So, Frankie did.
TWELVE
After enduring some strange questions to verify her identity to both Gail and Tarke, Frankie explained as little as necessary to the crew when she returned. She appreciated Lorav and Patav’s discretion in the matter, which they perceived, too. Sossios had stolen a ship and flown off. She had helped THE GALAXY’S MOST WANTED escape justice. What more was there to say? She thanked Medow and her family for coming to help her. She both thanked and apologized to Jerry. For someone who hadn’t really interacted with the main character, she had played pivotal roles in Frankie’s journey, and for that she was appreciative. She also secretly hoped that in Jerry’s story, she would not be hunted down by her evil doppelgänger. She offered her passage to wherever she wished to go. After Jerry explained the risks of being a disposable character on a small ship, she (somewhat) politely refused.
Then Frankie, free of charges, with a ship legally released to leave the planet (its ability to do so left to be determined), felt the defeat heavy on her shoulders and retreated to the Isopod of Safety within her blanket cocoon in her room. No tears. They might come later, when she figured out what happened in this whirlwind of chaos that did not feel like a solid conclusion to a story long time coming. Without tears, she heard the submarine-type door creak open. And while she couldn’t distinguish any noises after that, she knew Quaja had left her a hot beverage. She hoped to see more of her later. There was just a lot going on this time.
Soon the Isopod of Safety became the Sitting Bump on a Log, with a cup of Caffex in one hand and her tablet in the other as she tried to gather her courage to call her parents and face whatever weirdness was now between them. A text message popped up, but it wasn’t her parents.
Come to the shop. - Rose
Frankie hadn’t been ready to leave the confines of her room to the ship of expectations and to the crew who knew her, but slipping into an avatar and thanking another stranger for saving her, she found was entirely different. She dialed up the settings on her goggles, logged in, and soon she was sitting in front of a floating bed sheet surrounded by sale items that smelled awfully like Gail.
“So, what’s the plan?” the avatar of Frankie asked in a small-talk way that indicated she knew it was vastly more important than hyper-localized weather or if sportsball should include other sports. “Were you able to secure a body?”
The sheet laughed. “Not from Calligan. He figured out I was the one who hacked his system. I’m very sly.”
Frankie’s avatar just nodded. She didn’t know where she’d be without Rose, and Rose wasn’t even ‘with’ at the moment.
“Besides, that body was for chumps. What kind of life was I going to live in that perfect specimen? Not my own. That’s for sure.”
“So are you going to reside in Mindspace for a while?”
“This hipster dumpster? Hell no.”
“You can easily exit Mindspace in another location, right? Like where they’ve shipped your old body?”
“Whose body you calling ‘old’?”
“Sorry…but, you? OG Body.”
“There it is. I don’t know—it was getting really old and not useful.”
“I’m not sure where that leaves you to move on.”
“Me either, but I’m not ready to move on, Mindspace or to any other dimension. You got any jobs on your ship? I was always jealous of Gail’s gumption, swapping out parts and boarding a freighter.”
This was awkward. Frankie wasn’t sure if it was against the law to tell a disincorporated person they could not have a job on her ship. “Most work on a freighter—”
“Do you even ship things?”
Frankie was taken aback by the question. Of course, they did. What else would they be doing out here? And how would they expect to get money? Okay, maybe the sheet had a point. Maybe they should transport more things.
“Either way, most work on freighters is physical labor or…you know…requires some non-zero amount of dexterity, and…limbs. And even if you did have those—and I’m not saying you have to have those—we don’t have room on the ship or any open positions, unless you count Compi.”
“Compi?”
“Oh, just our on-board computer. She needs to be reinstalled.” It had been weeks, and Frankie wasn’t sure if the setup file couldn’t be found or if they had just forgotten to look for it. “Maybe you can find her file while you’re floating around?”
“Sure, what did she do?”
Frankie had to take a moment. “Well, she was a low-intelligence chat bot. She performed tasks on the ship, like connecting phone calls…and stuff…she told us information sometimes.”
“Critical task information? There seems to be a lot piled up in here….” Rose sounded a bit distant.
“Um, critical task info? Maybe, sometimes?”
“Have you ever heard of Bio-Intelligent Systems? They’re on-board computers with human parts.”
“Yeah, the big cruise ships have them, concierge and battle—they’re wicked expensive, not needed for a ship this simple or—”
“Old?”
“Yeah…”
“Broken?”
“Mm, probably.”
“Not probably,” said Rose, in a negative in an affirmative sense.
“Well, it’s all we’ve got. And we’ve worked hard for it…probably.” Frankie was thankful to have the old can.
“It’s just like me and my body. You wouldn’t trade this for the world, would you?”
“The world? Hell, I’d trade it for an upgrade in a heartbeat.”
“Okay, maybe a bad example. But you’re planning to keep the ship for a while, right? What if I became the—” She sounded out the words as if she were reading them on a record log somewhere, “Atalanta Empress—wow, really? Okay, the Atalanta Empress’s Bio-Intelligent System? I’d incorporate into the ship’s infrastructure. Help you guys out. Be a part of the ship. Like…really, a part of the ship.”
“I don’t know, can you mishear everything we ever ask you and offer outlandish information instead?”
“I’m old. I think I can manage that.”
“OK, great. Let’s go home then.”
#
“Did you seriously go to every store and ask for a mood ring?” Frankie had turned bright red in stunned anger. It was good to see her in a solid color.
“I wanted a souvenir,” said Tarke. “You’d think they’d be EVERYWHERE.”
“That is so ignora— OK, there’s just no way I’m ever going to be able to come back here.”
“Yeah, I’m the one that made a scene on this planet,” Tarke said, adjusting the newly acquired ring on her finger.
Maybe Tarke had a point. Either way, she really had had enough of this technicolor nightmare.
“Do you want to wear it?”
Another fume of bright red flashed over her scales. Under the dark goggles, her eyes flashed too.
“Did…Jerry want to come with us?” asked Quaja, anxious to craft a meal for a new guest.
“No, I think she just wanted to throw us off the idea that she was the one who tipped off the authorities. I don’t think she realized there was an empath on board,” said Patav.
“No, she did not,” confirmed Lorav.
“OK, no Jerry. Fala, Medow, Barbara Jr. and the surprisingly quiet infant are back Earthside. And, Rose?” Frankie asked.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Gail asked to the ether overhead. If Gail’s smile was any indication though, she was sure she wanted Rose to do this.
*I’ve already incorporated into the systems. I’m the ship, and the ship is me.* Rose had switched from the default voice she had been using to communicate, to something more personal to her.
“Seriously, though…can you not be the voice of Vincent Price?” asked Lorav.
*Once it was human, even as you and I!*
Tarke fell off her chair and rolled on the ground laughing. “L-O-L,” she said. “We’re all going to die.”
“Is it too late for us to change our mind?” said Quaja. “I might be able to untangle her.”
“She’d probably like that,” said Gail. “I know I would.”
Tentacles and eyes rolled.
“Captain Gail, would you like to do the honors?” asked Lorav.
“Rose?” asked Gail.
*Yes?* Vincent Price answered.
“Will you help me with the launch sequence?”
*The party’s starting now….*
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R.M. Hamrick lives in Savannah, Georgia. She’s always on the lookout for zombies to chase or UFOs to whisk her away. Find more books to read at RMHamrick.com and dive into the glamorous and studied independent author’s lifestyle on Patreon.
MORE BOOKS
BY R.M. HAMRICK
Atalan Adventures
Rats and Bolts
Return to Sender
Planetary Pursuit
Atalan Adventure Pack 1
Invasive Festival Invasion
Living It Up at Hotel Beramuda
Galaxy’s Most Wanted
Atalan Adventure Pack 2
Winter Wonderland Extinguishment (Atalan Aside)
The Chasing Series
Chasing a Lead
Chasing a Cure
Chasing Redemption
Chasing Extinction
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Your Patreon contributions totally made this book happen during a pandemic, unemployment, and creative slump. I cannot thank you all enough for sticking with me. More fiction to come!
HONORARY CREW OF THE ATALAN
Your awesome support keeps the ship in good health and spirits.
Thank you,
Alledria Hurt
Jeffrey Young
Laura Loup
ELITE ZOMBIE TAGGERS
A special thank you to Zombie Tagger,
Barbara Casaceli, for your generosity and love
Austen Rodgers, for the beer of the week
Stephen Hamrick, for the candid support
JJ Falco, for always checking up on me
Rich Casaceli, for your encouragement and love
Rheanna Summers, for your steadfast friendship
A special thank you to Mike Waitz (Sticks and Stones Editing) for being fully on board with this absurdity, and to the Horsopus muse for the energy jolt.
Atalan Adventure Pack: Books 4-6 Page 20