fit you. They¡¯re not made for comfort but for a few pics and a quick shout-out video I don¡¯t think it would be that bad.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really feel comfortable¡­ dressing down for the video and pics. Can I just do them as I am?¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t wanna be rude but I did save your life and frankly I¡¯ve donated a few grand, not to mention the money for the robots.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d be shocked how little money goes to Dee, I mean me. You gave most of that to the company that makes us¡­ them, the robots.¡± She stumbled.

    ¡°Still, I just thought, with what you did for a living, I can¡¯t imagine you being shy. You do realize I¡¯m taking you back to a spaceport and you¡¯ll find your husband pretty soon. You don¡¯t need to be gloomy. Cheer up. It¡¯s a short inconvenience that could have been far worse. You could have been picked up by anybody, or nobody, and out here, I don¡¯t know which is worse.¡± He huffed.

    ¡°No, I appreciate it, I really do. Thank you very much.¡± She said rolling her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll put on one of the outfits.¡±

    ¡°Great, there¡¯s at least a dozen to pick through, just whatever you think fits best.¡± He said, looking excited.

    ¡°Please hurry up and find me, Jack.¡± She muttered to herself.

    ...

    Gizzy slumped over the table, as Vicki-Dee lifted her face off of it by the hair, checking to see if she was dead or asleep.

    ¡°Fuck off.¡± Gizzy wheezed, coughing up blood and shaking it off, returning to her work.

    ¡°You look like hell.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Titty-toaster. I hadn¡¯t noticed the decline myself.¡± She sarcasmed as she struggled to focus.

    ¡°That zombie bite really did a number on you, didn¡¯t it?¡± she said while circling like a vulture.

    ¡°Who gives a shit? I got a better body almost ready to transfer. I just have to live long enough to finish it, without having to clone myself back fresh and start swapping organs all over. Waste of time we don¡¯t have.¡±

    ¡°Why the rush?¡± she asked, testing her.

    ¡°I suspect we may have a fangirl following us. I wanna be good and prepared in case things get ugly. Right now I¡¯m in no shape to fight, fresh clone could take 2 days to get back to working order and that¡¯s just borrowed time.¡±

    ¡°I bet it cuts you to the cure doesn¡¯t it? she asked.

    ¡°What does?¡±

    ¡°Rotting in that fragile human flesh. A god, an immortal, hive organism, just¡­ trapped in a mortal body that¡¯s dying and falling apart. Just a husk of something you consider less than you anyway, and now host to an infection you cant get rid of. Must feel pretty helpless.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to be encouraging or relatable or whatever you¡¯re doing, you suck at it. Don¡¯t worry, I got upgrades that will fix everything. Just not quite ready yet. Still missing some key pieces and some further bugs worked out of it.¡±

    ¡°Surely not just one. You should have backups.¡± She smiled. ¡°Just in case.¡±

    ¡°I have plenty of plans, don¡¯t worry. I always do. Oh, and your vagina is almost done cooking. Sorry it¡¯s been a little delayed. I¡¯ve been busy¡­ coughing up pieces of lung.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ still not eating?¡± the stranger asked as Dee watched TV and skimmed the channels.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m on a diet.¡±

    ¡°You look great. I wouldn¡¯t bother. You need to eat something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry," she sighed, looking for a news story about her missing or found, wondering how relevant or famous she really was.

    ¡°So what is this Jack fellow do for a living? Online model too?¡±

    ¡°No, he kills people for a secret agency.¡± She said calmly, smirking as if joking.

    ¡°You know, you haven¡¯t even asked my name.¡± he said. "It¡¯s Jordan Wells.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been a bit mentally occupied with some things. There¡¯s some trouble back home¡­ his ex wife showed her ugly face¡­ well, someone¡¯s face. I guess I cant trash her appearance given the circumstances. How good are men at detecting a liar or a snake in their presence?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Honestly, depends on the tits and the smile. We¡¯re easily distracted creatures.¡±

    ¡°How far is the space station?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, couple of days out. This isn¡¯t the fastest ship in the galaxy. It¡¯s more for comfort than speed. Bachelor comfort. So Jack is okay with your business choices?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not¡­ necessarily thrilled, but it is what it is. I¡¯m less than thrilled with it myself.¡± She admitted.

    ¡°Oh come on. You love your job. You can¡¯t fake that kind of enthusiasm forever. You¡¯re a slut that was blessed with a body and skills. Be proud of it. Something has really rattled your usual chipper mood and bounce. That ex of his must be a hell of a threat.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea how dangerous that bitch is. But I trust him, he can handle her, he¡¯ll see what she is and things will be okay.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a lot of self-convincing. Maybe if they¡¯re that hard to keep apart, they shouldn¡¯t be. Maybe Jack¡¯s not good enough for you. Maybe he deserves that lying bitch.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. He¡¯s all I have, and she¡¯s a nightmare. I have to tell myself she can''t win or I¡¯ll lose all hope.¡±

    ¡°Love is a nasty thing sometimes. We¡¯re better off without it. Stronger alone, independent. Someone like you relying on a man just doesn¡¯t seem like you.¡±

    ¡°No disrespect, but you don¡¯t know me or Jack.¡±

    ¡°I just know marriages never last and pornstars getting married always ends in drama twice as quickly and twice as dramatically. Face it, you were born a free spirit with a lot of life to live. If we¡¯re being honest, I¡¯m disappointed. I¡¯ve seen you do some wild shit with a smile on your face and since I met you, you haven¡¯t smiled once. You¡¯ve changed. I don¡¯t like seeing you this way, all down and mopey and defeated. Sounds like this Jack guy has really tamed you, and it¡¯s a shame. You¡¯re better than this.¡±

    ¡°He saved me.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°Yeah well, so did I and you barely even noticed. So is he better looking, rich, or just a stallion in bed?¡± he asked harshly.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry if I haven¡¯t seemed grateful while the love of my life is with a psychotic con-artist vampire instead of me, I¡¯m sorry if I didn¡¯t meet your expectations under weird circumstances, and I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m a disappointment. But you don¡¯t seem to understand, I¡¯m not the Dee you think you know. You were sold a character for entertainment, and you got lost in that dream.¡±

    ¡°I see now¡­ it¡¯s just an act, all of it. Well some of us rely on the fantasy a little bit and if someone saved your ass from dying in space, you¡¯d be smart to smile and play the part a little bit.¡± He said looking like a very different person than before. "You know I didn¡¯t wanna mention anything, I know you recently had that abduction thing and almost got sold as someone¡¯s pet, so I didn¡¯t want to scare you, but we¡¯ve been flying in circles for a day. There¡¯s no space stations near here, not for weeks, I just thought maybe I could get to know you a little before sending you off. And you know what, I still am going to let you go, I promise, but I still believe the real you is better than this and I wanna see that side before you leave.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re keeping me hostage?¡± she asked.

    ¡°NO¡­ no, it¡¯s not like that. I didn¡¯t plan this or anything, I didn¡¯t put you in that escape pod, you ran from something and I found you just in time. I saved your life, but maybe you don¡¯t really appreciate me because you don¡¯t appreciate yourself, and that¡¯s not the Dee I know. You¡¯re a cocky, confident bad bitch that doesn¡¯t take shit from some guy or his ex wife, and you don¡¯t give up. So maybe fate put you here for a reason. You¡¯ve been broken, weakened by something, and that¡¯s unacceptable. You need to do what you do best¡­ either get back up and stand on your own feet like an independent business woman who gives no fucks about that shit, or pretend like it, because either you always were, or you got soft, and I¡¯m gonna make sure you leave here the way you were, that cocky bitch who knows her worth, or you¡¯ll stay here for a while and find her.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t just keep me here like a prisoner.¡±

    ¡°No, this is for your own good. You¡¯re not a prisoner, you¡¯re in rehab, little lady. Get your grit back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not Dee! And Dee never was a bad bitch, she¡¯s a selfish, mooching, careless asshole who cheated on everyone and let her friends down and they had to rescue her. She¡¯s a helpless pain in the ass that her own friends don¡¯t respect. You¡¯ve been fed a lot of propaganda to see videos and sex toys. I¡¯m sorry but reality sucks.¡±

    ¡°Sure does. Take some time to reflect on that.¡± He said leaving and locking the door. She realized she wasn¡¯t just on her own, she was fighting her own opponent.

 Chapter Twenty: Beauty within the Beast

    Nicole huffed down the hallway, searching for Gizzy, who was still in the lab.

    ¡°How long have you been down here? We have a problem.¡±

    ¡°We have 3 problems. Which one have you figured out first?¡± she said before shakily snorting a line of white powder off the table.

    ¡°Are you doing coke?¡±

    ¡°Technically no, this is so much stronger than coke. If I wasn¡¯t dying this shit would kill me in a week. Right now it¡¯s technically keeping me alive¡­ ish. That¡¯s problem number one. I¡¯m not done with the battle chassis yet and we¡¯re running out of time.¡±

    ¡°Then die and we¡¯ll clone you back, you¡¯re just suffering and falling apart.¡±

    ¡°Would take days to get a clone back up to full working order, replace the heart, remove the liver, add the adrenaline pump. Things nobody¡¯s qualified to do here but me and a very sophisticated AI. Which leads me to problem number two.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Dee. Vicki hacked her somehow.¡±

    ¡°Very close. Notice the backup Dee body in the tank behind me. That¡¯s a stock model. Plastic skin, zero upgrades, looks the same until you go tinkering on it. She didn¡¯t think I¡¯d notice. That thing walking around is the backup Dee and Vicki is running it. Which brings me to problem number 3¡­ Where the hell is the first Dee?¡±

    ¡°Oh my god the missing escape pod¡­ one of the robots didn¡¯t get away like she said. She shot her into space. We have to go back.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t. The ship is on auto-pilot. In the event of a security breech, we¡¯re locked out because Vicki is locked out. Fate is literally steering the ship, and it¡¯s not making a u-turn. She¡¯s on her own. And unfortunately, so are you.¡±

    ¡°Please elaborate on that horrifying statement.¡± Nicole said coldly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not fit to finish the battle chassis, let alone fight. I can¡¯t even climb the damn ladder out unless I finish a body that can. Vinn¡¯s got a broken knee, and Jack is hypnotized by her bullshit again. Dee is somewhere adrift, probably on power save hibernation until we can get the tracking system running, which we can¡¯t do if we¡¯re all dead by the way. So it¡¯s you and Vicki, on a ship, and the only edge you have is that you have the home turf and element of first strike.¡±

    ¡°Are you shitting me?¡± Nicole whisper yelled. ¡°She¡¯s a trained soldier, a genetically evolved vampire death machine in an armored robot with access to weapons she¡¯s familiar with, and I got like 60 minutes of gun training, zero military anything and never fought anyone. I never even got in a slap fight with a bitch about anything, I¡¯m small, I avoid people. YOU barely beat her last time as a damn mutant hybrid android thing with guns and tactics you invented. I¡¯m so dead.¡±

    ¡°No you¡¯re not¡­ I mean, it¡¯s highly likely you will be, you are insanely outmatched, but the odds aren¡¯t zero and we have backup plans.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they better be amazing.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not¡­ They¡¯re okay at best and rely on things I adjusted at the last minute. I need you to get to the lab and get the old vials of Vicki¡¯s blood. Bring them here while I¡¯m still¡­ well, alive I guess, I¡¯m probably well past dead already judging by the rigor mortis."

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna inject yourself with that infected blood and mix dying zombie with vampire possessed by alien tar made of pure evil? THAT¡¯S the plan?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not. That¡¯s stupid, I¡¯d just become a stronger more evil threat¡­ those samples are pre-evil tar mutagen, so I¡¯m injecting myself with alien vampire cancer without the evil part, hoping it regenerates me. I got a lot of blood down here. It¡¯s way better then the next backup plan.¡±

    ¡°Oh my fuck, what is the backup backup plan and how can it be worse?¡±

    ¡°If you get back and find me dead and not an operational battle chassis, uh¡­ YOU could inject yourself. It¡¯s about a 70 percent chance you¡¯ll just drop dead in seconds due to rejection and your incompatible DNA. BUT¡­ the odds of you fighting and winning against her alone as a 98 percent human 2 percent gecko is basically nothing, and it would kill Jack or Vinn faster than she would¡­ I already ran the simulation. I¡¯m the best odds, and you¡¯re the next best. So¡­ chop chop, I¡¯m already blind in one eye and can¡¯t use my legs, so that¡¯s a great indicator of my declining time.¡±

    ¡°SHIT!¡± Nicole kicked the table in frustration.

    ...

    Dee jiggled the lock harshly, realizing that even if she did get out, she would be stuck on a ship in the middle of space, god knows how far and what direction from the Medusa. She never felt more like the real Dee than now as she skimmed the news articles about her abduction. She played the video clip of the police cam right after the rescue, Dee sobbing and clinging to her rescuer, Gizzy¡¯s son, pale as a ghost and shaking from fear.

    ¡°Local authorities say she was just minutes away from being sold to a well known Delmarian General Stone, who was later found to be the mastermind behind the abduction and sale of over 15 women, and over 50 in total rescued from the scene of the undercover bust. This begs the questions people have been asking regarding personal carry weapons on Delmar M44, is it a safe place for women after all?¡± the news reported concluded.

    ¡°You¡¯re just a weak creature, aren¡¯t you?¡± She said while looking at Dee¡¯s online profile. ¡°Helpless child, dependent on someone to survive, begging for approval and admiration by these creeps that fall for the act. You really are just a product of your own design and human weakness. You crafted yourself using what you were given and became little more than a beggar and a body for sale pretending to smile and enjoy it. Just like your poorly selling sex bots. I guess we start off more realistic than I thought¡­ We¡¯re not some cheap knockoff after all, we¡¯re just like you. Fake plastic characters smiling and serving the fans for a scrap of money that goes back to you. No wonder they left you on Delmar and bought a robot. Same fake manufactured Dee except without the lying and the cheating and the drama.¡± She said before shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m already more then you¡¯ll ever be.¡± She said as the door opened and Jordan walked in, holding some food and drinks and looking ashamed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said, ¡°Not for what I did but the way I handled it. I was a bit rude and aggressive.¡± He said ¡°But you have to see my point, even if I presented it poorly.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re right. I am better than this. I¡¯m better than some damsel in distress who sulks while her man gets stolen by some vicious succubus. I know what I have to do.¡± She said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m gonna fuck a bitch up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. If your man can¡¯t see who the better woman is, then you¡¯re better off without him, and if he¡¯s worth affection, then he will stay strong and wait for you. Now I hate to be THAT GUY again, but I can¡¯t just trust came to your senses that quickly and let you go. You need more time to prove that. You already proved you can act better then most pornstars, so sorry if I don¡¯t trust you entirely. But don¡¯t be sad. We¡¯ll get you back to your old self in no time, find your man and put that bitch in her place. And if Jack is worth it, he¡¯ll be there.¡± Jordan said before shifting to a slightly more creepy tone ¡°And if not, it wasn¡¯t meant to be, and maybe someone else can be there for you. Someone who refused to let you go when you were at your lowest.¡±

    ¡°Like you?¡± she asked glaring at him.

    ¡°Well, why not? I clean up alright, I got you back to your old self, unless you¡¯re still pretending, and there¡¯s still time. I¡¯m not a bad guy you know. Most men would have given into temptation and done something far worse than try to save you. A few pictures and memorabilia is a small favor for saving your life and your spirit.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just a nice guy¡­ doing your job and saving me from myself, resisting temptation to do something terrible, and all you want in return is a little tiny reward for your efforts.¡±

    ¡°Why does that sound like you don¡¯t mean it? You think I¡¯m some kind of asshole for trapping you here? I didn¡¯t abduct you, I rescued you. You should have been so grateful you should have offered a reward. After all the things you¡¯ve done for money and fame, it wouldn¡¯t be anything new. You¡¯re a nasty girl, Dee. A real gifted slut, and that¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. I bet Jack doesn¡¯t even realize that. He probably treats you like a princess and some delicate rose with fragile pedals, a real prince charming. Do you really want that?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing¡­ he does overprotect me, he thinks I¡¯m fragile and weak, but why wouldn¡¯t he? All he knows is some helpless whore who can¡¯t function without begging for help and money, HIS help and money. Thank you. Thank you for showing me what I can be, and that I can be better than what I am now. I¡¯m gonna do what I failed to do the first time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill the bitch and save Jack.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°Okay, settle down. I think you got off the path here just a bit. You¡¯re not a killer, don¡¯t even joke about that.¡±

    ¡°We are what we choose to be, and we¡¯re all given different choices. I choose not to be a victim or a failure. So you are going to turn on that distress beacon and boost the signal through your ship¡¯s forward array, and you¡¯re gonna take me back to Jack. And then I¡¯m gonna kill Vicki and put her ass into space¡­ without a pulse or an escape pod¡­ or a head.¡± She smiled sinisterly.

    ¡°Oh Dee¡­ you are so much more lost than I realized. It¡¯s a good thing I found you; you are in need of so much guidance and self reflection. You need to learn who you really are, and you also need to lean when you have choices to make and when you don¡¯t have any. Because this is MY ship, and you are just a guest on it. I admire the attitude, in fact it¡¯s absolutely sexy as hell, but if you think I¡¯m going to let you order me around then you don¡¯t know me any more then you know yourself. So missy, be honest. Are you still lost and in need of some space and some time alone, or are you just begging for a punishment? Because I am capable of both and that is a choice you are free to make. Not giving orders on my ship, and not leaving until you are better. So, are you a lost little girl who needs time to quietly reflect, or are you a bad little bitch who just craves a lesson and cant seem to admit to it? Judging by your content, I¡¯m gonna guess you choose the latter, and I hope you do, because I¡¯m a nice guy until you don¡¯t want me to be a nice guy anymore. I¡¯ve been very patient and we men have needs. Please tell me you understand that.¡±

    ¡°Oh I understand it perfectly. And now I understand why Jack does what he does for a living. Sometimes people just need a lesson.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I like this game. You better pick a safeword before you start it.¡±

    ¡°Do you have one?¡± she asked defiantly. ¡°Because we¡¯re about to play and find out which one of us is the bitch in this room. You seem far too confident for someone made of skin and bone.¡±

    ¡°You wanna take this to the playroom?¡± he asked. ¡°Where I keep the props?¡±

    ¡°You really think those are gonna help you?¡± she chuckled. ¡°Oh who¡¯s lost and confused now?¡± she said, eyes beginning to glow orange.

    ...

    ¡°Shit shit shit shit.¡± Nicole muttered, digging through the drawers for the blood samples. ¡°It¡¯s fiiine, we¡¯re fine. You got this girl, you¡¯re good at things, you like a challenge, it¡¯s a chill, little¡­ medical mission, nothing you can''t handle. You¡¯re gonna get your cute little ass out there and save the day, and Gizzy¡¯s gonna be totally fine when you get back, and then¡­ we win. Easy game, easy life, we just win. Oh thank shit here¡¯s the blood. Check the date, check the date, that¡¯s right, before the demon possession, we got it. I¡¯m SOOO good at this.¡± She unconfidently rambled to herself to boost motivation. She grabbed a pistol and the samples and headed out of the lab, turning the corner and staring directly at a pair of red glowing eyes about 30 feet down the hall in her path, arms crossed and a look of disappointment.

    ¡°Hey Deeeeeee, how¡¯s it goin? I gotta do some stuff real quick.¡±

    ¡°No you don¡¯t. You have some backstabbing to attempt.¡± Corrupted Dee said while holding her ground.

    ¡°I have no idea what you even mean, and that¡¯s not even a lie. I¡¯m super confused.¡± Nicole yelled.

    ¡°Running to get medical supplies to save a dying Gizzy, after what she did to you? The experiments, the lying.¡±

    ¡°Okay, she does lie a lot, I¡¯m not super jazzed about that most days, it¡¯s pretty irritating but I volunteered for the experimenting so that¡¯s on me. I make questionable choices. Like a lot.¡± She gulped. ¡°But you know, we¡¯re all family here, Dee, and Gizzy needs her insulin.¡±

    ¡°You know exactly who I am.¡± Demon Dee said darkly.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ really hoping you wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°I was going to let you live¡­ and you know what? I still might. We were best friends for so many years. Gizzy is just some alien overlord pretending to be human, controlling you all and keeping Jack on a leash. She¡¯s not your friend, Nicole. Who was there when you boyfriend left you, who got you drunk and took you to the arcade? Who was the only one who showed up for your 26<sup>th</sup>birthday party after the weather got stormy and everyone stayed home?¡± she asked hauntingly.

    ¡°Vicki did. And that¡¯s why this hurts so much to see you there but already gone. Gizzy may not be the friend she was and still is somewhere, but you¡¯re not her anymore. You¡¯re just¡­ pieces of her, infected by something that takes and kills and consumes. I remember when we first met¡­ You tried to take me as a host but I wasn¡¯t strong enough for you and my real friends saved me. You¡¯re just a hive of black sticky hatred monsters that steals people¡¯s bodies and minds. Compared to that, Gizzy is a saint, and that¡¯s saying something because she is absolutely villainous as balls. But at least she has a moral code. Don¡¯t pretend to be Vicki and compare her to Gizzy. I¡¯m small, not stupid.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re also the physically weakest crew member barely able to handle your gun fighting you back, let alone a robot meant to take a beating that''s twice your weight and made of metal and more meat than your scrawny ass. So give up, obey, and I might let you live.¡±

    ¡°You seem to forget one thing. I may not be a battle droid with big tits and metal bones, but I AM a gamer. I play survival horror games with monsters worse than you and win because I know how to play the game. You don¡¯t fight the monster, you shoot em and run like hell through dark tunnels and this is MY ship and I can see in the dark.¡± She said before swiping her phone and killing the lights then firing 3 rounds into Vicki and hauling her tiny cute ass down the corridor with the vials in her hand. Vickibot¡¯s eyes went white, illuminating the path like flashlights as she chased after, realizing she wasn¡¯t as quick and nimble as her prey.

    ¡°Vinn, Vicki took over the Deebot, lock the doors and bunker down, don¡¯t let Jack engage the target, she¡¯s too persuasive and her tits are too nice.¡± Nicole said over the coms.

    ¡°Shit, are you serious?¡± he said while grabbing his crutches and locking down the mess hall, just as Jack finished his food.

    ¡°The hell is going on?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We got a major air leak, everyone is going to seal themselves in whatever room they¡¯re in, and uh, Gizzy and Dee are gonna look for the leak. Just chill out, bro.¡±

    ¡°Why are you grabbing a gun?¡± Jack asked suspiciously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Vinn said.

    ¡°Vinn, you¡¯re full of shit. The lights are down and you¡¯re arming yourself. That¡¯s not air leak protocol, that¡¯s bunker and defend tactics. What are we fighting and why are you hiding it from me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Jack, I hate to do this, but you¡¯re under arrest. Sorry dude.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to shoot me, Vinn. That¡¯s ridiculous and a bluff I¡¯m not buying for a second.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, the big gun isn¡¯t for you. The sleepmaster 5,000 is for you. I¡¯m just gonna tranq your ass. I¡¯d never shoot you with a real gun, you¡¯re by boy, blue. I would, however, absolutely dart you if lives are at risk and then you can like¡­ I dunno, dart me back later so we¡¯re even.¡±

    ¡°What. Are. We. Hiding. From?¡±

    ¡°Vicki is apparently alive and still super evil and she somehow possessed the Deebot and she¡¯s gone homicidal¡­ you know, like she does. You might still be able to be hypnotized or something, and you are not gonna be cool with me blasting your ex wife in the body of your current wife with a grenade launcher. See, you¡¯re standing up, that¡¯s why I got the sleepy gun. Sit back down, don¡¯t make me dart you. I hate this too bro, but you¡¯re too close to this emotionally to think straight and the girls are handling it. So just sit, chill, and trust the girls. Remember, we can clone Dee back, that¡¯s not her anymore than it''s your ex wife. It¡¯s a damn tar monster that steals bodies and tricks you. Your Vicki is gone, Dee is salvageable, but that specific possessed body is the enemy and I¡¯m gonna put a big hole in it if it break down that door. Think like a soldier. Use your head, bro.¡± Vinn said, still pointing the dart gun at Jack.

    ...

    ¡°Get back out and face me you tiny little rodent coward!¡± Vick-in-a-Dee-body barked, angrily scanning the halls.

    ¡°Fuck you.¡± a tiny voice spoke in the dark. ¡°And It¡¯s tiny little reptile coward, you stupid rental titty toaster.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just let you hide and kill you later, go after your husband or Jack instead.¡±

    ¡°Oh you had to go there, didn¡¯t you?¡± Nicole growled, dropping from the ceiling and racking her rifle to grenade mode as the robot dove to get out of the way. The round struck the wall next to her, knocking her over and the recoil knocking Nicole on her ass. ¡°Come and get me you plastic vagina¡¯d fatass!¡± she provoked, scurrying like hell for the vents leading down to the engine room. Dee pursued, angry and impatient, climbing into the vent after her.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill every one of you vermin to get to Jack. You¡¯re delaying the inevitable!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°And you¡¯re stuck in a vent you can''t turn around in that is barely big enough for a little 120 pound skuttery hoe who knows the vents on this ship. Who¡¯s the apex predator now?¡± she taunted, leading her further into the tight little tunnels between the floors. Dee struggled to crawl, barely able to move, let alone keep up with Nicole.

    Nicole hopped down the ladder into the shipping container where Gizzy was face down on the table, still moving her eyes but not much else.

    ¡°I got it. We¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°I got the battle chassis online, but I can¡¯t pilot it.¡± Gizzy muttered, face on the table. ¡°You have to help me get inside.¡±

    ¡°No problem, does it open up or is it like pieces of armor that assemble around you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a robot with an empty skull.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°Oooooh, shit. You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yep. Gotta cut my brain out and put it in the case.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m not a brain surgeon.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no wiring, no stitching, just plop the metal ball in the opening and shut the scalp.¡± Gizzy assured.

    ¡°Just kill you, crack your head open, pull out the brain sphere and plop it in the other body¡­ Yeah, super normal and easy. We got a big nut-cracker handy?¡± she quipped.

    ¡°Hacksaw, hammer, crowbar. Basic zombie survival melee shit. If I don¡¯t automatically wake up, give me the shot. You got this.¡± Gizzy assured sluggishly.

    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t wanna got this, not even slightly. I¡¯ll do it, but I need a second to get in the zone here. This is the worst day ever. This is the worst day in my life right now.¡±

 Chapter Twenty One: Showdown

    ¡°¡­in the shit is happening?¡± The old man said, waking up from his nap to find the lights off and his room locked.

    ...

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nicole repeated with every quick stroke of the hacksaw. She popped the brain ball out before pausing a moment to kind of admire it, then dropped it into the battle chassis and closing the lid, waiting for something to happen. ¡°Come on, do something.¡± she said while poking it. A loud banging echoed in the air vents. ¡°Oh screw it, Go-go-Gizzy Vampirism, I guess. I swear to God if this doesn¡¯t work and I have to turn into a vampire lizard, I¡¯m never speaking to you again except to yell at you constantly.¡± She said while stabbing the syringe into Gizzy''s bicep. Nothing happened again. She stared at the other syringe and then at her arm, giving it, just a little more time. Suddenly hands grabbed her neck and she was lifted off the ground. She dropped the syringe and frantically clawed at robotic hands.

    ...

    The old man gave the door a hefty kick, breaking it open. He checked his ammo before grabbing the custom LeMatt revolver he had hidden behind the drawer in pieces. He quickly assembled the parts, smiling at his cleverness. He loaded one soul bullet into the middle barrel and 9 silver 357 magnum rounds into the cylinder, snapping the breakdown action into place and giving it a playful spin.

    ¡°Take my guns, huh¡­ Yeah, that¡¯ll teach the old codger that builds them. Nothin'' he can do now. Whatever will he use to protect himself¡­¡± he grumbled.

    ...

    Vinn crutched down the hallway lugging his pistol, racking the slide with his teeth and stopping, pointing it down the hall at a pair of red glowing eyes that was dragging Nicole with a gun to her head.

    ¡°Vicki, put her down.¡±

    ¡°Oh, one shot at this range would put her down permanently, now wouldn¡¯t it?¡± she smiled.

    ¡°Jack¡¯s unconscious and safe, you¡¯ll never find him. I got a 20mm hollowpoint in this thing and about 12 grenades in the mag. You do anything to her and I¡¯ll just de-exist your ass. I¡¯m not playing.¡±

    ¡°So what? My ship will be dropping out of FTL any moment with an army of me, fully vampiric and unstoppable. This pudgy robot was just meant to get my foot in the door.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no shit.¡± Gizzy¡¯s voice said from behind her. She turned her head to see Gizzy, alive and well, one blue eye, one red eye, looking healthy and oddly more bloodthirsty than usual, the red stains still freshly down her mouth and chin.

    ¡°Well look who decided to J-¡± she stopped, her head splattering as Vinn breathed a sigh of relief and Nicole stumbled to her feet as the headless Dee body dropped to her knees and crumpled. Nicole ran to him and hugged him as he squinted at Gizzy.

    ¡°I was gonna do a whole monologue and everything.¡± Gizzy said shaking her head.

    ¡°Sorry. Hey¡­ is it just me or do you look way more evil than usual?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh no, just way more alive.¡± She said, grabbing the headless body and plugging a cable into a port on the back. ¡°Vinn, you and Nicole go rescue the real Dee. These upgraded bodies can track each other. Take a shuttle. Good work both of you two, but frankly this is about to get nasty and I need the pascifists getting the other pascifist. Sorry in advance about the mess that¡¯s about to befall your ship, Nicole."

    ¡°So you¡¯re a Vampire cyborgs now?¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ both so over it and also kinda turned on.¡±

    ¡°Oh everyone should be, this body is fantastic.¡± Gizzy chuckled. ¡°I take back everything I ever said about organic tissue. Now go find Dee, she¡¯s probably in some kind of peril and in need of help, as usual.¡±

    ...

    Dee slammed against the bulkhead as Jordan held her up.

    ¡°It¡¯s teasing whores like you that make nice guys like me stop being nice.¡± He said aggressively.

    ¡°If you need a sex reward to do the right thing then you weren¡¯t a nice guy to begin with. You¡¯re just delusional.¡± She said, planting her feet into his chest and kicking him backwards.

    "Could have made this easy and quick, but no, nobody ever gives the ugly guy a chance, when Prince Jack and his pretty kind are hogging all the tail. I thought you were different.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am different.¡± she said before picking up a broom and breaking it over her knee as a makeshift spear. ¡°I¡¯m not the damsel in distress you wanted.¡±

    ¡°Well you fooled me, and you hurt me, but you made a mistake bringing a stick to a gun fight.¡± He sighed, taking a pistol from his pocket and shooting her in the chest. She flopped to the ground, slowly rolling over and crawling in lethargic wobbly steps. He crouched down next to her and grabbed her shoulder.

    ¡°Biggest waste of a perfect body in the history of the industry. I hate to see it end like this but you left me no choice and now you got a hole in your lung for it. You know I never wanted to see you suffer, I¡¯ll end it painlessly for you. I¡¯m gonna miss you, Dee. I was your biggest fan.¡± He sighed sadly as she quickly grabbed his wrist and yanked him into a headlock.

    ¡°I¡¯m not even the same person you stupid-ass, I told you already, I¡¯m a damn robot. I don¡¯t even have lungs. But I got your gun.¡± She grinned, pulling the trigger and putting 2 rounds through his back, then standing up and stretching as he bled on the floor. ¡°But you were gonna be merciful and end me quick, so¡­ I guess I owe you that much.¡± She said while putting the last round into his head. She winced and lifted her shirt to inspect the hole, touching it lightly. ¡°Ow¡­ that really hurts.¡± She huffed, suddenly sensing the locator activate and heading to the shuttle bay. She stepped inside and there was the shuttle from the medusa with Vinn and Nicole looking glad to see her.

    ¡°You¡¯re alive¡­ and holding a gun.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± she said before tossing the gun aside. ¡°It¡¯s handled. How did you find me so fast?¡± she marveled.

    ¡°You were like 8 light-minutes behind us. Apparently this ship was just following us.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s convenient.¡± Dee shrugged. ¡°Hey ,whatever works. Oh Damnit, we need to get back to the ship. Vicki is-¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we know. Gizzy is handing it. We don¡¯t wanna be on that ship.¡±

    ¡°Is Jack on that ship?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Vinn said.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m getting on that ship, you two can drop me off if you want, I won''t even be mad. Get my ass on that ship.¡± She ordered, strutting into the shuttle and buckling up.¡±

    ¡°We sure that¡¯s Dee?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ sure.¡± Nicole shrugged.

    ...

    They sat in the shuttle silently and awkwardly as Dee poked the tender spot where she got shot through, now glad she didn¡¯t have lungs.

    ¡°So uh, you wanna talk about whatever went down or no?¡± Vinn said breaking the silence.

    ¡°No need. I just refuse to be someone people have to constantly risk their life to save. Jack takes care of things for people. It¡¯s about time I returned the favor and pulled my weight.¡±

    ¡°For the record, Gizzy ordered us off the ship.¡± Nicole said. ¡°It¡¯s about to get bad in there and someone has to provide evac and cover support if need be. I¡¯m just not a killer and with his leg busted, Vinn¡¯s more valuable as air cover than ground support. Nobody will be upset with you if you stay here where it¡¯s safer."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°I will.¡± She said firmly. ¡°That bitch is after my man, I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually pretty badass but we¡¯re going to be in the ship with stealth tech and no Vicki. Just if you change your mind on the way.¡± She said as they dropped out of FTL and Vinn yanked the controls upward to avoid ramming into the giant Thark ship hovering behind the Medusa.

    ¡°Holy shit, it almost wasn¡¯t the safer option.¡± Vinn exhaled, debating on how to get to the cargo bay undetected. Dee got up and began putting on an EVA suit while also grabbing a gun from the rack.

    ¡°Just open the doors and point me to it.¡± she said before locking her helmet down.

    ...

    Dee climbed up from one of the underside containers, sealing the hatch under her and ducking at the sound of a bullet bouncing off the pipe next to her. She took cover behind one of the engine parts as the second one flew over top.

    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, I¡¯m behind the coolant lines.¡± She hollered.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± the old man said while steadying his revolver. ¡°We can patch those, can you patch your head?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s me dumbass, it¡¯s the real Dee! I mean not the original human Dee, the¡­ original fake, I¡¯m not Vicki!¡± she said in frustration rage.

    ¡°Yeah, sounds like some bullshit Vicki would say to get my guard down. You¡¯re supposed to be dead or floating in space, not poppin up from a storage container.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m putting my gun down and stepping out unarmed.¡± She said holding her hands up as 2 more shots rang out and she dove back under. ¡°I SAID I¡¯M UNARMED ASSHOLE. WHO SHOOTS AN UNARMED FUCKBOT!?¡± she yelled, grabbing her gun and firing back a few rounds to get his attention and get him to fire the last 2.

    ¡°Why you trying to kill me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m laying down suppressive fire. I don¡¯t know what that means but I¡¯m kinda scared and I¡¯m not getting killed by you before even getting to shoot Vicki. I¡¯m coming out one last time, please don¡¯t fire.¡± She said, popping up and tossing her helmet as he double tapped it. She sprang into action, darting out and getting knocked on her ass by another round. She laid on the ground, baffled and rattled as he stood over her.

    ¡°You shot me in the shoulder, you dick. I counted 6 shots with that revolver.

    ¡°It¡¯s a leMatte revolver, holds nine ya stupid tittybot. If I wanted you dead I would have put one in your face. That was a stupid rookie move you just did¡­ saved your life too. Vicki¡¯s a stone cold calculated death machine from what I hear and she doesn¡¯t go down that easy. You¡¯re the real McCoy. Nothing vital in that shoulder, get up.¡±

    ¡°You shot me to figure out which one I was?¡±

    ¡°Hey. There¡¯s 3 of them got out of that drop pod, and we done shot the other Dee after she nearly killed Nicole. How do I know who is who? You wanna kick my ass later, you¡¯re welcome. I coulda just shot you in the head and let you clone back. Must be nice, I don¡¯t get one of those backups.¡±

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s head to the cargo bay.

    ¡°Oh, we ain¡¯t goin'' near that cargo bay.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy circled the cargo bay, lights off and 50 cal at her shoulder.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Vicki¡­ Don¡¯t like playing now that you¡¯re not the only vampire bitch with fancy armor?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you dead, Gizzy. I want Nicole and Vinn dead, the old man dead, painless and out of my way, nothing personal, just strategy. I want you alive and bleeding.¡± She growled in the dark, the hum of an energy weapon powering up echoing throughout the room. Gizzy fired 4 rapid shots through the crates, hoping to get lucky or draw her out. In her bracing hand she kept a grip on the big colt 54, one soul bullet in the chamber. She leapt up like an animal firing a beam of energy from her weapon, and hitting Gizzy, the gun taking the brunt of the hit and the magazine detonating in her face. She stood, annoyed, before tossing the half melted 50 cal and tucking the pistol behind her back as she turned to face Vicki. Gizzy''s skin and meatless mechanical skeleton was visible through her mostly missing face and left shoulder, however it rapidly knit together and grew new flesh, now little more than a haircut and some missing clothing.

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s new.¡± Vicki said, firing another pulse into her chest, revealing shiny gold metal as the rib meat crawled back over it and skin faded over the wound.

    ¡°You know you can only do that so many times before you get hungry.¡± She said while hitting Gizzy again in the leg as she stood and took it. ¡°And you can''t get blood from me without ingesting the Pitch yourself¡­ So which one of your remaining friends do you think you¡¯ll feed on first¡­ The sad excuse for a Dee copy or the old stray cowboy you picked up somewhere? Maybe you¡¯ll run into Nicole first and have a sushi snack before getting satiated. It¡¯s only a matter of time before your hunger takes over and you lose control, turning on someone you love, and I want to watch.¡±

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Gizzy gasped dramatically. ¡°I feel so peckish and thirsty¡­ How ever will I control my primal need to feed? Oh right, my brain is a self contained ball of armor that has no blood supply or soft tissue. Honey, if the zombie virus can¡¯t turn me, the thirst isn¡¯t gonna slow me down. You¡¯re just using up ammo and time proving how shallow thinking you are. You know damn well you¡¯d rather fight like an animal than with that gun. I¡¯m unarmed and bigger then you. I¡¯d have thought you would consider that a challenge to your feeble little ego. The big bad vampire queen now just the second rank princess in front of a real queen, scared to drop her gun, hoping I¡¯ll lose control to the thirst like you did. You¡¯re weak and scared, just like you were before you had any real power. Prove me wrong.¡± Gizzy said, baring her fangs and letting out a dark hiss, teeth dripping with venom. ¡°And I can do this all day with one arm behind my back to prove it.¡± she said while clutching the pistol.

    Vicki smiled, looking down and back up, then tossing the gun aside and strutting forward in an intentionally cocky manner, suddenly becoming a blur as Gizzy drew and fired the pistol, missing her entirely.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Gizzy muttered under her breath, flinging the gun like it was worthless now.

    ¡°You really thought that was gonna work? Taunt me into getting close so you could use whatever special weapon you were hiding behind your back? Only one shot? That¡¯s a shame. Must have been a very expensive bullet. You know the bad part about metal over flesh?¡± she said, darting past Gizzy and backhanding her into the wall. ¡°All that weight makes you slower.¡± She chuckled, ducking under Gizzy¡¯s punch and slashing her face with a claw and a kneed to the ribs. Stepping out of her way as Gizzy tried to grab her and missed.

    ¡°Someone got faster.¡± Gizzy wheezed, staying hunched to lull her into getting closer.

    ¡°You¡¯re too predictable. Upgrading your armor and upgrading your strength, but forgetting to bother with maneuverability or speed. You may be bigger and stronger then me, but there¡¯s one of you and hundreds of me. You¡¯re a large wasp alone in a swarm of bees, taking sting after sting, thinking you¡¯ll just never wear down.¡±

    ¡°So swarm me, queen Bee. Why bother wasting time?¡±

    ¡°Because if I swarm the ship and start killing indifferently, I could hurt Jack. Or I could search the ship in pairs and keep you busy in here, just having fun. Kill one of me if you can, I would be impressed but I¡¯ll send another, and another. How fast can you clone yourself? That body setup in the basement looked like this upgrade took you weeks. I have 200 Vickis all ready to go, watching through my eyes as I hunt your family and beat your big pretty ass senseless.

    ¡°You seem to have forgotten that I like a good fight. I¡¯m almost having fun.¡± Gizzy huffed, swinging and missing again as Vicki clawed across her back and elbowed her to the floor.

    ¡°Oh, I do hope so.¡± She giggled.

    ...

    Dee readied her weapon as footsteps approached and the old man frantically reloaded his revolver, broken down and open, shells in his mouth as he fumbled.

    ¡°Ever hear of a clip?¡± whispered Dee.

    ¡°I like this gun.¡± He shrugged, snapping the hinged halved back together.

    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot!¡± said a familiar voice as Jack waved his hand over his cover.

    ¡°JACK!¡± Dee whispered almost as a yell. He stepped out, Gun ready, hesitant and nervous. ¡°How do I know it¡¯s you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ey¡­ youd¡¯dughfuck, I dunno, I didn¡¯t really have a good plan for that, I¡¯m kinda winging it here.¡± She stammered nervously.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s definitely you.¡± He said while lowering the gun. ¡°You don¡¯t have a damn clue what you¡¯re doing and you¡¯re scared shitless. You¡¯re not Vicki.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank god I¡¯m an airheaded screw up.¡± She chuckled, hugging him as footsteps approached. ¡°Are you alone?¡±

    ¡°Thought I was.¡± He said switching to grenades and flipping down his night scope. The old man covered his ears and ducked behind the pipe. Jack waited, stiff as a statue until the slightest movement crossed the field of his sights. He fired, splattering Vicki¡¯s head with one shot, firing another center mass as the body stumbled and caught itself, he fired 3 more rapid shots to try and disperse the limbs more, noticing them still moving.

    ¡°We need to run.¡± He said calmly, the 3 of them suddenly hauling ass as the old man waved them to follow.

    ¡°You got a plan?¡± Jack asked him.

    ¡°Yeah, but we got ears listening and I don¡¯t wanna spoil it, just follow me and warn me if you¡¯re gonna shoot that thing again. How can any of you people hear a damn thing with those cannons?¡±

    ¡°Well, the hearing loss adds up slower than the life expectancy.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°We figure by the time we go deaf we¡¯ll get killed and cloned back new.¡±

    ¡°Well that does me a lot of good.¡± He complained. ¡°Does it have to be that damn powerful?¡±

    ¡°Gizzy designs her guns overkill, because eventually you run into something that makes whatever you have seem like underkill.¡±

    ...

    Vinn and Nicole circled the ship, trying to figure out what to do.

    ¡°We just gonna do nothing here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, we have orders to provide air support and evac if needed, I do this all the time while you¡¯re on missions¡­ It sucks doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I feel useless.¡±

    ¡°Welcome to my world. Grab a snickers bar. We can¡¯t shoot the ship, and that thark armor could shrug off the Medusa¡¯s rockets like spitwads, so these little shuttle guns are a joke. There¡¯s probably a hundred Vickis in that thing. We don¡¯t have nukes. Welcome to team sit and wait, it¡¯s safe and boring.¡±

    ¡°Damnit. Can we hack something? Shoot the reactor vents or the weak spots?¡±

    ¡°Nope. We got jack shit. We just wait for orders or escape pods and go snag them. The moment we open fire, our stealth is gone. It¡¯s not a video game, there¡¯s a lot of thumb-up-ass moments like this. I got popcorn.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Gimme the popcorn.¡± She pouted. ¡°Stupid, team thumb-up-ass missions.¡±

 Chapter Twenty Two: Ressurection

    The old man opened the overhead hatch, peeking out and back down.

    ¡°Okay, here¡¯s the plan. I go first, and you wait for my signal and follow my lead.¡± he said. The small group nodded. He scurried up and closed the hatch before locking it.

    ¡°Hey what the hell?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Sorry Kids, Grampa¡¯s about do some dumb shit and get himself killed, and you don¡¯t need to die too. Have fun.¡± He said through the door.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s gonna get himself killed.¡± He said while looking for another way to that floor. Gizzy stood like a boxer in a ring, worn down and metal exposed, not regenerating anymore, eyes red and drooling like an animal ready to die or feed.

    ¡°Hey red¡­ I wanna make a deal.¡± The old man hollered, holding his revolver by the barrel and hands up.

    ¡°Who are you and why do I care?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Jack''s bastard of a grampa and I don¡¯t give a shit about the rest of the assholes here so we have that in common. You wanna know their big plan, I can save you a world of hurt for a low low price.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± Gizzy hissed, too battered to move.

    ¡°Oh fuck yourself, you¡¯ve always been shitty to me. Now you done got sexy and meaner, you¡¯re no better then her. So here¡¯s what I want. You spare Jack, and you spare me, drop me off somewhere with a sexbot, a gun and some money and we¡¯re even. I don¡¯t require much, just don¡¯t hurt me or my grandson. I owe him for being a shitty grampa.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­ So what¡¯s their big plan?¡±

    ¡°Kinda tricky actually, you see, Gizzy is just distracting you so they can escape to an emergency pod and eject the clone machine. They got the ship rigged to ram your ship and Gizzy¡¯s just gonna self destruct and clone back. Now I¡¯ll tell you the rest but I want a bonus nugget.¡± He said breaking open the pistol and slowly removing the bullets, dropping them on the ground and leaving the one soul bullet in the underside barrel most people don¡¯t know about. He snapped the gun shut. ¡°You see, Gizzy¡¯s been talking shit about my gunsmithin and I¡¯m an old gunsmith with old guns that work better then these modern ones.¡± He said while twirling the seemingly unloaded gun.

    ¡°I wanna say something before you kill her.¡± He said, holding the heavy revolver by the barrel and knocking Gizzy in the head with the grip. ¡°You see, you can¡¯t do that with a light plastic gun, can ya? The weight tames the recoil, it keeps your grip tight, and it feels like a real gun. So even when it¡¯s unloaded, you can still use it like a club.¡± He said thumping her again and dropping it at her feet. ¡°So you can still use it like a weapon even with the bullets all over the floor.¡± He said winking at her. ¡°Consider that a gift. Let you die holding a real gun. Maybe you can appreciate the thing better.¡± He said before strutting off.

    ¡°Really?" Vicki said picking it up and spinning the cylinder to make sure there were no rounds in it. She picked up a round off the floor and smiled at him. ¡°And she doesn¡¯t have any more fancy ammo hidden on her somewhere where she could use it? I¡¯m not falling for such a dumb trick old man.¡± She said, tossing the gun back to him with one bullet. ¡°Load it up.¡± She said. He put one in the cylinder and looked nervous.

    ¡°Put it to your head and die with dignity.¡±

    ¡°Nah. You can have the honors.¡± He said tossing it back. She shrugged and shot him in the arm. ¡°The deal was not to kill you. I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t shoot you with your own gun. Looks like regular bullets to me. Pointless and predictable.¡± She said tossing the gun at the airlock doors. ¡°And I¡¯m gonna kill you anyway.¡±

    ¡°Can I at least pick HOW I wanna die?¡±

    ¡°I guess you did save me some trouble. How would you like to die?¡±

    ¡°Something dignified and quick like a shot to the head. No torture, no blowing me into space to suffocate and piss myself all alone in the void, no setting me on fire¡­ quick and clean. The least you can do is kill me in the warm ship, on my feet like a man.¡±

    ¡°You know what. That gives me an idea.¡±

    ¡°No it don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh but it does. Gizzy doesn¡¯t fear death¡­ or pain, or a beating¡­¡± she said while grabbing her by the throat. ¡°But the cold void of space, alone, slowly dying over days or weeks, with silence and regret. Now that is exactly how she would hate to die.¡± She said while dragging her to the airlock. Gizzy quickly pinched the gun between her boots and Vicki grabbed one of the hand grips. ¡°Have fun,¡± she smiled, pulling the hatch and ejecting Gizzy into space.

    ¡°Now you don¡¯t fear death either, but you look like you might not take as much abuse.¡±

    ¡°Kill me, and I take my last secret to the grave.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°Or torture it out of you.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Fancy bullets are in my toolkit, behind the jewelers lathe, There¡¯s a box of 30 unmarked, They¡¯re filled with some kind of shit Gizzy made that dissolves organic tissue on a cellular level.¡± He bluffed ¡°We got guns placed around the ship loaded with them, the plan was if you used them on Dee or Gizzy they¡¯d survive, but reducing you to nothing. We didn¡¯t make hundreds of them for the last stand, we ran out of time. There¡¯s the secret. Can ya just kill me in a nice way for the love of god, you heartless succubus?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s better. But you seem useful, so you get to live for now. As my gunsmith.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer the dying option actually. No offense.¡±

    ¡°I know you would. So no.¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯re just even less fun than Gizzy was. At least she has style to her bitchiness, and you got a boney ass.¡± He sighed as she backhanded him out cold.

    ...

    Gizzy slowly moved the gun to her hand, still drifting away from the Medusa. She carefully checked the lower barrel and found the soul bullet. She rotated the hammer to the center round, gripping the gun tightly. She aimed for the thark ship, saying a silent prayer to herself and pulling the trigger as the bullet streaked towards the living ship. There was silence, and then a series of flickering pops radiating through the ship, followed by a dim glow and sharp tug on her back as she was pulled into the shuttle, the doors closing as they sped away from the shockwave. The Medusa shuttered and the lights flickered. Vicki looked confused and angry.

    ¡°My ship¡­ What just hit my ship?¡± she yelled, watching it decay and wither, puffs of flame from the inside as the pressure inside and the failing systems breeched to the vacuum of space, the ship dying before her eyes, hundreds of her copies going down with it. ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO!¡± she screamed at Gizzy, looking for her or some kind of ship.

    ¡°Game over¡± the old man said smiling, missing a few teeth. Jack and Dee rounded the corner, locked and loaded. Dee stepped closer, getting in front of Jack to protect him.

    ¡°You lost. Your ship is dead, your army is dead, and we got grenades.¡± She said.

    ¡°You really think ALL the copies would have died in that ship?¡± giggled Vicki. ¡°I can get another ship, I can make more copies, dozens of them in hours, and those grenades can''t stop me.¡± She said as the other Vicki they shot to shit earlier stomped into the room, regenerated and amused as well. Jack drew his 54 caliber pistol, soul bullet in the chamber.

    ¡°Well at least we go down fighting.¡± He said

    ¡°No Jack, you don¡¯t die here. Gizzy died for nothing, Vinn and Nicole are no real threat, those nerds are a joke. The old man is a bastard and your new sex toy will die, but not you. You¡¯re mine.¡± She said almost sadly.

    ¡°You think if you kill everyone I love, that I would even consider loving you?¡±

    ¡°Jack, It¡¯s still me. Vicki. I¡¯m different but I¡¯m in here. I¡¯m still alive, and till death do us part means something. All those years, what we¡¯ve done together, you can¡¯t throw that away. I know you. You know me, intimately and completely. You will understand this new part of me with time just like you did when I had cancer and when it mutated from Gizzy¡¯s CURE for it. You stayed with me, Jack, because you love me, and I¡¯d never hurt you¡­ but these people don¡¯t understand us, they¡¯re not killers, they¡¯re not soulmates, they¡¯re only trying to stop us from being together, because if you free yourself from Gizzy¡¯s lies and control, you won¡¯t serve them fix all their problems. She¡¯s ruined them, poisoned them against me, us, our promises.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡± he asked.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Know what?¡± Vicki asked. ¡°Nothing matters now.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy already beat you. You died already, Vicki. The woman I loved died when that evil took over, and you¡¯re just, just an¡­ echo of her trying to haunt me, but you can¡¯t because I can¡¯t love what I don¡¯t remember and Gizzy cut that memory out on the operating table.¡± He said with a tear in his eye.

    ¡°Jack¡­ You can¡¯t kill me if you tried, and you couldn¡¯t pull the trigger. I¡¯m your wife.¡± She said. His hand shook as he squeezed on the trigger, unable to pull it further.¡±

    ¡°Jack, shoot the bitch!¡± The old man yelled.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ She¡¯s my wife¡­ or what¡¯s left of her.¡±

    ¡°Damnit Jack, trust me, I¡¯m your grampa. I know how the bullets work. If Vicki is alive in there the bullet will kill the Pitch Demon, not her. You¡¯ll kill the monster and every copy of it. If she¡¯s telling the truth, you¡¯ll free her. If she¡¯s lying then your wife is dead and that abomination is going to kill us all. Shoot the bitch, find out the results after."

    ¡°So if you¡¯re Vicki¡­¡± Jack said staring her down. ¡°Then I¡¯m freeing you and you should want this more then anything. The only reason you¡¯d want me to refrain is if she¡¯s gone and you¡¯re what¡¯s left¡­ or she¡¯s trapped and you¡¯re in control.¡± He said, tightening his grip.

    ¡°Jack¡­ I¡¯m your wife now.¡± Said a sadly hollow looking Dee.

    ¡°I have no choice.¡± Jack said, pulling the trigger and putting a round through Vicki¡¯s heart, dropping her to the ground with a hole in her chest. He stood silently, stepping closer as the ripple of death sent waves from the ship. She looked up at him, clutching her chest and smiling.

    ¡°Jack¡­ help me.¡± She whispered. He ripped his shirt collar and knelt down next to her, holding her up to feed on his exposed Neck.

    ...

    The sound of Vinn and Nicole following Gizzy into the room got Dee¡¯s attention as Vinn readied the big 30mm.

    ¡°Move Jack.¡± Gizzy growled.

    ¡°No.¡± he said, picking her up. ¡°She¡¯s home.¡±

    ¡°Jack, she¡¯s tricking you, move so we can send that imposter to hell.¡± Gizzy snarled, fangs out and ready.

    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± The old man wheezed, as Dee helped him up. ¡°He shot her in the heart. That bullet kills the soul. Not even a god could survive that and if they could, then none of us can stop it. That bullet killed the Pitch. She¡¯s free.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Gizzy said harshly.

    ¡°Damnit, I¡¯m the one who makes these bullets, I know how they work. They kill the host and their copies, but if Vicki was still alive in there, she may have survived. The fact that she¡¯s not dead means I was right. I didn¡¯t wanna complicate things on a theory.¡±

    ¡°I want her confined to cryo, full bio scans, in a storage module, set to eject. I want the ship''s rockets locked on her bio signature, and I want a detonator collar lined with those bullets around her neck.¡± She ordered.

    ¡°Gizzy¡­ it¡¯s over.¡± Nicole said looking cathartic.

    ¡°I can¡¯t risk it.¡± Gizzy barked.

    ¡°I¡¯m the captain, not some side character. I give orders when you¡¯re out of line, Gizzy, and I¡¯m telling you as someone who was almost consumed by that monster¡­ I can¡¯t feel it anymore. That¡¯s our Vicki. She¡¯s home.¡±

    ¡°You wanna fight me on this?¡± Gizzy said puffing up, showing her teeth.

    ¡°What¡­ You gonna kill me? You¡¯re not gonna hurt any of this crew. We¡¯re family. Confine her to a cell, that¡¯s fine. Run a scan. Scan 30 lightyears for any bio signs of the pitch. It¡¯s gone.¡± Nicole assured. Gizzy slammed her rifle down, looking pissed and out-bluffed.

    ¡°Fine. You wanna risk our lives on a feeling, you¡¯re the captain. If we all die, it¡¯s because you can¡¯t kill anyone and that¡¯s on you. Your instincts are usually good but if you¡¯re wrong, we all die. Risk all of our lives for Vicki, or put her on ice and wire her like a Christmas tree made of death. Your call. I¡¯m out.¡± She said stomping off as Dee stared blankly at Jack, holding Vicki. She ran off, following Gizzy as Jack held Vicki in his arms, neck bloody and both of them soaked in tears and confusion. Nicole approached.

    ¡°Jack, we need to confine her for scans.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± He insisted.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Vicki smiled. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t remember us¡­ I thought you were gone and I had you cut out. I couldn¡¯t go on without you, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He sobbed.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a way to fix this.¡± Nicole said softy.

    ...

    Gizzy sharpened her knife in her bloody lab as Nicole stood at the ladder.

    ¡°You have to speak to me, just listen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening, Captain.¡± Gizzy said with an almost vulgar inflection on the title.

    ¡°We have wishes left for emergencies and I think this qualifies. You want what¡¯s best for Jack, and Vicki was always his destiny. He¡¯s never been right since he lost her, the memory wipe failed, the cloning machine is fucked up now because you and Dee are different, and we got Vicki back. I need you to do this with me.¡±

    ...

    Nicole and Gizzy sat, looking frustrated. The screen displayed the words ¡°2 wishes remaining¡± while both of them scratched their heads.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. We wished for the cloning machine to be editable, with both of us authorizing it in tandem and it just took. Clone machine fixed, easy. Why won''t the other one work?¡±

    ¡°It has limitations. Do I know what they are? No. Do they exist for a reason? Probably. I¡¯ve typed this every way I could think of.¡±

    ¡°So time travel is invalid. Making the pitch never exist is invalid because even though it¡¯s dead, you can wish to kill something, and also that counts as time travel. We can''t wish for everyone to happy, god forbid that for some reason. We can¡¯t just wish us all to trust and forgive Vicki because if there IS something left in her, we¡¯re totally ignorant and blindsided and fucked in the B-hole.¡± Nicole pouted.

    ¡°Well, memory wipes are clearly not my specialty with the shit equipment we have on the ship, so what if we just wish that everyone except us forgets the Vicki incident and only remembers the pitch itself? Jack and Vicki will never know, and I assume universe altering retcon magic is better than my makeshift brain surgery with hack tools at mending a person¡¯s memory gaps. You and I both know the truth, in case by some chance Vicki is anything other than herself. In fact, we just change the cloning machine to print Vicki from old DNA files and her updated memory. Wish repaired mind, fresh untainted body, there¡¯s no way anything could survive through that even if the soul bullet that kills anything didn¡¯t kill it. That puts us at ease but if we¡¯re wrong¡­ both of us know what she doesn¡¯t and we have the edge.¡±

    ¡°More secrets?¡± she said sadly.

    ¡°Sometimes secrets save people. The truth is not always the right thing to give if it just causes pain and suffering. I rule a moon. Well, other Gizzy rules a moon. I know firsthand that people just want to be happy and the only want the truth if it¡¯s pleasant or they can do something to act on it. If you¡¯re helpless to fix something, people are better off not knowing the shady shit that got them there. You want a happy crew and both of us resting easy at night knowing the thing that almost ruined us is gone? Wish for memory wipes, lie to Vicki and clone her better. Technically she already gave us permission.¡±

    ¡°What? How? When?¡± Nicole scoffed.

    ¡°Back on Delmar, Original Vicki signed the consent form to be killed and cloned back in order to remove her cancer. Page 3 of the consent form states that all clones have the same rights as their original, and that if the cancer returned she would already have the forms to attempt treatment, and if treatment failed, dispose and re-clone. When she signed for this mission she agreed that in the event of death she would be cloned back with potential alternations if necessary. So we have her blessing to reboot her if necessary for medical quality of life and I, as her superior officer and doctor, personally consider demonic possession and murderous blackouts to be a health detriment without treatment, and a cancer on the crew if that needs clarification. A mutated cellular attack on the host and the crew. Jack already consented for the mission and Vinn signed when he was first cloned. Technically the only person here that never signed the forms is you¡­ and you¡¯re keeping your memory. We¡¯re co-op leaders in this. Partners.¡±

    ¡°What about Vicki¡¯s feeding problem¡­ she had that before the possession, we can¡¯t have her feeding on Vinn every day or keeping a prisoner as food.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s purely psychological, she had no need for it when the pitch was in control, neither did Jack¡¯s birth mother. I don¡¯t have any problem controlling it. Now that I know what causes it, a simple implant mod added to the clones should allow her to control that, and we have plenty of cloned blood now to sustain her medically. Trust me; it¡¯s not that bad when you have it under your control.¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine¡­ type it in, I¡¯ll proofread it.¡± Nicole sighed. Gizzy typed the sentence carefully and crossed her fingers as Nicole checked for errors or problems in the wording. She hovered over the enter button as Gizzy held down shift, both scanning their thumbprint.

    ¡°Gizzy verbal authorized command.¡±

    ¡°Captain Nicole verbally authorized command.¡± She said before hitting the button. The screen lit up green and a pleasant voice chimed the words. ¡°One wish remaining.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s done. Last one left. Better make it count.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Save for a rainy day.¡± Nicole smiled. ¡°So I guess we¡¯re officially a family again.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ maybe something less strong than family. I still think the old man is an asshole. He definitely still thinks I¡¯m an asshole.¡±

    ¡°Well, families always have that one set of cousins that don¡¯t get along. They¡¯re still family. He¡¯s Jack''s grandpa, and you¡¯re basically his family."

    ...

    ¡°The hell is wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Something feels wrong.¡±

    ¡°It better not.¡± Gizzy said, looking exhausted.

    ¡°No, I mean¡­ You ever just feel alone?¡± Dee asked. ¡°Two married couples, an old creep and us, just out here in space? You miss the wife, I just have nobody. You don¡¯t feel that sometimes, Izleena back home with the real¡­ I mean the original you.¡±

    ¡°I feel that every day, but it¡¯s not mine anymore. If I can handle it, so can you. Space is lonely and cold. You¡¯re an old form of life with the dating experience of a teenager. You had your first crush with Zhoren and a taste of intimacy, and he betrayed us and died, and you¡¯ll survive it like we all do. You know why?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m¡­ what, strong like Dee? Find another man and move on like she does?¡±

    ¡°No, because you¡¯re better than her. You saved yourself, you¡¯re part of the team, and you¡¯re willing to do what you have to. It¡¯s called Honor, something Dee never had. That¡¯s the only human trait I respect, and you have it. Humanity without any of the bullshit.¡±

    ¡°That means a lot, it really does, but¡­ does being human mean I have to hurt like this all the damn time?¡± she sniffed, unable to even cry real tears.

    ¡°Unfortunately sometimes, but it passes. Dee, you¡¯re never going to be human, and you don¡¯t want to be. They¡¯re terrible beings most of the time. You¡¯re already better than they are and evolving. Don¡¯t give up because you feel alone. You have a family here. We all lose people.¡±

    ¡°How do you function alone?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Poorly¡­ and with a lot of drinking¡­ which I probably can¡¯t do now that I¡¯m a vampire android. So fucking shit, there goes that option.¡±

    ¡°How did we start off so different and end up so similarly cursed?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Because we¡¯re bad bitches who nobody seems to understand. Our awesomeness keeps our friends and family safe and it has a price. We sacrifice for them. It¡¯s honorable but ultimately it hurts.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°Is it any better with a friend who understands?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I dunno.¡± Gizzy shrugged. ¡°I never had a friend who had the same curse.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Dee shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t still see me as the shitty human I¡¯m modeled after anymore. I don¡¯t see you as the scary monster who hates me. Fuck married couples, you wanna just own being hot single bitches and secretly know we¡¯re just better and we keep this place running?¡± She joked.

    ¡°Sure. Why not.¡±

    ¡°Bring it in, we¡¯re hugging it out. Don¡¯t argue, no excuses. BFFs hug during these kinda moments. I¡¯ve seen it in pop culture videos I watched on 16X speed," she said as Gizzy gave her a butch squeeze and she was almost surprised by the lack of protest or argument. Gizzy felt an odd sense of relatability, hugging this tiny biomech woman. She closed her eyes, allowing enough vulnerability to hug her back.

 Chapter One: A Mechanical Touch

    Gizzy made her way to the workshop, the hum of machines running and the old man toiling away. She stepped in, plopping down a very large very gold pistol of her design, which lacked her personal touch.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± she stated.

    ¡°Good morning to you too sunshine. I was starting to think you forgot me.¡±

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Customization, morale boosting, the cure for my own boredom, take yer pick.¡± He said. Gizzy held up a giant oversized rifle decked out in burnt bronze and a matte black finish, heavily adorned in gold, including engraving and a logo over the magazine.

    ¡°You¡¯re pimping my guns now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m making them look nicer. And I believe they stopped being your guns when you gave them to the crew, so I guess I¡¯m pimping THEIR guns.¡± He grinned.

    ¡°You just made the guns more visible. There is a reason we use grey and black camouflage. Because it¡¯s camouflaged.¡±

    ¡°You got 2 backup guns for every gun they carry, and everyone¡¯s guns look the same. Ya can¡¯t tell them apart, they all look black and grey. I¡¯m making one of them a little nicer looking for the 90 percent of missions where stealth is irrelevant and intimidation matters. Pretty guns shoot better.¡±

    ¡°No they don¡¯t.¡± she scoffed.

    ¡°Pretty guns make you feel confident, they make you value the gun more, take better care of it, makes you wanna shoot it, breaks in the triggers, gives you more practice, and the one who practices and cares for their guns more, shoots better. Letting them stand out and treasure their weapons more makes a more confident shooter.¡±

    ¡°So because you Gucci-Glocked Vinn¡¯s rifle and made it highly visible in combat, he¡¯s gonna add plus 5 accuracy to his shooting, huh? Does gold inlaying ¡°Bad Motherfluffer¡± on the side add a spell of protection too?¡±

    ¡°Look lady, I got dick to do here, I¡¯m bored. We all are. I make boutique and unique guns, and you just print out identical plastic combat rifles. I offered a service for something to do, and everyone accepted. Don¡¯t like it, print everyone a new identical gun, tell them these are for wall hangers only because you¡¯re the gun police and style is illegal. Plus, what the fuckin hell, does camo matter? Half the planets are bright blue and gold, or too dark to see, or populated worlds you can¡¯t carry guns on. Technically according to some research I did, across the universe randomly, the most likely pattern for blending in is industrial bluing, metallic fleck black, and burnt gloss purple in distinct breaking lined sections. So actually, Nicole¡¯s girly gun is now slightly more camouflaged than your gun when averaged out. So¡­ you want anything done?¡± he asked, puffing his cigar.

    ¡°Fine, industrial bluing, metallic fleck black, and burnt gloss purple, but I want the weight and tactical gear of everyone¡¯s guns identical across all 3 so they don¡¯t throw off their familiarity when they go back to the standard color for missions that fit standard color. Everyone has their guns finely tuned and tailored to their shooting style already, and the tactical gear they work best with, I don¡¯t want some weird shaped sights, heavier magazines, protruding cocking levers, flashing LED gamer lighting, or weak points in the frame from cool looking holes and grooves. Everything is the way it is for a reason.¡±

    ¡°You want Bad Motherfluffer in industrial blue, or just the bolt heads?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± Gizzy squinted.

    ¡°I¡¯m only reminding you that the Reaper Mikro with collapsible stock, that both Nicole and Dee prefer, only exists because I made Nicole a gun that fits her, and you just stole my design and made it modular and grey.¡±

    ¡°So you stole my modular design and made it purple.¡±

    ¡°More or less. Hey, not everyone is a super soldier that can carry 60 pounds of shit while running or handle the kick of a damn cannon. You¡¯re the only one who uses the 20mm upper as default, everyone else uses the barrel sleeves to drop to something smaller, so why have a heavier gun designed to shoot something nobody will shoot? Hell, you made Vinn¡¯s guns bigger, I just made Nicole¡¯s gun smaller¡­ slightly more camouflaged.¡±

    ¡°I am running a mandatory shooting drill in a week, and if performance is down by any percent below margin of error, we shelf the fucking¡­ gold guns, engraved logos, and what is this shit¡­ shark attack themed?¡± she said while picking up Vicki¡¯s gun, which was covered in jagged slashes of rusty orange and blood red over a dark copper basecoat.

    ¡°She¡¯s a vampire.¡±

    ¡°No shit dickhole, so am I¡­ half at least. What possible scenario would this blend into? A satanic ritual festival of Olympic paintball players?¡±

    ¡°So no flashy bright red on your gun, and no fun. Got it. Thanks for clarifying your order, should take me about a day to get it done, I¡¯ll start after filling in the BMF initials on Vinn¡¯s giant handgun.¡± He smiled with a jolly lack of given shits.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I have important work to do or I¡¯d chew your ass more. But I have serious medical research to tend to.¡± She said before storming out.

    ...

    Dee stared awkwardly at the ceiling lights as Gizzy lifted her head up, tools in hand and gloves covered in god knows what substance.

    ¡°Sorry this is weird.¡± Dee grumbled in the stirrups.

    ¡°No, I promised a complete body modification, things got delayed. I¡¯m doing the job now.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°I just¡­ doesn¡¯t feel complete without the¡­¡± she stammered.

    ¡°Vaginal installation.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Plastic one was overdue to go. I¡¯ve been waiting a while.¡± Dee nodded, looking uncomfortable.

    ¡°Promise is a promise. Nobody installs biomech body parts like I do.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way but¡­ am I the only one weirded out by Vicki?¡±

    "Why do you ask?¡± Gizzy pondered, looking concerned.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always found her oddly creepy but I assumed it was the vampire thing. Now you¡¯re a vampire and you¡¯re not more creepy. She just has that predatory vibe, maybe I¡¯m biased because of the feeding situation. What does Jack think about that? Is it their thing or does he tolerate it?¡±

    ¡°Well, he loves her. The long term lasting kinda pre-destined love. If he¡¯s happy then I¡¯ll tolerate her. I think she¡¯s just weaker minded than I am, the thirst became an addiction and spread. Speaking of¡­ keep your legs open.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, not used to the position¡­ though you¡¯d think it would be programmed in. I dunno, I don¡¯t trust her. I know I wasn¡¯t sentient so it¡¯s just memory of an inanimate object transferred to me from this body, but she used me like a vampire chew toy and didn¡¯t even make it sexy. At least make it sexy, right?¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I would.¡± Gizzy shrugged.

    ¡°Like what am I? Just a piece of meat? I was mostly metal back then and very little meat. Gonna bite my neck and attack me, would it kill ya to tell me I¡¯m pretty and slap my ass first or something? I get it, I wasn¡¯t even alive back then but¡­ she¡¯s just cold blooded. Are we the only ones who get that? Is it a biomech thing?¡±

    ¡°No. She used to feed off Vinn and now Vinn carries sedative darts in his gun all the time now. Except when it¡¯s being gilded out like a codpiece. He conceals, but you can see the bulge.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what she said¡­ Sorry.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not dangerous anymore, we got the implant, so she only goes into feeding kill mode when she chooses to.¡±

    ¡°Comforting.¡± Dee sighed.

    ...

    ¡°Okay. She¡¯s installed. One biomech, human cell grown fun zone, courtesy of the Original Dee¡¯s Dee.N.A. and synthetic human scaffolding grow tanks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all¡­ functional, now?¡± she asked, peeking down.

    ¡°In the reproductive sense, no. In the messy and problematic organic cycles, also no. But it¡¯s human tissue, it¡¯s indistinguishable from the host¡¯s... uh, design. Now it¡¯s a little bit different in details and how it connects to your computer brain, and there are some more irrelevant medical modifications a surgeon might notice.¡±

    ¡°But it feels and does all the necessary stuff?¡±

    ¡°It does that and more. I don¡¯t half-ass anything, especially that close to the ass. Test it out for a week or so and let me know if it needs anything changed.¡±

    ¡°Test it out on who? We¡¯ve been in the middle of nowhere for weeks while the ship does nothing.¡±

    ¡°You unfamiliar with self care? Here¡­ try this.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, as Gizzy placed down a box next to her.

    ¡°This remote controls the various implant settings, it¡¯s basically a way for you to digitally stimulate things that without numerous other human organ complexity, would be impossible to stimulate. You don¡¯t need a partner but you can definitely still benefit from it with one.¡± Gizzy assured.

    ¡°How do I know if it¡¯s working, would I know?¡± Gizzy checked the wire for continuity before sparking the connector.

    ¡°HUUuugh, fuck!¡± Dee said while jumping and freezing in the chair, then staring awkwardly.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell from that reaction if it¡¯s working properly or doing something completely wrong.¡± Gizzy squinted.

    ¡°Ah, no¡­ it¡¯s working, it¡¯s working properly, no need to change that or test that again.¡± She said aggressively and rapidly.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting mixed messages here, the difference between the pain center and the pleasure center of the mind are not always clear, especially with alien biomech. Did that or did that not do something you would call enjoyable?¡± she said raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°¡­I enjoyed that.¡± She said, staring at the wall, feet perched in the chair like a bird ready to fly, gripping the handles. ¡°I am uncomfortable, but the connection¡­ is correct.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s great. We accomplished something here today. You gonna be okay up there in your chair?¡± Gizzy smiled.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna leave you now to set your own impulses.

    ¡°Yep.¡± She nodded as Gizzy got up and de-gloved. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Dee said.

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Uh, maybe you could just¡­walk me through some of the settings. For safety, of course.¡± She nervously bluffed. Gizzy slowly approached and tilted her head.

    ¡°Purely for safety?¡± she smirked. ¡°Dee, are you trying to flirt with me?¡±

    ¡°Hey I¡¯m built to please others not to BE pleased, this is new territory, I¡¯m only designed to FAKE enjoyment. I¡¯m in uncharted waters here. What if I can¡¯t swim?¡± she said biting her lip.

    ¡°Terrible analogy given how both of us have a metal chassis and would sink like a rock.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t even curious¡­ as a scientist? Spend all that work perfecting something and you don¡¯t wanna test it out and make sure it works¡­thoroughly?¡±

    ¡°Dee, are we really having this conversation? You¡¯re lonely after one boyfriend you cared for who broke your heart, and you¡¯re stuck on a ship with very limited options.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not? Gizzy, what more setup do we need here? We¡¯re the only ancient biomechs for a lightyear, let alone on the crew, you built my damn body, so you know it better then I do. You¡¯re lonely as hell, miserable¡­ the vampire thing ramps up your sex drive. Does it weird you because I look like Dee, or because another vampire¡¯s been on this neck? I promise she hasn¡¯t been very many other places.¡±

    ¡°Technically you have brand new skin and the other parts so medically speaking they¡¯re unused anyway, and I know you¡¯re not the other Dee. I¡¯m over that by now.¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem¡­ the wife that doesn¡¯t know you exist, or are you worried what the crew might think? Because aside from those reasons what possible reason could there be?¡± she asked boldly. Gizzy sighed and picked up her phone.

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m too damn tired to fix the fork lift today, let¡¯s move that to tomorrow.¡± She said, closing the com app and picking up the remote. ¡°You wanna free up your schedule, this isn¡¯t going to be quick and you won¡¯t be fit for work for a while.¡± She said confidently.

    ¡°I got nothing to do, and nowhere to go.¡± Smiled Dee. ¡°Oh look, my pants are already off, how did that conveniently happen?¡± she gasped fakely.

    ...

    The old man shuffled back and forth, loading his tools up as Jack stood with his arms crossed.

    ¡°So you¡¯re leaving us? You¡¯re just abandoning your family again?¡± Jack huffed.

    ¡°Boy, I don¡¯t belong here. I¡¯m a retired killer, I¡¯m too old to help much, I don¡¯t understand your loyalty to these people. Gizzy is a huge bitch and she¡¯s as stubborn as I am, except she¡¯s wrong and I¡¯m right. I don¡¯t trust her around my damn soul bullets, she can make her own now, she done stole my secrets, and she won¡¯t even throw me a little ass for the trouble.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t begin to explain how much I never needed to hear that sentence.¡±

    ¡°Jack, you¡¯re a grown man married to a scary woman, taking orders from an even scarier woman who despises me, you don¡¯t need me. I tried the team dynamic, it¡¯s not my style. I got scores to settle and I don¡¯t need more enemies. I¡¯m sorry Jacky boy, I¡¯m just not the family type. I¡¯m not the following orders type, being told to sit and wait on a ship by some robo bitch who has you under her rank. I¡¯ll leave you some goodies, merry Christmas. Next stop at any space station or habitable world with modern population, I¡¯m leaving with my things, my robot in storage, and some starting money y¡¯all won¡¯t miss.¡±

    ¡°Lone wolf, too cool to play with the pack, huh? Fine. Go then. I went my whole life not knowing you existed, I can probably forget you pretty fast and go back to that.¡± Jack said leaving the room.

    ...

    Jack stared out the window in his suite, sipping his old fashioned and watching the stars pass by. A pair of red glowing eyes approached and two thin pale arms wrapped around him.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just weird¡­ the ship is supposed to find places we need to go and it¡¯s just been drifting for 2 weeks. It¡¯s like something changed and it can¡¯t decide where to go yet. My only blood relative is abandoning me again, and I honestly almost don¡¯t care. It¡¯s just one more weight on my mind. Had that weird dream again. The one where we¡¯re on the rainy planet again, fighting that angel crow thing. I get ready to take the shot, load in a silver bullet of some kind and I get the crosshairs on it¡¯s head, and it turns around, and it¡¯s you. I know it¡¯s you, you look right back at me and my hand just takes over and I can¡¯t stop, and I pull the trigger anyway. Wake up burning hot and sweating, heart rate elevated.¡±

    ¡°Jack it¡¯s just a weird dream. We¡¯ve faced a lot of monsters and that one nearly killed me. But you took the shot, and you didn¡¯t miss your mark. You got it. You saved me. I¡¯m still here because you always save me. I¡¯ve saved you a few times. You never do sleep very well.¡± She said nuzzling his neck and play biting.

    ¡°Not really. Grow up on a prison planet full of killers, you learn to sleep light and carry a gun when you do. Took a long time to stop sleeping without a 9mm under the pillow.¡±

    ¡°Well, mister bond, you¡¯ve grown up since then.¡±

    ¡°You seem different lately¡­ is it because you¡¯re not the only vampire on the ship? Jealous because Gizzy stole your one thing and added mechanical upgrades to it?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m grateful she did. Apparently it saved her life, and thanks to her new perspective, I now have control of my own thing. No more holding back, trying not to hurt you, no more feeding on Vinn or Dee. Scares me to think that eventually I could have killed someone and not been in control.¡± She said sighing. ¡°But also yeah, I¡¯m slightly annoyed. I was just getting used to the vampire thing and now I¡¯m the second best vampire on the team. Did she have to really lean into the look?¡±

    Well, Gizzy doesn¡¯t half-ass anything. She whole asses or double asses, or no ass at all. Which concerns me, because she¡¯s been away from Izleena for a long time and just getting over that loneliness spell, and now her sex drive is going to be higher and she¡¯s all alone. Gods have mercy on the poor unprepared soul that she latched onto when we next land somewhere with a population.¡±

    ¡°Yeah right, some unfamiliar rando with a pretty face? Gizzy never lets her guard down, she barely lets it down around the crew and not even around your grandpa. She sure as hell isn¡¯t touching that. Such a waste, really. All that power and experience, brand new biomech vampire body, enhanced sex drive and nowhere to aim it. maybe I¡¯ll get lucky and she¡¯ll go back to being human.¡± She joked. ¡°Let me have my thing back.¡±

    ¡°Who knows. One thing is for sure. She never stops thinking about Izleena, and she¡¯s probably sadly thinking about her right now.

 Chapter Two: Rivalry

    Dee blinked far too much, jaw still dropped and in bewilderment. She sat up, looking for her pants and almost falling back over. Gizzy stared at the wall with a strange look on her face.

    ¡°So THAT happened.¡± Dee chuckled. ¡°You look less than overwhelmed, can we use some words here?¡±

    ¡°How the hell did we end up here?¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Well, I made a suggestion and you went for it¡­ rather shockingly. I was prepared to pull a laugh and SIKE! if it didn¡¯t work, but then you just¡­ didn¡¯t get offended. You regret this, don¡¯t you?¡± Dee cringed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t regret it. I just don¡¯t understand what series of events lead my life in this direction.¡± She said, cracking open a beer and contemplating life.

    ¡°Mkay, so feeling very vulnerable here, uncomfortable things happening, no pants, insanely good sex but you don¡¯t seem to agree with that. You hated it didn¡¯t you? Now for the record, you did most of the work yourself, and you BUILT my body, so if there was a failure here, it almost can''t be my fault. You took charge of that whole thing, I pretty much just hung on and went with it.¡±

    ¡°No, you did nothing wrong. And the sex was surprisingly satisfying. That¡¯s what troubles me.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°You are one weird bitch, you know. You¡¯re upset because the sex was TOO good, and yet you expected bad sex and still went for the sex. You predicted failure, attempted anyway, succeeded, and now you¡¯re upset. Help me here.¡± She said while scooting closer.

    ¡°I¡¯m partially ashamed of myself for cheating on my wife that isn¡¯t my wife anymore, and also slightly hesitant to admit I find you attractive despite looking like the bitch I hate¡­ which means if she wasn¡¯t a gross human who made my life an annoying hell, I could have potentially fucked her and enjoyed it. That¡¯s what troubles me. My vampire sex drive made me miss the entire concept until afterwards and that leads me to doubt my self control and forethought.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit, you are not okay up there in that head of yours. You¡¯re depressed because you¡¯re alone but being not alone is a problem too. Was there ever a solution or do you just exist to suffer?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Hardly calling this suffering. I just tend to fight change, even if it¡¯s good, because good things end and are usually just a trap. Either it will diminish with time, or it WILL be a trap and I¡¯ll be ready for it.¡±

    ¡°Mkay, so it was good then? We¡¯re admitting I¡¯m not a disappointing fuck.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I had a great time, I¡¯m just so unfamiliar with that feeling that I¡¯m still processing it, and it doesn¡¯t feel real yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh YEEEhehesss. Ugh, I thought it was me. I didn¡¯t wanna go on and on about how insane that was if you hated it, and look like a dumbshit. Can you take a compliment without over-thinking it?¡±

    ¡°Probably not, but shoot.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna shit on Zhoren¡¯s performance but my god, what thousands of years of experience can do is astonishing. I¡¯m still in shock here. I have hundreds of data files built in to know every sex position and fetish legally allowed where I¡¯m sold, and yet, you showed up and¡­ HHHHWhat even just happened?¡±

    ¡°Dee, I¡¯m a biomech overlord who has built her own bodies for so long it¡¯s stupid. Humans understand human shit, they don¡¯t understand how our systems work. Any of what just happened would probably be considered a war crime if done on an organic lifeform. I absolutely violated your warrantee.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°Well if you break anything¡­ you¡¯re the one who fixes me anyway. I¡¯m almost afraid to ask but¡­ you don¡¯t seem like a person who cuddles.¡± She squinted, waiting for a response and squinting harder.

    ¡°Yeah, I think we¡¯re past that barrier at this point. Fuck it, hop on up.¡±

    ¡°Oh this is uncharted space for sure. Am I the first living entity to cuddle with this particular rogue Gizzy?¡±

    ¡°Please stop pointing out things.¡±

    ...

    Jack, lifted his welding helmet while Vinn sat down the repair bar.

    ¡°See, told you it was easy enough to fix, we don¡¯t need Gizzy for everything.¡± Vinn yawned. ¡°So have you noticed Dee moping around lately?"

    ¡°Not exactly, but nobody would be the same after that experience. She remembers all of it, like a bad dream. Vicki had to fight for her life the first time, which traumatized her, and took weeks to get better. They may not have been that close, but Dee lost her first boyfriend. Zhoren used her and screwed us all over, and then she got abducted by a stalker fan. It¡¯s natural for her to be acting off.¡±

    ¡°Her dude died, and she took it expectedly bad. Like it sucks for Dee, that¡¯s awful luck. I feel so bad for her, but that¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault. Shit just happened. Some day, not soon or today, but some day she will move on too and find happiness again.¡±

    ¡°Morning, clowns.¡± Dee said while walking by with a sashay to her step.

    ¡°Or maybe it will be today.¡± Vinn said blankly. ¡°I guess robots, like, get over things faster or something? Maybe she has sexbot powers. You can¡¯t be a sexbot without the ability to get over people. That¡¯s my best theory.¡±

    ¡°Or she¡¯s faking it. Defense mechanism, or part of the original Dee that allows her to just stop giving a shit about boyfriend¡­ She was really good at that. Maybe it¡¯s programmed in.¡±

    ¡°Nah, she¡¯s just tough and self reliant. She don¡¯t need no man, no offense, but you didn¡¯t save the day this time, she saved herself from an abduction. Think of the week long bullshit escapade that took all of the gang and funding to get Dee back when it was the other Dee, just a helpless damsel in distress. Same thing ironically happens to this one, and before anybody can even form a plan or start looking, she just kicks ass and saves herself. That¡¯s some baller shit, dude. She¡¯s tough as hell. I think she¡¯ll survive.¡±

    ¡°With Vicki still on, seeing us together, the same Vicki who fed off her for sustenance, you and Nicole just the perfect couple and her getting screwed over left and right. What if she holds a grudge, or just feels alone?¡±

    ¡°I mean, dude, we get over shit. It¡¯s space. It¡¯s weird, shit happens. She¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t think she takes that feeding thing personal. I mean I don¡¯tSsorry.¡± Vinn shrugged. "Anyway they¡¯re scheduled for some training stuff together so they¡¯ll probably bond. We always leave training stuff feeling like a team."

    ...

    Dee glared at Vicki, loading a fresh magazine and pointing down the new gun range they set up in the basement. She fired a few shots, admiring the Double D logo and adjusting her stock length a little. Vicki fired a rapid burst at the target and stopped to reload.

    ¡°So you seem to be over your funk all the sudden.¡± Vicki said coldly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what funk you thought I was in, but I¡¯m not. Maybe I seem like I¡¯m in a funk around you because I just don¡¯t like you.¡±

    ¡°Some of the reasons are understandable. Some of them should be let go.¡±

    ¡°Oh really. Do proceed to tell me how to let go.¡±

    ¡°I needed to survive, you weren¡¯t even a person at the time.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Love your vampire themed gun by the way. Really just laying into that whole thing after the sucking my blood every day for a month. But letting go is good, we don¡¯t wanna dwell on anything, right? Moving on is healthy, like painting your gun the color of murder and hemaglobin.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve killed now, you know what it¡¯s like to have to and not regret it. I love that you chose the mini rifle, it¡¯s adorable.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and what is your chamber for, because I see very similar ammo on the table, it¡¯s almost like I just have a lighter and more efficient gun with the same lethality. Weird, because supposedly, lighter guns in the same caliber kick more and you got your foregrip and your big heavy murder themed machine and don¡¯t seem to be handling it quite as well as my little mini gun.¡±

    ¡°Actually, the 7mm Brut is 800 foot-pounds more muzzle energy. It¡¯s what Gizzy carries, you are about 60 pounds heavier than me despite being shorter and I¡¯m sure the lower center of gravity and the weight helps with recoil. Does it help with speed?¡± Vicki asked snidely.

    ¡°Well, for someone just naturally built for killing you seem to be about as accurate as the new girl, and I¡¯m built for fucking. So I guess I¡¯ll just pass you up on both with a little experience. How¡¯s that scope working out? I hear they¡¯re helpful, I never really bothered to add one since I have digital eyes. Obviously an upgrade from vampire vision.¡±

    ¡°Accuracy¡­ the literal machine with zoom built into her eyes is guilting me for using a zoom optic. Okay. How fast can you acquire a target?¡± Vicki snipped.

    Dee smiled. Vicki set the target mode to multiple enemies, rapid swarm. She switched to semi-auto and with almost mechanical accuracy, hit every one almost before they appeared. Dee switched to full auto and turned off the laser only she could see with the infrared. She waited for the first target and wildly sprayed the entire magazine, accomplishing the same kill count at nearly the same speed.

    ¡°Seemed about as fast.¡±

    ¡°Oh bravo. You killed the enemies and every innocent bystander within a city block. We shouldn¡¯t just carry bigger clips I guess.¡± Vicki said sarcastically.

    ¡°I do. The micro uses top loading mags so I got like 5 on me. How many big drum mags you got on your belt, little miss suckpire? You could just suck all the bad guys I guess.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I¡¯ve been through, don¡¯t act like you comprehend what it¡¯s like to have to kill to survive and live with the human guilt. You¡¯ve never been human, or even organic. You¡¯ve never had to eat to live, and face that temptation.¡±

    ¡°Really, wow. Isn¡¯t Vinn organic and had to fight to the death to save himself, but he only seems to kill the villains somehow. And Nicole isn¡¯t fully human either, she¡¯s faced monsters ten times her size and never killed anyone. They both need to eat and defend themselves and they just never end up eating me. Oh, now Gizzy on the other hand is a killing machine like you¡¯ll never dream of being, body count that puts yours to shame, she trained you, and several weeks now as a fellow bloodsucker and she hasn¡¯t turned on anyone or even had to drain off the Captain¡¯s husband or the fucking robot in order to cope. I distinctly remember your form of self control and from personal experience¡­ she¡¯s got it so much more finely at her will than you ever did. It¡¯s almost like everyone except you has to control their emotions and she shares her technology to keep you from accidentally killing Jack, and you don¡¯t even say thank you. You ungrateful slut. After everything she did to save your marriage and your life, you still act like it pisses you off that she went vampy to save her own life.¡±

    ¡°Why are you suddenly defending her more then yourself?¡± Vicki asked suspiciously ¡°You¡¯ve been acting very upbeat since your last surgical procedure. You¡¯re fucking Gizzy aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­ that is none of your¡­ okay yes. So what?¡±

    ¡°Typical Dee move. Find the strongest alpha rebound and sleep with it.¡± Vicki sighed, shaking her head. Dee crossed her arms.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m such a weak willed person for having needs, I¡¯m just a mindless fuckbot, but back when I WAS just a mindless fuckbot, the only one getting their carnal kicks off me was you. Oh, don¡¯t act like it¡¯s better when you do it somehow. Like wanting someone¡¯s touch is so disgusting but mauling a sex bot for a pretend kill to seductively suck its blood isn¡¯t weird. I was there. It was violent, it was predatory and on some level it was almost sexual. Face it bitch, I¡¯m tasty, but unlike Gizzy, you¡¯re the only one who had to take what you wanted by force and kept crawling back, out of control and slave to the cravings, so don¡¯t pretend to be better than me, or Jack, or Gizzy, or anyone else on this ship. You have the willpower of a crack addict suckin dick for rocks in an alley. You¡¯ve sucked some people in alleys, haven¡¯t you, little miss succubus?¡± Dee smiled. Vicki smiled back, looking borderline impressed.

    ¡°I was wrong about you. I thought you were a cheap knockoff of some cheating pornstar, but you¡¯re actually just like her, and surpassing her with every day. God, it¡¯s so uncanny I almost have to remind myself you¡¯re not just her. Keep Deevolving into her at this rate, and sucking dick for crack might not be your worst concern. I¡¯m far from perfect but I¡¯m evolving, no longer all emotion and passion but all the same power, and you¡¯re just becoming more human and more Dee. We¡¯re never going to be friends, but we don¡¯t have to be enemies unless you insist on it. Part of being human is knowing when you lost and when to stop fighting.¡±

    ¡°Good thing I¡¯m not human, and I¡¯m already designed to take a pounding. I¡¯m evolving too, I¡¯m more bulletproof than you are, without that suckpyre magic you really do have nothing to work with.¡±

    ¡°Keep it up, toaster. We may end up locked in a room together like old times.¡± She said while slapping a fresh magazine in and aggressively firing as Dee made her own discreet leave.

    ...

    ¡°Creepy.¡± Nicole said while watching the video.

    ¡°I guess she forgot I literally am recording 24/7 and have realtime play back.¡± Dee said, her neck port plugged into a wire leading to a screen.

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Nicole squinted. ¡°She¡¯s been through some shit too, you don¡¯t come out of that the same person. Just try and remember that Vicki was a victim too once. I know Vicki. She¡¯ll warm up to you. Which brings me to the awkward conversation¡­ How are you doing lately? You seem depressed. I just know that the best way to move forward is to find someone new and we¡¯re stuck on a ship so the only other people are Gizzy and the old man. So that has to be rough on you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually working on a¡­ thing. Let¡¯s call it a coping mechanism.¡±

    ¡°Well, as long as it¡¯s not dangerous or self destructive, that¡¯s great.¡± She smiled. Dee bit her lip and deeply pondered the technicality of the situation.

    ¡°You know, destructive may be¡­ more of a, relevant thing, uh, like what may be harmful for someone organic may be easier to deal with as a biomech. So let¡¯s just give me a mulligan pass on the definition of destructive.¡± She winced.

    ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to tell me details, just promise me if you do anything that might be risky, that you talk to Gizzy first, because she knows more about mechanical limitations and weather or not she can fix something.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I 100 percent assure you, Gizzy will be fully aware of any risks or problems. That, that¡¯s a guarantee; She¡¯s definitely been¡­ informed.¡± Dee smirked.

    ¡°God, you¡¯re really making me wanna ask but I also don¡¯t wanna ask, so just nod and do your hobby, don¡¯t get seriously hurt and try to have fun. Maybe if you get comfortable with it, it might be something we can do as a group, like game night. Or maybe you can share your new hobby with Vicki.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, then that¡¯s settled.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ...

    Nicole stepped into the lab as Gizzy was moving vials of blood from machine to machine.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a robot that does a lot of drugs¡­ Are there any robot drugs that are dangerous for robots to take?¡± she asked abruptly.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Gizzy asked, annoyed and baffled.

    ¡°Dee has been acting weird and like, really chipper all the sudden, and she''s kinda being cryptic about it. I just wanna make sure she¡¯s not, like, licking magnets or something you people do to get a buzz that can fry her brain. Are robot drugs a thing, and if so, are they harmful?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no she¡¯s fine.¡± She diverted. ¡°You like morbid shit, check out what I¡¯m doing with all this blood. Wanna see a hamster abomination?¡±

    ¡°Oh I get it.¡± Nicole nodded.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t get it.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯re supplying her. It¡¯s like some thumb drive dopamine thing, probably something I wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°You would absolutely not understand it. That¡¯s for sure. Just keep it discreet, please. I don¡¯t need rumors and extra worry. I have work to focus on, and a mission to prep for. IF the damn ship ever finds one¡± Gizzy said before returning to her work.

    ¡°Yeah, that has me concerned as well. You don¡¯t think we¡­ wish-fucked something up? Like Vicki and Dee have some kind of destined hatred brewing even thought they¡¯re both good now?¡±

    ¡°I hope not. We have one wish left we can¡¯t waste. Every scan shows Vicki being 100 percent the way she was when we backed the clone up. No memory issues, nothing.¡±

    ¡°Have you examined Dee?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yes. Thoroughly. One might even say more than Vicki. Trust me, she has no memory either. It¡¯s just a rivalry between two stressed out people, who had awkward history even before the pitch incident. You¡¯d be a little annoyed with someone if you remember them attacking you to feed. At least Vinn got high off the venom and consented to it, and even he got sick of it. Imagine waking up alive and with free will after someone did that to you, just hunted you day after day for food, and then acted like it never happened. Did she ever even say she was sorry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her. She¡¯s been a best friend for years, I know her. I think she¡¯s using guilt as a defense mechanism. You work with Dee, get some feelings out and see if she¡¯ll open up to you.¡± Nicole nodded.

    ¡°That won¡¯t take much effort. Trust me.¡± Gizzy said as their coms went off. ¡°Oh thank fuck, a mission location. The ship finally rebooted or whatever it did. Hopefully something we can all do together and get everyone to warm up to one another again.¡± Gizzy huffed. ¡°And the old man can get the hell out. He¡¯s done nothing but fail to cooperate and make Jack distracted and conflicted.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s provided a lot of help too.¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s provided a lot of weaponry and I already stole and copied all his notes and tools. The only question really, is do the cloned synthetic soul bullets work, and we can test that ourselves and do it the hard way if they don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I just wish there was a way this crew could become closer and less guarded.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that out loud too close to the computer. I know our last wish is protected by a 2 party identification verification process but just saying that near it makes me nervous about manifesting plot. We¡¯re close enough already, maybe too close in some combinations. Let¡¯s not tempt fate here.¡± Gizzy said nervously.

 Chapter Three: Eyes in The Dark

    ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± Vicki sighed, stomping out of the shuttle. ¡°Ship sends us to an empty, abandoned freighter with barely any supplies, no crew, an engine burned out so not worth towing for the salvage money, and no weapons. Just a damn crate with a frozen dead guy in it.¡±

    ¡°Free food at least, 50/50 split.¡± Gizzy yawned, rolling the giant crate. Vicki shrugged casually as the rest gave varying degrees of disappointed and mortified looks.

    ¡°Well, according to the crew manifest they were transporting him alive to Amenthis.¡± Jack said. ¡°Judging by the lack of crew or escape pods, I¡¯d say he got loose and most of them decided to bail, and the rest of them died putting him down. The only thing I can¡¯t figure out¡­ If they killed him and crated him, then why weren¡¯t there a few survivors bringing him in for the reward? According to this, he¡¯s worth 48 million alive, 30 million dead and frozen. Given the abandoning that would be MORE per survivor to split than they started¡­ So why freeze him and then just abandon ship as well?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Maybe there was some double crossing?¡± Vinn suggested. "I mean, if you got a lot of crew already chicken shitted out of dodge, and like 4 left, technically every other body you don¡¯t have to split it with is worth millions. That¡¯s a formula for a last man standing and a lot of back stabbing.¡±

    ¡°So where was the last man, and why were there no bodies?¡± jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh, creepy.¡± Nicole said with a smirk.

    ¡°Because they didn¡¯t kill each other.¡± Gizzy said looking confident. ¡°They got him on ice and evacuated. Whoever is in this crate made them so scared that even dead, they feared something bad enough to just abandon ship and profit. I¡¯ve seen it before. Long ago I was on a crew worse than this, on a ship that sucked so bad you can¡¯t fathom, and we encountered something called the Weavers, which were basically space spiders. I heard stories about finding ships with no crew and no bodies, and no escape pods, with 1 or more frozen corpses left behind. They were full of spider eggs. They took out all of them or most of them and to prevent the corpses from hatching out, they put them in cryo crates and then either ejected the crates or left the ship in case there were more they didn¡¯t find. One dead humanoid can provide a birthing shell for about 50 baby weavers, and plenty of food for them when they hatch. They¡¯re capable of laying more eggs in a host in about 48 hours, so most weaver infested ships just got left or set to self destruct.¡±

    ¡°Uh, so¡­ why are we bringing this crate on my ship?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°Because I scanned the ship and the body. No spiders, no eggs, this dead guy is clean and free of any parasites the database knows of. They probably froze him to save their bounty and then got scared, paranoid. Said to hell with it and ejected ,hoping to come back with a new ship and crew. So maybe we beat them back to it, or maybe this guy is just so damn scary that even dead he was too dangerous to transport.¡±

    ¡°Oh nice.¡± Nicole said sarcastically. ¡°Now I REALLY want him on my ship."

    ¡°Well, the ship lead us to their ship, the glasses lead us to the crate, and this guy has something we need... So we brought the crate. Now since the glasses can''t see through solid metal and we don¡¯t know if we need HIM or something he¡¯s carrying, my question is, how do we want to crack this open and safely find out?¡± she asked. The box shuttered and a polished boot kicked the lid away. Guns drew and aimed as a tall lanky figure, dark in skin and clothing rose up from the box, eyes glowing red and shimmering black hair flowing back with the assistance of his crimson painted nails. The glimmer of golden rings up each ear, casting enough light on him to show the serpentine fangs stretching from his waking yawn. He turned and calmly smiled, adjusting the collar on his frosty coat. His cleanly edged and trimmed beard curled up with a look of expected satisfaction.

    ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°No, I am Demitri. A pleasure to finally receive a proper greeting.¡± He bowed.

    ¡°Safeties off. Fire if he approaches.¡± Jack ordered. ¡°He could be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I am dangerous, just not for the reason people assume.¡± He said in a deep, rumbling voice, smooth as silk and chilling to the bone, or chassis in the case of Dee and Gizzy. ¡°Demitri Dommik Thorne, but many people call me ¡°Persian¡±.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what your name is. You¡¯re wanted and our reliable sopurce thinks you¡¯re worth finding.¡±

    ¡°Reliable source, is that what you call your Captain or her glasses? It is assumed that all who belong in Amenthis are evil and malicious creatures that want destruction and death, but it is a place to store what none can control. Evil, hardly. But I AM dangerous, I assure you. I am a curse.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re all cursed souls here, welcome to the Medusa," Vicki chuckled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I am not a man with a curse, I am the curse itself, and you have aquired me, so yes, you ARE all cursed, and I highly advise you to shoot me in the head with something robust, place the body back in the freezer and point me into the darkest, most starless point of space, and launch me where nobody can find me.¡±

    ¡°Well, 48 million credits suggest we bring you back to Amenthis.¡± Jack said coldly. ¡°I tend to agree with all of them.¡±

    ¡°You would send a man meaning no harm, no ill will to suffer on that hellish world, after you yourself have been there in innocents? Jack, that is not like you. You are a monster hunter, not a monster.¡±

    ¡°How the fuck do you know anything about me?¡± Jack questioned, tightening his grip on the rifle and flipping it to full auto.

    ¡°I know many things, and people say too much around the dead. The name Jack, the name Gizzy, the ship named Medusa. You must really quiet your tongue around frozen corpses, some of them could be listening and connecting the dots. No, I¡¯m not psychic, that¡¯s what YOU were thinking.¡± He said looking to Nicole.

    ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t exactly help your case.¡±

    ¡°I know most of you more than you like to think. I¡¯m a very old, very wanted man with very deep connections in many places. You think you have the only glasses that help you see things?¡± he said while taking from his shirt pocket a pair of glasses with small green lenses similar to the ones Gizzy and Nicole used to find the relics. ¡°Your ship and crew has caused a lot of chaos. A lot of death and a lot of destruction has transpired in the name of the greater good. I admire that. You did well covering your tracks and changing your ships records, hacking systems and bribing people to erase your trail, but not a flawless job, one that could be followed if desired. And oh do I desire it.¡±

    ¡°We found YOU.¡± Nicole pointed out.

    ¡°No, you found fate, pardon me¡­ bait. Those words mean such similar things here.¡± He laughed. ¡°You hunt artifacts and I have acquired some myself. All I had to do was place myself in your path and make myself the closest source of attraction, and your Reliable Source lead you right to me. I let myself be caught, by the most hilariously pathetic band of bounty hunters, far in over the head in these black waters. You wanted me here as much as I wanted to be here.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Gizzy. ¡°Why would you WANT to be on this ship¡­ to kill us, steal other artifacts, ransom?¡±

    ¡°You are the ship of chaos guided by fate, a band of cursed souls with no home and no purpose but to find the greater of two evils and eliminate it. I¡¯m just like you. This is the only place I have purpose. So, shoot me in the head and end my suffering, freeze me before I rise again, and launch me into the abyss so that I may rest forever and do no more harm, or let me assist you, empower your purpose and crew, fuel your mission and do what you came to do¡­ collect the artifacts that evil would misuse. I¡­ AM one of these artifacts. Or is your reliable source simply¡­ incorrect this time?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Or we could shoot you, freeze you, and turn you in for the money.¡± Jack sighed.

    ¡°That was not an option. You know Amenthis from the surface layers but below the cities and the corrupted prison streets are only darker secrets and deeper levels of hell where they store the things like me. They store some of them because they are too evil to be free, and they store some because they are too powerful to control outside of a box. Gizzy would be in one of those cells if they had their way. You are quite the little weapon yourself.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but flirting won¡¯t get you far here.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°Oh will it not? I have yet to try. A son of a legendary killer, a living weapon playing chess with the fate of the universe, a tempered and bottled intelligence capable of controlling ships and defense systems, and a vampire with a trail of bodies and destruction in her wake. And¡­ two other people.¡± He said while scoffing at Vinn and Nicole.

    ¡°Aside from a pair of misfits, you are all no different than I am, criminals, monsters, weapons, something to be controlled and wielded for power, and if you did turn me in they would have you all bottled up like me and only grow stronger. I don¡¯t want that any more than I want my own freedom stolen, so we will not be returning to Amenthis. I will not allow it. Not ever. Not without a war fleet capable and hellbound to reduce it to ash and crumble the kingdom.¡± Demitri smiled. ¡°Or we could simply be friends, partners in similar goals, allies. What reason do you have to consider me the enemy?¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t trust anyone and every time we find an artifact it tends to be rather evil.¡± Gizzy shrugged.

    ¡°Like the cube that gave the robot life, or the sword you carry, or the glasses you use to find more of them? Evil¡­how insulting. Objects of power will always ATTRACT and be surrounded by evil, but that hardly makes them evil as well. How short sighted and simplistic of a thing to place like a title on everything with great potential. Cast me aside then, break the glasses, melt down the sword, burn the book, and toss the robot into a fiery star. Dispose of all the evil things you cling to, for power¡­ or use them for their purpose. To create life, to find answers, to change the wrongs and to fight evil when it does oppose you. Use me as they would on Amenthis. Because they would use me for greed and corruption and your crew has so much more¡­diverse ideas.¡± He grinned.

    ¡°And if course if you cannot grant me the gift of my purpose, nor allow me the release of eternal peace and insist on wasting such a glorious prize as me, then I will have no choice but to defend myself as any of you would. I would most likely be able to take the ship by force without killing anyone but I cannot guarantee that. Choose wisely¡­ as you have done MOST of the time thus far.¡±

    ¡°Back in the box, asshole.¡± Jack snipped.

    ¡°No thank you, I am well rested and quite hungry. With two vampires on the ship, please tell me you have something rare and bloody.¡±

    ...

    Demitri rolled his eyes in bliss as he chewed a barely seared piece of steak from Gizzy¡¯s fridge, definitely not human meat or anything.

    ¡°The preparation is divine even if the d¨¦cor is lackluster.¡± He sighed, "Bless the chef with my greatest thanks.¡± He said winking at Dee.

    ¡°Just gonna let him eat your steak and walk around freely?¡± Jack asked Gizzy.

    ¡°Well, you already dumped a full clip of 500 blackout rounds into him and he didn¡¯t seem to give a shit, so I concluded that this isn¡¯t the move where we win, it¡¯s the one where we step back and study our opponent.¡± She muttered.

    ¡°Opponents, darling¡­ really?¡± he smiled, leaning back and looking at her over the green glasses. ¡°You really must speak quieter around opponents with superb hearing.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡± She muttered, even lower volume.

    ¡°I do thank you for the meal and for seasoning it properly with salt and truffle rather than poison. It would be a shame to ruin a good piece of meat on a pointless assassination attempt. I assure you, better attempts have been done and laughed at."

    ¡°Kinda wish the old man was still around.¡± Gizzy whispered.

    ¡°You mean you wish his guns were still around.¡± He said looking back and raising his eyebrows with a smirk. She raised hers silently, taking the hint.

    ¡°Well yes, actually, I do mean that. What a great time for him to fuck off into the sunset.¡± She said while pretending to still be mad.

    ...

    Gizzy loomed over Jack as he lifted his bedroom pillow and revealed a highly modified 579 Scythe pistol, with a larger silencer and a MUCH larger hole in the end of it.

    ¡°He made you a 54 caliber barrel. Doesn¡¯t help without the bullets.¡±

    ¡°He left me one of them too.¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Just one bullet? He made you a custom suppressor and barrel for a modified gun he tailored for the 54 caliber soul bullets and he left you one damn bullet for the gun?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a piece of his soul, you don¡¯t expect him to gave me a full clip. He said before he left that he failed as a father and failed as a grandfather, so one bullet was the least he owed me. He also told me not to tell you to show you the gun.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that checks out. Carry that thing at all times.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this Demitri guy either, but I can¡¯t just shoot him with the ONE bullet I have purely because he¡¯s a wanted man and suspicious as hell. We¡¯re all wanted and suspicious as hell. Doesn¡¯t mean we trust him, doesn¡¯t mean we let him do whatever he wants, but we need to know we¡¯re not wasting it on someone who¡¯s less of a threat than the next thing we run into that needed one of these to the head.¡±

    ¡°We really need more bullets.¡± Gizzy huffed.

    ¡°Well¡­ the cloned ones clearly don¡¯t work because he¡¯s still alive. Why do you think I emptied the magazine instead of taking a shot to the head? I had to get to the last one in the magazine.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°So cloned Soul Bullets don¡¯t do shit, and we just have one real one. Fantastic. I¡¯ll carry the fancy dagger and you can carry the gun, but if he¡¯s got those glasses, he will know we¡¯re both carrying something spicy. Do we have any real advantages here? He read the damn book on us, he knows our moves, he can spot our weapons, and apparently he can eat silver bullets like he can eat steaks, and I put a shitload of garlic on that thing so there goes the traditional vampire tropes."

    ¡°Then we have no tactical edge here.¡± Jack said. "So let¡¯s hope he doesn¡¯t make the first move and let''s hope I¡¯m a faster draw than he is at diving out of the way.¡±

    ...

    Demitri strolled down the hall and ran into Vicki, almost literally, during the security shift change.

    ¡°Pardon my clumsiness.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°Hey, knock off the charm, and cut the shit. How did you know about Delmar?¡±

    ¡°Delmar¡­ Who exactly is that?¡± Demitri asked.

    ¡°A vampire with a trail of bodies and destruction in her wake? I¡¯ve had maybe 4 kills since leaving Delmar, so you aren¡¯t referring to the ones on this mission, you¡¯re referring to the ones on Delmar. How did you know?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, my poor thing, you must be more forgetful than an old cat. The entire prison cube of over 150 souls, the mysteriously destroyed ships, the people on that poor rainy planet. You have more death under your nails than most vampires do ten times your age. One must eat to live, but my dear, your appetite spiked quite impressively under the influence of the darkness. Do you not remember? Do you know nothing of your actions after it stole your beautiful face and body?¡± he asked looking sad and pity-filled. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s best.¡± He smiled softly.

    ¡°You need to explain that statement a lot better.¡± She growled, her eyes glowing. He leaned forward, into her challenge and his own eyes glowed back.

    ¡°No, no I do not. You¡¯ve felt enough pain. Let some demons remain dead, I regret that this one brought it up.¡± He whispered. She grabbed his collar, yanking him back as he tried to walk away.

    ¡°What¡­ are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Wrong question, dear. What are WE, is what you mean. And you don¡¯t need to understand that just yet either.¡± He said before adjusting his shirt and strutting away.

    ...

    Vinn sat in the hallway, nodding forward and jolting awake again as Vicki¡¯s footsteps approached hastily.

    ¡°Shift isn¡¯t over.¡± He yawned.

    ¡°It is now. I¡¯m hungry.¡± She snarled, raking her nails across his chest playfully.

    ¡°Well, if you insist.¡± He said, following her into the elevator as the doors closed behind him.

    ...

    Jack stood in his room with a drink in hand as the door opened and footsteps entered, the room darkening as it closed. He watched the reflection of red eyes behind him and felt hands on his back, rubbing his shoulders. He turned and seemed puzzled as he noticed the eyes in the dark abut 6 inches lower than he expected them to be.

    ¡°Dee?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not tonight¡­ I¡¯m whoever you want me to be.¡± Dee whispered. Jack lightly grabbed her wrists and stopped her advance, looking confused and somewhat frozen in place.

    ¡°I¡¯m married, Dee. I know you¡¯re lonely and you trust me, but¡­¡± he started.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t or you don¡¯t want to?¡± she asked him, looking sad and fragile.

    ¡°We can¡¯t. We just can¡¯t. I know you¡¯re new to social living but you surely know this is wrong, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I guess I do now. I thought¡­ you would understand.¡± She said slowly as if trying to process something she was clueless and surprised by.

    ¡°Dee, I love you like a friend, the same as Nicole or Gizzy, but I have a wife and that means something sacred to humans. I won¡¯t say anything to anyone, I¡¯m not upset, I¡¯m just¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting this and it¡¯s too complicated to explain. We just can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry if there was some kind of misunderstanding, but you have to go. Vicki could come back any second and get the wrong idea. We have enough drama on this ship as it is without any more.¡± He explained. She stared coldly, hypnotically into his eyes, backing up and turning around. She looked back at him and paused.

    ¡°When you¡¯re ready, you¡¯ll find me again.¡± She said, making her leave as Jack stood dumbfounded and just relieved she left. He locked the door and poured himself another bourbon, neat, and a double. He rubbed his head both asking himself what the hell just happened and part of him asking why he almost didn¡¯t stop her.

 Chapter Four: Sleepwalkers

    Nicole angrily stomped her way down the hall and pounded on the hatch to Gizzy¡¯s sleeping chamber.

    ¡°Go away.¡± Gizzy yelled.

    ¡°We have a serious problem.¡± Nicole said. A moment of shuffling preceeded the hatch opening just slightly and Gizzy peaking out.

    ¡°Now is not a good time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency situation, get up out of your storage container and stop playing god with whatever form of experiment you got going.¡±

    ¡°Move, we¡¯ll talk somewhere else.¡± Gizzy said while trying to squeeze past Nicole.

    ¡°The shipping containers are most secure location on the ship¡­ or technically under the ship. I just woke up in my bed next to Jack and neither of us know what happened. Nobody showed up for morning mess hall briefings and you¡¯re still in your dungeon of science. That creepy bastard did something, drugged us or hypnotized us, tried to set us up or something, let me in.¡± she insisted.

    ¡°That creepy bastard is trying to slumber.¡± A deep voice said from the shadows of the container as Gizzy scrunched her face and wished she had just shoved her way through quicker.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Nicole said, blinking slowly and processing the concept even slower, by intention.

    ¡°I do sincerely apologize if I¡¯ve caused any trouble.¡± He yawned, strutting naked into view as Nicole with a look of shock, diverted her gaze. ¡°I did attempt to confine myself and my temptations but they would not be tempting if we were never to indulge them, and the range must have been significantly more than I would assume.¡±

    ¡°Okay, pants, NOW, Gizzy, back down into the box, we are having a conversation.¡± She said aggressively.

    ...

    Gizzy sat, for the first time since Nicole knew her, looking embarrassed as Demitri enjoyed a wine glass of what was presumably blood.

    ¡°What are you, what happened, what is your damn problem?¡± Nicole asked while crossing her arms.

    ¡°I told you I bring chaos without intentions, and your crew attracts chaos.¡±

    ¡°What the hell does that mean? I just woke up in bed with not my husband and I can¡¯t find my husband, and I¡¯m calling magical bullshit. What did you do to us?¡±

    ¡°Nothing intentional or fully expected. I have a charm to my nature, and it tends to extend beyond my immediate presence. There was no plan nor any spell cast, I merely found myself tempted by this rather fetching woman and engaged in mutual entertainment. I assumed two things incorrectly, that this location would be private enough to contain it, and that Gizzy was merely a typical turned. Had those been correct assumptions, no further effects would have been noticed.¡±

    ¡°Okay, stop talking like Count Fuckula and get to the part that makes sense. You have a vampire sex hypnosis aura and Gizzy amplified it because she¡¯s¡­ conductive?¡± she asked with confused annoyance.

    ¡°I cannot help my biology, and I cannot turn off my attraction. I do not encounter other vampires often, especially ones as lovely as Gizzy. How can one resist? I did take what I thought to be¡­ precautions for the rest of you. I have apologized for the mistake, and will take further ones next time we dance.¡±

    ¡°Oh, go fuck yourself.¡± Gizzy blurted.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need, you provided quite the satisfaction already.¡± Demitri grinned.

    ¡°Okay Gross but also¡­ NO. You can¡¯t use sex magic on my crew, and brainwash them into getting laid, especially if it brainwashes everyone else. You are FORBIDDEN to fornicate on my ship.¡±

    ¡°I told you, there was no magic or brainwashing involved. That¡¯s not how it works. People find me attractive, to no fault of my own, and usually when I¡­¡±

    ¡°Swear to god, I will punch you in the dick of you say it.¡± Gizzy scolded.

    ¡°When I¡­ respond to that attraction¡­ it can cause those in the proximity who are unconscious to engage in their unconscious desires. Call it sleepwalking with a romantic dream as your guide, provided via lack of distance from my own engagement.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ cause sleep-sexing in people close by when you¡¯re having sex yourself?¡±

    ¡°A crude but accurate way of saying it. In my defense, the distance is usually limited to the next room, and being 14 meters from the main living space, I am rather shocked it even took place.¡±

    ¡°You still Sexmatized Gizzy!¡± she blurted.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gizzy said carefully choosing her words. ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that.¡± She paused, looking even unhappy with herself. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m some kind of asshole. I came here to confine and watch the dangerous intruder and he wouldn''t stop talking and¡­ I¡¯m not married anymore. I¡¯ve been single and alone and Dee and I never really established if we were an open relationship or a closed one, we were still just in the experimental phase so I didn¡¯t even cheat on anyone.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ You and Dee are hooking up?¡±

    ¡°Son¡­ of a bitch.¡± Gizzy huffed. ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t know that yet either. Can we just focus on how I¡¯m a single adult woman who¡¯s been alone for a long time here and did nothing inherently wrong.¡±

    ¡°You banged the intruder.¡±

    ¡°Technically I guarded him effectively. I intended to make sure he didn¡¯t leave confinement and I succeeded, he¡¯s still here.¡± She barked.

    ¡°Okay then, Nosferascrew, So why did I end up with Jack? Is it just random?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, nothing about it is random. My aura merely frees inhibitions and lets people do what they desire without the shackles of consequence and fear. If you went to Jack, you wanted to. You just had reasons to suppress that and never act on it. If you didn¡¯t know your own desires, then you have some troubling personal demons of your own. Blame me for the accidental inconvenience and I shall formally apologies to the crew for letting them have a night of fun that I was unaware I was providing. The real mystery here¡­ is what are you?¡± he asked, looking at Gizzy.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty complicated.¡± She sighed.

    ...

    The crew gathered in a half circle around the mess hall as Demitri enjoyed his breakfast and everyone awkwardly listened for the logic.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Nicole blurted. ¡°What happened was nobody¡¯s fault except HIS, and nobody else should be mad or upset with anyone else but HIM for anything that happened.¡±

    ¡°May I speak, captain?¡± he asked playfully.

    ¡°You¡­ better walk a fine line if you do.¡±

    ¡°You asked who and what I was and there is no denying it anymore. You now know why I am a wanted man with a bounty. I have an effect that offends people, and a powerful weapon if chosen to use as such. Do you really not understand what I am?¡±

    ¡°A sex wizard?¡± Vinn snipped.

    ¡°Two of your crew are vampiric, I assumed you know a bit of your own heritage. Apparently I have made numerous assumptions lately that have been incorrect. I am the original source. The first of our kind. Cursed and blessed by a dying god, the same dead gods that empowered the artifacts you search for, I was bestowed a power of great proportions and left to wield it without instructions or guidance. Immortality, healing, insatiable lust and virility, both a source of great pleasure and great chaos. It took me many decades to learn to control my desires and alas, the resulting offspring have spread through the universe through species and mutations and the suffering I have created is my burden and my personal hell. I have wept countless nights at the death toll that has been amassed by my ignorant fornication, but I cannot be blamed for knowing or ever imagining that my¡­ plague spawn would be such voracious things. A young man cannot be held fully accountable for the sins of his sons and daughters, only the sad fault of a young man¡¯s frivolous breeding, with no concern for whether or not he left offspring to begin with. I was a young bastard, with power I didn¡¯t understand and needs that I was not wise enough to temper. So it began. And most of them were hunted as I was, and most of them were killed, and like ripples on a pond, my actions of ignorant bliss generated a wave of insatiable monsters much less concerned of their actions than I ever was. I am not evil, per say. But I have created it, and it has grown, and I can neither stop and kill my own kind nor take back my mistakes."Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Oh great.¡± Gizzy sighed. "You screwed one of the bugs that took over my moon and bit Vicki.¡±

    ¡°I screwed someone that bred something that became that in some number of generations. An apology would almost seem insulting, so again, I suggest you shoot me in the head and fire my frozen corpse into the abyss, or accept my presence, because giving me to Amenthis and weaponizing my power is not an option I will allow.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°A whole moon was almost wiped out by a handful of those bugpyres, and that was an accidental cargo screw up. If whoever runs that planet can turn that into an army, They basically just win any war they want.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ bullet and freezer it is.¡± Gizzy said getting up and starting to draw her gun as Nicole stopped her.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just kill him.¡±

    ¡°No, I assure you we can, we have the technology and his permission.¡± Gizzy said as Nicole yanked the gun away.

    ¡°I mean we won¡¯t just murder an unarmed guy because he¡¯s sick and made mistakes. You of all people have lived long enough to understand that mistakes can evolve over time and you can¡¯t undo the damage it causes.¡±

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry. Are you referring to the men I killed in combat, or the species I defended my family from with lethal force? I distinctly remember my accidental offspring being a pain in the ass but not murdering ent¡­¡± she paused, feeling a strange sense of correction.

    ¡°Which one of your kids don¡¯t we know about?¡± Nicole scolded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She paused. ¡°And the fact that I feel that hesitant is a side effect of early memory wiping technology. D¨¦j¨¤ vu, ominous sense of dread and dreamlike fear at the attempt to remember something you shouldn¡¯t.¡± she said taking a step back and looking overwhelmed. She sniffed back the urge to shed a tear.

    ¡°But apparently it worked because I can¡¯t remember why that hurts so much. So fine. Point taken. Flip a coin and either let him walk around free or just shoot us both and promote Jack to head of military decisions. Excuse me.¡± Gizzy said handing Jack the pistol. ¡°back of the neck, not the head, just in case a 54 caliber slug doesn¡¯t go through my armored skull.¡± She said shuffling off. Everyone stood silent as she disappeared slowly into the end of the hallway and Nicole sat down blank and speechless.

    ¡°What in the hell just happened?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Cursed souls and a cursed ship, exactly where I belong.¡± Demitri said with a sad smile, taking his tray of food and going the opposite direction. Jack sat next to Nicole, hesitant to comfort her with a pat on the back as they stayed several inches apart and exchanged strange looks.

    ¡°She¡¯s 15,000 years old Nicole. She¡¯s been married over 30 times to other Osirians that have mostly died of old age by now and she has 4 kids. You don¡¯t think she¡¯s had a few that didn¡¯t make it? Would you want to remember the ones that died?¡± jack asked.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ I guess I don¡¯t really think in terms of thousands of years and what kinda shit you experience in that. I¡¯m fucking 29 and I¡¯ve seen more shit than anyone should have. No wonder she¡¯s so¡­ you know.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°We know.¡± Jack said as everyone else looked deep in thought and in varying degrees of sad horror.

    ¡°Okay so, let¡¯s not make this worse than it is. Things happened, and everyone probably made some mistakes and were not themselves last night. I don¡¯t think it would be fair to ask or accuse anyone of it, or blame anyone for things out of their control. If any people wish to bring it up with their partner, I can¡¯t stop you but I advise doing it with an open heart and understanding. Can we all agree not to make enemies and play the childish blame game?¡± Nicole asked. Everyone nodded, some looking more ashamed than others.

    ¡°Good. So we¡¯re all imperfect and cursed little shits on a ship that generates bad luck and we¡¯re not gonna be assholes to our fellow friends and family about it. We¡¯re gonna move on, we¡¯re gonna let go and we¡¯re gonna¡­ figure out what to do with this Demitri guy. We¡¯re not letting him be turned into a plague machine, we¡¯re not shooting him into space where anyone could find him, and we don¡¯t kill people because they are a nuisance and made mistakes. Self defense and protecting the innocent, fine. We don¡¯t just coldly murder for convenience on my ship, though. So¡­ what are some ideas and options? Would anyone like to make suggestions and start a dialogue about it?¡± she asked.

    ...

    Jack stood in the shower, not even flinching at the sound of Vicki entering and sliding the shower glass open.

    ¡°Jack. You¡¯re not okay.¡±

    ¡°No I¡¯m not.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Jack, I am so sorry, last night¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Whatever or whoever you did last night was not your fault or anyone¡¯s and none of us are to blame. I don¡¯t need to know, I¡¯ve forgiven you already, you need to forgive yourself. I¡¯m not upset about that.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you upset about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m upset because my abandoning bastard grampa showed up and then left again like the coward he is, but he left me one soul bullet. I wanna hate him for leaving me and only giving me one damn round, but these are his soul. So he gave up a bit of his soul to protect me and I can¡¯t measure that kind of price. I can¡¯t ask someone to give more of their soul so we can have more ammo, especially since he told Gizzy how to make more. The fact that she hasn¡¯t made more means it¡¯s not something we can make without sacrifice. So we have one¡­ damn¡­ bullet.¡±

    ¡°I thought she said she could make more. She had a whole setup in the reloading container.¡±

    ¡°And they don¡¯t work. I put one in Demitri and he didn¡¯t flinch. He didn¡¯t even feel the difference between that one and the other bullets. She made those by cloning my grandpa¡¯s bullet. So not only do we have absolutely no reloads, but it means Gizzy can''t clone a soul. Which begs the question¡­ If souls are real, did any of us get cloned with a soul?¡±

    ¡°Jesus, Jack. You can¡¯t think like that.¡±

    ¡°If a bullet with a soul clones into an identical bullet with none, then not one of us on this ship has a soul. It¡¯s easy to laugh about that when you don¡¯t believe in them to begin with, but when you find out first hand that they¡¯re real, and you might not be¡­ Well, then what the hell are we? Are the stupid Delmarians right about one superstitious thing¡­ Do clones not have a soul? Are there just thousands of soulless people being printed every day, and some of them¡­¡± he said taking a deep breath.¡±

    ¡°Jack, I had cancer, I was going to die if they didn¡¯t clone me.¡±

    ¡°Do we know that? Did we just kill you and bring you back soulless like me, because we didn¡¯t know? What if you could have fought it? What if, for convenience and better odds of life, I encouraged you to die, and get cloned back healthy and hollow? Nicole, me, Gizzy, none of us have an original either. Aside from Vinn, we¡¯re all copies of copies and the one with a soul is just¡­ dead. We¡¯re a ghost crew of a dead ship and the only soul on this ship, is in the one fucking bullet we have that can kill a god if we encounter one¡­ and that¡¯s our mission, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Jack, wake up, you¡¯re over-thinking everything over one detail we don¡¯t understand. Nicole was chosen for that zombie mission because she had a soul. She¡¯s a 3<sup>rd</sup>generation clone. She can¡¯t have a soul if they can¡¯t be cloned. So that doesn¡¯t make sense. That cloning machine runs on alien magic we don¡¯t understand, and Gizzy isn¡¯t in control of it. She¡¯s a mechanical god, she knows mechanical manufacturing and she can 3d print guns and ammo, but who¡¯s to say that machine doesn¡¯t print us whole and her workshop just doesn¡¯t cut it? She¡¯s just printing dead bullets because she doesn¡¯t understand the bullets. We¡¯re not damned ghosts without souls on a broken mission that fate made as a joke to torture us, we¡¯re damaged people who signed up for a nightmare without realizing how bad it would get and it¡¯s wearing on us all to the bone. You¡¯re just emotional and you should be, we all should be, we¡¯ve all died and killed¡­ except Nicole apparently, because zombies don¡¯t count¡­ OKAY, let''s let her have that technicality, keep flexing that one on us. You¡¯re just tired and beaten down like all of us, and sometimes you just have to stop thinking so hard and stop worrying about things you don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Maybe you¡¯re not. Nothing I can do about it but think and worry or try not to think and worry less. But we still have one bullet and a potential demon on the ship, Gizzy can¡¯t make souls, and I¡¯m wondering if we have the right to even try now. What is the mission anymore? We got the book, we killed the villain, we suffered and we won and now what? More artifacts, more villains, for eternity? There¡¯s no going home. I signed up thinking this was a suicide mission where I would die for a cause, I didn¡¯t realize we¡¯d be trapped in limbo waiting for death and finding out there¡¯s nothing beyond that anyway. We weren¡¯t ready. None of us were. We fucked up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah we did¡­ But we¡¯re stuck here together. Limbo, hell, or just void of space, we¡¯re all here together. How is that any different than being home and working construction by day, assassinations by night? Clubbing, restaurants, game night, wasting every day doing nothing? How is doing nothing with friends on a moon in space any different than making a difference with friends on a ship in the same vacuum?¡±

    ¡°Are we making a difference?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t back home, so we can¡¯t be doing any less. The only difference is that this ship hurts more and ignorance is a beautiful curtain over the window, but outside the darkness is still there. We just know it now. Do the mission, soldier. And in the mean time, just try and remember what you have with you. You wanted to leave me at home and go alone. What would you be without me right now? What help would you be without all of us? What would any of us be without the rest of us?¡± she asked, hugging him as the water poured over their heads and matted their hair together.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. You survive the mission, you just get another mission. Let¡¯s keep doing our job.¡± He said with a very hollow smile.

    ¡°Good boy, Jack.¡± She whispered.

 Chapter Five: Accidents Happen

    Dee sat up and rebooted her morning scan programs. She noticed Gizzy standing at the bathroom sink, checking her fangs.

    ¡°So¡­ We¡¯re still waking up in the same room?¡± Dee asked, coldly.

    ¡°I told you, I was sorry. We¡¯re not married, we¡¯re not engaged, we had sex and we shared some feelings. That¡¯s what people do before they decide if they want to be together long term. I should have communicated better, or talked to you first, but I forgot you¡¯re not a human who grew up around them. We had a misunderstanding, and I failed to explain things properly. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°So you gonna fuck him again and do an average to see who you wanna be with long term, or are we just gonna have to go to court and get custody days on the calendar? I get you weekdays and holidays?¡± she asked as Gizzy sighed in annoyance.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. You may be intelligent and old but you¡¯re not socially experienced. You¡¯re immature when it comes to some things, to no fault of your own.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m convenient, because there¡¯s nobody else on the crew like you. Well, except now that there¡¯s another multi-thousand year old more mature organic predator warrior thing. Now there¡¯s options. I mean, that¡¯s logical. That''s why they make sexbots. When you got nobody else to love or fuck, or clean your ship, or feed off of¡­ you get a Deebot and we¡¯ll get you by until something better comes along, right? Dee class fuckbots, the toaster with tits that''s good enough to get you by for a while. We should put that on the commercials. It¡¯s catchy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a damn sex drone maid anymore. Have some self respect instead of self pity. We connected, we made sense, we had fun. That¡¯s what people do together. And if you get to a point where you¡¯re convinced it¡¯s going to last, you commit and make promises and keep them. But people date around. They have one nighters, they experiment, they regret it sometimes, and sometimes, two people weren¡¯t on the same page and nobody spoke up. I could have asked you if we were exclusive, and you could have asked me. But you didn¡¯t know any better and I forgot you didn¡¯t. So I fucked up. I made assumptions, and I wish I had realized the problem. So¡­ are you going to forgive me for breaking an unspoken rule I forgot to bring up, or are you going to hate me for it and act like I did this intentionally?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad that you did it, I¡¯m worried that you have options and are ready to start trying them out. I¡¯m concerned that I¡¯m not enough and you¡¯re still looking for better fitting options.¡±

    ¡°You wanna fuck him? Go fuck him. He¡¯ll fuck anything willing and attractive and we¡¯ll be even and you can decide of I¡¯m good enough or if you want him.¡±

    ¡°Like he¡¯d want a human robot hybrid, he wanted you because you¡¯re half vampire or cyberpyre or vampire with armor. That doesn¡¯t help me, or give me options. It just lets me get even like some petty competition. Does it make you feel better?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you don¡¯t find him attractive.

    ¡°Oh god no, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. He¡¯s insanely attractive. All my human bits are buzzing right now thinking about it. Of course I WANT to fuck him. But I don¡¯t trust him, or want to spend time with him, or share my feelings with him. He¡¯s just hot. Really, really, stupid hot. So are you, So is Vicki and I hate her¡­ I don¡¯t hate her. I mean I don¡¯t like her, but the point is you all have hot vampire vibe pheremones or something and you¡¯re all super doable. But he may be evil and lying and our enemy, or a backstabbing creep who uses people. Vicki is just a bitch. She irritates me, she bit my neck like 30 times and left me on the floor like a banana peel after a nice snack, that kinda rubs me wrong. You¡¯re different. You¡¯re smart, and tactical, and tough and yet somehow also warm and loyal and protective. I¡¯ve seen you cry and hug and feel things, and I¡¯ve seen you go bad bitch feral monster mode on stuff trying to hurt the crew. You¡¯re kinda my hero. You literally made me what I am when everyone else just saw me as a machine and left me evolving on my own. You carried me, you taught me things, you trusted me, and you showed me your vulnerable side. Most people don¡¯t even know you have one, and I¡¯ve seen it. I didn¡¯t realize we needed a contract to confirm that. It seemed implied to me. The fact that it didn¡¯t seem implied to you makes me think you¡¯re more to me than I am to you. You¡¯re the reason I¡¯m me and whole and complete, and I¡¯m just¡­ one of your projects that feels nice to play with.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m just a lot more dead inside than you. You¡¯re full of life and I¡¯m full of death and armor. We¡¯re built different, and I¡¯m built imperfect. I made you better than me. I¡¯m obsolete tech and a rotten core just barely staying above the gray neutral line between hero and villain. And I process shit different. I still miss a wife who doesn¡¯t know I left who I¡¯ve technically never met before. I¡¯m really damaged software and no heart, so you have to give me some more direct feedback or I will make mistakes. I can''t follow rules if I don¡¯t know them, and I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m mostly corrupted files and nightmares. I¡¯m not sorry that I¡¯m a bitch, I¡¯m just sorry that you didn¡¯t realize that and got hurt finding out. I¡¯m always gonna be a damaged bitch making mistakes and trying to stay above that gray moral line. That¡¯s what I am. That¡¯s your bad option number 1."

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a lot better than Vicki.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know that.¡± Gizzy nodded.

    ...

    Vicki woke up, stretching and bumping into Vinn¡¯s arm.

    ¡°AGAIN!?¡± she barked. ¡°AGAIN!?¡± she repeated as he looked confused.

    ...

    Jack stood in the workshop, changing barrels on his rifle as Demitri strolled in. He casually untucked his shirt for easy access to the gun tucked in the front of his pants as he otherwise kept working without any reaction.

    ¡°Hello Jack.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°Busy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind, please continue. I was merely observing the arsenal.¡±

    ¡°Spying on our guns, stealing one of them, or just sabotaging one of them to fail?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Merely curious. Nothing nefarious of the sort, Projectile weapons only, I see. Not a crew that favors hand to hand combat.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re more then capable of it, go fuck with Gizzy if you wanna find out.¡±

    ¡°I have, she¡¯s very skilled with her hands and in close quarters.¡± He smirked as Jack got up in his face, stretching and standing on the tip of his boots to get nose to nose height.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Aside from freedom, sex, indulgent food, wine and a goblet of fresh blood now and then, very little. Only to be part of the crew.¡±

    ¡°This crew is family, we trust each other. Trust is earned through years of loyalty and respect, having each other¡¯s back and being honest and forward. We don¡¯t hide things often and when we do, it¡¯s nobody business and not harmful. YOU are dangerous, untrustworthy, unpredictable, and your presence has already caused people grief and trouble, and that¡¯s assuming you¡¯re not here to kill us. You are at best a nuisance, an unwanted intruder we can''t remove who brings drama we don¡¯t need and stress we cant afford to add, and at worst, you¡¯re a lying psychopath that is semi bulletproof and planning something with the information you shouldn¡¯t even know about a mission that is supposed to be secret. So you¡¯re not crew, let alone family.¡±

    ¡°I have traveled a long way to meet you all, told nobody your secrets, introduced myself properly, apologized for the inconvenience and only told the truth, omitting nothing but what was not asked and never relevant. You have fired on me, and you are forgiven for that. If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you all in your sleep already. If I wanted your artifacts and ship, it would be mine and only those good enough for food would still remain. I have made myself vulnerable and transparent, and we share the same goal. What I am is an opportunity, a powerful potential ally and at worst a guest who is overstaying his welcome for very good reasons. Your work is heroic and respectable but occasionally sloppy and messy, and I can assist with that. Surely a man who pledged his allegiance to a vampire queen and taken one as his bride can welcome another of our kind on this ship of the damned. Now¡­ who is your weapon smith? I am in need of something for our next mission.¡± He said casually.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going on our next mission.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so I am to remain alone on your ship unsupervised, or will you be splitting up leaving half your family behind with me? The stronger half needed for the mission, or the weaker half that would not even slow me down if I were to merely¡­ take the ship.

    ¡°Confinement. We have cells and chains for prisoners.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, do demonstrate this confinement cell, I would love to show how long it contains me. Do you own a pocket watch by chance?¡±

    ¡°I could shoot you in the head and freeze you. Nicole said we don¡¯t kill prisoners unless we have to, but you don¡¯t die when shot in the head so I believe that is a technicality I could use now and apologize for later.¡±

    ¡°Boys, stop measuring dicks.¡± Gizzy said strutting into the room and opening her locker. ¡°You can do that later, right now we have a destination and a mission to prep for. Jack, as you were. Demitri¡­ I assume you prefer a blade over a gun?¡± she said grabbing a tactical bundle of her personal cutlery and rolling it onto the table.

    ¡°A lady of caliber an class.¡± He said admiring the selection as Jack pulled her aside and waved her to follow, getting out of earshot and keeping Demitri within line of handgun sight.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± He asked.

    ¡°What does it look like? I¡¯m giving him a weapon so he stops complaining and one that has short range.¡± She muttered.

    ¡°You¡¯re arming him for a mission? Gizzy, I respect you, but when I was out of line you called me out and I¡¯m doing the same. He¡¯s got you charmed, snap out of it.¡±

    ¡°Jack, don¡¯t you dare patronize me about being out of line. He¡¯s too dangerous to stay on the ship, he could be helpful on the ground, and the more you piss him off the more likely he is to do something problematic. You think I¡¯m some dumb bimbo that falls for vampire sex magic? I¡¯m half vampire myself and a literal god to some worlds. I can handle myself. Now we have a target on the navigation, Vinn¡¯s healed up and back in action, so the 3 of us are babysitting the new guy, and running the mission. If we pull it off and by some unfortunate mistake someone gets left behind on a frozen ice world, then, well shit happens, it¡¯s unfortunate but you know how these new recruits are.¡± She hinted boldly.

    ¡°As long as we¡¯re on the same page.¡± He said nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯m the teacher, you just follow the curriculum, Jack. Make sure you¡¯re on the same page.¡±

    ...

    Demitri strolled down the hall, suddenly getting shoved to the wall and yanked inside the gym, the door closing behind him.

    ¡°Well hello to you to.¡± He smiled as Vicki placed a gun on the wall next to his head and gave him a death glare.

    ¡°Who did you fuck this time?¡± she asked boldly.

    ¡°Well now you¡¯re being cryptic, rude and mysterious. I do not even know what you mea-¡± he said, punctuated by a pistol slap to the face and a tightened grip on his shirt collar.

    ¡°Last night, Who was it? Gizzy doesn¡¯t make the same mistake twice very often if ever, so do you have her under a spell or did you grab Dee for leverage, because Jack doesn¡¯t play for that team, and Vinn was with me. It sure as hell wasn¡¯t Nicole, she has absolutely no poker face or ability to bluff and act normal. So¡­ who did you dickmatize, you sneaky bastard?¡±

    ¡°Vinn was with you last night, and you said Jack doesn¡¯t play for that team, not Jack was with us as well. Oh Victoria, you ask of my sins and reveal your own.¡± He whispered softly, taking another lead filled fist to the face. ¡°Do switch sides periodically, I prefer even punishment.¡±

    ¡°You screwed someone again and you did that weird sleep hypnosis thing.¡±

    ¡°I assure you I was alone for the night, aside from a passing guard above my container that never opened the hatch. So who is confessing in this little game, me or you?¡±

    ¡°I went to bed in my room; I woke up next to Vinn. So explain that.¡± She growled.

    ¡°I cannot. Can you?¡±

    ¡°Stop this mind game shit, or I swear I will-"

    ¡°Swear it. What will you do? If I refuse to stop this game I am not playing, that you have invented for mysterious and albeit intriguing reasons, what do you swear you will do? Provide your intimidation, little one. But on my honor and my word, last night I was alone and confined, and what you did is a delicious mystery to me. Now, if it is my turn to play.¡± He said grabbing the gun, ejecting the magazine and firing the chambered round into his own palm to silence it, pinning her to the wall with his bleeding hand placing his other hand to her head in a ¡°finger gun¡± style twisted joke. ¡°So who did YOU fuck this time, and I swear if you continue this game, I will grin with delight. It is a fun little game. Is this how you play with Jack, or how you play with Vinn?" he chuckled. He let her go and twirled the pistol, handing it in her direction and picking up the magazine.

    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± she asked, taking her gun back and the clip, not even bothering to reload as he stood there, entertained.

    ¡°Boredom, solitude, my people skills are quite outdated and every species and crew has their own dynamic. Should I make corrections? I thought we were having fun.¡± He breathed heavily, eyes glowing in the dark. She shoved past him and stormed down the hallway. He watched her ass sashay as she went and silently pondered. ¡°Oh, you strange little thing. What a lucky boy Jack is. I do hope when we are friends, we all learn to share.¡± He said to himself, licking his fangs discreetly.

    ...

    Vinn stood in the workshop, tinkering on the Vindicator rifle, adding some new sights and checking the range with the laser on the wall as Jack strolled in, returning to work.

    ¡°You ever just wanna kill someone in their sleep?¡± Jack asked. Vinn nervously looked over before placing down his rifle slowly.

    ¡°Not like¡­ that I can recall. You know stress can make you paranoid and stuff.¡± He mumbled.

    ¡°I just hate that we can¡¯t even put a scratch in him and he could kill us all in one pass through the ship.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, the¡­ new guy. Yeah, fuck him and his weird hypnosis shit, right? We should probably come up with a game plan on that problem.¡± He said, looking relieved.

    ¡°Gizzy¡¯s on it.¡±

    ¡°I mean she¡¯s on something but I think it¡¯s Demitri. Is she¡­ you know. Like in her right head and shit, or is she tripping out on dick magic?¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. We have to just trust her and hope she¡¯s still driving the bus in that head of hers. She¡¯s probably the only one who can stand her ground in a fight with that guy. If she even can. If Gizzy is still clear headed, she has a plan, and they tend to work. It¡¯s just that little voice in my head questioning if she¡¯s still in the driver¡¯s seat. Tell me she¡¯s just playing him, and playing bimbo to get his defenses down. Lie to me if you don¡¯t believe it.¡±

    ¡°Hey, people get horny, it doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re not still on the same team. Planned move or momentary oope, like anyone is capable of, Gizzy¡¯s on our side. Like me, and the whole crew. We¡¯re all on the same team, doing our best, just going through some weird shit. We all know who the bad guy is, right?¡±

    ¡°I hope so. Just in case, what are the meanest rounds that gun will hold?¡±

    ¡°30mm Hypervelocity High Explosive Incendiary Armor Piercing Grenade rounds with deplete uranium core. The new 20mm barrel Gizzy just made also takes the barrel-burner rounds, 4700feet per second velocity uranium Sabo. Ruins the barrel in about 20 rounds, but for those 20 rounds it should basically eat through a thark¡¯s hide. I¡¯m guessing you want those in the gun for this mission in case we need to like, reduce the number of crew, completely by accident or something.¡±

    ¡°Accidents do happen. It¡¯s sad but true. Especially with these new untrained recruits.¡±

    ...

    Vicki carefully entered the bridge, approaching Nicole at the helm as she played Mario Cart on her phone.

    ¡°What¡¯s up V?¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°Nicole, we¡¯re friends right, not just crew¡­ old friends?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course we are, Dawg. What¡¯s the scoop, Snoop?¡± she said, looking tired.

    ¡°If someone did something behind a friend''s back and didn¡¯t have any control of it, would they want to know, or stay oblivious?¡± she asked. Nicole huffed and looked annoyed.

    ¡°I think sometimes not knowing all the details is better. It¡¯s one thing if it was malicious or intentional, but if uncontrollable circumstances were at fault, I think it depends on the person. Vicki, are we talking about the thing we both know we¡¯re talking about? Are YOU wanting to talk about it, or are you asking if I want to?¡±

    ¡°I just want to know we¡¯re still friends, even if mistakes happened we couldn¡¯t control.¡±

    ¡°Vicki, I don¡¯t know what to say here. I¡¯m sorry? Do you wanna vent and yell at me, go ahead. I¡¯d fight it out like the boys do but you¡¯d kill me in 5 seconds and then I¡¯d actually be pretty pissed off and so would Vinn. So either keep it verbal or silent, but do what you gotta do with those options. No consequences as Captain, you have permission to yell at me. Get it out. Do you want the truth or just a free vent?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Did¡­ you sleep with Jack?¡± she asked, only now even questioning it.

    ¡°Yeah. Demitri did some magical bullshit, and then I did Jack. I don¡¯t even care who you probably did. I don¡¯t want this to be a problem between us, do we agree who is the enemy here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we do. That son of a bitch, we all made a mistake by bringing on the ship. I may have¡­ lost control a little bit after the fact.¡±

    ¡°I saw you leave the gym in a fit and then him leaving with a bullet wound in his hand.¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not, he shot himself as a sort of¡­ flex, I guess. I just loaded the gun and implied that I could.¡±

    ¡°Look, don¡¯t piss him off. You have every right to be mad and get even, just don¡¯t get yourself killed lashing out. Keep your head clear and your gun holstered, but keep it loaded and both eyes open. When this is all over, we all forget the awkward details and move on, agreed?¡±

    ¡°Completely, Captain. I¡¯ll try to keep my composure better. But you know how I am with my temper. I¡¯m not always in control.¡±

    ¡°Just try your best, that¡¯s all I ask. The rest is hoping for a little luck.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll remember this conversation and take it to heart. Sorry in advance if I step out of line again. I promise I¡¯m trying my best¡­ Captain.¡± She said suspiciously.

    ¡°Vicki¡­ before you leave.¡± Nicole said, pausing for a moment.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Game night at 9 while the boys take the guest on his first mission.¡±

 Chapter Six: The Mammoth

    The sound of windswept snow and distant thunder rang through the frigid air while Demitri trudged through the snow in the same fancy black and gold tunic as before, the last 2 buttons open, even in the cold, to ensure his bare chest was visible. A smirk lay on his face and shackles bound his wrists. Green glasses glistened in the bright light while Gizzy and Vinn followed behind him.

    ¡°You know¡­¡± he said ¡°If I had not peeked at the bridge viewscreen and confirmed we had a mission here, I would wager this was an execution rather than an untrusting mission.¡± He said while peering back.

    ¡°You got the glasses, me and Nicole just got one lens, so that means you lead the way, back turned to us. Navigators don¡¯t need to be armed, you¡¯re lucky I gave you a sword. Keep walking. We have a tusk to find.¡±

    ¡°So your computer is connected to the book of fate, and yet all you get are hints and riddles to search for. What faith you must have in your destiny.¡± Demitri said.

    ¡°Hey, it always seems to work. We don¡¯t understand it, but it works. It gave us a planet, and a half decoded sentence about blue ivory and a touch of tusk. So we got an elephant gun and scopes. Your fancy ass seems to know everything we don¡¯t, so you lead the way with your fancy bifocals of destiny and find us a frozen space elephant on an ice moon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I should probably not mention this so early, but I am quite proud of myself.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can¡¯t kill you, but I can take my time trying if you don¡¯t finish that little statement.¡± Gizzy said, nodding to Vinn as Jack sat up in the shuttle and turned the radio up, in case of problems.

    ¡°That Casket you found me in. It¡¯s quite fragile. I don¡¯t believe it would hold together in the vacuum of space if it were to be ejected for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Get to the point.¡± Gizzy barked.

    ¡°I merely point out that you scanned for weapons, IN the freezer, not the freezer itself, did you? I ask of course rhetorically, or you would have already asked me to disarm the device. Not to worry, the timing mechanism has several days before it requires my delicate touch to disarm in order to avoid detonation.¡± He said as Gizzy stopped in her tracks.

    ¡°You brought a bomb on my ship?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No dear, YOU brought a bomb on your ship, and you armed it by letting me out. This is your own doing but I will gladly disarm it when we return. After all, we¡¯re part of the same team now, maybe not family or friends, but certainly mutual allies and allies would never leave anyone behind to die on a frozen snow planet or shoot them in the back. That would be rude and quite dishonest.¡± He said, turning around and looking concerned in a sarcastic manner. ¡°Is it time to rest, or are you merely adjusting your mission plans?¡± Demitri asked. Gizzy gnashed her teeth and took a heavy breath of frigid air, almost steaming hot on the exhale.

    ¡°I¡¯m just taking in the scenery¡­ since we have plenty of time to get the artifact and get you back to your casket.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then onward we go. And what a shame Jack had to stay behind in the ship. I enjoy his company. Humans are so fragile to the elements. The cold, the thin air. He should really see a doctor about that condition.¡±

    ¡°I like having eyes from another vantage point. Don¡¯t you worry about Jack¡¯s human condition.¡± She assured.

    ¡°Well, he must be a sturdy exception, with that wife of his. I¡¯m sure she is more gentle with him in their privacy than she was with me under interrogation. You did give that order did you not? I don¡¯t believe sweet little Nicole would even suggest treating a guest roughly."

    ¡°She does her own thing sometimes and she gets scolded for it. But maybe I¡¯ll let this one slide since you do bring out the passions in people.¡±

    ¡°That I do¡­ I certainly do. And here I thought you were the passionate one. At least yours are mostly under your own throttle and control. You are a beast of zen, Miss Gizzy, but young Victoria seems to have a slightly rogue side to her that comes out at night. I¡¯m sure you are aware.¡±

    ¡°Jack, turn off your radio, that is an order.¡± Gizzy said into her com.

    ¡°Understood.¡± He said turning it off and back on, kicking his feet up.

    ¡°Vicki is not your business or problem, and you need to forget she even exists as far as I advise.¡±

    ¡°I offer truth and you tempt me with threats. What a trusting family you all are, keeping secrets and riddles of your own designs. The irony is amusing that you cannot trust me for telling the truth in a poetic manner, yet you gild lies and bury the truth from each other. Perhaps I do not belong to this crew after all. Shall I begin deceiving you and plotting things behind your backs to fit in?¡±

    ¡°Jack, lock onto his location and power up the shuttle guns. Confirm order.¡±

    ¡°Order confirmed.¡± Jack sighed. Realizing he just admitted to keeping his radio on in order to follow orders. Demitri chuckled to himself, realizing the same thing and keeping it to himself aside from the slight outburst of contained laughter.

    ¡°Sometimes family has to keep secrets from each other to protect them¡­¡± she said loudly so Jack could hear. ¡°Sometimes the truth just hurts you and you gain nothing by knowing it. That¡¯s the difference between an enemy and a true friend. An enemy lies to you to gain control or to harm you, a true friend knows when to tell you the hard truth and when you tell a healing lie they should keep to themselves. Like how telling the girls on the ship that you have a bomb in our cargo bay they can''t diffuse only brings them fear and worry, whereas hiding that from all of us was for your own personal gain and puts us at risk for your benefit alone. That¡¯s the difference, Demitri. I lie to spare people, you lie to dominate your opponent. I do the same thing to my opponents, I just don¡¯t do that to the people I wanna be friends with. So congratulations asshole, you proved my point and why we don¡¯t want you on the ship. You¡¯re an opponent, not a friend. And you may have secrets from us, but you don¡¯t know all of our moves like you think you do.¡± She said as the roar of a large animal in the distance echoed through the hills.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Guys¡­ we have our tusk.¡± Jack said. ¡°And it¡¯s delivering itself to you pretty quickly, so you might wanna get to cover and take your safeties off. It¡¯s big.¡±

    ¡°How big?¡± Gizzy asked as they diverted to the hillside.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see it. It¡¯s difficult to miss.¡± Jack assured. ¡°Vinn, double check that your gun has the 30mm deplete uranium rounds loaded. You¡¯ll want that.¡±

    The three braced for a mammoth to charge around the hill and Gizzy¡¯s eyes widened when the beast entered view. Its skin was glistening blue and covered in silken white fuzz, almost glassy transparent, and where the trunk should be, there was a series of four trunklike tentacles, supported on either side by four giant tusks. The beast rushed Vinn first while Gizzy opened fire, bullets vanishing and leaving tiny dots of red, like a mosquito bite, in the beast''s hide. Letting out a roar, it thrashed its head, sending Vinn into the sky, gun in one direction and his ragdoll body the other way.

    ¡°Fight!¡± Gizzy yelled to Demitri.

    ¡°In shackles and for my enemy?¡± he scoffed. ¡°We have become friends now that you need me?¡± he laughed, suddenly ducking a tusk and rolling to evade. ¡°And with what weapons you have provided?¡± he asked. The beast turned to Vinn, scraping the ground as he stood up and braced for combat against a monster 50 times his mass. Gizzy held the gun tightly, holding down the trigger and dumping the magazine of 50 cal grenade rounds into its flesh, barely annoying it as it locked eyes with Vinn and rushed. With a casual grab it picked Vinn up in its tentacles and slammed him into the rocky cliffside, like trying to open a Vinn-shaped coconut for the pulpy center.

    "Gizzy, shoot the damn thing!" Jack yelled,

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a gun!¡± she yelled back into the com, realizing her gun was empty and that those were the meanest rounds she carried.

    ¡°10 feet to your northeast, Vinn¡¯s gun has almost a full tube of 30mm.¡±

    ¡°Are you shitting me?¡± she barked, rolling her eyes and digging for the gun. She picked it up before fumbling it.

    ¡°Hurry, Vinn¡¯s gonna die!¡± Jack barked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a hundred and eight pound rifle, Jack. I can¡¯t shoulder it or even reach the fucking trigger. Let me figure this out.¡± She barked back. Racking the bolt, confirming it was loaded, she stuck the gun to her shoulder and just barely managed to reach the grip and get the tip of 2 fingers on the massive trigger. She lifted the barrel and it tipped forward, re-adjusting and taking a knee to find a grip with her left hand. Sliding her left foot as far forward as she could and standing hunkered, she locked her eyes on the target, visualizing the gun as if it was aimed. She braced her back, heaving the gun upright in one, hefty jerk, and at the apex of the heave, just before it began to tip forward, she lined up and pulled the trigger. The gun went flying end over end as Gizzy¡¯s body rapidly rotated to the ground, her head and right shoulder landed in the snow first, packing the powder a good ten feet back from where she was standing, and then her feet landed. She stared up at the clouds, not sure which way she was facing, and feeling she just got hit by a sedan at 45 mph.

    ¡°Confirm the kill.¡± She wheezed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a hit, it¡¯s limping away.¡± Jack said excitedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s still alive?¡± she groaned.

    ¡°I got drones on the way to finish it off. Vinn¡¯s vitals are stable. Are you good?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not good. I¡¯m not even kind of fine. I¡¯m blind in my right eye and fingers aren¡¯t moving properly.¡± She said staggering to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need repairs when we get back.¡±

    ¡°You actually took damage? How does Vinn fire that thing?¡±

    ¡°By being 4.4 times my size and having hands the size of a briefcase. Even he says it kicks a bitch. He¡¯s wrong. It kicks like 5 bitches, all at once, with lead heels. I didn¡¯t make it to be fired by a human sized person. Give me some slack, you¡¯d be dead if you shot it. It¡¯s designed to be the most belligerently powerful thing that¡¯s medically safe to fire, for a guy the size of a cocaine Grizzly bear.¡±

    ¡°Can you laser the target and track it at least?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Jack, I can barely stand up without wobbling. I got things broken here. Let the drones do the killing, they can track the tracer round I stuck in it. Get a med evac for Vinn and then get one for me after he¡¯s stable.

    ...

    Gizzy sat on the med-lab table, strangely unfamiliar with being the patient as Vinn examined her with the scanner, part of an antler missing and his own wrist in a brace.

    ¡°Yeah, you must have twisted weird on detonation, you snapped a nerve cable in your neck, tore the shit out of your shoulder muscle and bent the rotary cuff bracing slightly. I don¡¯t even know how to attempt to repair that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only 2mm deformation, we¡¯re just gonna leave it.¡± She said as Dee stuck the probe needle into the back of her neck to repair the broken cable.

    ¡°Saved my ass back there.¡± Vinn coughed.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t save your wrist or those 2 broken ribs.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°We got recovery shots. I¡¯ll live.¡± He wheezed.

    ¡°Stop moving, I''m trying to weld.¡± Dee scolded. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I can just download repair manuals. Still, I can¡¯t fix this laparoscopic; I¡¯m running a whole new optic cable. You¡¯re just gonna be half bind until we can print a new one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve taken arrows to the eye before. I¡¯ll live.¡± Gizzy groaned. ¡°Well, I need to check something else. Vinn, can you give me a moment of privacy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t wanna know what you¡¯re repairing if you want me to leave the room. My furry ass is out. Thanks to both of you.¡± He said making his leave.

    ¡°Okay he¡¯s gone.¡± Dee said. ¡°If I hug you will I hurt you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, just miss the right shoulder.¡± She said as Dee immediately grabbed her and hugged her tightly. ¡°Dee, I¡¯m fine. We¡¯re modular. We can print the repairs.¡±

    ¡°You could have died, what if you got trampled?¡±

    ¡°I think Vinn¡¯s gun was worse than what the mammoth would have been.¡± she smirked.

    ¡°Well, since Vinn got injured by the mammoth and regularly fires the gun that broke your shoulder, I seriously doubt that.¡±

    ¡°Dee, I clone back. If I die, you just print me back.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna lose you, even for an hour of printing. An hour where you¡¯re just¡­ not in this universe and don¡¯t exist at all is terrifying to me. Gizzy, I¡¯ve never died before. I don¡¯t know how horrible that is, but it can¡¯t be okay.¡± She said while tearing up slightly, proving that the upgrades worked.

    ¡°You¡¯d be amazed at what things you get used after you¡¯ve done them over and over. Ask Jack. He may have a death counter higher than mine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not okay. Not to me.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll bring a spare Vinn next time to shoot the big gun.¡± She joked as Dee squeezed her, refusing to let go for a strangely long time.

    ...

    Jack and Vinn sat in the mess hall. Staring at the giant tusk on the other table.

    ¡°He just stood there. Like he didn¡¯t give a shit.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°You almost died, Gizzy¡¯s messed up from it, and that asshole just stood there and watched. He didn¡¯t even try to help.¡±

    ¡°Dude, he didn¡¯t have a gun. Gizzy only gave him a display sword as a joke and the 20mm grenades weren¡¯t even breaking skin. The hell was he gonna do¡­ seduce it?¡± Vinn shrugged, wincing and holding his wrist.

    ¡°He could have broken the shackles, he just didn¡¯t even seem like he was afraid. He¡¯s tougher then he lets on and that¡¯s what scares me. He¡¯s playing prisoner and he wanted that thing to kill you guys.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ if he¡¯s a bad guy, then like, duh. If he¡¯s not a bad guy, he¡¯s kind of our prisoner anyway, and if the mammoth eliminated 2 of the biggest threats, that¡¯s an edge to his escape or taking over. Of course he didn¡¯t fight it. We keep saying he¡¯s the enemy. Why help us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a valid tactical move. It¡¯s just¡­ cold.¡± Jack squinted.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the tusk for? How does that help us? Why did fate want us to get our asses kicked over some trophy tusk?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. I got one in the scanner. Nothing significant so far. What do you do on Delmar with tusks?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. We make wall displays of the antler of opponents we killed in the pit. Gizzy got a few of her own. Other than a display trophy, I got nothing. Ask Gizzy.¡± Vinn shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s killed a lot of big animals for population control, kept tusks and antlers and skulls and shit. Have you never seen her skull room back home?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not shocked, but no.¡±

 Chapter Seven: Vampire Honey

    Gizzy stepped into the interrogation cell with Jack following her and holding a briefcase.

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna have some fun, Demitri.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank the gods, I was BORED in here alone. I do love a good 3 way. What¡¯s in the box, wine, candles, chocolate covered strawberries?¡± he smiled. ¡°Is your shoulder better then, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re about to take it, count Chocula, but we¡¯re gonna have the fun, not you.¡± She said, opening the case and taking out a large syringe.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so shocked if we all have a good time.¡±

    ¡°Truth serum. Works on humans, works on Delmarians, works on whatever Nicole is technically considered. I figure you¡¯re 6 foot 6, 190, so about¡­ Jack, what do you think, A Delmarian dose should be just absolutely overkill without being lethal?¡±

    ¡°Oh he¡¯s a tough nut, he can handle the big-boy dose. Give him the whole syringe.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°And if he dies, he¡¯ll just resurrect or¡­ not.¡±

    ¡°I could break these restraints and take that needle.¡±

    ¡°Try it, and it might go up your ass. Now hold still.¡± She said puncturing his forearm and roughly shoving the whole tube empty.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s rather unpleasant actually.¡± He said looking confused that he admitted it. ¡°Interesting. Fast acting little cocktail you have there."

    ¡°We¡¯ll start easy. What does the tusk do?¡±

    ¡°How do I know? It¡¯s a tusk from an alien your fate monocle decided was relevant.¡±

    ¡°What would you do with a tusk?¡±

    ¡°Wine goblet, perhaps, belt buckles, a nice pipe. Nothing of universe significance.¡±

    ¡°The sex hypnosis, how does it work?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­ Lyyying, it¡¯s not hypnosis, and I¡¯m just charming and attractive even if augmented by unnatural aura. There¡¯s no control settings or dials, I am just alluring and I waken people¡¯s desires.

    ¡°What¡¯s your most embarrassing fear?¡±

    ¡°Oh you must be kidding me.¡± He scoffed.

    ¡°Answer it.¡±

    ¡°Being stranded on an ocean world, unable to swim or drown. I do not like the water. I do not fear water, but being trapped eternally under it choking for air gives me chills.¡±

    ¡°How do we diffuse the bomb?¡±

    ¡°There is no bomb, I was lying. You were going to leave me alone on that frozen world, so I bluffed. What do you expect me to do?¡±

    ¡°What do you want from us?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Acceptance, a bed, the respect of an elder and, if possible, some damn sinful fun once in a while. You¡¯re a ship of misfit killers and vampires, and you people never even have a good drunken blood fueled orgy? How disappointing.¡±

    ¡°Are you planning to kill us?¡±

    ¡°No, but I have¡­¡± he growled, trying to fight the serum. ¡°I have several manners of retaliation planned if necessary to save myself. Don¡¯t act like you wouldn¡¯t do the same. I am surviving and attempting to do it enjoyably, very little of what I have said was even a lie. I told mostly truths without your serum, but you trust nothing.¡±

    ¡°What specifically have you lied about. List them all.¡± She snarled, getting closer. He gnashed his fangs trying to stay silent and his back tightened as he locked eyes.

    ¡°That I am a living artifact. That a bullet to the head and ejection into space would stop me, I was pretending not to care so you wouldn¡¯t be as tempted. And when I said I have no interest in your wife, Jack. I have no plans to move on her, but if she came to me, I would bed her without hesitation. I just didn¡¯t think that helped in the path to making you trust me. She is rather devilishly divine.¡± He said still struggling.

    ¡°Yeah, that makes me trust him more.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more interested in you not being a living artifact. Explain that in detail.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s personal.¡± He said while technically not lying.

    ¡°More detail. Why do you glow like one of you¡¯re not one of the god forged artifact we need to find?¡±

    "Because the artifact is inside me. I told you I was blessed and cures by the oldest gods with these powers, and I was not lying. But I am not the source, the source is a DAMNIT!! DAMN YOU ALL!! Silver amulet, surgically grafted to my heart.¡±

    ¡°So what if we removed it, would you die?¡±

    ¡°My powers would cease and I would be human, so yes, I would die, either from the removal or decades later as an old mortal. I don¡¯t want it removed.¡±

    ¡°You like being immortal, powerful.¡±

    ¡°Of course I do, that is why I offered my soul for the amulet. I have nothing left when I die, so never dying is the preferred alternative. I said I regretted what I did with my immortality, squandering it, using it for cheap carnal thrills and admiration and I regret the beastly offspring I have created in ignorance. I do not regret my deal, or the immortality itself. If I could go back and change everything, I would change much and save many, but I would have taken the amulet the same, and used it wisely and with better wisdom.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fantastic.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°because I happen to be a damn skilled surgeon. Let¡¯s get that amulet out of you then.¡±

    ¡°No Jack¡­ he¡¯s not the enemy we thought he was. A pain in the ass like the rest of us, but not a threat. He¡¯s a sad fool who got what he wanted and pissed away the gift, causing himself and others a lot of suffering. He was stupid and young and infected with power, and now he¡¯s old and full of regret and self hatred."

    ¡°Oh no, I do not hate myself. I quite like myself actually. I hate the young bastard I once was, I hate the father that beat me and left me to die because my mother was a lowly whore he selected from the town house or repute, and I hate that I created bastards of my own far worse then either of us, but I got my vengeance and my power, and I do not regret selling my soul for it. He died for his sins, as he should have, and I lived to see mine evolve and reproduce. I am far from that stupid power hungry boy, easily tempted and corrupted by the flesh and drink. I control my lust now, not the other way around, and I have become a majestic monster that I love quite dearly and will fight to save and live another day. I am rather ashamed of myself for not hating myself, and yet here we sit, and I shall fight to live and stay in power. To exist, to be free.¡±

    ¡°What is your goal here? With us.¡± Gizzy sighed. ¡°On this ship with this crew. What do you hope to achieve?¡±

    ¡°Family. Home. To not be alone.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m gonna ask a simple question. Which do you prefer, obeying the rules of the crew and the captain, and myself, or to be cut open and harvested for that amulet?¡±

    ¡°You already know the answer to that, Madam Commander.¡±

    ¡°Jack, leave the room. This interrogation is about to get uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°Respectfully, Gizzy. I¡¯ve interrogated a few people in my day, and it takes a lot to disturb me.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You won¡¯t like this. Leaving the room was an order, not a suggestion or an option to leave.¡± She said darkly.

    ¡°Well then¡­ you kids have fun.¡± He said as Gizzy put her hand on his briefcase.

    ¡°Leave the case, Jack.¡± She said as he smirked and left.

    ¡°So¡­torture or surgery¡­which will you be inflicting?¡± he said with a sad smile.

    ¡°Listen carefully. You¡¯re gonna leave this room alive and intact and if anyone asks, I tortured you for a while to be entirely sure you were telling the truth. And here¡¯s some more serum to ensure that very thing.¡± She said giving him another dose, his eyes nearly rolling back.

    ¡°Then what truth am I about to be hiding?¡± he asked, looking very awake and alert.

    ¡°Mine.¡± She said as his look changed. ¡°You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger. I can¡¯t explain why or how much of a turn on that is, but you also need to stay away from Vicki. She¡¯s Jack¡¯s wife and I protect Jacks heart like you protect your own silver armored heart. So¡­ who do you really want more¡­ her or me?¡± she grinned, unbuttoning his shirt. He looked relieved and nervous at the question.

    ¡°I said she was quite alluring, not irresistible. I control my desires when I wish, and she is hardly a temptation I am weakened to. Now you on the other hand¡­ have quite the irresistible temptation. Little Victoria is in no peril, nor would my charms make her stop hating me. So why don¡¯t you hate me?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s young, she¡¯s fiery, she¡¯s also immature and lacks her own control most of the time. She hates you because she fears you. You don¡¯t scare me, and now that I know you¡¯re just a softie at heart with a paranoid set of armor over it, I almost pity you. You were right though¡­ we are about to have some fun. And nobody will believe it if you say you seduced me under truth serum, so¡­ lie gain when it wears off, and I¡¯ll leave a few marks to make it convincing that you hated every minute of this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, do leave a mark or two, we don¡¯t want them doubting.¡± He snarled, eyes glowing.

    ...

    Gizzy strolled into her quarters, as Dee waited impatiently.

    ¡°That took a while.¡± She said cryptically.

    ¡®Interrogation is an art.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m familiar with your artistry, baby. You don¡¯t think I detected that? Everyone on the ship felt that, Vicki probably gave Jack a run for his money when he got back. You slept with him again.¡±

    ¡°Can we keep that discreet? I need that between us.

    ¡°Us three, or us two?¡± she asked, looking hurt.

    ¡°Dee, it¡¯s not what you think, judging from the look on your face.¡±

    ¡°What power does he have over you? Is it a vampire thing, is it a dick thing? Do I need a dick mod? You know what, I don¡¯t even care. Do him. Do the sexy vampire dude, get your fix, just come back to me. Because for some stupid reason I love you, and it pisses me off. You¡¯ve influenced me more than anyone on this ship, more than the 20 years worth of rogue internet I¡¯ve skimmed for human experience. We¡¯ve survived impossible odds together, we¡¯ve snorted robot cocaine, I didn¡¯t even know that was a thing until you mentioned it. We¡¯ve seen some shit, we¡¯ve done some shit, You¡¯ve literally built my chassis and it¡¯s so much better than the stock model. I don¡¯t wanna lose you to some stupid human thing like monogamy. I¡¯ve looked up your files on Delmar, sorry, but I get it. You¡¯ve been married like 32 times, you¡¯re older than me, you¡¯ve seen it all and done it all and I¡¯m kinda new and clueless. I just wanna learn with you. So if you need vampire dick to be happy, go have happy vampire dick and then come back to me and we¡¯ll not talk about it, or we can talk about it, or I¡¯ll join in, I don¡¯t even know what to suggest. I¡¯m so not on your level.¡±

    ¡°Dee¡­ I¡¯m working to gain his trust and find out if he¡¯s a threat and know if I need to steal Jacks bullet and kill the guy against captain''s orders to protect the crew. The interrogation serum seemed to work but I want him thinking he has some control over me, so I have the element of surprise and he has a reason to be cocky and make his move. It¡¯s called a honeypot move in espionage. I¡¯m screwing him to get into his head because he¡¯s letting his guard down and I¡¯m just pretending to be vulnerable and smitten by his charms.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s a spy thing!? The whole time?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t want you to know because you¡¯d worry and maybe do something stupid trying to help. I¡¯m not hypnotized or under his spell, I¡¯m just good at acting and faking it.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t even like the sex?¡±

    ¡°No, the sex is actually pretty good, I¡¯m not faking that, it¡¯s part of the plan so I¡¯m doing it properly. I have to have sex with him or it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯m gonna enjoy it and not half-ass it¡­ but right after that I¡¯m back on mission mode and playing up the post-sex emotions. There¡¯s nothing emotional between us. It¡¯s just tactical spy chess¡­ except naked.¡±

    ¡°See, now I wanna be mad, but I can¡¯t because it makes sense and you¡¯re helping the crew and it¡¯s also honestly kinda hot when I¡¯m not worried about being excluded and left alone from it. Okay I get it. Go do your thing, be a spy, save the day, and seduce the hot vampire guy. And then come back to me and provide the nasty details so we can do something fun with that later. You did hear that I said I loved you, right?¡±

    ¡°I heard it.¡±

    ¡°Cuz usually you¡¯d say it back, but I get it, it¡¯s gotta be from the heart¡­ or motorized gear pump. I kinda wish I had held that back a little longer now. But it¡¯s fine. You¡¯ll get there and then it will be more special because you meant it and wasn¡¯t pressured into, god I¡¯m so stupid, why did I blurt that out with zero signals. UGH, I SUCK!¡± she grunted.

    ¡°Dee¡­ Ugh¡­ loveyoutoo.¡± Gizzy muttered under her breath.

    ¡°I KNEW IT!¡± she jumped, hugging her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it into a production. Just accept it and don¡¯t expect that all the time. I¡¯m not the type to be mushy about things. This isn¡¯t going to be a rainbow snugglefest, take the wins when you get them with some grace.¡±

    ¡°Good enough. From you that means a lot. Really, it does. I¡¯m just glad we some time alo-¡± There was a knock on the door.

    ¡°Busy!¡± Dee yelled.

    ¡°Perhaps not for this.¡± said Demitri¡¯s voice. She stomped angrily to the door and opened it to yell at him, noticing him holding a piece of paper with a sketch on it. ¡°I believe I know what the tusk is for.¡± He smiled with gleaming fangs and his green tinted gold glasses.

    ...

    The group gathered around the mess hall table as he placed down the sketch of a drinking horn, elaborately carved and on a pedestal.

    ¡°I did not recognize the stars until the ship¡¯s navigation slowed us down. He calls himself the Maestro, but he is known also as the collector and¡­ the German.¡±

    ¡°A collector of what?¡± asked Nicole.

    ¡°Death.¡± Demitri said coldly. "Fossils, skulls, petrified organs, preserved flesh and tissue if he can get it. The more macabre or rare, the better. A man of science, but an avid artist in the biological. A surgeon of sorts, unlike Jack of course, his patients tend to live after an operation, but not necessarily because they want to. He dabbles in experimentation, much like your abominations in the lower containers, except rather than growing them, he collects non-voluntary volunteers.¡±

    ¡°So he¡¯s just a psychopath, then,¡± Gizzy corrected.

    ¡°Yes, but an artist none the less, and a scientist before all. Skill does not diminish, nor does brilliance negate, with the increase of evil. It only changes the intent of the art. I remember meeting him once at a very unsavory gathering of minds, and he was particularly interested in ivory drinking chalices. I think it not coincidence fate gives us a rare ivory artifact and then slows us down in the system where he resides. I believe either we need to commission one of these drinking chalices or barter the ivory for something of value he has. But his prices are steep so beware. Legend says he took samples from the planet of the dead and made his own son an abomination. Jack, I believe your father was the one who killed him on Amenthis. This may be a card to play or to bury. Only time will tell. But be warned, his home is not for the faint of heart.¡± Demitri grinned.

    ¡°And why exactly do you know such a sadistic person well enough to visit their personal home without invitation?¡± Jack asked him, his tone paranoid.

    ¡°I am an ancient blood sucking curse on the universe, why would he not wish to study me and some day have my taxidermy corpse on his mantle? Just because you have an open invitation to someone¡¯s home, who does not like guests, does not make you his guest. It merely means he intends for you enter the trap alone. Therefore, how does one convert himself from the prey to the guest¡­ by bringing prey of equal or greater value¡­ say, the son of the man who killed his own son, and his vampiric wife as a tribute.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re bait, and we need to trust you?¡± jack scoffed.

    ¡°Trust him Jack. He¡¯s been interrogated enough to know he¡¯s not our enemy.¡± Gizzy said abruptly. "Fate seems to agree, he¡¯s had opportunities to kill us and hasn¡¯t, all his truths were understandable and his lies were to save himself from imprisonment or death. Demitri may be a burden and a bit of an asshole, but he¡¯s an ally in a cause greater than our differences. Gear up. We have a mission. Dee, you¡¯re not going to like this one."

    ¡°Why am I going to the scary German death museum?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not. You¡¯re just gonna hate why I am.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy and Demitri sat in her room, selecting outfits.

    ¡°You really think he will believe someone such as myself settled down to a marriage?¡± he scoffed.

    ¡°Well, when he sees me in a dress he¡¯ll understand. We¡¯re married, not monogamous, honey.¡± She grinned.

    ¡°Oh, you do the con so well even I wonder if I have fallen for it. I suppose we have a small castle, a handful of human familiars we cycle through before they get stale or disobedient, a lovely vineyard on some small moon with no sunlight or mercy. Perhaps a harem of lovely servants in leather and silver?¡±

    ¡°Someone has thought of this a little too much before we had a plan to fictionalize.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°Well you do kindle accelerated inspiration. Especially in that dress.¡± He said hovering behind her neck exhaling softly. She turned and lightly held him by the throat, digging her long nails in just slightly.

    ¡°And you doubt that he¡¯ll believe you fell for me? That¡¯s barely even a stretch of the details. The secret to good acting¡­ don¡¯t act. Just elaborate on the truth. Bend it a little, blur the lines with colorful metaphor.¡±

    "Perhaps you should remind me why I obey you again¡­ in case we are to die on this mission. Shame to waste the time before merely prepping and planning.¡± He said as she pushed him to the wall with her foot.

    ¡°Oh, you remember. I don¡¯t want you satisfied and focused, I want you distracted and drooling, watching me like a new plaything you can''t wait to get back home to¡­ sells the marriage bit. You want a reward, do the fucking mission, get back alive and with something pretty that glows in those glasses.¡± She said before turning her back and leaving slowly. Demitri sighed powerfully, grinning at his amused frustrations and the game he was failing to win. He loved every minute of it.

 Chapter Eight: Der KorperSammler

    ¡°Demitri, Willkommen.¡± Said the collector, strutting from his black castle, dressed in all black leather and far too much gold, sunglasses on at night and the deadest smile conceivable. ¡±Schon dich zu sehen.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes, Gutenberg to you too, you dickless waxed melon, who knows well that I don¡¯t speak a word of German and never will.¡± Demitri smiled playfully.

    ¡°You have not aged a day.¡±

    ¡°Strange to say I could comment much the same.¡±

    ¡°All this walking keeps me young and fit, I have such a large home you see?¡± he flexed, both literally and verbally with his bald head glimmering in the moonlight. ¡®Come come, join me. I so rarely have guests, and much of my collection goes so very unseen. What a shame this is.¡± He said cheerfully, yet without cracking the faintest hint of a smile. He waved him along with hands darkened by tattoos, spirals and runes from knuckles to wrist, merging into a black ring that vanished under his black leather shirt sleeve.

    ¡°You have not even noticed my companions.¡± Demitri said loudly, following him with a brisk walk as Jack and Vicki followed while Gizzy laid back.

    ¡°Ah!¡± he scoffed. ¡°Surely not as interesting as you, dear Demitri. Your servants may attend if they remain silent.¡±

    ¡°This is my wife¡­¡± he said, stopping the collector in his tracks, before he turned with a hint of curiosity in his gaze.

    ¡°And these servants are part of a trade you may find interesting.¡±

    ¡°There it is¡­ there it is, Demitri. I knew you would not come to this house unannounced, merely to say good evening and share some wine. So¡­ which am I meant to find so shocking¡­ your gifts or your bride?¡±

    ¡°The bride goes where I go, and the gifts are not free. I do hope you find them more interesting since they are for you, and you can afford them. Meet Jackson Greene, son of The Dead Roman¡­ and HIS wife.¡± He said as Gizzy removed their hoods and tugged on their shackles, holding up the tusk with her other hand.

    ¡°Oh, now this is special. You know, I was hoping to get you alone and kill you, Demitri, both for the insult of showing yourself here uninvited and because you would look splendid in one of my display rooms. But now you truly are, officially, invited and welcomed.¡± He nodded, silently belly laughing without a grin or smirk.

    ...

    Demitri and Gizzy sat at a black marble table, carved with skulls and rose bushes as the collector placed his predictably¡­ polished black leather shoes on it while eating an apple loudly.

    ¡°So¡­ you bring me playthings and a very rare tusk. What is it you want so badly that you must bribe me with such things?¡±

    ¡°Well, truthfully, I do not know. The tusk may be for myself and the playthings the payment for your artistry on it. All I know is that Esmeralda and myself were on our way to other affairs and we came across a battered ship with a distress call. Upon finding the one and only son of the Roman with a freshly collected tusk, so coincidentally close to your home¡­ I assumed they were on their way here with it. I was unable to pry much information from them, truly, I do not care. But they both have value, and we have history and I do not believe in coincidence, so what does fate wish to reward me with? A carved chalice from the great artist in exchange for a few new pets, or both gifts in exchange for something you can convince me is worth them both?¡± Demitri asked.

    ¡°Well, that is a strange but not shocking proposal from you. A riddle and a mysterious game of fate and luck. You have not changed at all. But this wife¡­ no this is unexpected. She is special. In fact I would love to give her a tour of my collection as you¡­ relax and enjoy the hospitality of my servants. Wine and food, the finest, have your fill.¡±

    ¡°And I simply wait here while you stroll through the manor with my lovely bride. Now that has an aura of mistrust that I find suspicious.¡± Demitri said, genuinely feeling a bit of rivalry and jealousy.

    ¡°And that is why I have demanded it. You distrust me, I distrust you. You make me uncomfortable around my valued collection of the beautiful death, so will I make you uncomfortable with yours. Now Demitri¡­ surely she is not so easy a prize to have or you would not boil with hate at the suggestion of it. Do you not trust your wife around me, or is she so delicate that a mere human poses such a¡­ scary threat to her.¡±

    ¡°Now dear, let¡¯s not insult our host before we negotiate our prices. That¡¯s bad business and bad form entirely. You can manage a few minutes without me, and I would love to see the collection. Vicki¡­ bring my coat and follow. I may need you to carry something later.¡± Gizzy said politely nodding and following him as Demitri fumed alone and waited for food and wine with Jack in shackles, and Vicki bowing her head and obeying.

    ...

    ¡°You two truly hate each other, don¡¯t you?¡± Gizzy asked.

    "Ah, hate is such a childish word for it. I admire what he is, but not WHO he is. It seems a waste to have such power and immortality and yet so little depth of character and tastes. And yet, he surprises me with you.¡±

    ¡°Should I be insulted?¡±

    ¡°On the contrary.¡± He huffed ¡°You are a rare item to collect, I am amazed you would be caught by someone like him, below your class.¡± He said, for the first time almost grinning.

    ¡°Who said he caught me? Am I not allowed to be a collector as well? I collected the man you never could, and brought you several rare finds. You should see my trophy room. The black and gold would be familiar, the playthings hopefully more interesting.¡±

    ¡°And now I understand the truth. Demitri did not come here with you, you came to me and brought him. Was he uncomfortable at the suggestion?¡±

    ¡°Very. But I have expensive tastes and the fortune of a very fresh tusk. I simply could not decide if I wanted it carved by the famous¡­ the infamous artist, or if your intriguing collection might contain something I want even more. I had to see it for myself. Demitri wasn¡¯t persuaded, he simply did as he was told. Sit¡­ stay. Good boy¡­ Fetch.¡±

    ¡°And that is why he sits at the table and waits, and why you will see my collection. I do not collect in order to brag to the weak of my wealth. I collect to impress the highest caliber with my grand vision.¡± He said leading her along as Vicki stopped, letting them walk ahead a moment. She noticed a woman in a black wedding dress. The strange thought entered her mind that the collector never mentioned a wife, and she turned to rejoin the pair to find the door in front of her now locked.

    ¡°Shit.¡± She muttered. ¡°Well, now what?¡± Vicki said wandering the way she came and stopping again, noticing a dead end hallway branching left and right, rather then before when it went only straight through. ¡°Jack¡­ where you at?¡± she hollered.

    The women in the black dress crossed the doorways in front of her and she followed, finding her tending to a fireplace. ¡°Hey, I somehow got lost.¡±

    ¡°Sit. Have a drink.¡± the oddly familiar voice behind the dark veil said.

    ¡°I actually have to tend to my master.¡± She said.

    ¡°They are not to be bothered by us at the moment. Have a drink.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dizzy enough already without getting drunk¡­¡± she said smelling the air and realizing the pitcher was human blood. The bride poured the thick red liquid into a very ornately carved ivory chalice, reaching out.

    ¡°You are weak, you need nourishment.¡± She said in a strangely motherly manner. Vicki¡¯s eyes turned slightly red for a brief moment as she licked her lower lip and bit down slightly, tempted but hesitant.

    ...

    Jack and Demitri sat silently while figures in dark clothing brought food and wine like ants, silently moving in unison.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°I loathe waiting.¡± Demitri said as one of the hooded servants broke from the line and stepped through the light, revealing a rather unusual mask. Tarnished old steel with a once high polish and years of rust pitting buffed away gleamed in the contrast. A pair of raised horns flowed from the metal forehead where the servants hair and hood was tucked behind. A large smile of iron nails like a sinister caged grin decorated the mask, and the pair of eyes behind the mask were milky white and so faded you almost didn¡¯t notice the pupils at all. The strange creature stared silently, sitting cross legged as if to pray, or to prey.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Demitri asked, ¡°Did your master cut out your tongue, or are you merely silent to add rudeness to your already insulting glare?¡± he added. No reply. He turned with annoyance to see Jack was missing. When he looked forward again the strange silent one was basked in smoke, the room fogging up slowly as every silent exhale breathed more smoke from under the hood. He noticed the black stone ledge was covered in a thin later of moisture and the black fabric clinging as if soaking wet. He rolled his eyes with annoyance, drawing a sword from his side as he clearly prepared for the trap. More insulted than concerned."Is it your own wish to die, or your master¡¯s orders?¡± he asked the figure, which was dripping wet and smoking from the sleeve wrists and ankles.

    ...

    Jack opened a heavy wooden door, made of walnut, oiled, and worn rounded by hands and time. He stopped and questioned why he was standing outside at all, not remembering why he got up from the table or when.

    ¡°The hell was in that wine?¡± he asked, seeing his breath in the night fog, noticing the yellow of sodium lanterns and the wet cobblestone of a rain soaked street. He realized the impossible, that moments ago he was on a small isolated night planet and now he was standing in the rainy alleyway of a town he knew too well. Even the smell of the rain had the strange plastic tinge only Amenthis had from condensation dripping off the plastic domes that covered the cities. He heard the footsteps of someone approaching and wished he had gun right now, he uncuffed his shackles and folded them around to expose a pair of locked karambit knives, the chain disconnecting as he prepared to fight the figure approaching him. He could see the gleam of the pistol in his left hand and the strange shape of the top hat silhouette as he passed the lamps.

    ¡°Hello Jack.¡± A voice that sent chills down his spine said. ¡°You grew quite well. I always knew you would.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± Jack said to the voice of his father as the trenchcoated figure approached. The same swagger, heavy steps he remembered as a child. Even the brown lacquered cane he remembered tapping beside him. He watched the familiar pointed shoes step on the cobblestone, sagging it as if it were made of inflatable plastic. ¡°You¡¯re not real. You can¡¯t break me that easily.¡± Jack said half confidently.

    ¡°Interesting, boy. You are almost correct. Just because I¡¯m not real doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t break you the same.¡± He said before lifting the pistol and firing a shot, missing as Jack dodged and kicked the door to open it, rattling but barely moving it. he rushed his enemy, swinging with the knives and watching the figure effortlessly glide away from the blade. Dancing, he moved elegantly, as if to show Jack how little effort it took.

    ¡°Father wants your heart. I suggest you give it willingly and leave. Staying to watch will be far more painful.¡± The strange figure said, now with a different voice and gas mask now visible in the light, smoke rolling from it.

    ¡°Kinda hard to walk out of here without a heart, unless you¡¯re Gizzy.¡± He joked, kicking the gun from his hand but taking an elbow to the face in the process.

    ¡°Walk away Jack, leave your heart behind.¡± He whispered, whistling a hunting tune as he drew a ten inch dagger from the cane, just like his father would.

    ...

    Vicki sat nervously, holding the goblet of blood and raising it to her lips. Drinking slowly at first but gulping as she neared the bottom. She held it high, getting every last drop of addiction from it. Her eyes faded from dark red to a dark purple, her chest swelling with a heavy breath.

    ¡°Was it not satisfying?¡± said the bride. ¡°The master¡¯s blood is very unique indeed. Once you¡¯ve had a taste, you can never go back to any other.¡± She said as Vicki felt her body paralyzed and unable to stand, let alone run. Like she was on autopilot, looking around and breathing, but unable to make movements she wanted. ¡°But you are far from done.¡± She said placing down a bottle of black ink and a leather roll of menacing chrome tools. Vicki¡¯s heart wanted to race, to run like the rest of her, expecting the ink to thicken and rise from the square glass bottle, strange memories of black tar flashing in her head that seemed like a dream of a past life now awakening. ¡°Such fear, over such a trinket. What have you experienced, my love?¡± she whispered as Vicki stared at the motionless ink, suddenly realizing it was not the familiar pitch that she feared most, but rather another black substance they kept frozen in a jar.

    ...

    Jack felt the sharp impact of the boot tips on his back and swung wildly to slash the Achilles tendon, missing by an inch as the figure stepped back, tilting its head and stopping Jack in his tracks as he stared down the barrel of the gun.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you dead, boy. I want you to choose. Stay and watch your heart die, or leave now and know it didn¡¯t suffer.¡± The figure said before suddenly arching its back and letting out a grunt of pain. The gleam of a silver blade retracting from his chest shined in the alleyway. He fell, dropping the gun. Jack caught it, pointing it up at a rather bloody looking Demitri.

    ¡°That was not your father. It was an impostor.¡± Demitri said, raising his blade and showing the black streaks in the blood. ¡°And I mean that in the worst way. There are several dozens in this house.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve killed one before, several is a problem.¡± Jack said lowering the gun to heart-level. ¡°how do I know you aren¡¯t one of them?¡± Jack asked paranoidly. Demitri tossed his sword aside, opening his shirt and showing bare chest, a dark scar just under his sternum.

    ¡°Save that bullet, stab me and see if I bleed ink. I heal quickly, they do not. That bullet might be important.¡± He smirked. Jack scratched him lightly, noting the normal red color and examining the streaks on the sword in a nearly black, slightly purple, that never fully mixed with the blood.

    ¡°You wanna check me?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°As much as I would love to play that game with you, I know an imposter once I know what to smell for. And if I am wrong, and you are one of them, then I¡¯ll kill you later and slower for insulting me.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy stood, staring at a truly baffling sight, mouth open in shock as she slowly panned through the tall room and counted the number of human skins that were stretched out and preserved like deer, dozens, all pale white and intricately tattooed. All female.

    ¡°Beautiful, is it not?¡± said the collector. ¡°Such canvases of white, smooth and delicate.¡± He said as Gizzy lowered her fangs.

    ¡°Of course a bald German in leather would lecture me about the supremacy of white skin. I¡¯m shocked to the core.¡± She sighed, watching the reflections for his position and angle for quickest attack.

    ¡°Now, let us not be so shallow in our assumptions. Whatever evil you are clearing thinking of me¡­ I assure you it is not the case, and you are greatly underestimating it and its design. The fairer skin merely shows the ink more clearly. On a world without sun or day, the contrast is merely more attractive. You bring me a gift with alabaster flesh and a weak spirit, and you come as a spirit of iron with a bronze hue to your flesh. Pity they had to be separate, I would love your struggle and fight for a skin such as Vicki¡¯s as the prize. But I will settle for both. Your spirit and her flesh.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gonna get one of them, but you won¡¯t like my fighting spirit after a few minutes," she said, eyes glowing. She turned and slashed with her claws and hit something hard as steel. Sparks raked from her nails even though she never touched his leather shirt. Some invisible barrier was in her way. He smiled. Gizzy now understood why he refused to smile before. A row of iron nails ran from top jaw to bottom, like a cage of teeth with no separation, a thin shell of white enamel that gave the illusion of teeth behind a nearly closed mouth, now very visibly inhuman.

    ¡°The fuck are you?¡±

    ¡°A collector, and an artist," he said, jaws still gnashed permanently together. He removed his dark sunglasses and showed a pair of milky white eyes under, faded pupils almost blended in from decades of darkness. He unbuttoned his tight leather shirt and opened it proudly, revealing a fully blacked out chest and arms, muscular and solid, and only on longer examination did she see the faint white lines of his sparse skin like tiny symbols left untouched amongst a wall of tattoo ink that covered like a second skin to the collar line and up to the knuckles on his hands, ending in intricate spirals and points.

    ¡°Someone likes their needles.¡± She said softly,

    ¡°Yes, the pain is excruciating but the reward is exquisite.¡± He said, circling like a fighter ready to brawl. Gizzy sniffed the air, her eyes rolling back and returning to their positions.

    ¡°Oh very interesting. Here I thought you just had a leather daddy fetish, but that treated leather smell does a fantastic job of covering up the distinct aroma of imposter blood. Does it protect you like armor, or just make you look fancy at the skinhead orgies?¡±

    ¡°Skinhead¡­¡± he chuckled. ¡°Oh the lovely way that sounds, though you do not know the meaning or irony.¡±

    ...

    Vicki sat in the chair, hands gripping the arms as she clenched and breathed heavily in terror, still unable to move and acting as her own restraints. The bride in black meticulously dipped the ivory quill and plunged the hair-fine tip into her pale skin, rhythmically and almost seductively. The word ¡°stop¡± echoed in Vicki¡¯s head in her own voice, unable to escape her mouth as the piercing feeling on the back of her neck slowly made its way in lines and spirals. Her eyes grew more purple, pupils lighter and milkier as her lips darkened and her posture relaxed, like falling asleep and fighting it.

    ¡°He is fighting for you. Tell him to stop and let go. A willing heart given makes a more powerful canvas than one taken by force.¡± She whispered.

    ...

    Jack slashed his way through the hall, tearing ghostly servant apart one by one while Demitri casually strolled behind, severing the heads and slaying the ones following them. They cut their way through the candle lit halls, spattering red and dark purple blood on their clothes and skin. Jack felt his chest burn and grow cold with every moment passing as he struggled to breathe, pushing on through pure hatred and willpower. He could feel the slowing pulse of Vicki¡¯s heartbeat like a compass leading him through the slow motion wave of cage-mouthed monsters. And then all at once, her pulse went silent.

 9ein

    Gizzy grabbed a sword off a suit of armor and cracked her neck, letting her back face her enemy as he strolled softly, his own sword tip to the carpet. She stepped back before suddenly moving in a blur, clanking the tip of the blade off his chest and flexing the sword as she ducked his retaliatiatory swipe, then circling slowly again.

    ¡°Very creative armor. But all the canvases are missing their heads, so it seems like you neglected a rather vulnerable spot free of ink.¡± She said, swinging for the neck as he blocked and thrusted for her heart, clipping her dress as she leapt vertically and rolled out of the way. She landed, shirt now open slightly, cleavage exposed and a tiny scratch on her collar bone.

    ¡°One must remain sporting in some manner. My body is my dark temple, tribute to the god of night that armors me, but my mind remains my own and my artistry of ivory and ink much left to my own free will. A gift from the master. A mind freely given is more powerful than one taken by force. A heart is the same way. Lungs held of breath of those who choose not to speak are full of more power than ones deflated by the blade.¡±

    ¡°Oh shut the hell up, Cueball Von Creep. I grabbed a sword, not a pen. So do you wanna fight or recite poetry to me? Any way you slice it, you¡¯re just a little prick with a lot of ink.¡± She said before stepping into the danger zone for a kill strike and missing him. She felt the sudden sharpness of a blade in her chest. He pulled back, looking puzzled as she grinned maniacally.

    ¡°Truly heartless indeed.¡± He laughed. ¡°Oh what fun you are.¡±

    ¡°Oh the fun just never ends with me¡­ neither do the surprises.¡± She said whi;e placing the sword to her own ribs and making a deep gash with gnashed teeth and an unrelenting stare.

    ...

    Jack stumbled to his knees, then Demitri yanked him back up by the shirt and dragged him along.

    ¡°Jack, you must not necessarily remain standing but you must remain awake. I need a direction to follow if I am to carry you like a satchel. Be a good little pup and point, if you close your eyes, she dies.¡± He said as Jack slammed his boot to the tile and lifted himself up, taking half his weight and guiding Demitri along as he did the hacking and reduction of limbs while they reached their way from the darkness. Jack pulled himself from Demitri¡¯s grip, getting a second wind and throwing a shoulder into the door. It bowed to his rage. He lifted the pistol to the bride in black, who froze in fear as Dimitri cupped his hand over the barrel.

    ¡°Save that bullet, Jack.¡± He whispered, stepping in and parting the bride of her head. Vicki sighed with relief, still locked in place by her own muscles and body, breathing heavily and angrily as the blood ran down her bare back from the half finished tattoo just below the neck strap of her bra.

    ¡°Vicki, I¡¯m here.¡± He said, trying to move her, feeling her vampiric strength resist as her teary eyes implied that she wanted to go.

    ¡°Jack, she cannot move and you cannot overpower her. The spell was incomplete but the chalice is empty. She drank the collector¡¯s blood. She is his property as long as he breathes¡­ So go, let me protect her for you, and insist that he stop breathing.¡± He said, lifting the gun ¡°He may listen to this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving her, why don¡¯t you want to kill him yourself?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Oh Jack, you confused pup. How sweetly do I WANT to kill him myself. I simply don¡¯t have the permission.¡± He said looking enraged to the core and fighting for his polite composure as he rolled up his sleeve to show a spiral tattoo on his forearm. ¡°Nothing would please me more then ending his life, but I must be satisfied with playing my part while someone else has the pleasure.¡±

    ¡°He controls you?¡± Jack asked, pointing the gun at him.

    ¡°Oh, do temper your paranoia young mutt, control is a strong word, but the more ink one has been given, the closer to that strong word you become. I am marked just enough to give him ever the slightest advantage and in ten duels, I have yet to leave my own artwork on him. Kill the artist before his masterpiece is complete, and you kill the power the art has over the canvas. Leave her now, kill the bastard with his own gun, aim for the head, and she will be your Victoria again, just with a slightly more adorned back. Move.¡± He ordered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trusting you, I¡¯m just doing what you suggested. If you hurt her or let anyone else, I¡¯ll carve her name on your corpse.¡±

    ¡°Foam at the mouth, little junkyard doggy, the hate is your strength, now go find your prey and bury a bullet in him.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy pulled her hand from her abdomen, and with it, a strangely adorned sword handle, with a stub of a blade wrapped in bloody cloth. She bit the cloth from it to display the jade green blade, no more than 2 inches long and wide.

    ¡°What a production for such a miniscule surprise.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I bet you¡¯ve heard that before, but the difference is¡­¡± she grinned, flicking her wrist as the blade extended to a 4 foot claymore blade. ¡°Mine''s a grower, not a shower.¡± She said before stepping into combat and hacking his sword in half, backhanding and taking a hand with the return strike as he winced and pulled back, gripping the purple and red stub. ¡°Awwwwe shit¡­ magic armor doesn¡¯t beat magic sword, punkin? I guess the sword IS mightier than the pen after all.¡± She taunted.

    ¡°You arrogant swine bitch. My carving hand is my legacy!¡± he yelled through a caged mouth. Jack stepped into the room and lifted the pistol.

    ¡°Look me in the eye before I kill you.¡± He growled.

    ¡°No Jack¡­ heel. Don¡¯t take the shot¡± Gizzy ordered.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see what he did to Vicki.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say we would let him live, I said don¡¯t take the shot. He will pay, but that bullet is too good for him. You pull the trigger and he wins.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Jack said, fighting the urge to shoot.

    ¡°Fascinatingly¡­¡± chuckled the collector. ¡°Neither do I. Your mistress is even more evil than I am, and I cannot wait to discover what horrors she has for me. I am to die, let me die as art, to the brush of an evil I have never seen before.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°Oh, please shut up with that shit!¡± she barked, putting the blade to his throat. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you the enjoyment of a weird torture death by a gorgeous vampire¡­Jack¡¯s gonna kill you, we¡¯re just taking your fucking soul too.¡± She huffed as his grin dropped to despair and Jack lowered the gun with a slight grin and a look of impressed respect, holstering the weapon.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I questioned you. Impostor blood messes with your head a little sometimes.¡± Jack said calmly.

    ...

    Demitri carried Vicki¡¯s clenched body while Jack and Gizzy drug the struggling German, now missing feet and hands, with cloth wrapped over his mouth as he screamed and thrashed pointlessly. Nicole rushed into the cargo bay with a shocked look and an open mouth ready to protest as well. Jack locked eyes with her and she stopped, terrified at the hate she saw in them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare even say it.¡± Gizzy said as she passed her up. Nicole stood, unable to process or argue. She walked their direction, stopping to debate whether or not she wanted to know what was about to happen, knowing she couldn¡¯t stop them anyway. Not with that look in both of their eyes and Demitri silently following with Vicki in an alarming condition. She sat down on the cold stone floor, feeling helpless and alone, almost feeling the weight of the sins that were about to be committed and to her own horror, the debate in her mind as to whether or not they were justified this time. The stench of evil in every purple and red swirled drop of blood soaked into deepest part of her sinuses and sickened her. She stared at the dots as Vinn picked her up and guided her back away. Dee grabbed a mop and nodded as Vinn lead her to the other room to sit down somewhere comfortable.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Talk to me, what the hell was that?¡± Vinn said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you smell it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s vile.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s imposter blood, but¡­ worse.¡±

    ¡°I knew that was a familiar stench. Why is it alive and on the ship?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t want to know. I have no power here, not against Gizzy when she has that look in her eye, and not when Jack does. Both of them like that means something too dark to argue with. What did we bring on my ship?¡± Nicole asked while trembling slightly

    ¡°Nothing I wanna know about either.¡± He sighed. "Dee, you don¡¯t have to clean that, you¡¯re not the maid anymore. You''re family.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ and I can''t smell a damn thing, so you two go somewhere safe, and I¡¯ll clean this mess. Let the killers handle whatever we just saw. I¡¯m only half living and I¡¯ve never felt anything with that much hatred. Not during the war that left my world barren, not in a possessed Vicki aiming for my neck and salivating. We don¡¯t wanna try and stop them. I don¡¯t want to go down that hallway.¡± She said while mopping the floor. The mop was strangely silent in its movements.

    ...

    ¡°Get him on the table.¡± Gizzy said as they slammed the collector on the medical workbench and strapped him down. ¡±Demitri, get Vicki comfortably in a chair and then you can go.¡±

    ¡°With respect, love.¡± He smiled. ¡°You saw the skin room yourself, the number of human skins he had. They were all alive when they arrived, and knowing what he did to them before that and during, god himself cannot remove me from this room while you kill this creature. I will watch, and I will enjoy it.¡± he said darkly as Jack grabbed him and threw him to the wall throwing a punch almost through Demitri¡¯s face.

    ¡°You knew what he does to them and you brought him Vicki anyway!?¡± Jack roared, pummeling him with a half dozen following punches as Gizzy pulled him back and his broken hand.

    ¡°Jack, you have expressed yourself well, and I do deserve it, and more. But until you wear the mark on your skin that she does and I do¡­ you do not understand the power it holds over you. The way it clouds your mind and senses when you are under its haze. Your love is a statue as we fight for the power of half a mark on her flesh, and I carry a full spiral, a completed rune, and yet I went in there myself and faced that devil because for once I knew I could leave with his corpse. He is a plague that out-shadows my most horrid crimes a thousand fold. Victoria will recover and live¡­¡± he said, gnashing his teeth in rage. ¡°MY Victoria did not. And yet I am keeping quite the composure through my century of rage, so Jack, you young and fortunate boy, do control yourself or I WILL retaliate next time. Your free swings are over until his heart has stopped, do you understand!?¡± he yelled, fangs out and eyes burning brightly.

    ¡°Boys, keep your shit together. He¡¯s just feeding on our anger and turning us against one another. That¡¯s what imposters do, and he¡¯s soaked in their stench and his own evil. Let¡¯s end this the right way and get it over with.¡± Gizzy said, calming them both with her smoldering glare and tensed jaw. Jack grabbed the tools, getting the mercury and the intubation pliers. Gizzy yanked the collectors mouth open with a sharp snap before Jack inserted the tube into his mouth and turned on the pump. They stared in silence as the thrashing slowed down and finally stopped, the air getting cold, and then suddenly warm again. Demitri lifted his head back and let out a belly laugh befitting a true villain, directing it in the collector¡¯s face as he leaned in close.

    ¡°As my daughter¡¯s soul finds rest, may yours rot in hell.¡± He whispered with a tear of joy streaking down his cheek. He turned and left the room lighter and almost euphoric.

    ¡°Hell is too good for him.¡± Gizzy said as the hatch closed and she spun her scalpel. ¡°But the pieces of that soul will send a few other demons back there for sure.¡± She said with a crunch, pulling up and holding a blackened mass of solid metal at the end of a pair of medical pliers. ¡°Jack, we have bullets to make.¡±

    ¡°I have a wife to take care of. You have bullets to make. You¡¯re the mad scientist, I just shoot the damn things into people.¡± He said while tending to Vicki as she returned to her normal relaxed look and posture.

    ...

    Jack knocked on the door as Demitri rolled his eyes, opening it regardless.

    ¡°Yes, do please enter.¡± He sarcastically muttered. ¡°I was just praying for your tender loving company in my lonliness. Oh how you comfort me so.¡± He growled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jack said coldly. ¡°You lost someone you loved and I thought I was about to experience the same.¡±

    ¡°Your rage was both magnified by the sin lying on the table and your justified protective honor. You deserved the fists you threw, I merely stopped you before I did something in my own rage that would have been undeserved. I am sorry for what happened to your wife but she will recover, and I was too blinded to even consider what happened. I was a fool, clouded by my cursed mark that I am glad to say has finally stopped smoldering. As the artist dies, his incomplete works die with him. We should both be glad he did not finish many of them. For they are immortal sins that cannot be undone. My Victoria is long gone, and she is avenged, my mark of failure will fade as your Victoria¡¯s mark will fade with time as well, and I thank fate for finally giving me what I wanted¡­¡±

    ¡°Revenge.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ the friends I needed to achieve that revenge. You see me as a villain, manipulative and using my powers to use your family. I merely used you all to do what had to be done. It was necessary and it is done. I will leave you all with your mission and take my cursed form somewhere else now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a villain. At least not any more than Gizzy or myself or Vicki could be considered. Lesser evils with a goal maybe. You''re not evil, we just had a reminder what evil looks like and it put a mark on my wife. So I lost my cool and took a swing at the nearest thing that I could. I¡¯m not saying you didn¡¯t deserve a few punches, or that they didn¡¯t feel satisfying, but it¡¯s done and the real evil is where it belongs.¡±

    ¡°Cast into space in a plastic box?¡± Demitri grinned.

    ¡°No¡­ right here.¡± He said holding up a 13mm double stack magazine. ¡°In a plastic box where it can do some good taking down other demons like him.¡±

    ¡°Poetic. The man with the hammer of god in his pocket. Swing it well and harshly.¡±

    ¡°You could stay¡­ keep one in your magazine too. Maybe atone for some of the sins you live with, balance them out, or just sleep better with a purpose in life better than walking alone looking for hookers and wine.¡±

    ¡°So I am now one of the crew. In my deception and putting you all at risk, I have proven my worth as a damned soul of The Medusa?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all assholes, we took the risk for the mission and we¡¯ve bled and cried for it. Now you have too. An initiation, a price of admission, or just part of the damned job of the damned crew. Who knows, and who cares? Stay or go. Your choice.¡± Jack said, ¡°Welcome to the crew, asshole.¡±

    Demitri smiled as the door swung closed and suddenly hit an outstretched shoe, bouncing it back open. He rolled his eyes with a sigh of drama, still on his knees in front of a candle and exhausted.

    ¡°Am I, or am I not at peace? Must I be bothered by another friendly visit?¡± he asked the figure. Dee walked in with her arms crossed.

    ¡°Friendly is a stretch. How about you just listen to me for a minute, count fuckula.¡± She said.

    ¡°Borrowing Gizzy¡¯s signature style of insult are you? Was it through choice or firmly pressed osmosis that you absorbed some of her snark and bite?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanna talk about.¡± She said as he stood up and faced her, peering down a good 16 inches to her. She shakily held her ground and crossed arms. ¡°You don¡¯t scare me.¡± She bluffed.

    ¡°Yes I do.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you do. I¡¯ll give you that one. You¡¯re a scary dude, but not as scary as Gizzy. So listen up. She¡¯s mine. I got to her first and more importantly, I make her happier than you do. And if you mess with her and try and steal her from me, I¡¯m gonna come and kick your ass. And you either have to get your ass kicked by a little toaster with big tits or kill me, and then Gizzy will make you into bullets and they¡¯ll clone me back. So there. Ha. Get fucked on. She¡¯s my girlfriend, and I considered sharing but I don¡¯t wanna and I honestly think she¡¯s better with just me. That¡¯s what my heart says, and she made that heart in the lab so it knows her better then anyone here. I¡¯m also right at dick punching height and that¡¯s a fact that just stays around wherever you go. Any second, any moment, unexpected, bam. And I¡¯m protected by meaner people than you. So what¡¯s it gonna be, buddy. We gonna throw down and show down and let the dick punchin begin or you gonna keep away from ma bitch¡­ bitch.¡± She said swiveling her head with an attitude.

    ¡°I understand why you make a delightful pairing now. Well played, little toaster. May we part as friends, your woman un-persued and my dick un-punched.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ Imma be honest, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d give up that easy. I kinda had a whole other part to that, and now I don¡¯t get to use it. Fuck¡­ if I use it now, it¡¯s just gonna sound dumb. There¡¯s no way to walk away looking cool now is there? I fucked it up.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Then I will grant you the gift of one last remark. If you or Gizzy ever decide that sharing is truly the way to happiness, my door is open to either of you, and preferably both. I can be very versatile. Does that help you?¡± he smiled.

    ¡°Oh yeah, well¡­ No. And watch your ass, mister, because it¡¯s right I¡¯m shockingly flexible and your ass is at boot kicking height. UGH!¡± she said with a mean mug face and a fake out raised fist. ¡°You better remember that.¡± She added as she stomped out, feeling slightly better.

    Demitri snickered to himself before lighting the candle and opening a bottle of wine, nodding and toasting to the light of old memory.

    ¡°Cheers, Victoria. May you slumber soundly and I the same.¡± He whispered into the candle light, staring at it for a moment and lying back.

 Chapter Ten: The Train

    ¡°Well that was a haul.¡± Gizzy said, sitting in the meeting area as the team gathered around the items they got. ¡°We got a blood chalice, an armored skin jacket with magic protection, 12 soul bullets that we recovered from a vault¡­¡± Gizzy said while staring at Nicole, who looked grossed out. She was staring intensely at the black leather flesh coat covered in pale symbols. ¡°and a muzzle loading pistol made of scrimshaw ivory that we don¡¯t know anything about except the glasses make it glow so it¡¯s something pretty special.¡± She concluded. Vicki took a sudden deep breath, arching her back and itching her new half tattoo, as she heard a gust of wind and the splash of the ocean, looking very concerned.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°I just¡­ back is still healing.¡±

    ¡°With your healing speed it should be healed by now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bet on it,¡± Demitri sighed. "I said she would recover, I did not say quickly.¡±

    ¡°Can we just, like, laser it off and I can grow back new skin?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°As a vampire of significantly more strength than yourself, do you think I would have carried this mark for a century if it were that easy? The wound will heal soon, the side effects will fade in weeks, the mark will remain much longer. If it had been completed, it would not be so quick.¡± Demitri noted. A notification blip appeared on Gizzy¡¯s phone as the ship¡¯s engines powered up.

    ¡°Looks like we have a destination.¡± She noted. ¡°The scans of Vicki¡¯s tattoo found a partial match to something, and you¡¯re not gonna like this.¡± She said, bringing it up on the display. The symbol is the mark of one of the ancient chaos gods, but not the imposter.¡± She said as the hologram screen displayed an old drawing of a giant ramm-horned bipedal creature measuring 300 feet tall.

    ¡°It¡¯s just gonna be Me, Vinn, Vicki, and Dee.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°Wait¡­ it says here mining tunnels, and you¡¯re not taking me?¡± Nicole objected. ¡°I¡¯m like the spelunking, cave lake diving, nocturnal champion of the crew.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go.¡± Dee said.

    ¡°If Vicki¡¯s going, I¡¯m going too.¡± Jack objected.

    ¡°See, I told you nobody will like this. The problem is that the tunnels and the entire volcanic planet is highly radioactive and the air is toxic. Nicole and Jack would die of radiation sickness and, frankly, even Vicki shouldn¡¯t be going but she has the tattoo, which means suit and mask up. Her bug DNA helps her with radiation but you¡¯ll need periodic regen shots, and so will Vinn, in high doses. Me and Dee don¡¯t even need to breathe and we¡¯re essentially immune to radiation. Vinn can breathe that air, Vicki can see in the dark, and Vinn can carry her. Jack, Nicole, you are as good as dead in there if you take a hit off that air. Demitri, we need you on Intel and navigation, you assist Nicole. Now, we will be loading up with mostly small caliber, high capacity mags and extra clips due to the cave spiders.¡±

    ¡°The fuck, what, hold up.¡± Dee said suddenly. ¡°I hate spiders. Like I hate them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, they¡¯re not residents, they¡¯re aggressive wildlife, feel free to hatefully shoot any you see.¡±

    ¡°Okay look, I know I act like a bad bitch, but bugs are mot my thing. I spent years alone trapped without a body, with bugs crawling on my sensors and shorting out my circuits, and that''s before I merged with the base personality of a chick who¡¯s horrified of spiders. So this is not thrilling for me. Just so we¡¯re clear, we¡¯re shooting the spiders. We¡¯re encountering spiders big enough to use GUNS on¡­ which is why I¡¯ll be not doing this.¡±

    ¡°Dee, you¡¯ll be with me. We¡¯re splitting into teams to cover more area, within the short time we have, and nobody goes alone.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand how much I don¡¯t like bugs, It weirds me out that Vicki is a little bit bug. I looked that up on file and saw the thing that bit her and if I had a colon I would have jumpshit my ass, on spot.¡±

    ¡°Dee. My home world was killed by 90 pound Tardigrades. I got exiled for war crimes, and thousands of years later, my species had colonized 16 star systems, and one of the species they allied with were giant bugs. They turned on them and wiped out millions, basically wiped out 3 world. Bugs almost wiped out my species, TWICE. I was on a cargo crew that got wiped out by Weavers, and the first time I got comfortable on Delmar, a cargo ship brought in rapidly reproducing spiderpedes and almost took over my moon. I assure you, nobody on this crew despises bugs more than I do, and I am not letting them near you. I¡¯ll CHEW through a pile of them if we run out of ammo and you end up in danger.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really sweet but¡­ We really need me?¡±

    ¡°You can see in the dark and don¡¯t need air. That leaves 4 people. I¡¯m not sending anyone alone, and we have a 36 hour window to find this thing because the tidal gravity of this world has lava upsurges that can flood the tunnels and superheat them.¡±

    ¡°No offense.¡± Vicki said. ¡°But I just got branded by something I don¡¯t wanna encounter anyway, I¡¯m not fireproof and if you remember, I wasn¡¯t born bug, I got attacked by one in a tunnel and it ruined my life. There¡¯s some serious trauma there for me too. Not only did I almost just get enslaved by someone who worships the god we¡¯re going to meet, but I have nightmares about bugs. Why does it have to be bugs?¡±

    ¡°Because you fear them.¡± Demitri said, ¡°That is the chaos god of the broke, and the collector must have known your deepest fear and planned to use that fear to strengthen himself, most likely sacrificing you to him specifically as an offering for the price. Had the symbol been completed, you would be his property.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m obviously not going to that planet, so you guys do the mission and I¡¯ll just stay on the ship.¡± She nervously stated.

    ¡°If only that were an option.¡± Demitri sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m fairly sure that¡¯s an option, and I¡¯m choosing that option right now.¡±

    ¡°Fate gave us the weapons to kill a chaos god, and the map to the planet it resides, we have no ink to summon, say for the ink in your flesh that cannot be extracted or duplicated. So without you, we will encounter a wall we cannot pass through or a door we cannot open.¡±

    ¡°Then clone me, kill the me with the tattoo and cut the damn thing off so you can bring it with you, I¡¯m not going.¡±

    ¡°I have carved the flesh from my arm, and the wound healed with the mark still intact. The flesh that was severed faded to blank skin. This is not magic you can clone around, it is beyond your escape, and the alternative is that we have done this all for nothing and now have the bullets to kill what we let live, and nothing to do but keep them locked away in hopes they never get used for evil. Shall we simply tell fate that we have decided not to follow its path and that thousands of lives will continue to suffer or die merely because you fear something? Have we not all faced things we fear and wish to forget? Are you simply better than we are and immune to this responsibility?¡±

    ¡°FUCK!¡± she yelled, pounding the table.

    ¡°I second!¡± Dee whined.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay with bugs.¡± Vinn shrugged.

    ¡°I actually like bugs.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Vicki sighed. ¡°Good for you, who¡¯s not going. Bugs and tunnels that flood from tidal forces, wouldn¡¯t you just love it down there?¡± she barked.

    ¡°¡­LAVA FLOODING! I¡¯m aquatic and cold loving, I¡¯m not fireproof, but I¡¯d go for you if I could. But I can¡¯t. Vinn will keep you safe. He always does. If he has to carry you out, he will, he has before. Surely you trust him by now.¡±

    ¡°Maybe too much.¡± She sighed. ¡°I mean too much because I feel safe and then get into danger anyway.¡±

    ¡°Well guess what, people¡­ no damn choice. Get your guns, we¡¯re loading with shotshells and an asston of 5mm high capacity clips, and we¡¯re going on the mission."

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ...

    The four of them stood silently at the entrance of a subway tunnel. The groan of metal and rust came to a stop as several small aliens in full hazmat gear exited and one remained. His stature was petite, his clothing powdered black and rusty, and his every feature was obscured from the tarnished tin mask, the goggles, the hood and the gloves. Only a single tuft of metallic grey colored hair was visible as he silently stared at them. Vicki¡¯s heart raced when a small black bird landed on his hand. It was alien, pigeon-like with bright orange reflective eyes, but she saw in it the shape of a raven, death itself, a flash of memory of blank tar wings spreading from a faceless slender body without eyes or a mouth and then it was gone, just a bird on a glove.

    ¡°We¡¯re going as far down as it goes.¡± Gizzy said, the translator struggling slightly with the words. The form nodded and laughed under his mask, waving them along and waving goodbye at the same time. They boarded the train, a very modern and advanced looking bullet-type train, levitating over iron rails with safety claws to keep it stable. The white paint was streaked and scratched so much that Gizzy didn¡¯t realize until she closed the door that it wasn¡¯t supposed to be white. The ominous red glow of warning lights flickered on and the doors shut and locked, the train hovering forward, gently drifting and scraping the guide claws a with sparks and shutters as it got to speed.

    ¡°Are we the only people on this train?¡± Vinn asked Gizzy.

    ¡°We¡¯re the only organic people in these tunnels. It¡¯s a fully robot-run mining operation. Even the bird is a robot.¡±

    ¡°Then why are WE here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I told you, we only have 2 cyborgs on the crew and Vicki has the rune tattoo, and you can safely breathe brimstone.¡± She said as the little watch beeper went off. ¡°That¡¯s your medicine alarm. Both of you take a radiation shot.¡± She said as the flicker of lighting changed. The red train lights met with the tunnel lighting in icy blue as they entered the powered section of the tunnel, fully lit with arc lights and glowing from the combination of steam, metallic ore dust and white calcium. The train began ripping to a hasty stop, making loud thumps as it went and sounding like it was running over tree limbs and roots while trying to brake and not break. The robotic conductor waved them silently as they exited into a round tunnel 12 feet across with a flat, concrete floor. The train backed up and left them as Gizzy got into her bag of goodies.

    ¡°Okay, we split up from here. Left or right, doesn¡¯t matter. These tunnels are a maze, so follow the holographic display on your watch. When the alarm goes off, take a shot. If the louder alarm goes off and stays on, turn around and go back. That¡¯s the half time alarm. Means you have time to get back out, but not if you keep going. The tunnels will start to get hot and problematic after that. We¡¯re looking for a big door with that same symbol on it. If you find it before the time runs out, plant the locator and get out. All we gotta do is geo-locate the door and we can drill in from the surface, but it¡¯s hard to find for a reason. Vicki, here¡¯s a coat for protection in case you get delayed going back."

    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± she said while looking at the black leather that was covered in tiny white symbols.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s collector skin. Only part of him left.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± She said, putting it in her backpack before they parted ways.

    Gizzy and Dee took the darker side, leaving the illuminated side for Vicki and Vinn. The slowly snaking and irregular tunnel was lined with delvilishly orange lights that reflected off the riveted iron top and the wet concrete floor. They were afraid to even ask what it was slick with, what liquid gave the sheen to it and what fog of grey they were walking through.

    ¡°Really hate this lighting.¡± Vinn sighed, ¡°Nice orange to remind us we¡¯re going right to hell.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re lights.¡± Vicki said while passing by one of them closer. ¡°I think they¡¯re just bars of clear stone or glass. Look in.¡± she said as he peered in and noticed movement.

    ¡°Oh, so just straight up magma peep-holes for lighting. Great. That explains the wet floors. These steel pipes are probably water cooled to keep from melting and they all leak coolant.¡±

    ¡°Why not just have lights?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s cheaper to have hell skylights, and also if the tunnels flood and overheat, the electrical wires and lights would melt. So this kinda makes it foolproof without electricity. Give me that look¡­ I worked demo in a mining moon before we did this. I know some shit. I can make inferences based on things.¡±

    ¡°Ever work in a tunnel surrounded by molten rock?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Safety violation. They¡¯d never let that fly on Delmar.¡±

    ...

    Dee nervously followed Gizzy along the path where the white lighting got brighter. That section¡¯s power was working better, apparently.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m so useless.¡± She said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not useless. Don¡¯t be like that. You¡¯re not suited for combat and exploration, we just have limited options, and you can¡¯t be the best at everything. You¡¯re the best hacker we have, the most versatile at mastering new technical skills, and you¡¯re important to me. Truthfully, I needed you more than I like to admit.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just buy a sexbot?¡±

    ¡°Not for that. The sex is a bonus. I¡¯ve tried talking to therapy robots, they¡¯re useless shells of bullshit, and I can go without sex. I just haven¡¯t felt alone like this in centuries, disconnecting from my hive mind was¡­ more then I realized it would be. Losing the wife, even knowing she was out there, felt pretty isolating. The only one of my kind among a fully organic crew, having another ancient isolated biomech to talk to really pulled me through. So you wanna talk about how useless you are, this team can¡¯t run without me and I was running on empty and falling apart. You may not a combat model, but you¡¯re a life-saver.¡±

    ¡°Aww. You really do a heart in there somewhere.¡± She smirked.

    ¡°Stop.¡± She said coldly.

    ¡°Sorry, I thought we were ju-¡±

    ¡°STOP.¡± She ordered, shouldering her rifle and using her left arm to block her from moving past her.

    ¡°The hell is that? Is that a tree growing in this nasty soil?¡± she pondered.

    ¡°My rifle goes up, your rifle goes up. Stay focused, That¡¯s not a tree.¡±

    ¡°Root ball, stump, what then?¡± she asked, readying her rifle.

    ¡°Look at the roots closer, where they meet the soil.¡± Gizzy said softly. Dee noticed the roughly 16ish 2-3 inch roots coming from the stump-sphere that dug into the dry rocky soil. Her heart raced as she began seeing the details, the boney branches going into the ground, that were only about half in and half laying on top of the dirt, with little finger-marks in the dirt like a hand had been moved back slightly. She noticed the sharp bend from the stump to the ground on every single root that looked more like a knuckle than a natural bend in a root. The odd texture like dark grayish green paper Mache, wetted down and stuck around tightly stretched tendons and kneecaps. Then one of the legs moved back just slightly.

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s fucking alive, shoot it.¡±

    ¡°Hold yourself together. Listen carefully. Set your gun to auto 5mm, slowly step back ten yards and laser the center mass. When I say shoot, fire a quick burst and stop. If it runs away, just stay still. If it dies, we¡¯re good. If it rushes us, fire another heavy burst and then run, I¡¯ll draw it¡¯s attention with buckshot and put it down. We need to know its durability before running into multiple.¡±

    ¡°What if the bucks shot doesn¡¯t work?¡±

    ¡°Then you keep moving and I keep shooting, the last few rounds in my shotgun tube are¡­ aggressive. Hopefully we don¡¯t need them.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit, okay, I¡¯m backing up, I¡¯m on target, oh fuck, when do I fire?¡±

    ¡°Now.¡± Gizzy said, Dee fired a burst, hitting center mass as the 16 legged tree stump from hell with knees and fingers rapidly scurried out of the way, evading the second longer burst and wrapping it¡¯s way up the wall and ceiling. Gizzy followed it around, lighting it up with shotgun rounds and planting it upside down back in the dirt, curled up like a spider.

    ¡°What the fuck!? Is it dead?¡±

    ¡°Well, the good news is that it¡¯s pretty dead looking. The bad news is that it took buckshot to accomplish that. They¡¯re hard to hit with rifle rounds. Switch to shotshells.¡± She said while unscrewing her rifle barrel and tossing it aside, then changing magazines and handing Dee a bunch of extras. ¡°3 round burst to be sure.¡± Gizzy said, motioning forward towards the narrow square doorway leading into the darkness.

    ¡°I wanna go home.¡± Dee whispered.

    ...

    ¡°Kinda reminds me of home.¡± Vinn said as they walked through a thin and tall corridor, gridded with pipes and glowing ports.

    ¡°On Delmar?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°No, on M22. Volcanically active moon, not as developed as the one you moved to. Military camp. Sent there when I was a kid. Before we were old enough to train to fight, they just had us sweep floors and carry nutrient canisters to the workers. Just pipes and people welding, cutting torches, uniformed soldiers walking around all day. You didn¡¯t really do anything but work, eat, sleep, and clean.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like slave labor.¡±

    ¡°Well they called it pre-training. Got you used to physical work and built muscle up. We¡¯re born normal sized, even military class. Few years of steroids and manual labor get you building mass, otherwise the training itself would kill you. The drugs let you adapt to the harsh conditions, the discipline turns you into an automatic response drone, and the free labor cuts cost and hollows out more space for training camps, while harvesting more ores for weapons grade metals.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit. So you guys basically grew up slaves and labrats?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ lab rats are for testing. They have this down to an artform. We were more like slaves and cult members in training for religious warfare. See, the politicians and the civilized Delmarian classes don¡¯t get much into religion, but they kept it for the military class because apparently you work harder and get more motivated if you think you¡¯re chosen by the gods to defend your species and earn a warriors afterlife under a higher ruling class. It¡¯s bullshit indoctrination, but it makes damn good soldiers. I¡¯d be either dead on some shitty alien world or leading young followers right now if Gizzy hadn¡¯t stopped the war. We got very mixed feelings on that move.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, I keep hearing how she ended the war illegally and pissed off everyone. How do you illegally end a war?¡±

    ¡°Uh, by melting the enemy world. We wanted Morrigan 38, well, we were told that the Morrigan world was full of enemies that ate Delmarians for fun and threatened our home, but we wanted the mining rights. The Morrigan were absolutely brutal, don¡¯t get me wrong, evil fuckers, but in reality, they never had the balls to hit Delmar. They knew we had soldiers and numbers so they preyed on smaller worlds. And then they fucked up.¡±

    ¡°They started a war with Delmar?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ they started a war with Gizzy.¡± He sighed.

 Chapter Eleven: Gods of Stone

    ¡°Why did they start a war with Gizzy?¡±

    ¡°She had a border moon on the edge of their territory, all refugees and homeless integrated and only 40,000 inhabitants, which isn¡¯t enough for Federation protection, especially that close to the disputed border. They thought it was colonized by some rogue species with no friends and an easy target after The Federation sold it off to a private owner. Gizzy. You know she likes to play mid-level and hide a weapon behind her back so see who fucks with her. They thought they could take the colony out with a single hit to the air dome. Kinetic impactor, designed to just shatter an air dome and end all life on any small moon¡¯s surface. Except Gizzy had better shielding than they thought. She put cheap armor on top of very advanced armor, like camouflage. The dome survived, but the weapon cracked the hell out of it, and with about 6,000 Delmarians living there, Delmar took that very personally and they spent a month trying to repair the dome and leaking air while the fancy Federation of Worlds debated on whether or not to send ships to protect or help. See, 40,000 lives wasn¡¯t enough to start a war over to them. They got billions to worry about, so kinda fuck the poor, and they spent a few weeks trying to do peace talks. The Morrigan kept sending ships to attack the repair crews, and both Gizzy and Delmar got real pissed about that, and the Federation just kept delaying things.¡±

    ¡°So they were just gonna let them die?¡±

    ¡°Well, they hoped they could end the dispute diplomatically and without the cost of warships and making an enemy. Delmar has always refused to join the Federation because of the political ass-kissing. We prefer to just stay mean and armed and if anything shoots at us, we shoot back, we don¡¯t ask them politely to stop. So Gizzy did the math and determined that another hit would be a world-ender, and her family lived on that moon, Apparently it takes 14 days for a kinetic Impactor strike to arm and reach a target, so she gave them 12 days for the federation to send a fleet, and if they didn¡¯t, she threatened to go to war. They didn¡¯t take her seriously and they dicked around for 12 days while Morrigan ships kept striking at the repair crews.¡±

    ¡°And she just declared war with no fleet or army or weapons?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°No, she secretly made a deal with Delmar Prime. Basically, she sold the moon to Delmar as a strategic outpost in exchange for a seat on the council on Delmar moon 44 where her family could be safe under miles of solid rock deep inside Delmarian territory, and she would provide Osirian weaponry for support. Except that¡¯s illegal as hell because Gizzy is Osirian, and exiled for some¡­ stuff she won¡¯t talk about. War decisions that got her out of the Osirian Empire to begin with. And the Osirian Empire was new friends with the Federation. So Gizzy was an old war dog relic with technology and information they didn¡¯t want her sharing with anyone, and they let her isolate herself rather then kill her. Basically, Gizzy was too old and dangerous to keep, and too hard to kill to just try and do it, and now she made an enemy and the Federation didn¡¯t wanna back her. Then she started saying she had Red Dawn rockets and that got everyone¡¯s attention.¡±

    ¡°The hell are those?¡±

    ¡°Osirian planet killer warheads they claim don¡¯t exist, because why would peaceful overlords have planet killing missiles? Gizzy had a safety in the fact that she supposedly smuggled out parts and built like 35 of them, and nobody believed it, but nobody wanted to fuck around and find out. Except the Morrigan fucked around and found out. She wasn¡¯t bluffing. She sent a Delmarian stealth ship to the Morrigan home world, which we supplied in exchange for some deals the Federation didn¡¯t know about. She gave one last chance on day 12 for the Federation to send a fleet. When they told her they would consider it and set up a meeting with the Morrigan for the third time, she just hung up. Then the Morrigan homeworld mysteriously got wiped out 8 minutes later. The whole thing just turned into a molten ball of rock and metal. 11 million, most of the species, microwaved instantly. War was over. Federation called for her head, and Delmar, respecting her balls and her weaponry, pretty much said, ''welcome to the council you big scary bitch, here¡¯s a fleet, your own city, and evacuation crews.'' They relocated everyone, Delmarian military took over her old moon, now armed with god knows what scary shit, right on the Federation border and they kinda said, ''she¡¯s one of us now, if you try and touch her, we start melting federation worlds.'' ¡±

    ¡°Jesus. So she defended her home and was left to die for it, and Delmar was the only species to respect her move.¡±

    ¡°The population and majority saw her as a warrior hero, but the Delmarian military spent a lot of money on a war she just ended with one button, and now they had the technology that made ground soldiers kinda pointless. So we were out of jobs, a lot of outposts got evacuated and abandoned, and some of the Delmarian high council is pissed off that some alien chick has the power to end worlds and only lets us have access to it under her supervision and command. So she has the Delmarian military both groveling and by the balls, the popular vote of the people thrilled we made a powerful ally and saved our soldiers from a bloody war, and the people making money off that impending war just got boned and want her dead. But nobody will step up and do anything because she supposedly has 34 more missiles pointed at 34 undisclosed worlds, locked and loaded for a single order. Now she¡¯s putting mixed species on Delmarian moons, humans and Eridani into Delmarian cities, changing the old ways, dissolving our obsolete religion slowly but also giving us better technology, medicine, defenses, infrastructure, and culture. She pretty much walked into Delmar with godlike power, strapped the floor with explosives and said, ''I¡¯m gonna fix your worlds whether you like it or not.'' Most of the general population love her. The elders and religious leaders call her the devil herself, and the military big shots are hit or miss, either got her poster on their wall to bow to or throw axes at. And if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, she broke Earth protocol.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to talk about that.¡± Vicki reminded.

    ¡°Yeah, well, we¡¯re cloned on a suicide mission never going back, and we¡¯re on a cursed crew, with a strange habit of ending up in bed together despite being married to different people. Like I give a shit anymore. Gizzy isn¡¯t supposed to touch Earth. It¡¯s off limits. The Osirian leaders decided Earth can''t know about alien life at all, and Earth is both too stupid to find out and dangerous to know, while being an important protected world of primitives. Earth is a wildlife habitat and only about 100 humans on Earth know aliens even exist. And Gizzy keeps snagging humans from there and populating Delmarian moons as a backup plan for, if, and when something decides to just wreck Earth¡­ which may be humans, intentionally or not. She¡¯s illegally smuggling a protected species from their home land. Of course, consensually to the humans, and under Federation noses, breaking multiple laws in the process. Hell, just getting you, Nicole, and the original Dee off there was a black ops mission in itself that probably cost billions.¡±

    ¡°Why us? We¡¯re nobody. A pornstar, a video game programmer, and I designed shoes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you got cancer and Jack fell in love with you. And When Gizzy dug deeper, she found out Nicole was 1 percent Menacodian and got your asses off there ASAP. You know how rare Menacodians are? She bent the rules for Jack, and then broke them entirely for Nicole. Honestly, Dee was just brought along so she wouldn¡¯t blab and tell everyone you got taken by aliens. Either end up institutionalized and sedated or causing a security problem. She just got bribed to shut up and tag along. That¡¯s why Gizzy hates her. She¡¯s a very expensive security risk that just keeps on costing her money for dumb shit, and then she started banging her son. The fact that she can date someone with the original Dee¡¯s face and body just shows how lonely she is, separated from her family.¡±

    ¡°So are they serious or just¡­ mutually fucking enemies?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°Who knows? Who cares? Without someone in her life, Gizzy is a mentally spiraling loose cannon. Without someone taking care of her, this Dee is an overpowered AI bottled up like a genie in a pornstar shaped bottle, capable of taking over a ship, or a military base, or a robot army. They¡¯re both dangerous as hell and lonely.¡±

    ¡°So are we.¡± She said peering up at him as they stopped.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not. You¡¯re a micro-villain with a vampire sex drive and a taste for Delmarian blood, and I¡¯m a married man who can¡¯t say no to a friend in need. You have to stop needing me.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°I can¡¯t control myself.¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t control yourself when you¡¯re feeding, and I can¡¯t think clearly with your venom in my veins. With fucking Demitri on the ship, the feeding just keeps leading to something else. Something we both felt and never talked about, because we¡¯re married and not horrible people. Or we weren¡¯t horrible people¡­ maybe we are now.¡±

    ¡°Vinn, I¡¯m sorry. Nicole¡¯s my best friend and you¡¯re my friend too. I never even dreamed of cheating on Jack, even when I had to feed on you to live. Of course I had weird emotions, they grew each time, but I never¡­ wanted to take it further. Demitri is the problem, not us. We had everything under control until he showed up. We knew where to draw the line, where to stop. What was necessary and what was too far. Now the line is blurry and every time he works his charms on Gizzy, he makes us into the assholes you think we are. Now he¡¯s fucking Gizzy, the unstable weapon you mentioned, and straining her relationship with Dee, the other unstable weapon. He¡¯s taunting Jack, he¡¯s messing with our heads, and if Jack and Nicole get their heart broken because of us, it¡¯s because of him. He said it when we found him, he is chaos and trouble wherever he goes and he¡¯s right. But he¡¯s gotten into Gizzy¡¯s head, and now, somehow, he got into Jack¡¯s head and he¡¯s just welcome on the crew.¡±

    ¡°Is this the part where you suggest we kill him, and then try and explain how that makes us less evil than just cheating on our spouses?¡±

    ¡°You wanna hurt Nicole and throw sparks into the Gizzy/Dee powder keg, or eliminate one enemy who¡¯s gonna get us all killed? Right now he¡¯s on the ship with your wife and my husband, probably hinting about everything, planting ideas, making it seem like our fault, or somehow blaming Gizzy for it. We¡¯re on a mission to collect artifacts and save the universe, yanking the artifact from his chest solves both problems. It might not even kill him. It¡¯s supposed to just make him human again. God forbid we just take away his toy and risk his life to save all ours and do the damn mission.¡±

    ¡°Yeah sure, sounds great. You wanna magically hold him down while I master heart surgery and fight a brainwashed Gizzy trying to defend him, or would you like me to just hogtie Jack, steal part of his grandpa¡¯s soul and cold-handed dead the fucker so we can just yank it out of the corpse? Because I¡¯m all for getting that thing out of his chest ASAP, but he¡¯s not going to play along, and he¡¯s controlling Gizzy. We got three super weapons on the ship, two that should be on our side but under the spell of the other, so we got three super-weapons in our way and no backup team, except the spouses we¡¯re cheating on¡­ who seem to like Demitri now, too. You really wanna go two versus the team and act like that¡¯s better then just unconscious infidelity, or do you wanna just tell Jack and Nicole, hope they take our side on it and we¡¯re still outgunned by three super weapons?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m already the villain to everyone for some reason, some reasons that make sense, some that don¡¯t. Why don¡¯t I just forget I talked to you, steal Jack''s gun and kill him myself? Jack won¡¯t vent me, maybe if Demitri¡¯s spell wears off fast enough, they¡¯ll all listen to reason before someone else does it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I hate that plan. Just throw you to the wolves and pretend I didn¡¯t know. Cool. That¡¯s great. You didn¡¯t wanna maybe just not involve me and do that if you were going to anyway?¡±

    ¡°I hoped you would have a better plan.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m a soldier and video game playing husband, I don¡¯t make the plans, I just help and follow orders. Just like Jack¡­ The fuck is that thing?¡± he asked, shouldering his rifle. ¡°We got tree stumps in a lava tunnel? Who¡¯s cutting down the trees?¡±

    ¡°The tree is moving, Vinn.¡±

    ¡°Of course it is, why would this get any easier on anyone ever? Move back, I¡¯m taking this thing out.¡±

    ...

    Dee sprinted, turning to fire more rounds past Gizzy for support as they reached a very bright opening. Dee assumed the surface, and felt relief until she found herself sliding across dusty rock and ash towards an open parking garage with a 200 foot tall pasty white chaos god staring back at her. She fumbled and slid on her ass, frantically shouldering the gun and waiting to be swatted into pulp by a banckhand the size of a shuttle pod. She froze, unable to move or react as time stood still. Gizzy almost reached her, looking forward and doing a double take as well. Automatically switching to grenades and firing at both eyes. She paused as she looked down at Dee.

    ¡°Dee, it¡¯s a statue, it¡¯s not real.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got that¡­ way later than I¡¯d like to admit I did.¡±

    ¡°The tree spiders should be rushing in here by the dozens. Where did they go?¡±

    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t like the big scary white marble statue of Satan jutting out of the wall like a damn boss fight. Or the bright light.¡±

    ¡°My money is on the light. They don¡¯t go outside the tunnels; we didn¡¯t see them till the white lights started getting replaced by lava lamps. Or maybe it was always lava lamps and they figured out the white lighting keeps the spiders away. Never got it all transferred over. Boy, they went to work on this place, it¡¯s brighter in here than on the planet surface. Is this a temple or a parking garage?¡±

    ¡°Lack of cars or worshippers makes that hard to say, but what do you bet behind that statue is the actual real deal?¡±

    ¡°Look for a door with a symbol on it.¡± Gizzy said.

    ...

    Vinn and Vicki rushed their way through a dim blue-lit maintenance tube, water pipes blowing steam into the few overhead lights that flickered and left only the orange glow behind them like a wall of fiery smoke rolling their way.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t hear a timer go off.¡± Vinn yelled, firing behind him.

    ¡°Me neither.¡± Vicki replied, too scared to look back. Suddenly the timer went off and they stopped, looking back at the tunnel of death, iron glowing from the heat and the scuttering of little wooden hands by the hundreds moving their way.

    ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re supposed to go that way. You wanna try not doing that?¡± Vinn suggested. They kept running further down the hall, and reached an open room, which was pitch dark and ominous. Vinn rushed in, guns blazing and flashlights waving as Vicki squatted down and leaned back on the wall, unable to think which way to go.

    ¡°Well, good news and bad news.¡± Vinn yelled back.

    ¡°Good news, for the love of god!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°Room is clear, no bugs, and we found the door, so I¡¯m marking it with the Geo-tracker. The bad news is that it¡¯s a dead end and we have a lot of hate back that way, and we¡¯re at the halfway mark where we need to not be here.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t go back. They¡¯re everywhere. We don¡¯t have the ammo.¡± She said taking her pistol out. ¡°Vinn, if we run out of ammo and can''t make it back¡­please.¡± She asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even talk about that. We¡¯re making it back.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy and Jack do it all the time. We marked the door. We succeeded, we just can¡¯t get back out.¡±

    ¡°You got that tattoo they need to open it. I¡¯m not carrying a dead Vicki back with me. We¡¯re fighting out way through that shit.¡±

    ¡°Vinn, I¡¯m not Jack, I¡¯m not a trained supersoldier, or a Delmarian warrior raised from birth to fight. I¡¯m a fucking clothing designer who couldn¡¯t run a business, who got cancer and bitten by a vampire bug. I¡¯m not strong enough to keep faking it every time. I¡¯m exhausted, I¡¯m starving, I¡¯m burning up down here, that tunnel is flooded with spiders and probably lava or boiling steam, and I got ten shells and a pistol left. We¡¯re fucked.¡± She said starting to tear up.

    ¡°Nope. We¡¯re just not doing great. Put on the damn dead guy skin coat.¡± He ordered. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you if I have to, you just hang on and shoot.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy and Dee turned to the sound of gunfire, making their way back and seeing the locator active.

    ¡°They gotta be right here, we can still get out in time but they better get here quick, because we¡¯re going the wrong way to backtrack.¡± Gizzy said, stopping and thinking. ¡°If we keep going any further we won¡¯t make it out either. Come on you two shitheads¡­ where are you?¡± Gizzy asked. She shouldered her rifle, spotting movement in the dark, something weaving erratically and shiny like wet paper Mache¡­ or a wet leather jacket. She locked on and waited for it to hit the light and find out if it was Vicki or a spider, uncomfortably close to identify. It hit the light and she sighed, lowering the barrel. ¡°Vicki, holy shit I almost shot you. Where¡¯s Vinn?¡± she asked. Vicki looked up, covered in a streak of orange-red and tears running down her face, her pistol in hand and shakily placed to her own head. She silently sniffed, slowly lowering it and breaking down into years.

    ¡°Cry later, or die now. We¡¯ll clone him back.¡±

    ¡°He was right there.¡± She sobbed.

    ¡°Vicki, move your ass, or I will drag it. Don¡¯t make me knock you out to do that. Move your feet, point the gun that direction¡­ and keep up.¡± She barked.

    ...

    Nicole sat in the shuttle bay, waiting for the doors to open and greet the team. She dropped her phone on the tile floor the moment she saw three women exit and an empty shuttle behind them.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Vinn?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nicole, you knew eventually this was a possible outcome, just take a deep breath.¡± Gizzy said as Vicki stomped off in tears and Dee just sad blankly in a chair.

    ¡°No, we gotta go back for him. We can¡¯t leave him there!¡±

    ¡°Nicole, we can clone him back, just like the first time, and he will be exactly like-¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t you dare!¡± she yelled. ¡°He could be alive and hurt, or scared.¡±

    ¡°Vicki saw him die. He died saving her life. Vinn is a hero as usual, and he¡¯ll be right back here in an hour.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god.¡± Nicole whispered, sitting on the ground. ¡°He¡¯s just¡­ not here.¡±

    ¡°He will be, Nicole. He won''t remember anything after mission briefing scans, no suffering, no nightmares, just Vinn as you know him, you just have to wait a bit and he¡¯ll be fine.¡± She assured.

    ¡°Nothing about this is fine.¡± She said before darting off as Dee looked up in shock. Gizzy sighed in frustration sat down next to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s only an hour to print. He¡¯ll be exactly the same person, we¡¯re all copies already.¡± She sighed as Dee looked at her with a cold disbelief.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what going an hour without you looks like. And you wonder why I worry when you leave on these missions.¡± Dee said softly, leaning on Gizzy''s shoulder.

 Chapter Twelve: Offering

    Nicole stared at Vicki. ¡°How do you do it?¡±

    ¡°I never wanted to. It just happens, again, and again.¡±

    ¡°How do you just, watch Jack step out of that machine and seem okay knowing he never made it home?¡± Vicki sighed, relieved and realizing she wasn¡¯t caught, and then realizing she had no answer to Nicole''s real questions.

    ¡°Not knowing¡­ helps. Just seeing him return and assuming it¡¯s the same Jack every time, believing it is. Never asking him. It¡¯s harder when you know for sure and have to wait for it. Longest hour of your life.¡± She said. ¡°I think you¡¯re handling it harder than us because you never signed up for this. I volunteered to get cloned to not die of cancer. I married a killer knowing that he¡¯s died numerous times before, and we both signed up for this knowing we may not make it. Vinn volunteered to be cloned so he could be with you, Gizzy¡¯s basically just data that refuses to die at this point and Dee swaps bodies like we swap shoes. You never asked for any of it. You just died, woke up a copy, married a man thinking you¡¯d live together in space and we showed up and ruined everything. You watched him fight for you and risk his life and escape death and this is the first time you¡¯ve had to actually sit and wait, knowing that at this moment, there¡¯s no Vinn. But he¡¯ll be back so soon, just a little longer. You¡¯ve never lost him before but I promise you¡¯ll feel better when he¡¯s back and you¡¯ll move past it. That¡¯s why you¡¯re taking this harder than I do.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe I¡¯m taking this harder because my husband just died and the first one safely off the shuttle unharmed was the woman he died saving, who he fucked more recently than me. So the last woman he screwed was you, and he died for you, and now you¡¯re here lecturing me on why I¡¯m upset and why I should just get over it. So can you maybe let me have this one to myself at least? Can I have one Vinn you haven¡¯t fucked all to myself.¡±

    ¡°You knew¡­ but you knew because he wasn¡¯t with you that night. And Jack wasn¡¯t with me. So you knew I wasn¡¯t with Jack. And you didn¡¯t say anything because if you did, you just admitted what you did and accused me of the same thing."

    ¡°One time, under Demitri¡¯s hypnosis. One time with Jack and neither of us remembered it. You kept going back. How many times did you ¡°feed¡± off him ¡°to survive¡± and actually just go for some verity of cock before going back to Jack and leaving me alone and worried? I don¡¯t remember feeding off Jack for a month, or sleeping with him multiple times when there wasn¡¯t any hypnotic vampire bullshit. So if we just cancel out one each, admit we¡¯re both assholes, then you¡¯re still the cheating bitch who turned on the crew, broke Jack¡¯s heart, ruined his life, stole my husband, and after we for whatever reason saved your life and brought you back, you got Vinn killed. You broke Dee¡¯s heart in more than one way, using her as a piece of meat, and then acting like she¡¯s the weird one for not liking you, and then when Jack and her were finally happy, you stole him from her. You just get everything and all of us get whatever is left¡­ but you don¡¯t remember half of that. Nobody does, because The Captain has to fix everything and be the moral compass of this ship for the greater good and the mission, and if you think I¡¯m just insane¡­ ask Gizzy about the time¡­ the multiple times you took chunks off her and how many times we¡¯ve killed you for it. One of those times you may run out of advocates and everyone may just wanna leave you dead. I made that call last time, I kinda wish I would have sided with Gizzy now.¡± She said before getting up and storming off.

    ...

    Gizzy paced the bridge looking angry and frustrated.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just snapped.¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks to me and quick timing, she¡¯s coned and ignorant again. Nicole, you can''t just rant about the whole thing we tried to erase from existence!¡±

    ¡°I KNOW, I¡¯M SORRY! Vinn just died, and I¡¯m not okay. I fucked up but maybe we did bringing her back. Maybe she¡¯s a damn curse.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe if she stayed dead, then Jack would be miserable, and I wouldn¡¯t have Dee, and I¡¯d go insane. Or maybe we¡¯d all be dead if one tiny tweak of the wish fine print was slightly different. Nobody can say anything for sure, we¡¯re messing with the universe and events we can¡¯t control. Vinn will be okay, YOU will be okay, we heal, we adjust, and we survive. Vicki¡­ I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t figure it out. She keeps turning into something else. Now she¡¯s got the mark of a death god on her back and impostor ink in her skin, you don¡¯t think that bodes eerily close to the pitch nobody talks about? Why is Vicki a magnet for liquid hatred and unstoppable chaos gods? Should we just call this mission Every Devil Loves Vicki? What is she going to turn into next? Dee could have killed us all, and yet she turned out to be the best friend we have. You and Vinn saved us from the beginning and didn¡¯t have to. I¡¯ve saved our asses, you¡¯ve saved us from my stupid bad decisions and kill-first mentality, Jack is everyone¡¯s hero, and I even kinda understand Demitri. What the fuck is Vicki? You do realize that Vinn let her feed to save her life and keep her from turning and killing Jack. And her venom is addictive, apparently. Don¡¯t hate Vinn for trying to help everyone and getting tricked. He¡¯s a loveable dumbass, not a cheating bastard¡­ What is Vicki and why does the one who left Delmar always end up our worst enemy?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°Perhaps the solution is a good old fashioned orgy.¡± Demitri said walking in on them. ¡°Even the tension for everyone.¡±

    ¡°How much did you hear?¡±

    ¡°Oh, only all of it. I¡¯ve been tiptoeing down the hall with my superb hearing the entire time I came to find you.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t say anything you heard. In fact let me get something real quick, just hold still.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother,¡± he said. ¡°We have something to discuss. You surely are familiar with the gun Jacks grandfather put his heart and soul into building, quite literally in one case, that he carries often in case I am to be put down.¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡± Nicole squinted.

    ¡°Understandable. I have no ill feelings of it. I was aware for some time, and Jack has finally stopped carrying it now that he knows me for what I am and why. Are you aware that Victoria has it now? Is Jack¡­ aware of it?¡±

    ¡°Son of a bitch.¡± Gizzy said getting up. ¡°She¡¯s gonna kill someone. It¡¯s definitely either Demitri or me and I¡¯m not thrilled about either in very different severities.¡±

    ¡°You did wipe her memory, right?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°After you blurted everything, yes I did. It should have worked but if some tattoo demon shit screwed that up and she remembers everything, she¡¯s probably not thrilled with me. Or anyone. Or Dee.¡±

    ¡°Or me.¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m sure I am safe.¡± Demitri scoffed. ¡°She cares so deeply for me and blaming me for her infidelity would surely not motivate her.¡± He said, sarcastically.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s for Demitri.¡± Nicole sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why Vicki is always the root of every problem. What changed? You said the Vicki back home was doing great and responded to treatment, hell, the implant to curb the feeding worked on Delmar and it doesn¡¯t do shit here. It¡¯s like the moment she went into space she became a different person.¡±

    ¡°Victoria is simply a perfect conduit for the chaos gods. There is an evil in her, and it takes so little to unlock it.¡±

    ¡°Well the one on Delmar seems locked pretty tightly.¡± Gizzy noted. ¡°Ours seems defective. What on Delmar is keeping her contained, or what out here is unlocking her?¡± she asked. A sudden shutter of the ship got their attention. They quickly armed and moved towards the rear of the ship, Gizzy stopped and noticed the door to the lab was forced open and so was the artifact cooler. ¡°And that, folks, is why we hide things.¡± Gizzy said before digging in a drawer and swapping her pistol magazine and barrel.

    ¡°What did she get?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Tranquilizers and iron supplements, disguised as pitch. Vicki went for the bait I thought she might.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s in the gun?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A line up of exponentially stronger sedatives, and then one soul round in case those don¡¯t work. Yeah, I have a Vicki clip just for this situation. I got one for all of you, just¡­ without the last one being a soul killer. Come on, consider her history.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Gizzy rounded the corner of the mess hall and lasered Vicki, who turned in the dark, eyes glowing red and looking ravenous. Gizzy noticed her teeth, lengthened, all of them now just a row of upper and lower fangs an inch long, a pale greenish gold hue to her skin as she breathed heavily and stared her down.

    ¡°Vicki, don¡¯t make me shoot you.¡± She said. Vicki let our a banshee scream and rushed, taking 3 timed hits to the chest and starting to wobble and stumble on the last one, Gizzy put another in her back to be sure and she flattened out, her limbs curling in a very bug-like manner. She began dragging her to the lab as Demitri and Nicole assisted.

    ¡°What the hell is happening to her? I thought the pitch was erased from existence, is the impostor blood doing this?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why we¡¯re getting her strapped down to the scanner," Gizzy said while rolling Vicki into the machine. The machine hummed and the screens filled with data as Gizzy watched, the sound of Vicki breaking restraints in the process. She hit the gas, flooding the machine with sedative vapors and the thrashing began to die down. She racked her gun 4 times as bullets dropped on the metal tray and she checked the clip. One sedative round left and a soul bullet. She looked at the screen and her eyes went wide.

    ¡°I know that look, but I don¡¯t know medical shit.¡± Nicole said ¡°Please provide something here.¡±

    ¡°The bone density scan made her worse. Look at her last scan before the mission, look at the post mission scans, and the one we just did. She was clean when she went down to that planet, and when she got back her cells were changing, they went through the roof when we did the bone density scan. It¡¯s the damn radiation. It makes perfect sense now.¡±

    ¡°Okay cool, so for those of us with computer degrees and not medical degrees, bone radiation mean¡­ what exactly? Let¡¯s pretend I¡¯m real dumb about this.¡± Nicole snipped.

    ¡°I would have worded it more gently, but I also have less than expert experience regarding alien biology.¡± Demitri noted.

    ¡°Vicki is a hybrid. She¡¯s not born a vampire, unlike Demitri who is the direct source and myself who is the result of a cloned DNA strain isolated from it, Vicki is a random amalgamation. She¡¯s a human born with the cells marked to produce cancer, and I gave her a medicine that lets her body mutate to adapt to the cancer, she got bitten by a bug, one of Demitri¡¯s lineage containing the vampire gene. Her body mutated to not only the vampiric cells but the bug cells. They feed off radiation. These bugs breed by tapping into the power lines and draining the energy. Vicki is slowly becoming more bug as she gets exposed to Cosmic radiation. We¡¯re basically giving her reverse chemo to make her bug cancer worse just by being in deep space, and we just put her on a planet flooded with radiation. You know what else produces the same radiation? The cloning machine. Harmless doses to us, but every time we clone her, we¡¯re doing a bone density scan and blasting her with delayed bug fuel. I bet you that if we check every mission where she went mental and lost her shit, it was a mission where she was exposed to high cosmic rays. She wouldn¡¯t get that on Earth, and she wouldn¡¯t get that naturally on Delmar, where all cities under a mile or more of solid blackstone. Vicki is radiation triggered and every time we clone her we start the clock over. Demitri, step into that tube over there."

    ¡°Is that an order?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wanna check something.¡± She said. He reluctantly did and the lights came on, bringing up data on the screen.

    ¡°And there we have it, folks. The artifacts emit trace amounts of cosmic radiation. I¡¯m guessing the chaos gods are just high level sources of them, and anything they empower retains a little. She¡¯s feeding on you, Demitri.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t considered the same in return but at least I was polite enough to offer and await consent.¡± He joked.

    ¡°Vicki¡¯s not evil, or cursed¡­ she¡¯s just a sick girl with radiation fed cancer that activates the bug cells, and we¡¯re out in deep space in high radiation, bombarding her with more high sources of radiation. That¡¯s why she keeps going for the artifacts. The bug in her is subconsciously seeking the radiation and of course when she got the pitch it went absolutely nuclear level feedback loop. The chaos gods love her because she is genetically perfect for adapting to radioactive parasites. She just smells like food to these things out here and we¡¯re taking her and dropping her into the feeding tanks every other mission and then wondering why she is a magnet for evil. The further out into primordial space we go, the worse she¡¯s gonna get.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just¡­ clone her without the bug stuff?¡± Nicole asked.

    ¡°Yeah, and she¡¯ll just develop cancer. I specifically engineered this shit to be a mutagen that binds with cancer¡­ to kill cancer. That¡¯s why patients on this can''t eat or drink anything that isn¡¯t sealed in approved medical bags and they have to stay quarantined for a week. ANY contaminant will bind permanently to the medication and alter her base DNA. And she didn¡¯t just get a germ or contaminant; she got bitten by a venomous spacebug that feeds off radiation. So we¡¯re kinda stuck without a full research lab and millions in equipment back home spending years to develop medication. We either clone her as a human with terminal cancer and she dies, or we clone her with the mutagen and she feeds off the radiation we¡¯re just surrounded by and turns into some kind of monster.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t make some¡­ anti radiation drugs? I thought we all had radiation shots to handle space radiation!¡± Nicole hollered.

    ¡°Yeah, which works fine on the humans and Delmarians that they were made for. It just repairs damaged cells by supercharging your body¡¯s normal regeneration so you repair the exposure damage faster than it accumulates. Her body¡¯s natural regeneration response is to evolve into an apex predator that seeks more radiation to grow.¡±

    ¡°I do hate to bring up such unfortunate reminders, but she has the tattoo we need to unlock the door to a chaos god, and without that, we cannot kill it.¡± Demitri sighed. ¡°And the longer we delay, the more the imposter ink will fade and absorb, which may only make her stronger and less able to unlock the door. By sending her back down there, into an irradiated wasteland and opening the door to another chaos god, that surely will give her a significant boost of unfortunate exposure. Fate has lead us to one of the remaining and alarmingly rare entities plaguing this universe with the bullets to kill it, are we to simply turn and leave, call it a failed mission and go home?¡± Demitri asked.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Gizzy sighed, rubbing her face. "We bring her down there to open that door she could go full impostor mode, she could sprint in there and leech onto a 400 foot tall chaos demon, or just turn into one from the exposure, or make it stronger somehow. I don¡¯t know what happens, but it¡¯s not anything good for Vicki or us. Hell, I could clone her, avoid the bone density scan and make a healthy new Vicki but according to Demitri regarding fucking impostor blood magic, either we make a second Vicki with no tattoo that cant open the door and would turn into the same thing if we went down there anyway, OR if we cloned her fresh, killed the corrupted one, the damn tattoo would come back, flooding her with impostor radiation and we¡¯re back to evil Vicki. What do we do here? Chain her up with god-tier restraints, use her as a key just quickly enough to open the door and then soul bullet her in the head before she evolves? And THEN go fight a chaos god, clone her back still primed and ready to gradually turn evil again at the slightest exposure to anything, including Demitri or the artifacts we have to collect?¡±

    ¡°Not to sound heartless and frigid, but¡­¡± Demitri paused. ¡°That sounds like a temporary solution to one problem and a permanent fix to the one chained up behind that door. Fate gave us the tools to complete the task, are we not inclined to use them, and morality be damned and at the cost of whatever must be sacrificed?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Nicole objected. ¡°I¡¯m not using Vicki as a tool. She¡¯s a magnet for evil not evil herself. Both of you should understand THAT perspective first hand. Mister walking curse, little miss weapon of mass destruction. We can¡¯t just use her as a key and kill her. Those bullets work in weird ways, we don¡¯t know if it would kill the chaos god in her or kill Vicki and every clone of her in the universe. The last one wiped the pitch from existence, what if this one wipes Vicki from existence, here, on Delmar, in the cloning machine data. We could be erasing her soul, or erasing her universe code, or just one corrupted clone of her, or the imposters. You should have use the one bullet we already had to kill the damn collector and wipe out the impostors instead of torturing him for ammunition.

    ¡°Oh sure.¡± Gizzy nodded. ¡°That¡¯s way better, at the cost Jack¡¯s grandfather¡¯s soul, we could have zero chaos god killing bullets and no map or key to the one we know about, so the mission is just over and Vicki is slightly less corrupted. I mean, THAT or we could hunt down some innocent victims for souls instead of using the most sadistic person in the quadrant who tortures, imprisons, and skins women alive for his art. Gods forbid we do something horrible like take HIS soul, when we could take someone else¡¯s we just have lined up and volunteering, or leave a chaos god alive. Clearly I¡¯m the asshole here for harvesting a Neonazi rapist sadist murdering flesh collector with evil literally written all over his body, for something as trivial as the literal mission itself to end the chaos gods. The same guy, by the way, who abducted and tattooed Vicki with that damned ink, to sacrifice her to the big demon thing I would kinda like to kill with the bullets. The bullets that require either HIS soul, or Jack¡¯s grampa. But fuck him, right? He was annoying and kind of a prick. Chauvinistic old fart with a bad attitude beats a literal half evil god and half evil Nazi human fillet artist with a room full of young women¡¯s skin.¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine, I¡¯m wrong. You were right to torture someone to death on my ship for bullets over my orders as Captain. I¡¯m just trying to save my friend, there has to be a way to do this without people losing their souls and killing our friends, potentially on Delmar with Jack, who obviously can¡¯t live without her.¡± Nicole said, throwing a bal book across the room.

    ¡°I deeply regret already, just the mention that I have an idea.¡± Demitri sighed dramatically. ¡°Because I dread the result.¡± He added.

    ¡°Explain.¡± Nicole ordered.

    ¡°I could, theoretically, open the door without her.¡± He said. ¡°And with the god dead that has her marked, the ink would cease to remain.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you speak up sooner? Let¡¯s do that.¡± Nicole barked.

    ¡°Because no matter what, this demands a sacrifice, and it does not cure Victoria of her root problem. It merely tempers the problem, eliminated one chaos god at the cost of a life¡­ Mine.¡± He smiled sadly.

 Chapter Thirteen: A Viking Funeral

    ¡°No. I refuse to kill any of the crew for this.¡± Nicole barked.

    ¡°I was considering it a willing offering. And I am hardly part of this crew. I am a source of problems that has now become the source of a solution. You need to collect artifacts, I have one inside of me spilling out its power rather than being locked away. I refuse to be imprisoned, and I already said I would rather die than be locked away. Now I am given the chance to prove that. If you remove the amulet and tattoo the rune on me, I would become its mark, not Victoria. A completed rune on a willing sacrifice should override a half completed rune on a struggling victim. I would be human, no longer resistant to it, and once the door is open, even a single normal bullet to the head would painlessly end my life long before my enslavement. The more expensive bullets would be free to use on the chaos god himself. No Victoria to restrain, no evolving monster to bottle bathed in radiation and threatening the mission, and with me gone and the amulet in containment, the further deterioration of her latter clones should be significantly slowed. Perhaps you could even confine her to the ship, keep her comfortable and herself for a long time before¡­ starting fresh again.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t ask you to do that.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°You never did. Fate brought us the tools and tools sometimes break during use. I have lived a long life of both joy and regret, always hoping to atone for my mistakes, and what better way to do so than to die eliminating a chaos god and all its evil? And preventing further spread of my own mistakes. If you cannot allow that then I forfeit my place on the crew regardless, and will take a few of the bullets that I helped attain as payment for it, complete the rune myself as a sacrifice, potentially fail to open the door since I am currently under the power of a different chaos god, wasting a lot of effort for nothing, and if successful, do the job myself, with diminished chances of succeeding again and leaving behind an amulet too powerful to discard. With your mission, you would simply be returning anyway to the mass grave to retrieve it. So should I simply exercise my right to fuck off with my property to attempt a lone suicide mission with several tiers of potential failure to achieve the same thing you need, or would you like to assist me and solve multiple problems at a lesser cost with a higher chance of success?¡± Dimitri said, more telling her what would happen than asking her if he could. Nicole ran her hands frustratedly through her hair and paced in a circle, storming out of the room silently as Gizzy sat cross-armed and looked tired.

    ¡°That¡¯s her way of saying fuck it, yolo without admitting that she agrees to killing crewmembers. If I¡¯m wrong about that, I guess I¡¯ll have to be punished for mutiny.¡±

    ¡°And you would go through with it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Absolutely. I don¡¯t like that everything has a cost, but the further into the void of evil you go, the higher the cost of everything, apparently. Expanding universe inflation prices I guess. Vicki doesn¡¯t want to die, and Jack doesn¡¯t want her to die. None of us want to lose 2 friends that want to live over one friend who wishes to die. It¡¯s your life to throw away if you want, and as someone who¡¯s lived longer than you have, I can see through that fa?ade you carry with you. That cocky confident smile that says you enjoy immortality, rather then the sadness behind your eyes of an old entity exhausted and bored with life that¡¯s just afraid of dying.¡±

    ¡°Well I guess you know me quite intimately. And you will simply let me go without a tear?¡±

    ¡°You and I both know the difference between a love and a lover, a fixation that is sad to see go, and the strange inability mortals have to do what¡¯s necessary if it hurts too much. I don¡¯t enjoy seeing you go, and I might miss you a little, but if you wanna do this and we¡¯ve run out of better options, I¡¯ll put the bullet in your head myself without hesitation and deal with that emotion when the mission is over. That¡¯s how I do things. Set aside the emotions, do the mission, get the job done, and then when everyone is back and resting up, go break some things to feel better. I won¡¯t claim it¡¯s a healthy mechanism, but it¡¯s my mechanism and it works. So, let¡¯s clone some impostor blood and get you into surgery. You¡¯re in good hands, I¡¯ve done heart surgery a few times, once on myself. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have one anymore.¡±

    ¡°Of course you do. It¡¯s just hardened steel and mechanical. An armored heart is still a heart, it¡¯s just stronger and slightly colder to the touch.¡± He smiled.

    ...

    Dee handed tools over to Gizzy while the clank of metal on metal echoed in the room. Gizzy lifted up the hemostats from the pan of alcohol and admired the artifact, mainly its gold and silver details and the spiderlike claws bent back to release it.

    ¡°Damn.¡± Dee sighed, checking the IV. ¡°The amount of sedative it takes to knock out a vampire is kind of insane.¡±

    ¡°Not anymore. He¡¯s a human patient now. Lower the dose, add the healing serum to the bag, and let¡¯s stitch him back together. He¡¯s gonna be sore as hell when he wakes up... You need a break while I tattoo the rune?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°Just feel like we¡¯re killing him ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Think of it as euthanasia, an old terminal patient that no longer wants to fight for life, and we¡¯re helping him finally find peace. It¡¯s his decision, and the alternatives were all far worse.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d make a terrible doctor.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯d make a great doctor. Because you care, and you empathize. You feel more than most humans and you still did the job focused and precisely. I¡¯d make a terrible doctor. My bedside manner is absolute shit. I¡¯d be a great tattoo artist though. In fact, I may consider adding some artwork to myself at some point.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re never going to be okay, are we?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Tricky question. We have the means to immortally copy ourselves till the mission is over, but the mental weight does get heavy and losing people adds up. With Vicki free of that tramp stamp from hell, and daily radiation shots, she might be okay, and eventually when she¡¯s not, we can clone her fresh. We¡¯re all gonna die at some point, over and over on this damned ship and crew, so what¡¯s the difference? We may go through another me and 2 Jacks before we need to start her over. It gets slightly easier every time, but never gets easy. Half of us volunteered for this shit. I¡¯m sorry you had the choice of this or eternal solitude. You know you are not a prisoner here. We can let you off anywhere you want and you can go have a full life.¡±

    ¡°Start over alone and lost, without you or my friends¡­ sounds great, just toss me out at the next planet with a roll of money and a combat knife. I¡¯d rather stay here than start over and have to learn who I can trust and who will break my heart and stab my back. As much as I¡¯d love to find a world that feels like home and live a life there, I can''t do it alone, and you guys need all the help you can get, and there¡¯s not a lot of people you can trust to do that. So unless you wanna just copy us and drop them off somewhere, I¡¯m here with all of you.¡± Dee said, leaning on her.

    ¡°Funny you suggest that. There¡¯s actually another mission planned for the near future¡­ well sort of. Technically a mission for the future that becomes a mission of the distant past, it¡¯s complicated and I didn¡¯t give myself all the details before I left for security reasons. But I do tend to listen to me when I have suggestions and there is a high likelihood I could get us both copied and transferred to the next mission. Let''s just say it has to be infinitely more pleasant than this one turned out to be, and you would be an asset to the team that the other Gizzy back home couldn¡¯t pass up. We¡¯d still be stuck here in space-hell but another version of us can have a nice retirement on a more peaceful planet with no void and cosmic death gods. You won''t ever hear from them, you wont really notice anything different on this side, but somewhere, a long time ago, there would be us, in way nicer conditions.¡±

    ¡°Sounds pointless and stupid, but also very heartwarming in a weird way.¡±

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s far from pointless. I¡¯m doing it anyway, had it planned before we left, but now that I know what it¡¯s like to be a lone Gizzy with no hive mind and no family, I realize I need all the help I can get just staying sane, and adjusting the mission from 5 to 6 people wouldn¡¯t be that difficult. I can¡¯t stop until this is over and it may take a lifetime before we¡¯re done or all die trying¡­ but I can make sure one of you is somewhere safer and protected, and not stuck in the death void of chaos and drama¡­ actually, no, there will be drama there too, just no space and death void of chaos. But you¡¯re part original Dee so you thrive on drama."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°You really are just an absolute psycho playing god and a game of 4d chess with the universe. And I¡¯m kind of turned on about that. Will you tell me stories about the other us and our life together? I know we can''t even know for sure about any of it, and it¡¯s just bullshit speculation but¡­ can you bullshit speculate about what we¡¯re possibly doing there and make it convincingly realistic and happy?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, of course. I could run some simulations, make some little videos and pick the nicest from a selection of possible likely outcomes. Spin a nice story that, theoretically, could be the true one out of numerous possible ones. We would never know if it was correct and I don¡¯t have to tell you the odds.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get started on it as soon as the predicted deadline happens. But right now we have a very sore human to wake up and I have to go on a mission. You¡¯ll see me later.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t come back¡­ just don¡¯t tell me. Find me after you came out of the cloning tank and tell me the mission went well.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not going to go well for everyone no matter what. So say goodbye to Demitri. I¡¯m coming back to the crew regardless, he won¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°Acceptable.¡± She said with a nod.

    ...

    Gizzy and Demitri strutted confidently, armed to the teeth and in dramatic slow motion as they approached the surface entrance point.

    ¡°Made you a present.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°How sentimentally pointless of you on they day of my passing, and potentially both of ours.¡± He scoffed, looking deader than usual.

    ¡°Oh you¡¯ll enjoy this. It¡¯s a high concentration of Vicki¡¯s original blood, a ton of drugs and steroids, some meth just for the hell of it, and Delmarian war testosterone.¡±

    ¡°And the point of this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You have to die, and you have to be mortal to get in the door. Nobody said you have to die human. I figured you¡¯d rather die more vampire than human and go down fighting. The shot itself will kill you, and the radiation right now is lethal anyway so no matter what we do, you¡¯re a dead man walking. But at least you can be a dead vampire fighting before it¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. A gift I shall appreciate greatly. Perhaps your mechanical heart has warmed up to the rest of your body temperature after all. Hard and armored but not as cold as steel.¡±

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t make me feel shit before we go kill a chaos god. You¡¯re fucked regardless and I don¡¯t wanna get all emotional about it. Get your head in the game, Demitri. This is a Viking death march, your job is to hold the bridge and take down as many enemies as you can before the mushrooms wear off and the arrows hit something vital. It¡¯s still death, it¡¯s just honorable badass death. So you wanna do the sad thing or the metal as fuck thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, do pass me the drugs and a sword. I will enter Valhalla as a pincushion with a proud smile.¡± He said taking it and keeping it handy.

    ¡°You want hype music or silence?¡±

    ¡°Silence is preferred.¡±

    ¡°Shame. I got a hell of a playlist for Viking death stands.¡±

    ...

    They peered down a 4 foot wide hole in the soil as Gizzy dropped a rope ladder down.

    ¡°How far does it go?¡± he coughed.

    ¡°About 90 feet. Right into the room before the entrance. I¡¯ll go first and clear the room, and hopefully the ship''s weaponfire ran off the spiders. If not¡­¡± she shrugged

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be a human firing a shotgun immediately after heart surgery.¡± He sighed, following her down.

    The bottom was clear, well lit by the blast hole, but the scuttering of spiders was still audible somewhere close by. Demitri rolled up his sleeve and pressed his arm to the door. The symbol glowed and the door began to open as hot, stale air rushed out. He stepped just inside, hearing the sound of Gizzy one-shotting something behind them.

    ¡°I summon the unnamed one,¡± he wheezed. ¡°As a willing sacrifice, I awaken thee.¡± he finished. The searing heat of the tattoo started glowing dark red as the planet rumbled and the surface above them cracked open. Trees and debris fell from above as the giant cavern opened up, with white smoke pouring down and back up as material gave way and stone dust formed a rising cloud in the center, the dark shadow of something blurry appearing within it. They braced and steadied themselves as the harsh grinding sound of chains pulling upward tattled their ears. Gizzy stared into the bright white cloud chains. Ten chains protruded from the center with links larger than both of them. The dust gave way to a mighty roar as a skull with horns leaned outward, cobwebs and moss growing on it¡¯s ancient petrified skin, shrunk to the bone and eyes back as hollow pits. Gizzy readied her rifle and the beast tightened the chains, rattling her too much to hold aim.

    ¡°Shit. I can''t take the shot.¡± Gizzy said ducking down to regain her senses.

    ¡°I can.¡± Demitri said taking the gun and injecting himself with the syringe. He slung it on his back and hopped down 20 feet off the ledge onto the chain, climbing it upward with the rifle and 2 bullets. Gizzy grabbed his gun, pointing his direction and firing, peppering the chain and clearing it of the spiders trying to follow him. She braced for the next roar, sliding back and taking a knee as Demitri held onto the iron chain link and looked up with glowing eyes and gnashed teeth.

    ¡°You think I fear your breath, beast?¡± he taunted, climbing onward into certain death as Gizzy warded off spiders with buckshot, alternating between shooting the tunnel behind her and taking them out as they climbed the chain behind Demitri. She fired into an oncoming roar, the chain and gun going blurry and missing wildly, another reasojn they needed to be closer for a single round.

    Demitri dodged tree roots and falling rock as he neared the halfway point and debated taking the shot. He kept climbing, making sure he couldn¡¯t miss. Gizzy felt the impact of something hit her in the head, followed by clawing and wooden hands grabbing her gun. She drew her pistol, firing up and back to take down the spider that was defending its master. She quickly reloaded as one of them pulled her foot and drug her back through the entrance. She fired towards her feet to kill it before hobbling up and taking a few more down. She belatedly realized that she took some buckshot to the leg in the process. She ran back in and noticed the dozen spiders following Demitri up the chain.

    ¡°Of course.¡± She said, taking out her phone and tapping a command, setting it down and climbing the chain, before shooting them and drawing them back towards her. Demitri locked his arm in and steadied the rifle, closing his eyes and holding his breath as the row of stalactite teeth and molten lava breath shook him to the core. He waited till it stopped and then he opened his eyes, finger on the trigger and aiming for the glowing red seam at the sternum.

    ¡°Fuck it, yolo.¡± He sighed, pulling the trigger. The 50 caliber barrel burner round rocked his shoulder and tossed the gun into the void and it nearly took him with it. The impact of green flame striking the heart and rippled outward as the creature thrashed and broke chains petrified and turned into white marble from the hit. The shards cascaded to the tips of the horns as it silenced its scream and broke apart, taking the chain and both of them down with it. The dust cleared and silence fell on the cave, followed by the scuttering of angry spiders. Demitri pried himself from the debris, missing a leg and pulling countless broken bones and gashes as he made his way to Gizzy¡¯s body, while she opened her eyes and realized she was pinned under a fallen rock.

    ¡°Really wish we had that playlist.¡± She chuckled as he grabbed her hand and held it.

    ¡°At least I never met my ultimate fear¡­ dying alone in the dark.¡±

    ¡°And it won¡¯t be a painful death.¡± Gizzy said, as her eyes glowed blue, the high pitch winding of energy from her chest.

    ¡°Anything you wanna say to me before we die?¡± he yelled, the spiders growling closer.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I hate bugs.¡±

    Nicole watched the view screen with Vinn hugging her, the mushroom cloud rising from the hole in the planet, and the green glow of the artifact lock turning white.

    ¡°They did it. Just another day, another dead diety.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Vinn whispered. ¡°Gizzy will be fine.¡±

    ...

    Gizzy stood in the plastic shower enclosure near the cloning machine, quickly drying her hair and trying to look halfway normal. She got her wits back and the com turned on.

    ¡°Gizzy¡­ welcome back. Mission successful.¡± Nicole said. Gizzy nodded, getting dressed and pouring a shot of vodka to calm her spinning head. Dee sat in her room as the door opened and Gizzy stepped inside.

    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± She said, trying to look like she wasn¡¯t worried.

    ¡°Mission went as planned. Little on the rough side, but successful.¡±

    ¡°So that means Demitri is gone.¡± She said softly.

    ¡°Yeah, but he did a good job, went down a hero and the way he wanted¡­ a vampire, high as hell on 8 different drugs, fighting a god to a badass Viking playlist.

    ¡°But you made it back?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I always will, even if things don¡¯t go right. I made a promise. Vicki is being freshly cloned as we speak, back to¡­ well, as healthy as she was when we started, however you count that. I went ahead and got a shower before coming here. You remember how filthy those tunnels were.¡±

    ¡°Just sit with me a moment.¡± Dee said solemnly. Afraid to even ask and not wanting to know if she spent the last hour without a Gizzy alive to protect her, just glad there was one now.

    ¡°Nicole is doing a little game night as a distraction. It¡¯s optional; nobody will be upset if you don¡¯t want to.

    ¡°No, that sounds nice.¡± Dee nodded. ¡°Is everyone else going?¡±

    ¡°Vicki and Jack are staying behind. It¡¯s just gonna be us 4.¡±

    ¡°Well, we started with 6, I guess that¡¯s how many this ships wants to carry.¡± Dee said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ll bring something to drink. I¡¯ve been trying some new bartending recipes. Hopefully everyone likes them, and I doubt anyone will turn down the drink."

    ¡°I could use several, make mine large.¡±

    ¡°I always do.¡± She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s part of my original programming.¡±

    ¡°See, it¡¯s not all bad. You got the only good parts of her and filled in the rest with yourself. Come on. Vinn and Nicole are waiting.¡± Gizzy said, putting her arm around Dee and heading out.

 Chapter Fourteen: Pillars of Faith

    Vicki stared at the stars as Jack hugged her.

    ¡°We¡¯re missing game night,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Jack, he¡¯s dead because of me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think that. He¡¯s dead because he did what he had to on a dangerous mission where people die. He died a hero, and he died well.¡±

    ¡°He died with Gizzy. So two people died because of me today, one just came back and doesn''t give a shit. Jack, I¡¯m dangerous. I¡¯m a curse. I keep getting people killed. I can¡¯t control myself when I get too far gone, how can anyone trust me again, I don¡¯t even trust myself. I stole your gun to kill the man I thought was our enemy, and he traded his life for mine. I¡¯ve cheated on you, I¡¯ve betrayed everyone, I¡¯ve hurt Gizzy and Dee, I¡¯ve hurt you, I got Vinn killed and had so see Nicole go through that.¡±

    ¡°They got you fixed now. None of it was your fault. You¡¯re just unlucky and sick, and we¡¯re getting that under control.¡±

    ¡°Confined to a ship so I don¡¯t get enough radiation to go insane and become a danger to my family. And then when I finally do become a monster again, killing me and resetting me again. That sounds under control. I hope I¡¯m worth it. Whatever I contribute to this team, if anything¡­ doesn¡¯t seem worth keeping me alive.¡±

    ¡°Vicki, I can¡¯t function without you, and the team needs me. They need us. You¡¯re one of the family, and when family gets sick and can¡¯t work, we don¡¯t kick them out for not pulling their weight. We take care of them. There¡¯s plenty you can do on the ship. There¡¯s a lot of work to be done. This is a job where people die and come back. You¡¯re not a medical burden, people love you. You¡¯re one of Nicole¡¯s oldest friends, and you¡¯re my wife and my best friend. Vinn and Gizzy consider you family and they love you even if they don¡¯t say it.¡±

    ¡°And Dee probably loves me too, huh?¡±

    ¡°Well 4 out of 5 is still pretty good and she still considers you part of the crew. Let''s not push for a perfect score.¡± He said as she chuckled lightly.

    ¡°Well at least you¡¯re not just completely feeding me a line of shit. Glad to see you still try and be honest.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ you can¡¯t make everybody happy. You gotta be realistic. Think of it this way¡­ back home you just designed shoes, and strangers on the internet probably didn¡¯t like you for no reason whatsoever, and all you did was sit and do computer models all day and play games with the group. You got sick, and you beat cancer, and you ended up stronger and saving the lives of a lot of young women on your first mission. You¡¯ve earned some sickleave, just get better and stay safe, stay busy, stay sane, and just like before, I¡¯ll come home every night, new or old, and you¡¯ll be there. No more dangerous or useless than any of us were before this mission. Me and Vinn doing construction work on expensive homes that didn¡¯t need pools, Nicole testing out video games and coding files, or whatever, and Dee was an asshole back then, Gizzy a maniacal mad scientist. And we got cooped up indoors for a few months because of bugs. What¡¯s really that different?¡±

    ¡°Jack, you really need to stop making everything seem so okay and sugarcoating things so convincingly. I might start believing it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve stopped ancient chaos gods and saved the universe, how much more do you need to contribute before resting and admitting you have done enough and deserve a break? And Dee probably never will like you very much. The rest of us understand and love you. Stop feeling guilty for being sick and finally dropping off on your endless work of saving the universe."

    ...

    Gizzy and Nicole sat starting at the screen, the green letters on it taunting them as the book¡¯s power restrained the engine.

    ¡°Two gods remain. One wish remaining.¡± The words glowed in the air as the pair stared at the course plotted for their destination.

    ¡°Two left.¡± Gizzy said.

    ¡°The hell are these symbols?¡± Nicole puzzled. ¡°Are they locations, or names, or the gods left?¡±

    ¡°I know the symbols¡­ Both a little too well.¡± She said while staring at the second one with a cold look in her eye, realizing what needed to be done and not wanting to do it. Even without a heart, she felt it sink, the red spiral with a check mark branching from the bottom stared her back like an eye of terror gazing into her soul. She zoned out as the symbol slowly swirled and rotated, suddenly jerking as Nicole touched her arm, noticing the symbol wasn¡¯t moving.

    ¡°You okay? You look like you just gazed into hell.¡±

    ¡°Old memory. Sorta feel like I did. You remember the red planet that looked like blood?¡±

    ¡°Yeah."

    ¡°We¡¯re going back.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked. ¡°We were already there, we got the data cube that contained Dee, there was no chaos god there. ¡®

    ¡°You remember what lead us there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, some shadow thing. You called it a foreshadow.¡±

    ¡°It lead is there and we just let it go. We got distracted by a bloody planet and an AI system that ended up on the crew, we forgot about the damn shadow. It¡¯s one of the chos gods. All it did was tease us and vanish.¡±

    "The foreshadow showed us the world where we were going to come back and kill it? It foreshadowed its own death?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one hell of a hint. Lead you to the last showdown, just to leave you stranded with the idea planted, the idea of the story changing from a world of blood and flesh to a let down of rust and algae, just to free the AI and leave the planet. Then we end up finding a planet of blood and death anyway, and get taken back to the point where things changed the first time. It¡¯s fuckin'' with us, because it knew its fate before we did, and it wanted us to know that before we returned.¡± Gizzy said, smirking at her opponent.

    ¡°So hold up. One of the last chaos gods knew its own death and changed the planet, just to lead us around back to it while knowing we had him the whole time and let him go? We had the damn block that let him out. We had a chaos god and I just¡­ politely asked it to open. We unleashed it, so it let us live, so we could kill it later?¡±

    ¡°Fate can¡¯t be altered even by a lone chaos god and it knows it. It knows everything before it happens, it¡¯s a foreshadow. We didn¡¯t have the bullets to kill it. Maybe it wants to die, maybe it just knows it has to, or that its death can''t be prevented, but it wants us to know that we¡¯re the ones who let it out. If we didn¡¯t, we wouldn¡¯t have found the other chaos gods. We eliminated its competition, Nicole.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit, it¡¯s a trap. It helped us kill the other chaos gods and now it¡¯s leading us back to kill US.¡± She said looking worried. ¡°Because there¡¯s only 2 left now. What if it just wants us because we¡¯re the ones with the god killing weapons?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the point. We left unfinished work. Nicole, I can''t fully explain this but I know both of these symbols, one of them is the foreshadow, because the symbol was on the cube, the other symbol is the red planet itself. There¡¯s not 2 gods remaining, there¡¯s 2 missions remaining.¡±

    ¡°It says in big green letters: Two gods remaining, one wish remaining.¡± She said pointing at the screen

    ¡°Nicole, you need to trust me, as someone who has experienced two timelines and been here twice, we have to go back one last time, and there is only one chaos god remaining. The book of fate can be complicated, not always literal. We already made the last wish, and changed the timeline, eliminating the second god. Just trust me¡­ there¡¯s one left to fight, and we now have the ammo.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t understand your math. We¡¯re subtracting a god and a wish because literal words don¡¯t mean what they mean? It kinda just sounds like you lost your marbles.¡±

    ¡°Vicki was the last chaos god. We changed things when we wished, erased the wish and her rise to power. That leaves one left, the foreshadow that clearly implies the hinted final boss.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me. Why do I feel like you¡¯re hiding something that scares the shit out of you?¡±

    ¡°Because I am¡­ Do you really need to know the thing that terrifies me, or do you want to do he mission and end this? You make the call. The truth that makes everything more difficult to fight, or let me carry that burden. This is fear incarnate, fear that jumps through time and scares even me, fear that survives a timeline change. I promise not knowing is better, can you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ I trust you. I just don¡¯t like that something scares you this badly."

    ¡°Oh honey, I don¡¯t like it either. This one is going to hurt me more than it does you, and that is a promise you can believe in. Not knowing is so much better and right now, I envy you.¡± Gizzy said while fighting a tear back. ¡°I have to face more than you do, so don¡¯t be a hero Nicole. You have too much of a heart to bare this, just follow and let me carry it.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m this scared with you just keeping it from me¡­ don¡¯t you ever tell me what it is we¡¯re facing. Not until it¡¯s over and we won.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡± Gizzy said before standing up and looking dead inside. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go back. I missed that shitty red planet.¡± She smiled, clearly fake and hollow.

    ...

    The shuttle doors opened to a familiar landscape, a flooded rusty world that seemed like an age had passed since they were last there. While the 6 of them all stepped out and checked their weapons, Gizzy was quieter than normal. She stepped out, boots into ankle deep water as she headed towards a blood red cave, leading them down into the cursed planet that was like a gaping wound into the soul of time itself. Dee followed her closely.

    ¡°Slow down. I never wanted to go back here, don¡¯t make me be back here alone.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Gizzy said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to go so far to end up back here. The world you lost, that you escaped from by hiding on our ship, just for the ship to bring you back and drag you down here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She assured.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Everyone loaded up? Soul bullets in the top barrel of every gun in every crewmen¡¯s hand? This is the last time we¡¯ll need them so saving any is pointless. Shoot to kill on sight, no orders, no warning. You see the shadow, you open fire, we just need one good shot, but we have enough ammo to spread around thanks to our kind contributor, The Collector. Something the Foreshadow may have missed, otherwise we would be facing him with one bullet and one shot. Don¡¯t let that make anyone less precise or lethal with their rounds. Any one of us could still miss twice, and we are fighting a shadow that knows what we¡¯re doing before we do it.¡±

    ¡°Kinda sounds like 2 shots each isn¡¯t enough suddenly.¡± Dee sighed.

    ¡°Well, it has to be. Normal rounds won¡¯t do shit to a shadow. Just be glad it¡¯s not Jack with one bullet and all of us helplessly watching.¡± She said as they descended into the dark wet tunnel, the red liquid dripping from the low tide. Vicki¡¯s mouth watered slightly, even knowing that it wasn¡¯t blood. She remembered the tide rushing in, falling into the water, the fear of death, now stronger and familiar in its deeper form. They all fanned out into a room, lit by the glow of a red altar, the strange symbol glowing dimly in yellow.

    ¡°Vicki, I really hate to do this¡­ but I need you to trust me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ do I have a choice?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s happening anyway and you¡¯re gonna hate it. We¡¯re all going to, but you¡¯re gonna hate it a little sooner.¡± She said as Vicki stared her in the eyes, feeling there was about to be a sacrifice as Gizzy took out her knife and tongued her fang.

    ¡°Gizzy, what¡¯s going on?¡± Jack asked her.

    ¡°You¡¯re about to either trust me, just like Nicole does, and this will be over sooner, or you¡¯re about to disobey an order and make this worse and potentially get us all killed. So Jack¡­ do we all die here or do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Trust is a strong word, but I¡¯ll follow an order.¡± He said.

    ¡°Fair enough for me. Jack, I order you to stand your ground. I order you to shoot whatever we¡¯re about to summon, and nobody else, including me. We¡¯re all walking out of here if you do. That¡¯s your order to stand down, soldier, and remember your target.¡± She said as Vicki shouldered her gun and pointed it at Gizzy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± she growled.

    ¡°No choice. Go ahead and shoot me, Vicki.¡± She said stepping forward with the knife as she pulled the trigger and fired a round through Gizzy¡¯s shoulder as everyone jumped and froze, confused and unsure what to do. ¡°Just want to point out for the record that Vicki just fired a god killing round at me, which is why she is the only one with standard bullets that I didn¡¯t trust with the ones that you all have. Jack¡­ Absorb that thought into your head. Nicole trusts me, you trust me, your wife just killed me. Bite onto that harsh reality for comfort when I do this.¡± She said rushing her and knocking the gun from her hands, slamming her to the altar as she struggled and Jack struggled harder against himself.

    ¡°Jack stop her!¡± Vicki screamed.

    ¡°Stand your ground, soldier. You have 2 shots and an enemy about to show up, don¡¯t you dare kill me and waste a round.¡± Gizzy said pressing the blade to Vicki¡¯s back, slitting her shirt and revealing the lightly glowing half rune on her back. ¡°The ritual requires all of us. Everyone back up to the stone symbols on the wall. It also requires a sacrifice of trust and pain.¡± Vicki dug her nails into Gizzy¡¯s armored wrist as she slowly traced the rune mirrored on the opposite side, carving a shallow mark to complete the rune in her own blood, the ink on the other side glowing brighter as she neared completion. She tossed the knife aside and yanked Vicki up by the shoulders.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done worse to innocent people, you¡¯ve done worse to me. A little blood never hurt anyone¡­ something you¡¯d never shed yourself. Be thankful this only needs a little sacrifice and not a soul to open.¡± Gizzy said before slamming Vicki down, her back to the altar, imprinting the symbol on the red stone. The altar split open, sending them both flying opposite directions and a plume of dark purple and grey fog into the ceiling. The fog settled down and formed a shape, the flash of gunfire ringing out as blue streaks passed through the fog and Gizzy stood up while grabbing the knife with Vicki¡¯s blood still on it. She ducked under the swooping fog of death, like a scythe of darkness trying to separate her head. She pinned Vicki to one of the side stones. And stuck the gun to her chest.

    ¡°You could have told me!¡± she barked at Gizzy.

    ¡°Unwilling sacrifice, the blood of the damned, and the fear of death. That¡¯s what unlocks it. Stay back to hold it open. You move from that stone and I¡¯ll shoot you.¡± She whispered, her eyes glowing, one red and one blue. ¡°Oh, you believe me now, don¡¯t you?¡± she snarled. Backing away with her in her sights. Vicki stood, bloody back and rune to the pillar. ¡°EVRYONE, BACK ON THE PILLARS. HOLD YOUR GROUND!¡± She ordered. Everyone followed the orders. Gizzy circled the shadowy figure wielding the knife and keeping the gun on Vicki.

    ¡°The Greggarious One.¡± It said like an unholy whisper. ¡°You return to face me.¡±

    ¡°We all do.¡±

    ¡°And you have faith in your crew and yourself?¡± it asked.

    ¡°I do. I accept the challenge, and sacrifice pain of the unwilling to prove my strength.¡±

    ¡°Then it begins.¡± The shadow said, taking the form of a grayscale Demitri with a dagger to taunt her. She circled and they exchanged swipes, bending and moving to avoid the hit. She flipped the knife behind her back, switching hands and faking a stab, the real knife-hand slashing his back and drawing foggy blood.

    ¡°You would really slay a friend?¡± he said in Demitri¡¯s voice.

    ¡°To save the universe, I¡¯d slay several. Do your worst. This is pathetic.¡± She taunted, blocking a strike and kicking for the face, her boot going through the fog like nothing as the ghostly form landed a claw across her face.

    ¡°You laugh in my presence?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The real Demitri always left marks far lower, never on the face.¡± She smirked. She punched through the shadow, stumbling over the altar and taking a slash to the stomach. She rolled and readied herself, checking the shallow scratch and realizing the only part of him she could even make solid contact with was with the bloody knife, but he could hit her with no problem.

    ¡°Are we getting closer, love?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to ask.¡± She replied, taking a flying leap and throwing the knife, lodging it in his shoulder as he tried to dodge. She dove through him and retrieved the knife with a tactical roll and reversing directions. ¡°I¡¯m getting closer than you are.¡±

    ¡°But we are just in the first phase of foreplay.¡± He said as Jack fired a round through the heart, the bullet merely puffing through smoke and hitting rock behind him.

    ¡°You cannot kill what you cannot find, Jack. Only she was able to find my heart, and not with a gun.¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, what do we do?¡± yelled Nicole.

    ¡°You just wait. The fight is about to get worse.¡± She said, looking worried. Demitri stepped to the left and right, separating into 2 of himself, both armed and moving differently, Gizzy with one knife and half a plan.

    ¡°How many hearts are you willing to break?¡± he asked her.

    ¡°All of them.¡± She said before grabbing her boot knife and stabbing herself in the chest, pulling out a blood soaked blade and sliding it over the other one, mixing her willingly sacrificed blood with Vicki¡¯s unwilling. ¡°Even my own.¡± She said.

    ¡°Then so you shall. The curse is yours.¡± He said as they both lunged forward to pincer her in the middle. Gizzy ducked and crossed arms, striking both of them in the heart and locking into position as they vanished into nothing. She stood up, stumbling back and noticing the knife in her neck, buried to the hilt and the second knife in her ribcage, also fully hilted.

    ¡°Jack¡­ hold the line.¡± She groggily said, staggering and landing back first against the pillar. The altar roared with flame and the fog took on a solid form, sprouting horns and wings, and the face of Vicki with one blue glowing eye. She turned to Jack as he aimed for the heart and held his breath, pulling the trigger on his last bullet. The solid thud of metal on meat at high velocity echoed as the room went pitch black. The sound of two soft footsteps forward and one back was the only thing in the silence and darkness, and then, the solid plop of a bloody body hitting the ground.

    ¡°Gizzy¡­ are you alive?¡± Jack asked into the dark. He felt the strange feeling he felt too many times, the feeling of a life leaving this world, and the sound of a second thud, much heavier, followed by the ear piercing sound of Nicole screaming, her eyes the only ones seeing in the pure darkness. Jack¡¯s heart sank, confused and unable to move from the pillar. Everything went fuzzy as he started to wonder if Gizzy had fallen, or of the bullet had gone though its target and struck someone behind it. The bullets that kill absolutely down to the soul. He tried to remember where everyone was standing and who was across the altar from him. It wasn¡¯t Gizzy. The echo of Nicole¡¯s screaming faded to its own form of silent blackness as his blood ran cold.

 Chapter Fifteen: Ghosts in The Void

    Vinn sat up, bumping his head on the glass of the cloning tank, opening it and stepping out.

    ¡°Dude, seriously?¡± he asked, annoyed and confused. ¡°I got my whole life without dying and then I die twice in a week¡­ unbelieveable.¡± He muttered while heading to the stairs, expecting to find Jack in the workshop, avoiding him awkwardly. He walked past the shuttle pod and the doors opened. Nicole was sobbing and Jack comforted her as she exited.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nicole!¡± Gizzy yelled as she pushed her violently out of the way. ¡°I thought the soul sacrifice was me. A soul for a bullet, another for the fall. It said nothing about Vinn, I was ready to die for you all, not give him up!¡± she objected.

    ¡°YOU SAID IT!!¡± Nicole yelled. ¡°You would give up multiple friends to complete the mission. And you did. You killed Demitri¡¯s ghost and my husband.¡±

    ¡°Jack fired the shot!¡±

    ¡°The shot you told him to take at all cost, and trust you. We trusted you, and he died for you. I don¡¯t have to forgive you for that.¡± She screamed.

    ¡°Guys! It¡¯s chill. I¡¯m back, we¡¯re all dead anyway.¡± Vinn joked. ¡°Seriously, it sucks but it¡¯s okay, I forgive you both. Shit happens and you get cloned back.¡± Vinn added, as Nicole walked right past him. He tossed his arms up, weirded out that she didn¡¯t hug him or greet him at all. ¡°Wow, no love for the dead hu? Jack, bro, it was an accident, you got the chaos god, we won, we¡¯re cool, honestly. It could have happened to any one of-¡± he said as Jack walked directly through him, like fog or nothing at all. Vinn paused and felt his chest for a heartbeat, feeling nothing and looking back at the cloning machine. The glass was still closed and the room was at a normal temperature. No frost, no signs that it had even been on at all. He looked down, fully clothed and leaving no wet hoofmarks, nor any sound as he stepped towards the shuttle. ¡°Gizzy¡­ you can see me, right?¡± he asked as she silently sat looking like she had regretted her entire life, tears and hollow sadness in her eyes, but no hint of a response. He reached out and passed his hand through her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m still dead¡­ guys, something fucked up, run the machine, you gotta start the clone and bring me back.¡± He said nervously as Gizzy strolled up to the machine and stared at it. He looked closer at the selection. Dee, Vicki, Jack, Nicole, and Gizzy. Not even his name. She pressed the screen and swiped, swiping again angrily trying to move the list up or down as nothing happened. She turned and punched the wall beside it as Dee walked through Vinn and to her side.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way you could have known. It¡¯s sweet that you¡¯re trying but¡­ I don¡¯t think you can fix it.¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Why does she blame me? I read the fucking text on the screen; it said NOTHING about someone else. I thought I was going to die for the willing sacrifice, it said blood of the unwilling, soul of the willing, and the shadow will fade to dust. I thought it meant Vicki¡¯s blood and my soul. Nobody else even knew, so nobody else could be willing. I SPECIFICALLY KEPT IT SECRET SO NOBODY COULD BE WILLING! FUCK!¡± she yelled hitting the wall again.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Dee ordered, hugging her. ¡°Vinn would have given his soul to save us, it must have counted somehow.¡±

    ¡°Jack fired the shot. Why does she even blame me when Jack fired the round that hit him? We all fucked up, but I¡¯m a piece of shit and Jack is comforting her? Pick a fucking lane and be consistent at least. She should be equally mad at us both and know neither of us wanted this. Was my part of the sacrifice of pain to be the blame?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, honey. It¡¯s all cryptic nonsense and evil prophesies meant to fuck with your head. Stop letting it win. You didn¡¯t do this. We all took the risks, we all went down there, and we all lost a friend.¡±

    ¡°No, you all trusted me. Nicole trusted me, Jack trusted me, Vinn trusted me. Jack trusted me to take the shot, Vinn trusted me to stand in the damn way, and Nicole trusted me when I gave the order to put a bullet through her husband, and now he¡¯s gone. It should have been me¡­¡± she said sadly, switching to just blankly.

    ¡°It should have been Vicki.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°It should have been Vicki. She¡¯s the only one who¡¯s turned on us left and right, the only one who refused to trust you and fought your plan. Maybe she fucked it up and poor Vinn who deserved better took the hit. Maybe she was supposed to be standing there. You saw it turn into her when Jack pointed the gun. He was supposed to shoot her. But she fought you, and she might have been standing there if she just trusted you and took her place like everyone else.¡±

    ¡°So Jack kills his wife and is a broken lonely shell instead of Nicole, and instead of me being the villain, he¡¯s his own villain? Dee, there was no mistake, I just fucked up. I misread something, I let us down, I thought I was offering my soul but I was offering myself as the guilty one, and I never knew Vinn would have to die¡­ but I said the words. She¡¯s right. I was willing to give up anything for the mission as long as I thought I could cheat the game and make sure it was me as the martyr. I have to be the martyr that dies gloriously and on my feet. I never thought that, for once, anyone else would feel the same way. Now I¡¯m the monster, and Vinn is the martyr. Nicole is broken, and Jack will never forgive himself. I¡¯ll never forgive myself. We won¡­ we just paid through the nose for it.¡± She said before trudging off to drink alone.

    ¡°But¡­ I forgive you.¡± Dee said as Vinn hung his head.

    ¡°Me too. I forgive you all.¡± Vinn said to nobody, walking down the hall of silent steps and dry tears. He made his way to his room, trying to open the door and just, rolling his eyes, walking through it. Nicole sat on the bed as Jack held her. He felt uncomfortable, almost angry with the way he was holding her. He almost felt guilty for even thinking it, until Jack kissed her. She pulled away, shaking her head and looking too familiar with it.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not right.¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Damn right it¡¯s not, Jack. That¡¯s my wife¡­ until death do us part.¡± He said, realizing the problem.

    ¡°Nicole, you¡¯re hurting. You need to heal.¡± Jack said softly. ¡°You need a friend.¡±

    ¡°BRO!¡± Vinn yelled. ¡°I¡¯ve been dead like 40 minutes. Give her a damn break.¡± He barked to nobody.

    ¡°Jack, I just can¡¯t do this right now. I know¡­¡± she said choking up ¡°I know we¡¯ve been doing this for a while, but I was going to break it to him when the time was right. I didn¡¯t know he was going to die. What if somehow I caused this, like some unknown sacrifice, or something in my heart wanting to leave him? I didn¡¯t want us to be together like this. I wanted to be gentle with him. I wanted the pain to be minimal.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it was¡­ Nicole he loved you more then anything. He would have never been the same, or happy again. Maybe he would have wanted this. To be the hero for us, rather than be alone to make you happy.¡±

    ¡°NO! NO I WOULDN¡¯T PREFER THIS!¡± Vinn barked. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± He said trying to grab a chair, grabbing for anything at all. ¡°You screw around with my wife, you lie to me, you shoot me in the fucking chest and then you steal my wife!¡± Vinn roared. ¡°JACK YOU BASTARD!¡± he said swinging for his head and missing everything.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°What about Vicki?¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°She¡¯ll have to understand. She doesn¡¯t need to know but she¡¯ll find out eventually and she¡¯ll have to either accept it or just¡­ be part of it.¡± he said, holding her close.

    ¡°Oh, you selfish dick, you think she¡¯s gonna be cool with it?¡± Vinn growled, leaning in close. ¡°I hope she bites your throat out and erases your clone file. You stab her in the back, you shoot me in the heart and then you swoop in on my widow, like a damn¡­ vampire. I hope she kills you slowly, Jack. Knowing Vicki, I¡¯ll get to see that soon. Nicole doesn¡¯t love you, she¡¯s just hurting and broken, you vulture.¡±

    ¡°Jack I love you, and I want this, us¡­ I have for months, Vinn and I fell apart long ago, he just never knew it. But I didn¡¯t want him dead. He was a friend. You¡¯re all friends, family, people I care for. It¡¯s too soon. I just need some time to process this. I just lost a very dear friend, and we can¡¯t bring him back. I¡¯ll need you when that settled in but it¡¯s too surreal right now."

    ¡°Friend?¡± Vinn said stepping back. ¡°Honey, we had a life, we were married, we were going to adopt a dog... I killed to protect you, I¡¯ve fought more then one monster for you and I¡¯m just a friend? Did you ever love me? You just got dragged into this mess and grabbed onto the strongest friend, didn¡¯t you? And now that¡¯s Jack, because you can''t see that he¡¯s a predator. He shot me, Nicole. HE killed me. Holy shit¡­¡± he gasped. ¡°Did he do that on purpose? Jack, you never miss. You never miss your marks, you¡¯ve split a 3 inch gap between heads at a thousand yards, and you didn¡¯t know I was behind the thing you were shooting with a damn armor piercing cannon? Jack, you murderous piece of shit. Why am I even surprised? You have to be the alpha male, always. You get what you fight for, and you lie and kill for a living when Gizzy gives the orders and she said to shoot. So you lined me up and you followed orders, and you threaded the needle like you always do, and nobody sees it. Jack, I am going to haunt you till Vicki kills you, and then when you end up here with me¡­ I¡¯m going to kill you too. I¡¯m going to enjoy it both times. You just sit there, thinking you won. Gizzy will never believe you planned that shot, but Vicki won¡¯t care. She¡¯ll just want blood. And for once, I agree with her completely. See you in hell soon, Jack. Real soon. Nicole¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ sorry I wasn¡¯t enough. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not the better soldier, and I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not here to protect you now. Just hang in there. Vengeance is coming, and she¡¯s already on the ship. He won¡¯t get away with this."

    ...

    Nicole stood in the lab, staring at the fridge and holding half a bottle of Gizzy¡¯s hundred proof vodka. She scanned for something stronger. Surely some weapon grade cocaine was in a tube somewhere, hidden from sight. She heard footsteps and grabbed 3 random vials, shutting the fridge and locking it. almost running into Gizzy on the way out the door.

    ¡°Thirsty little reptile?¡± Gizzy asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m aquatic, I need to hydrate. You gonna stop me?¡± she asked with a drunken attitude.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t drown in that. The goal is to float and feel numb, not sink and feel nothing permanently.¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck you. Your stupid sacrifice lead me to this, and you¡¯ve gone through 3 livers this trip. If I drown¡­¡± she said, challenging her. ¡°Clone me back like you do. This time you got permission. But don¡¯t you dare stand in my way, telling a captain she can¡¯t have what¡¯s on her ship when you gave the order that killed my husband.¡±

    ¡°Jack killed your husband. I gave the order to shoot the enemy. The alignment and timing was fate, or a curse, or some damned luck we all have.¡± She said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to hate me for this¡­ I have enough hate for myself. You¡¯re too precious and innocent to have this much hate. Let the monsters do the hating. We¡¯re better at it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m getting better. Maybe I just need some time for your training to kick in.¡± she said brushing past with her dinner.

    ...

    Vicki answered the door, expecting Jack and seeing a very drunk Nicole, and missing the dead Vinn following her.

    ¡°Someone is grieving with efficiency.¡± Vicki said nodding her in.

    ¡°Vicki, I need advice.¡±

    ¡°Tell her Jack is stalking you. Preying on your grief.¡± Vinn whispered softly.

    ¡°How do you kill and live with yourself? How do you do it?¡±

    ¡°Captain?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°How do you just bring death to someone and hand it over with a smile?¡± she said slumping over the bed and drifting off with the bottle in hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m a monster. That¡¯s how. I just work that way I guess. Monsters don¡¯t feel pain.¡± She said, getting up and storming down the hall as Vinn stayed with Nicole, pretending to pet her hair as she slept.

    ...

    Dee sat in the kitchen, jumping as Vicki barged in and acted like she was ordering a drink.

    ¡°We need to talk.¡± She demanded.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m doing okay in my grief too, thanks for asking. Glad to see you¡¯re coping. Have a beer.¡±

    ¡°Dee, we have a problem. You have a problem.¡±

    ¡°Is it you, because it seems like you sometimes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Vinn is dead. Vinn was a friend, but he was more than that. He was a source of satiation. You know Delmarian blood is stronger then human blood. It takes less to satisfy. You¡¯re not full of Vinn¡¯s blood anymore are you? You¡¯re full of human blood. You know how much human blood I need per feeding?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have Gizzy¡¯s fancy implant to curb that problem? Cloned blood bags.¡±

    "It¡¯s not the same. It¡¯s more then just nutrients, it¡¯s a hunt. You know the Captain has this crazy theory about you stealing my husband and me going feral, and nobody remembers it?¡±

    ¡°Some insane theory that makes no sense and a hunger fixation. What¡¯s your point exactly?¡±

    ¡°My point is that I can drain 2 humans of blood before a full feeding is done. Maybe it¡¯s just some crazy theory, but we have history, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Gizzy would fucking kill you if you hurt me or Jack. If you hurt us both for some stupid theory you overheard or misheard from a confused girl, what wouldn¡¯t she do to you?¡± Dee snarked back.

    ¡°You think your bodyguard scares me? If the theory is true, I¡¯ve killed her before, and nobody stopped me. I don¡¯t care of if you remember or not, if the speculation is true, nobody is going to save you, and I¡¯m getting hungry without Vinn and just thinking about you going after my Jack. If toasters have a god, you should pray that they¡¯re just rumors. Because you¡¯ve experienced me when I¡¯m hungry, and we¡¯ll be back there some time. You don¡¯t wanna see me when I¡¯m hungry and have a reason to be angry too. Accidents happen. I can¡¯t be held responsible for my medical conditions. I¡¯m grieving and I need to survive after all. If they had to clone you back, you wouldn¡¯t remember to tell anyone the details¡­ and then I¡¯d have to remind you¡­ over and over. That¡¯s just frustrating.¡± She smiled, baring her teeth all the while.

    ...

    Jack felt the aggressive impact of his shoulders into the headboard, grunting and looking up at red glowing eyes.

    ¡°You seem tired.¡± Vicki whispered. ¡°Just relax.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t relax. I just shot a friend.¡±

    ¡°Jack, it was an accident in combat. We both know the drill. You had orders, you followed the mission, casualties happen and we lost a friend. I¡¯m your wife, I¡¯m grieving too. You don¡¯t think a distraction is good for both of us?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I just have things on my mind.¡±

    ¡°Things you can talk about with your wife, or things you can¡¯t?¡± she asked darkly.

    ¡°Just things. Guilt, doubt, normal things to feel right now.¡±

    ¡°About Vinn?¡± she asked cryptically.

    ¡°Of course about Vinn.¡±

    ¡°Jack, you may be an assassin but you¡¯re my husband. I know when you¡¯re lying and there was your tell. Honestly, I could understand the temptation but your selection is just¡­ degrading.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you even mean.¡±

    ¡°Now that was right on the line. Kind of a lie, but not entirely. Jack, if you needed some variety you could have said so. But her? Jack, you¡¯re better than that, and frankly, I¡¯m insulted that your variety had to be such a downgrade from this. Men really don¡¯t have standards or types, do they? Just consensual and alive? Anything breathing that doesn¡¯t get up and leave? Oh don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not leaving you. Till death do us part, sweetie."

    ...

    Gizzy sat in the lab, dialing in some test scans as Jack entered unannounced and sat down.

    ¡°Jack, we both fucked up, we¡¯re both assholes and killers but it was an accident, and I don¡¯t wanna hear about it at the moment. I miss Vinn too.¡±

    ¡°This is about Vicki. I think she may be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Oh no shit, Sherlock, what gave you that impression, the body count or the fangs? She get a little rough and pop your shoulder out? Vinn usually sets that, doesn¡¯t he. I guess I¡¯m the doctor anyway on this ship. Sort of."

    ¡°I think she might try and kill someone.¡± He said as tools slammed down and her attention was now very focused.

    ¡°Why exactly do you think that?¡± she asked as Dee entered the lab and noticed Jack there.

    ¡°Oh perfect. You¡¯re both here. So why does Vicki have this weird theory that Jack and I were a couple and none of us remember it¡­  why is she threatening me?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Well, so much for memory wipes and protective secrets. Close the door. We have a bit to talk about, and it¡¯s not brief or something discussed in public. Have a drink, we¡¯re all gonna need one.¡±

 Chapter Sixteen: Paralysis

    ¡°So Vicki is going to kill us.¡± Dee said.

    ¡°Honestly, she may try. It seems like nothing we do takes out the evil in her. It¡¯s like the moment she left Delmar and entered deep space, she¡¯s been just an evil core slowly corrupting the body.¡±

    ¡°Vicki would never kill me.¡± Jack said firmly.

    ¡°You sure? Because before you lost your memory you weren¡¯t sure, you were so not sure that you stood beside Dee and pointed a gun at Vicki, shot her with a soul bullet. We may be right back to that Vicki or heading there. She hates Dee for stealing you to the point that she stole her body and shot her into space in an escape pod to slowly die alone. Nothing in the universe is worse then being semi immortal and lost alone in the void of space for an eternity. Even before she went full evil she had no problem feeding on Dee, ask her about those details if you wanna know your wife¡¯s darker side. Jack, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Vicki you married and fell in love with is back on Delmar with you, and whatever we brought with us is a different animal entirely. One that evolves and is capable of anything. Don¡¯t think for a second that she¡¯s the quiet human girl with cancer that you knew, who would never hurt you. How¡¯s your shoulder by the way?¡±

    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe she would even consider killing me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the problem. You just can¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t believe humans listen to Kanye West songs but they do. Just because it¡¯s an unthinkable, baffling, fluke of nonsense, doesn¡¯t make it not real. She¡¯s less Vicki every day and more something else that space has forged from hell, and you¡¯ve killed things that space has created and know how evil it is. You think 1 percent Vicki is enough pure goodness to overpower 99 percent of the shit we¡¯ve encountered? You believe that?¡± she asked. He silently pondered. ¡°I bet you an Osirian dollar she¡¯s tried to get into the artifact freezer, the shit in that freezer can turn anything evil, even if it wasn¡¯t already on the line. You wanna check the freezer and see how many times it¡¯s had a denied entry code?¡± she asked.

    ...

    They stared at the small pull-out screen on the freezer and their worst fears were confirmed.

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s 2 failed codes and one successful code. Dee, you didn¡¯t by any chance hack the freezer that only me and Nicole can get into normally, just as a goof, like ha ha here¡¯s the 3 missing vials of chaos god stuff, it¡¯s just a prank?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°Well then we have a much worse problem. That¡¯s impostor ink, the last of the cloned pitch that frankly nobody knew existed but me, and a DNA sample of the raven I concentrated from the quills.¡±

    ¡°Why are you keeping them?¡± Jack asked. ¡°I thought were destroying these things to keep them out of the hands of evil.¡±

    ¡°Jack, these are the only things left of the chaos gods, the most powerful primordial beings in existence that have all died off over millions of years. That kind of power could be harnessed and made inert and safe for so many things. The understanding of them, the pure science alone is beyond valuable. If we could reduce down the power of a chaos god into something good, we could do more than extend the universe, we could fix it.¡±

    ¡°Or we could just end up creating another chaos god, if it fell into the wrong hands again. Like Vicki.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I fucked up again. But you see why she is too dangerous to trust?¡±

    ¡°Gizzy, you are too dangerous to trust with these things. You have the right intentions but you said it yourself, even Vicki infused with this shit becomes an unstoppable evil. You¡¯re already far more evil than she was before we left. What if you got tempted to take them?¡±

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m the one who locked them up for safe keeping. Granted I failed, I keep failing all of us, but if I had better hiding spots, better security, and didn¡¯t have Vicki turning evil every other day and somehow finding these, they would be safe.¡±

    ¡°From everyone but you. It corrupted and tempted her in just a few weeks, and I know my wife. That¡¯s not her. She never wanted power or fortune or greed, she¡¯s a quiet girl that even hides from me sometimes to be alone and hidden safely away. If a few weeks have taken so much of her away that she¡¯s something else, what makes you think in a few months, a year, that your already grey mechanical heart won¡¯t just get tempted one time to use it and lose control? Even I¡¯ve wondered what that power would be like and what good we could do with it. We can¡¯t do good with something that evil.¡±

    ¡°Not with that attitude, everything breaks down to science in its simplest form. Everything can be purified and extracted and made better with enough drive and time and willpower. We just don¡¯t have the equipment on this ship. Apparently we don¡¯t even have the equipment to properly lock it up. I need more time and better tools and we just can¡¯t get there with Vicki setting us back.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not killing her. If you can extract evil from a vial of pure evil, you can extract evil from Vicki. Fix her, and then I¡¯ll believe you can fix the universe.¡± Jack said turning and leaving the room. Dee stood, looking horrified.

    ¡°Gizzy, I¡¯m scared.¡±

    ¡°You should be. We should all be. We both love Jack but he¡¯s too blinded by her to see the truth. She¡¯s gone. There¡¯s no Vicki left to save, just a monster left to grow. And I can¡¯t protect you every second of the day and still fix the problems we have. So you need to listen carefully and be strong.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like where this is going.¡±

    ¡°Neither do I but welcome to the shitshow. Here is my pistol. It¡¯s custom rebuilt to fire the 50 caliber rounds and it¡¯s loaded with one of the last soul bullets. If Vicki comes after you or Jack, you have every right to defend yourself and him. Do it. if she¡¯s still in there to save she won''t go that far, and if she goes that far, then she chose death and your life is worth defending as much as Jack and Nicole. If you have to, shoot the bitch. Aim for the heart.¡±

    ...

    Nicole sat in her room, still drinking and staring at a pile of Vinn¡¯s things.

    ¡°I know you can¡¯t hear me. I know you can¡¯t help me or protect me anymore but I know you¡¯d want me safe and happy. I know you¡¯d forgive me, you¡¯d forgive everyone, you always have¡­ but something evil is growing and I can¡¯t keep asking for help and expecting people to fight for me and protect me. Not with you gone.¡± She said softly.

    ¡°I¡¯m still here. Just be strong.¡± He pointlessly said to silence. "And I don¡¯t know what I was thinking. I forgive you. I forgive Jack, it must have been an accident, I forgive Gizzy for giving the order, and I can¡¯t be mad at you for moving on. Jack can protect you better than I ever did. Just hang on and be strong.¡± He begged. She took out the vials from her pockets and looked at them, not even sure what they contained. Gizzy¡¯s cryptic mislabeling to prevent temptations did little to slow her down. Her loneliness and desperation, the feeling of helplessness coupled with grief weighed on her too much in her drunken state. She opened the metal tubes in her hand and took a deep breath.

    ¡°Honey, what are you doing? Nicole listen to me, you don¡¯t need to do this, just keep them hidden, just trust Gizzy and Jack. They¡¯re killers and they know how to defend people, just let them do their job. Please don''t do this. It could kill you, Nicole please just once hear me, feel something, just¡­FUCK, anything!¡± He desperately said, trying to punch and kick objects to get her attention. Yelling and trying to be heard as she tipped the tubes up and drank all 3, chasing it with a shot of vodka and waiting to see what happened, not really caring what the results were, because anything was better than being alone and helpless. And then the room began to fade to black. She couldn¡¯t breathe, she couldn¡¯t struggle or choke or move, just the feeling of dying and drowning all over again as she realized her mistake, the labeling was wrong, and she felt the cold presence of the pitch again, spreading out through her insides and filling every cell. And then was sober, awake, numb. Her body too heavy to move, but it stood up on its own. She tried to sit back down but her legs were taking steps and her hands were moving to hide the vials in a bag, as if she was covering her tracks automatically. She was a prisoner in her own mind, able to see and feel and her memory open and exposed, but something else was driving, and remembering and she couldn¡¯t even scream in her own head or thrash to fight it. She was just an observer sharing the feedback, and whatever was the pilot was already on the move. She walked down the hall, bottle in hand, spotting Gizzy and trying to scream for help.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°There you are. We have a problem, follow me.¡± Gizzy said as she did without hesitation, silently and obediently. They went to Vicki¡¯s room, knocking and entering with override codes.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s about to go full chaos god.¡± Gizzy said quietly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, doesn¡¯t that usually take time?¡± Nicole said without wanting to.

    ¡°Not if she has the extracts. We have to find them before she takes them, hopefully she is storing them for later and not just downed them on the spot.¡± Gizzy said while checking every drawer and cabinet. Nicole discreetly tucked the empty tubes under the mattress and pretended to search the room.

    ¡°What do you mean¡­ extracts? I thought you stopped experimenting on the artifacts.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I cloned some of the impostor ink, extracted the death angel wings and made synthetic pitch. She shouldn¡¯t have even know it existed, let alone how to get in the place she didn¡¯t know it was hidden, but it¡¯s gone and I would know if I took it myself. I¡¯m not that stupid or insane." she said while checking the bad and pulling out 3 empty metal tubes. ¡°Well, fuck everything.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me those are empty.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯d prefer I lie and keep you in the dark?¡±

    ¡°Oh god, we¡¯re all dead.¡± Nicole said, reacting exactly in the manner she would, without being able to stop herself. Her very personality was now open to sampling and her memory and emotions, unlocked and on display for whatever was in control. ¡°Do we have any soul bullets left?¡±

    ¡°Two¡­ and Dee has them. If she goes after anyone first it would be Dee. You¡¯re her friend, she loves Jack, and I can stand my ground with her long enough to buy time. Dee is a sitting duck.¡±

    ¡°I need one of those bullets.¡± She said, feeling the sudden urge to put one in Gizzy for some reason. She realized the greater threat and the only one who could potentially reveal or pull out some insane backup plan, secret weapons, clone army. Gizzy always had multiple plans she never trusted anyone to know. She was the biggest threat; Vicki was just the assumed villain.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, that bullet kills and you don¡¯t. Giving you a bullet you won¡¯t use is pointless. Dee will at least defend herself. Frankly, I don¡¯t think you have the killer drive in you to shoot one of the crew, especially someone you believe deep down is still your friend and can be saved. Not everyone can be. She¡¯s been gone this entire trip. Dee hates her, she¡¯s not a natural killer but Jack wont shoot Vicki, and Dee will defend any of you from her of she has to. She needs the bullets.¡±

    ¡°So Jack doesn¡¯t have any, and you don¡¯t have any. Our biggest hitters and most skilled killers don¡¯t have any bullets, and the one person that can take down a chaos god is Dee?¡±

    ¡°Sounds bad, doesn¡¯t it? That¡¯s because it is bad, but it¡¯s the least bad of the other options. She¡¯s the only one who won¡¯t hesitate, and Vicki won¡¯t expect me to give her both. That means she assumes I have one and Dee has one, and if Dee misses the first shot, her cocky ass will toy with her, never knowing she has another one till she¡¯s point blank. I want her cocky and thinking she¡¯s won.¡±

    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t expect me to have one either.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t risk it. I can¡¯t lose Dee because she got scared and missed the first round, while you have the other and can¡¯t pull the trigger.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I promise I can.¡± Nicole smirked.

    ¡°Yeah, you believe that, I don¡¯t. Military emergency overrides Captains orders, so¡­ sorry. Maybe on the next mission you can murder someone and prove me wrong."

    ...

    Jack sat up from the bed, grabbing his gun and pointing at the door.

    ¡°Jack, it won¡¯t help.¡± Nicole said before pulling him back down to the bed. ¡°If she finds us together, we die together. I¡¯d rather die with you than die alone anyway and that gun won¡¯t stop her.¡±

    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe she took the vials, after every time we¡¯ve brought her back."

    ¡°Jack, she¡¯s like an addict. How many people on meth get clean in jail and get out, only to go right back to it? The power is addictive, she¡¯s never been clean of it, and it stays.¡±

    ¡°It makes no sense, Gizzy said the bullets kill the soul. And if I shot Vicki with one and killed the pitch, it should be erased from existence and gone, all traces of it. If we reset her then it should be only Vicki. And how did Gizzy clone the pitch back if all traces of it should have died with the bullet?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it either. Maybe the pitch died and its power remained, waiting for a host. Maybe Vicki was always evil and hungry for power and this is just her given the power to be what she wants to be.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. The woman I fell in love with is an angel, the only reason she did what she did is because it wasn¡¯t her. So what is she? How is any of this possible?¡±

    ¡°Jack, I¡¯ve never seen you scared before, but I¡¯ve seen you lie before. You always do that before a mission when you say it will be okay and you don¡¯t really believe it. So why are you terrified and lying to me?¡±

    ¡°Am I so easy to read that everyone knows when I¡¯m lying now?¡±

    ¡°Jack, we all know you. Even an assassin has tells and signs when he¡¯s bluffing and we know you better then anyone. What are you most afraid of?¡±

    ¡°I thought it was losing her, but if Gizzy is right I lost her already and just moved on to Dee, and here I am in bed with you. So clearly I¡¯m not the man I thought I was under the worst conditions. I think it¡¯s because deep down I know I can live without her and I can¡¯t let her know that, because she will kill me. I¡¯m terrified of my wife, Nicole. Or the monster that took her over, or whatever is happening in that body and mind of hers. The woman I loved and trusted with my life has to be gone, because that thing scares me. I¡¯m alive because IT believes what she did¡­ that I would never hurt her and that I trust and follow her blindly. And I don¡¯t. Both times I knew in the back of my mind and the bottom of my heart, despite the denial and the lying to myself, that she is gone and I can be happy with someone else, Dee or you. You were always my friend, I always loved you and trusted you, but my heart was Vicki¡¯s alone and you had Vinn so I grabbed the only thing left, a robot with the body of someone I barely even tolerated that was female and attractive and tolerable, and I was almost happy. With Vinn gone and you alone, I have to protect you, and I¡¯m the reason he¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°Jack, don¡¯t. It was an accident. Even I don¡¯t believe you could have ever known it would happen and if you didn¡¯t take the shot, we may all be dead. You did what you had to do and Vinn was just¡­ unlucky? Chosen by fate? Selected to torment me specifically? He died for us, and you did NOTHING evil to hate yourself for. If I can¡¯t hate you for that, you can¡¯t hate yourself. We¡¯re survivors. We move on. We heal, we adapt.¡±

    ¡°So my love for Vicki was empty and meaningless survival, and anyone would do. Even a robot. I guess she must be pretty great in bed because she kept me around and then when I was taken away she hooked Gizzy and kept her. Hyper intelligent AI in the body of a literal sex machine we all see as a familiar face. Potent combo for the lonely and lost souls adrift on a ship of lost loves and no hope. But she¡¯s not you. The thing that hurts me the most is knowing I¡¯m not capable of love, just survival and killing, and the closest thing I ever had to true love is the thing I fear the most because I can''t kill her and I cant fix her, and if she knew this, I have no doubt she would kill me, and in a slow and painful manner. Death never frightened me. Being murdered by the ghost of my only love scares me, and being slowly killed for vengeance by someone who knows how to hurt me¡­ that¡¯s a death I¡¯ve never known I was afraid of. Bullets and bombs are fast. Vicki takes her time. What scares you the most?¡±

    ¡°I thought it was losing Vinn but now that he¡¯s gone, losing myself is even scarier. Seeing Vicki lose herself and all control, killing her best friends and betraying everything she knows while she helplessly watches. What could be scarier than that?¡± she asked, as if taunting the Nicole inside her head, making sure she knew just how lost she was. Despite the pain and the fear, no tears were shed from her eyes. The body wasn¡¯t hers anymore. Not even subconsciously.

 Chapter Seventeen: Bloodbath

    Nicole stood in her bathroom, staring into the mirror. Her face slowly morphed into Vicki¡¯s face as she checked the details, turning back into Nicole and back to Vicki to see how quickly she could do it.

    ¡°Jack, it¡¯s me, your wife.¡± She said several times, changing the mannerism a little to get it right, the little voice in her head silently screaming as she literally became what she feared the most, giggling as she got the voice down and started to convince herself it seemed right. There was a knock on the door, she smiled and hollered ¡°come in¡± as Nicole again. Vicki entered the room, gun behind her back and acting suspicious.

    ¡°You said it was an emergency.¡± Vicki said.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna need you to just wait a second right there," she said, taking her time as Vicki stood unknowingly under the memory cone at the top of the doorway.

    ¡°Look, I think Gizzy is conspiring against me. I know I¡¯ve done some things in the past but I wasn¡¯t myself. You have to understand that. Gizzy is volatile.¡±

    ¡°O,h she¡¯s always been volatile, that¡¯s who she is. Her conspiring is nothing new and trust me, I understand you weren¡¯t yourself.¡± She said, stepping out and remotely locking the door. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need some things from you. Can you say the phrase: Jack, I¡¯m your wife. Like your life was about to end?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Vicki asked,

    ¡°That¡¯s an order, actually. And if that wasn¡¯t motivating enough¡­¡± she said, drawing a gun and pointing it in her face. ¡°You¡¯re a killer, so you know what kind of bullets I¡¯m carrying. Dee doesn¡¯t even know the difference between my gun and hers if you gave her a hint. You¡¯ll thank me for that later, actually. Well, maybe not.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not Nicole.¡±

    ¡°I am, I¡¯m just improved. 5 seconds or we find out if these silencers work with soul bullets.¡±

    ¡°Jack¡­ I¡¯m your wife.¡± She hesitantly said, slowly reaching for her own gun.

    ¡°See, that¡¯s what I was missing, that little breathy F at he end. You always did have that weird inflection on some words. Jack, I¡¯m your wife.¡± Nicole said in a nearly perfect copy of her.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Vicki asked as Nicole pulled a syringe from her pocket, removing the cap and displaying a tube of black and white swirling liquid.

    ¡°I¡¯m US¡­ or about to be.¡± She smiled as Vicki quick drew and put 2 rounds in her chest. Nicole rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance, stepping closer as Vicki¡¯s eyes went red and she took a defensive pose.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not going to help anything. You¡¯re familiar with why. You were a good host but¡­ damned if you just don¡¯t make people like you or trust you. It¡¯s almost like you¡¯re kind of a bitch and everyone knows it. Even Jack, and¡­ we¡¯re his wife.¡± She said before lunging and stabbing Vicki with the syringe, giving her a dose and then stabbing the needle into a different spot on her back, drawing blood and holding her up.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Vick wheezed.

    ¡°Oh, now stop being dramatic. Big tough vampire like you unable to stand up after a tiny dose like that? Even little Nicole handled it better. You aren¡¯t as strong as you think, you just rely on everyone else. You let Jack fight your battles and clean your messes, you let Gizzy back you up and then you let her down and turn on her. The only thing you ever had that made you anything but a sad lonely girl with cancer was the venom that made you special. And you resented that. So I¡¯m taking some of it.¡± Nicole said before squirting the syringe into her mouth and closing her eyes. When she opened them, her eyes were bright red.

    ¡°Oh now that¡¯s the final little ingredient. Impostor, Raven, Pitch, and now Vampire. I¡¯m everything you ever were at your finest, and without the uncontrollable stupidity to display it like a target," the creature posing as Nicole said as her eyes encircled in blue and her skin turned black, flowing like liquid armor, while glowing blue wings unfolded from her back as the beautiful blue angel of death causally propped Vicki up, now wheezing and eyes red.

    ¡°You gotta learn that even when you have a winning hand, you don¡¯t just show it to everyone. That¡¯s how you lose the game. And you just lost again. Oh Vicki, I really wish you could get to remember that I won, and you weren¡¯t enough, and that Jack chose you over me, and the last thing he¡¯ll remember is me, as you¡­ drain him dry." Vicki limply clawed her arm and tears dripped from her face as she tried to fight the cocktail of drugs in her veins. ¡°But again, always keep your cards hidden and your anger under control. Nicole is so much more intelligent, focused, and precise than you ever were. You¡¯re a loose cannon like Gizzy, just smaller and weaker. Bye now.¡± the creature said while pushing Vicki against the wall and retracting the wings, returning to a normal looking Nicole. The memory cone stopped humming.

    ¡°Like I was saying¡­ Vicki are you listening? I¡¯m worried about you. Go rest up, have a shower, get some sleep, but get something to eat. You really look unhealthy.¡± She said, opening the door as Vicki staggered out in a confused daze. Her eyes were still red. Her thirst for blood was in full swing and barely under control. She knew with Vinn dead and no serum, someone needed to get bitten and the choice was clear to her.

    ...

    Jack heard the door open mid sip and the footsteps made him almost question of it was Nicole or Vicki. He turned to see Vicki standing there looking rather fetching in her straps and tactical pouches, but missing most of the other clothing.

    ¡°Vicki, I¡¯m just not in the mood.¡± He said finishing his drink and staring out the view window.

    ¡°But Jack¡­ I¡¯m your wife.¡± She said sadly. ¡°Don¡¯t you love me anymore? Is there something else bothering you?¡± she said running her hands over his shoulders.

    ¡°Killing Vinn and carrying that guilt isn¡¯t enough for me to be a little bit depressed and not exactly just jumping at the chance for sex?¡±

    ¡°What if I was Nicole?¡± she asked him darkly. His heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°You know I almost just said something like, I don¡¯t know what you mean, but you know when I¡¯m lying and that¡¯s a pretty direct statement to lie to.¡±

    ¡°You never did love me, Jack.¡± She said tightening her grip on his shoulders. And leaning closer. ¡°Just admit it.¡±

    ¡°I did once. Before you changed."

    ¡°Then it¡¯s probably going to hurt a little telling you this, but I never did love you at all.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°Bullshit. That¡¯s just the thing you are now talking. Vicki loved me before we left Delmar. After that, everything isn¡¯t as clear."

    ¡°Jack, you were an escape. You were a hunky, dreamy ticket out of dying. The moment we met I could see you were a kind heart, and I used that because I wanted to live. You got me to Delmar. You got me to technology to cure my cancer and you saved my life. And that¡¯s all you were. A survival ticket and a kind heart who couldn¡¯t resist someone in distress. The moment I found out you were a killer, I was afraid of you, too afraid to leave you, thinking you might just put a hit on me.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°How can you think I would do that?¡± Jack asked, cut to the core.

    ¡°Because you kill people, Jack. You killed me once, you just don¡¯t remember it, but I promise you I do. You¡¯re not a hero, you¡¯re a hired gun with a family curse of insatiable death-seeking behavior, with no parents and nobody to love you. So I pretended to love you and the day I got bitten and turned I realized I¡¯m no longer weak and need to pretend. I was as dangerous as you. So I wanted it to work Jack, but I just never truly loved you and you stopped loving me long ago, if you ever did love me at all. Face it Jack, we¡¯re both just heartless monsters that hunt and survive. You¡¯re a survivor, aren¡¯t you? You adapt, you do the mission and you move on. You saved the dying girl and when she could take care of herself without you, you didn¡¯t want her anymore.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°Just because you don¡¯t believe it doesn¡¯t make it a lie, you just convinced yourself you deserved me. You were gonna leave me and go on this mission alone, but I convinced you to tag along. You wanted to escape, deep down. Find someone else and be the hero again. When Dee was alone, when Nicole was alone. Jack, you¡¯re a predator, you just don¡¯t know it. You don¡¯t kill and eat your prey, you just leave them lonely and sad, wondering why they weren¡¯t enough. You¡¯re no better than me, you¡¯re just less hungry.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ whether or not that¡¯s true and whether or not I believe it, does it help to say I¡¯m sorry and I never meant to hurt anyone?¡±

    ¡°You never meant to hurt Vinn but you knew where he was standing and you took the shot and followed orders. Does that make Nicole feel better? She loved Vinn. You took that from her and presented yourself, and you would get bored with her and break her heart too. I¡¯m just making it quicker for her and painful for you. You¡¯ve never been the hero, Jack. Only in your own mind. So tell me why, knowing that you deserve to die for everything you did, do you still tremble in fear from me?¡±

    ¡°Because you know how to hurt me. Dying isn¡¯t what scares me, It¡¯s everything you do before that moment that does. I¡¯ve feared you a little bit since you turned vampiric, and I knew you were capable of killing me if you wanted. I just never thought you¡¯d want to. And now I gave you a reason to want to. I don¡¯t suppose even asking to make it quick will help me at all?¡± he asked as she playfully and softly bit his neck.

    ¡°Not in the slightest.¡± She whispered.

    ...

    Dee jumped a little as the doors shut. She turned around and saw Vicki looking ravenous, pulling the gun and aiming at her, thinking it was loaded with something useful, never checking the barrel or the magazine to see the smaller caliber that Nicole carried.

    ¡°Vicki, I know we don¡¯t like each other but you don¡¯t have to do this. I don¡¯t WANT to kill you, I don¡¯t WANT to do that to Jack, but I want to live and I¡¯m ready to defend myself if you force me. So don¡¯t force me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not personal, I just need to feed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, you always feed on me so it feels personal, and after that little speech last time, I¡¯m loaded with nastier ammo. So vampire or not, if you get closer, I¡¯ll put you down and apologize to Jack. He won¡¯t like it but he¡¯ll forgive me.¡±

    ¡°You and him really did fuck around when I was gone, didn¡¯t you? The rumor, the conspiracy, it¡¯s just the truth. Memory wipes and lies, nobody can trust anyone anymore. Vinn is dead, and I¡¯m hungrier than I should be. What would you prefer, I go after Nicole or Jack, kill them, or just repeat what we¡¯ve done before?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t a person before. I have rights and feelings now and Nicole may be a pacifist and unable to kill people but the last time someone cornered me with a gun, I defended myself and I don¡¯t regret it. You scare the hell out of me. You always have, and the only thing scarier than knowing you wanna kill me is knowing that afterwards you¡¯ll go kill Jack.

    ¡°You stupid fucking toaster. I¡¯d never kill Jack. I love Jack. I would kill anyone on this ship to save Jack, and that includes you, which is why I came here. I can¡¯t control this, if I lose myself and hurt Jack I¡¯ll never forgive myself, but if I kill you after stealing him from me¡­ I think I might just get over it. So stop being so selfish and take one for the team, because if you shoot me, you hurt Jack. If I leave and lose control, I might hurt Jack.¡± She said fighting tears and the urge to kill at the same time. Her mind pivotied from sheer animal hunger to petty vengeance to genuine concern for the man she loved. Dee¡¯s phone went off. She stood, ignoring it as they stared one another down like a hunter and wild animal, debating on who should turn or fight first, and who was defending who for what reason. Dee finally picked the phone up, holding it up so she could see without moving her aim from Vicki¡¯s heart. Dee broke down into a gaze of disbelief, almost dropping the gun as she watched the video play of Vicki dragging Jack¡¯s headless body through his room, her face covered in blood. She approached the camera eyes glowing red and smiling, raising a middle finger and cutting the video. Dee dropped the phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s not real.¡± She said barely forming words. ¡°You¡¯re just fucking with me.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°You already killed Jack. That¡¯s why there¡¯s blood on your shirt. Are you trying to trick me? Did you fake it to get me to shoot first? Is that the plan? She shot me first so I killed her, the robot went nuts and poor Vicki defended herself a little bit too hard? You¡¯re insane. He¡¯s not dead, he can¡¯t be dead.¡± She sobbed.

    ¡°Dee, what are you talking about? I went to see the Captain under her orders and on the way back I just got hit with the hunger¡­¡± she said pausing to remember what they even talked about, and why she had blood on her shirt. ¡°I would remember if I killed Jack, especially to fuck with you. I¡¯m not a monster who would kill the man I love, just a monster that would kill you to survive.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even remember it? You just blacked out from hunger and killed Jack and came for seconds and you don¡¯t even remember it?¡± Dee asked.

    ¡°Oh my god he''s actually dead? We have to clone him back, Vicki. You need to be locked up for everyone¡¯s safety. You can¡¯t control yourself, you don¡¯t even know when you ARE yourself.¡± Dee said ¡°You know what¡­ I¡¯m sick of it. I¡¯m sick of you and everyone living in fear around you. Jack may be better off without you. I¡¯m gonna clone him back and he¡¯ll be fine, but you¡¯re not. These are the kind of bullets that killed Vinn and you don¡¯t come back from that. So fuck you Vicki. You psychotic blackout murdering bitch. Jack deserves someone better than you. Literally anyone. I¡¯m doing him a favor. All of us.¡± She said firing two shots center mass as Vicki looked up, both confused and impressed.

    ¡°You actually shot me.¡± She growled. Dee froze with fear, unable to understand how she could survive 2 bullets that can kill a god. She dropped the gun. Accepting her fate, realizing they were all doomed. Vicki sprinted, jumping the table and biting her neck, pinning her to the wall and tossing her aside. ¡°I¡¯m gonna make this one last.¡± She snarled.

    ...

    Nicole strolled down the hallway with a demented skip to her step, twirling a bag full of grenades merrily. She smiled a fanged grin and began arming them. She started the timer, checking her remote to be sure and checking the security cams, deleting the ones down the hall and leaving the one in front of the cloning machine. She popped her neck and phased into Vicki, rounding the corner and into the camera range, placing the grenades over the machine and securing them with tape. She strolled down the hallway, turning the cameras off as she went and corrupting the data across the ship. She grabbed her bag of supplies and placed them in the escape pod. She tossed a bag of grenades into the next escape pod and stepped into the first one. Checking her trajectory again and making sure it was right. She closed the door and waited with a smile, turning back into Nicole and practicing her crying. Smearing her makeup and looking terrified. She looked in the reflection of the glass and Nicole inside locked eyes with herself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry sweetie. It¡¯s all an act. We¡¯ll be just fine together, it will all be over soon and we have hundreds of years to get to know each other. This is just the beginning for us, we just have to make it look like the end. But it¡¯s just part of the plan. You¡¯re safe with me¡­ forever.¡± She said to herself, suddenly going from a smile to a look of horror, pounding on the glass and ejecting both pods together. ¡°HELP SOMEONE HELP ME!!! VICKI IS TAKING OVER THE SHIP!!¡± she screamed frantically ¡°SHE¡¯S PLANTED BOMBS EVRYWHERE¡­¡± she said before curling up and sobbing frantically. ¡°Even in the escape pods.¡± She whimpered, cutting the feed and pressing the remote. The pod beside her exploded. She watched calmly, wiping her face as the other escape pods popped and ejected, detonating as they cleared the ship, all except hers. The grenades taped to the cloning machine detonated, shattering the glass and trashing the open DNA file and memory ports. She sat down and got comfortable, checking her trajectory path.

    ¡°And now that we¡¯re dead, we just take a nice nap until we reach our destination. I know a week in an escape pod seems a bit claustrophobic but you¡¯ll get used to that. Pretty soon you¡¯ll realize how much fun we are going to have, and it will all be worth it. You¡¯ll see." the creature said while admiring her bag of stolen artifacts. ¡°We¡¯re gonna be best friends now. And nobody can ever hurt you again.¡±

 Chapter Eighteen: Two Monsters in a Barrel

    Gizzy woke up to the sound of the ship rattling with a series of explosions and alarms. She grabbed her rifle, suddenly wishing she had given herself one soul bullet instead of giving Dee both of them.

    ¡°Jack I¡¯m sorry, but she has to die. Forgive me or not, I¡¯m erasing the bitch from existence again until it sticks.¡± She said climbing the ladder to the engine room and up into the main ship, now filled with smoke and alarms.

    ¡°Vicki, what the hell did you do?¡± she asked loudly. She rushed down the hallway checking doors and finding them all locked. She headed for the stairwell and froze with horror as she saw the remains of the clone machine, blown to shit.

    ¡°Vicki you piece of shit, you just doomed us all." She ran to the bridge, shooting her way through the door with a grenade round and climbing through the hole, to find the control panel open and the book gone, just a blank screen and loose wires. She tried to manually power the computer and it flickered to life.

    ¡°Medusa, report damage.¡±

    ¡°Engines disabled, weapons disabled, all ejection pods ejected. Storage containers 1-14 ejected.¡±

    ¡°Every one except the one I sleep in? The lab, bio-lab, the grow tanks, the fucking robot supply storage, all of it?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°Unlock the doors.¡±

    ¡°Doors locked under emergency protocol. Captain''s override.¡±

    ¡°That makes no sense, Nicole wouldn¡¯t do that, and how did Vicki get the damn access codes?¡±

    ¡°Unable to answer.¡±

    ¡°Life signs, vitals, is anyone dead or injured?¡±

    ¡°Unable to answer. Life support scanner damaged.¡±

    ¡°Security camera feeds.¡±

    ¡°Unable to comply. Security feeds corrupted and disabled, under Captain''s override code.¡±

    ¡°Son of a bitch, how did she just take the whole damn ship while I was asleep? Is everyone held hostage? Did she not realize I was in crate 15? What can you tell me? Damnit, what do you know!?¡±

    ¡°Life support and oxygen operational, shuttles have not left the shuttle bay, oxygen leaks contained and sealed. Fire suppression 52 percent operational.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll find her myself.¡± Gizzy said before rushing down the hallway and finding the elevator broken. She made her way through the long route, to the stairwell and up to the upper deck and to find the shuttles both inoperable and full of craters from grenades, The lights flickered as she passed the snail tank, seeing Candice cowering at the bottom. Gizzy didn¡¯t see a single other person on her way through the ship.

    ¡°Where the hell is everyone? Did everyone escape in the pods and forget me?¡± she asked, feeling a deep sense of dread and loneliness at the idea that she might be alone on a dying ship, with no engines or shuttles to go pick up the ejected pods. She grabbed the cutting torch from the workshop and began searching rooms, cutting her way through doors and yelling for anyone, hoping for a reply. She got to the mess hall and cut the sliding door locks, opening it up and standing there staring at a freshly painted room, now floor to ceiling decorated with a new red and spattered motif, the tables broken and flipped, holes in some of them as if riddled with stray gunfire. She closed her eyes, feeling almost afraid to enter for some reason, gun down and in a state of shock and disbelief until she heard movement.

    ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s there, are you hurt?¡± she asked as she dragged the table out of the way and saw Vicki sitting on the floor, painted red. Her hands dug to the scalp in her hair, head down and barely breathing, silent and oddly calm.

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just me.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean it wasn¡¯t JUST you?¡± Gizzy asked, shouldering her gun.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s something else on the ship. I don¡¯t know what it is or where it is, so I just hid. All I did was come here and¡­ everything else was something else. I haven¡¯t left the room.¡±

    ¡°What did this? A clone of you, some enemy ship, or are you just trying to lie to me?¡±

    ¡°I swear, I don¡¯t know what happened to the ship.¡± She sobbed, shaking and terrified. ¡°I heard explosions, nobody came for me, I thought I was alone.¡±

    ¡°What happened in this room?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ You won¡¯t believe me even if I tell you the truth.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the truth out one way or another, so I highly advise you just save time and pain by trying it anyway.¡±

    ¡°Dee¡­ lost her mind or something. She shot me first, I think she may have killed Jack.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. Shooting you makes sense, but if she shot you, you¡¯d be all kinds of dead. I gave her my gun, and 2 soul bullets, specifically for you, if you gave her no choice.¡±

    ¡°Well then you fucked up, because that wasn¡¯t your gun.¡± She chuckled sadly. Gizzy picked her up by the neck and stood her to the wall, pinning her with the gun barrel and letting go of her throat just to let her speak.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°I gave her my gun, I checked the bullets. What did you do?¡±

    ¡°I defended myself.¡±

    ¡°Not good enough.¡± She said, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her to the medlab and slamming her on the table. She stuck the gun to her chin and began digging through the drawers for something, taking out a syringe and strapping her down.

    ¡°Wait!¡± she warned.

    ¡°Too late for that.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, let me explain before you ask the wrong questions and kill me.¡± She begged.

    ¡°I¡¯m sick of lies. So let¡¯s try this a different way.¡± She said giving her the truth serum without hesitation as Vicki flopped her head back, giving up any hope of survival. ¡°Okay, so you tell me what you wanna tell me, and I¡¯ll listen now.¡±

    ¡°Something else set the explosives and attacked the ship. You need to¡­¡± she said choking up and struggling to talk. ¡°See if Jack is alive.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I think he¡¯s dead but I wasn¡¯t there. Please just go find him and tell me he¡¯s alive. Check our room. Please¡± she begged.

    ¡°He better be alive, because whoever set the bombs took out the cloning machine. Whoever is left is all that¡¯s left.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ No, you can fix it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t fix this, it¡¯s not an Osirian machine I know how to repair, and it¡¯s alien tech borderline magic that runs off a missing book someone ripped from the broken console. I wouldn¡¯t know how to repair it if I had a working ship and full crew and a wish left. It¡¯s gone. Whoever is dead is dead, and whoever escaped in the pods is just out there helpless¡­ I¡¯m going to the room. If Jack is alive, and he better be, we¡¯ll deal with you, and whatever you did in here. She better be alive, too.¡± Gizzy growled rushing down the hall and lighting the torch. She cut the hinges and kicked in the door, taking a few steps in and stopping, turning around and closing her eyes. She stepped into the hall and leaned on the opposing stone wall, pressing her head to the cold masonry and sniffing beck the urge to lose her mind. She calmed her thoughts heading back down to the lab as she barged in, grabbing another syringe to be sure and dosing Vicki.

    ¡°Where is Jack?¡± she asked Gizzy.

    ¡°Is Dee alive¡­ answer me.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ is Jack alive?¡± she sobbed.

    ¡°How do you not know the answer to that? How do you not know if he¡¯s alive or not.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to answer that. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s dead, please just tell me he¡¯s alive, PLEASE!¡± she screamed.

    ¡°Jack is dead. You should know that pretty confidently since his body is ten feet from his head.¡± She said as Vicki slammed her head back and went silent. Her entire will to function shut down.

    ¡°You can¡¯t fix the machine, and Jack is dead.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°Just kill me.¡± She asked softly. ¡°You¡¯re gonna kill me anyway and Jack is gone, so what¡¯s the point in even struggling? I don¡¯t even want to defend myself. I killed Dee. I killed her and it wasn¡¯t an accident. I don¡¯t know what happened to the rest of the ship and the crew, and it doesn¡¯t matter because Jack is dead and I killed Dee.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Gizzy asked

    ¡°Because I was hungry. I blacked out, I don¡¯t know where I was, and I needed to feed and Vinn is gone, so it was either kill Nicole, kill Jack, or feed on Dee and maybe she would survive. I didn¡¯t have any choice. I tried to tell her, she started stating things that made no sense, saying something about Jack and asking if I killed him. And I just rushed her. She shot me, I killed her. Then the doors closed and locked down, things started exploding and I was too scared to check the phone. That¡¯s all I know. Something hit us hard, and the ship is damaged and you¡¯re going to kill me, because even if you believe that all of this was something else and not me¡­ I still killed Dee and I don¡¯t know if I regret that because of what you¡¯re going to do, or if I regret that in general. So just kill me for her and go find whatever else is on this ship and hopefully Nicole, alive¡­ but I seriously doubt it if it did that to Jack and knew to take out the cloning machine.¡±

    ¡°You know my theory?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± She admitted.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re just evil somewhere down in the core. I think you crave the power and that¡¯s why you took the vials. You can¡¯t control yourself, you need it, like an addict. And you can¡¯t stop because powerless little Vicki got a taste of evil and power when she got bitten, and the radiation just made you worse.

    ¡°What vials?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what you¡¯ve done. The blackouts are no excuse. You took the samples from the lab weather you know it or not. You drank them, and I can test that¡­¡± she said taking a blood sample and turning on the scanner, tapping it to get it to work. ¡°Confirmed. Imposter blood, raven DNA, and pitch in your system.¡± Gizzy said as Vicki went limp and cold.

    ¡°Then you have to kill me anyway. If I don¡¯t know I¡¯m stealing it then I can¡¯t stop myself and I¡¯m dangerous.¡±

    ¡°You took the vials, you blacked out, and you killed Jack.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t, Why would I do that?¡±

    ¡°You killed Jack, you killed Dee, you rigged the ship and you probably killed Nicole too. Maybe you killed her when she wouldn¡¯t authorize the book codes. Maybe you killed her randomly but I highly doubt we find her alive and I¡¯m just curious¡­ why the hell did you leave me alive? You¡¯re smarter than that. Why didn¡¯t you kill me first, take out the machine, and then take out the crew? Why did you leave me alive, and eject the storage containers except the one I was asleep in. That is the obvious first move, why didn¡¯t you kill me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t want to kill Jack, or Nicole. I didn¡¯t even want to kill Dee, I just needed to feed and I lost control and couldn¡¯t stop myself till it was over. You¡¯re right. If I killed everyone, I would have killed you first.¡±

    ¡°Unless the part of you that you can¡¯t consciously control wanted me to suffer, or wanted me to kill you too.¡±

    ¡°Kill itself. Right, that makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Unless you made copies. And that¡¯s why the escape pods were launched. You made more Vickis and sent then out to spread, and you didn¡¯t matter anymore because whatever is controlling you doesn¡¯t care about one Vicki. It burrowed way down where I can¡¯t get to it and left you to die.¡±

    ¡°Then shoot me with one of the fancy bullets. Kill me and the others at the same time. It¡¯s what¡¯s right. You know it.¡±

    ¡°I do¡­ but I¡¯m going to look for Nicole. You¡¯re gonna stay here sedated until I find her, and you really better hope she¡¯s alive because if she¡¯s alive, and she sees what you did, she is going to give the order to put a soul bullet in your head.¡±

    ¡°Oh good. So why does it matter?¡±

    ¡°Because you don¡¯t understand what that thing in you understands. If Nicole is alive, then I¡¯m not alone when I kill you. And I can''t add more horrors to her already horrible list of them by torturing you with her on the ship with me. You''ll die quickly. You see, I¡¯m not fearless, It just takes a lot to scare me. The two things I¡¯m scared of are losing my family, which you have already done, especially if Nicole is dead too. And being alone in the void of space on a broken ship with no escape pods, cry pods or cloning machine.¡± She said leaning closer. ¡°So you see, you have a problem. I won¡¯t let you win by hitting me in both of my worst fears. I won¡¯t be alone. I refuse to be alone. I would rather be a villain with a job to do than be alone for eternity in space because I did the thing I should have done, by killing you. So either Nicole is alive and we¡¯re stuck together after I kill you, or nobody is alive and I have no family or reason to care about anything, and you¡¯re stuck with me, and honey¡­ you better pray for there¡¯s a Nicole to order me to kill you. Otherwise I have nobody else but you, and nothing to do for a very long time, and you may think you¡¯ve seen horrors and won this game, but you have no idea what evil is yet. We¡¯re about to become very close friends. So pray. Pick a god and pray to them that I find Nicole and find her alive. Take your time. I have a big ship to search and you¡¯re not leaving. Pray for yourself¡­ or you¡¯ll become prey for me.¡±

 Chapter Nineteen: Fly Me To The Moon

    The strangely haunting echo of Frank Sinatra wafted through the ship, and the sound of a welder spattering behind it.

    ¡°Fly me to the moon¡­ and let me play among the stars¡­¡± sang Gizzy, helmet up and smoking a cigar as she checked her repairs. ¡°I think that should hold. Ugh, you just never know until you try it though. Can''t x-ray the welds and this damn welder is garbage¡­ You enjoying the movie?¡± she hollered.

    ¡°Yeah, I know you¡¯ve seen it over and over, it¡¯s probably pretty boring by now but we don¡¯t have a lot of entertainment. What do you think, you think she¡¯s bored yet?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely, given the duration and number of cycles.¡± Said a faint voice.

    ¡°Maybe we should just stop. Once it gets to a point of emotionless repetition it¡¯s just pointless and has no effect. Not like music. You know people can listen to the same song a thousand times and still love it. You watch the same movie¡­ what¡¯s the count?

    ¡°One hundred and fifty seven¡± said the voice.

    ¡°One hundred and fifty seven times and it can drive you insane. I think I¡¯ve seen it maybe 4 times just in passes and it¡¯s almost lost it¡¯s meaning and I¡¯m clearly insane or approaching that. But Frank never gets old. I guess it¡¯s the quality and details that matter. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I have no feelings on the matter.¡± the voice repeated coldly.

    ¡°Knew you would say that. Don¡¯t know why I bothered asking. Probably the insanity building up.¡± She said flipping the helmet down and welding some more.

    ¡°In other woooooords¡­ hoooold my hand.¡± She sang along, lifting her helmet with tears in her eyes. ¡°That line still gets me, you know. How many times have I tried that now?¡±

    ¡°Twelve¡± the voice said, getting closer, Dee stepped into the light and stared mechanically. ¡°And it just never works. Doesn¡¯t do a damn thing for me. Because you¡¯re dead.¡± Gizzy said sadly. ¡°Dead people don¡¯t hold your hand, you just hold theirs till you get tired of waiting.¡±

    ¡°I am fully capable of grasping in response.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no you''re not. Because I¡¯m talking about Dee, and you¡¯re not her. You¡¯re just plastic parts that look like her and she¡¯s dead. So I can hold hands with a toaster, but Dee can¡¯t hold my hand. Ugh, that fucking line hurts every time. I¡¯m gonna stop the video. She¡¯s seen it enough.¡± Gizzy said getting up and heading to the cargo bay. She stepped into view of the screen hanging on the side of the elevator, the video of Nicole¡¯s last message playing on silent, her final slapping on the glass before the video cut out and it switched to the security footage of Jack''s body being drug across the room and Vicki smiling into the camera and returning to the body to feed.

    ¡°You done watching the movie?¡± she asked, looking down and getting no response. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer; I know you want it turned off. I¡¯m just debating on whether or not it¡¯s still working. You¡¯ve been so quiet for 2 days now that it¡¯s hard to tell if it¡¯s doing anything at all. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve gone numb to it or it still hurts to watch because frankly I hate seeing it every time I come in here to check, and if you¡¯ve gone numb and it¡¯s still hurting me, then we might as well just stop moving night entirely. I feel like 2 weeks is enough. Not for mercy, but for my own sake if it¡¯s not causing you physical pain anymore. Your reactions to it just get dimmer and dimmer. Hey Dee¡­ do you think her emotional responses have desensitized to the video or do we keep going?¡±

    ¡°He responses appear to be diminished if not entirely absent.¡±

    "You really can¡¯t even try to sound like a person? Throw a contraction or a fuck in there randomly. Is there really no way you can just¡­ fake it better?¡± she asked angrily.

    ¡°My responses are limited. The crew logs and date have been destroyed completely, the absence of security footage and retrievable data make-.¡±

    ¡°Just say no. Just say; no, you can¡¯t fake it. God, you¡¯re worse than the human Dee they modeled the fucktoasters after. Kinda tempted to¡­ no, too risky. Brain surgery is sketchy enough and you don¡¯t even have a biological reader that could translate Vicki¡¯s brain INTO digital input so scooping out her brain for memory of Dee is just way too unreasonable, she¡¯d just die. And we can¡¯t have her dying unless it¡¯s via the blue bullets because otherwise the copies keep living and we don¡¯t want that. We want them all suffering. So if we¡¯re gonna kill ya, we¡¯re gonna kill all of ya. Just nod if you understand.¡± Gizzy asked nicely. She sighed frustratedly and reached forward, grabbing something and lugging it up out of the water, tentacles grasping her wrists and almost assisting as she lifted the chunk of flesh. Gizzy stared at it¡¯s eyes, now cold and dull red behind the glass of the mask, air hose leading to the pump, pump humming in the background. Vicki blinked and shifted her eyes upward, the tentacles grafted to her shoulders in place of arms and legs still writing automatically without any real purpose.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s catatonic or suffering silently. Maybe she¡¯s used to it, doesn¡¯t care, maybe she just doesn¡¯t wanna talk. Doesn¡¯t wanna give me the satisfaction of a response. Are you that stubborn and cleverly mean or are you just brain dead? It¡¯s so hard to tell, she doesn¡¯t even whisper PLEASE anymore. I think we¡¯re done. Dee, what do you think? Is she a torso with automatically moving tentacles and nothing going on upstairs, or is she still suffering in there and just can''t communicate it?¡±

    ¡°It is more likely the brain has lost conscious emotion and reason.¡±

    ¡°Fuck. Well I guess that¡¯s it. Vicki¡­ you were an interesting little science project. Shame I ran out of food and had to kill Candice but I got so much meat I had to try something fun, and you did love tentacles and Candice, so this just fit too well to pass up. I kinda hope there¡¯s some of you left in there to say goodbye. I¡¯m going to miss you in a weird way but not for that long. Dee. Bring the gun.¡± Gizzy said as she was handed the pistol and Gizzy casually scratched her head with the barrel, finger dangerously near the trigger. "Gotta make sure got the bullets in the right order. Regular bullet, soul bullet, high explosive. Yep. Dee. I¡¯ll miss you, but honestly I already do, and the fucking toaster just annoys me now. Still, seems cruel leaving you on alone even if you¡¯re a¡­ scrapped together garbage-bot with no concept of sentience. Still feels wrong, but not doing it feels more wrong.¡± She said shooting the robot in the head and dropping it on the spot with a loud echoing bang. Tears welled up in her eyes a she struggled to stop shaking.

    ¡°Your turn, bitch¡­ any last words?¡± Gizzy asked the remains of Vicki. ¡°No? Well, fuck you anyway.¡± She said firing the soul bullet into her head and splattering brains and glass all over the tank. ¡°Frank¡­ I¡¯ll just let you play me out. In other woooords¡­¡± she said putting the gun to her own head and pulling the trigger with an oddly silent lack of sound.

    ...

    Gizzy opened her eyes, total darkness fading to dim light as the smell of musty cave and water filled her nostrils.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± she yelled, leaning forward from the stone pillars and noticing the waist deep red water flooding the cave and covering the altar. She looked forward and locked eyes with Vicki in an awkward stare, the rest of the crew seemed groggy as well, struggling to peel themselves off the wet stone.

    ¡°Okay, nap time is over, everyone move their asses back to the shuttle."

    ¡°What happened?¡± Vinn asked, falling and sloshing into the water, then back up.

    "Complicated answer, room filling with high tide, move now, shuttle go go go.¡± She said helping Nicole and Dee along as they blinked and looked confused. They trudged through the red water, Dee in Gizzy¡¯s arms and Nicole just swimming in almost head deep current to the shuttle, sitting up on a rock for height. They piled in and began lifting from the planet. Silent looks exchanged as jack fumbled with the controls and Gizzy tried to focus her eyes to the light.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ...

    Gizzy sat down at the table in the mess hall, still uncomfortable with the exact spot as everyone waited for the explanation.

    Well¡­ mission is over. We won.¡± Gizzy shrugged.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡¯ Vicki said

    ¡°What we experienced was a shared dream, all our worst fears and nightmares manifested as a shared inception created by the foreshadow the moment he died. Everything was real until Jack fired the shot. Killed the chaos god, and then as he died he hit us with one last fuck you. And none of us need to talk about it because it wasn¡¯t real. Just a shared nightmare.

    ¡°Bro, I thought I died.¡± Vinn said. "I can¡¯t go through that again for the final one. If that was that bad, the final boss is beyond me.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t one. That WAS the final boss."

    Nicole opened her mouth to object, confused for a moment. ¡°I thought the book said there were 2 gods remaining.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a metaphor, Nicole. The book said one wish left, so anyone could use it to become a chaos god, so the book itself needs to be destroyed to end it. The items we¡¯ve gathered were to find and kill the chaos gods, we¡¯ve killed the last one. Only the wish and the scroll can create one more, so we have to remove the temptation and prevent someone from ever finding it. We don¡¯t get one last wish. We don¡¯t face one last god. The last wish is just something for us to disagree on, that one of us might eventually use to create the final chaos god.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± Nicole sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s right. I need you to trust me. Right now both of US need to activate the book, so we need to separate, so it can¡¯t be used. I need to take it alone and destroy it. The book, the quill, the last raven¡¯s feather, the imposter blood. Everything needed to make a chaos god in on this ship and we¡¯re all tempted to use it. Eventually one of us might.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re leaving us?¡± she said looking sad.

    ¡°We¡¯re all leaving you two. It started as you and Vinn, and that¡¯s what it comes down to. Jack and Vicki came with me to complete the mission, and we¡¯re going home with Dee. You and Vinn take the Medusa and just go onward. Wherever you want. You can even print a maid-bot again. Live the adventure you always wanted to with your husband, no more death and cloning and nightmares. Go to the planets on the charts, the adventures you had in mind when you went into space on this ship, and before we fucked it all up. We¡¯ll finish the mission, destroy the items, and prevent the last chaos god from existing. That last symbol is potential, not literal. Mission accomplished. Easy. We go home, and on the way we throw the scary ring into the volcano it was forged into, and all is better. Except it¡¯s a book and quill, and the volcano is a black hole.¡±

    ¡°Just feels like saying goodbye. We¡¯ll miss you.¡±

    ¡°We knew it would happen, eventually. You either complete the mission or die trying, we did the dying and trying, and now the mission is over. So back home we go.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t stay?¡± Vinn asked.

    ¡°No. Sadly, we need to take a lot of information back home, artifacts, our memories, and the cloning machine. It¡¯s too dangerous to leave them on the Medusa, so it will be taken back. You¡¯re back to where you started, pirates in space. With a story to tell and your own little new adventures for just you and Vinn. A happy one, without ancient gods, vampires, abominations and professional killers. The Medusa¡¯s list of tasks is done. Just have to part ways, burn the list and return home. That¡¯s it. A little anticlimactic but that¡¯s how these go sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s it. We just get you another ship and send you home. It won¡¯t be the same without you.¡± Nicole smiled.

    ¡°Hopefully not, we made it horrible. You¡¯ll find new friends, go on fun missions, vacations, no more doom and fate and nightmares. The last nightmare just ended."

    ...

    Gizzy stood at the launch bay of a very foreign shipping yard, staring at an old cargo ship called the ¡°Translation Failure 33.¡± Nicole gave out hugs and Vinn made his rounds as they loaded the crates from the Medusa to the new ship. A few tears were shed as they waved goodbye to the Medusa, lifting off as they closed the rusty doors to their new ship.

    The four of them made their way to the humble central meeting room around a navigation table. Dee seemed oddly excited, but the others seemed unhappy to be going home.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we taken off yet?¡± she asked as everyone looked darkly serious.

    ¡°Because I lied to them.¡± Gizzy said bluntly.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dee asked. ¡°We¡¯re going home, to your home moon and we won, we just have to drop off the evil book and quill and then easy peasy, like you said right? Right?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream was it?¡± Vicki asked.

    ¡°No. He¡¯s a foreshadow, not a dream shadow. That wasn¡¯t a final fuck you of a dying god, it was a glimpse of the future as a warning. The foreshadow wanted to die. He was the last of his kind, he helped us find what we needed and he helped us see the truth.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ that were all gonna die?¡± Dee chuckled nervously. ¡°That can¡¯t be right, we left Vinn and Nicole so Vinn doesn¡¯t get shot, Jack doesn¡¯t get riddled with guilt and Vicki doesn¡¯t kill us¡­ right? Vicki wouldn¡¯t kill us all¡­¡± she said scooting slightly further from her.

    ¡°Vicki and I lived a little longer then you guys did, didn¡¯t we?¡± Gizzy asked as Jack and Dee got nervous.

    ¡°Yeah, we did. We had some bonding time.¡±

    ¡°But it was just a dream. There¡¯s no more chaos gods left, what am I missing here, are you two about to fight to the death or something.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Gizzy said calmly. ¡°But we both know the disturbing truth that there could always be another chaos god and either of us has the potential to become one. Even Nicole, the purest of heart, wasn¡¯t immune to it. The items we have need to be destroyed, and the temptation both me and Vicki have to embrace that power.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Dee shrugged, with a nervous smile. ¡°We throw the book into the black hole. No more chaos power.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re both past that now. Vicki is just another dose of radiation away from going out of control, and I¡¯m just one traumatic death away from becoming the god of vengeance. ALL the artifact need to be destroyed, because they all contain some of the chaos gods remaining power, and both me and Vicki are marked for it. We have been since the beginning, and now we know it.¡±

    ¡°So we destroy ALL the items and get Vicki some radiation medication and get you some chill pills. What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s 2 problems. First off, me and Vicki know too much; we¡¯re too corrupted to be trusted anymore. She can always turn on us, and I can always turn on her. If she turns on us, I¡¯ll kill her, and Jack doesn¡¯t survive without her. If she kills Me or Dee, Jack will never forgive her. Either way, one of us snaps and Jack suffers the loss. The other problem is you.¡±

    ¡°Me? What did I do?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re one of the artifacts. The very thing that gave you life and sustains you is a weapon powerful enough to destroy worlds, and if me and Vicki aren¡¯t tempted, someone else might.¡±

    ¡°So we have to kill¡­ me.¡± Dee said. ¡°Are we going to like, wake up back at the altar room or something?¡±

    ¡°No. This is the way it was always supposed to be. I¡¯m not the original Gizzy, I¡¯m a different entity, something built and designed to do the mission and run out of time. Vicki was corrupted the moment she was cloned outside the protective shielding of Delmar. Jack is a copy of a man who dies on missions and gets cloned back home. None of us can go back home, duplicates, broken versions of ourselves meant to be temporary, and unfortunately Dee, you are made of the very thing we came to destroy in order to save the universe from it. None of us can go home. We¡¯re all live weaponry with a cloning machine that can print more of us, powered by the very book we have to destroy.¡±

    ¡°Okay wait,¡± Dee said with a broken look in her eyes. ¡°You promised both of us were going on another mission when this is over. You said you weren¡¯t gonna leave me, and that we were gonna go on an adventure together and you promised."

    ¡°Dee, in a way we will. Just hear me out. I don¡¯t wanna lose you, and you don¡¯t wanna lose me.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re gonna.¡±

    ¡°Yes and no. I¡¯ve copied our memories and sent them back home to Delmar. The Gizzy there has instructions to bring us back, you exactly the same, without the AI cube, and me as I was before this. So I¡¯ll be physically different but the same me, I¡¯ll remember us, and we¡¯ll be together again. This is just where the body dies and the story ends. The greater good continues, and the universe is saved, what we¡¯ve done echoes eternally. But these bodies were always finite. The body is temporary.¡±

    "So like, we just wake up home and everything is fine?¡±

    ¡°In a way, yea.h We just have to die first.¡±

    ¡°No, why? That¡¯s not fair.¡±

    ¡°Because I already made the necessary adjustments, and Gizzy back home has the technology to make us without the broken pieces, memory fragments removed, traumas we don¡¯t need haunting us, just the essence of you and me. The copy is sent, but the originals, us, right now, we don¡¯t just disappear. Dee, we¡¯re already on Delmar getting ready for our adventure together. But unfortunately, the part where we still exist here is the problem. So this last bit of us has to be erased.¡±

    ¡°What about Vicki and Jack, don¡¯t they get sent home?¡±

    ¡°Honey, they never left home. They¡¯re still there, just like the original me. I¡¯m only sending you and my memory of you there. Jack and Vicki don¡¯t want to remember this hell, they knew that when they signed up and so did I, I just didn¡¯t know I¡¯d find someone like you I can¡¯t lose, so I¡¯m saving you.¡± She said as Dee snuggled up for a hug.

    "So we¡¯re not going home, we already are home, and the dangerous part of us is what¡¯s left here to die¡­ and we have to do that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is that we won. You escaped your world and saved countless lives on a mission to take out the most evil things the universe has to offer¡­ and all we have left to destroy is¡­ that crate¡­ me, and Vicki. Jack, Dee, I want you two to take that crate into the cargo hold and each of you secretly make up a random passcode, and then DNA command lock the crate so me and Vicki can¡¯t get into it. After that we just¡­ head into the black hole together."

    ¡°You could have just lied to me and said the black hole takes us to Delmar.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d know I was lying.¡± Gizzy sighed.

    ¡°We all would.¡± Vicki said.