Katia has two fortnights back home near Worcester, with her parents, relaxing and trying to adjust to being a woman. She's been dealing with the effects of PTSD, but Malok has been able to help by making internal repairs to her mind, and being with her folk will help much.

With that, she found herself standing on the side of the road outside her home near Worcester at Summer Hollow along Bransford Road. She timidly walked up to the steps. Judging by the position of the Sun it was close to noon. Her Mum should be home, and her Father should be at work.

“Oh, my gosh, it had been less than six months since I’ve been home, but now it is June and the flowers were out and the day is quite sunny.” She thought to herself.
She just loved their brick home and the neighbourhood with all the hedgerows. And it appeared as if Daddy had done something to the roof. Oh, and he'd torn out the lawn and put a drive up to the house!

“Oh, goody, a skylight too and over the tub?”

Katia found the key right where it should have been and let herself in, thinking that if there were any screaming on her Mum's part it would be in the house and not in the street.
Katia stood quietly just inside the entry. "Mum?" she said calling softly at first and then repeating herself but more loudly.

"Jane is that you?" Mum was referring to their neighbour.

The young soldier could hear approaching footsteps.
As soon as Mum came around the corner, she said, "Mummy, I have something to explain to you."

"Who are you and what are you doing in my home?"

"Please Mummy, can we sit and talk? I have been gone so long and…" Katia began to sob uncontrollably; sinking to the tile floor. It would be a long time before Katia would be totally accustomed to the powerful surges of such feminine emotion. In retrospect, it probably kept Mum from fainting dead away.

"Oh, dear child, I have no idea who you are but there, there, I will help you if I can."
Somehow, Marge, Katia's mum, helped her over to the couch and got her sat down. It took her a long time to allow the girl to cry herself out, but eventually they moved into the kitchen for some tea and biskies.

"May I have the spiced Black with a bit of sugar and cream the way I like it?"
Poor Marge had seemingly gone into complete denial and for all intents and purposes acted like everything was normal.

"Yes dear, just the way you like it, I see."

*******************************************************

"So, girl, you are telling me that you were once my son Frank?"

"Yes Mummy, and Daddy calls you Toodles."

Katia looked at her Mum. She seemed to be coping awfully well, and then her eyes seemed to lock. Katia scrambled around the table just fast enough to catch her when she fell.
She easily carried Mummy back into the living room and laid her on the couch. Then she walked over to Daddy's liquor cabinet and poured a stiff drink of Scotch. Katia disliked it herself, but she thought that it would be good for Mum when she wakened.

Katia paced the room; on the mantle was a picture of her father, and then was a family picture of the three of them. Daddy had his uniform on, and looked quite dashing. Mummy was dressed very nicely, and Frank was wearing his Sunday best. Katia tried to remember when the picture was taken and finally decided that it must have been taken not long after they'd moved out here to escape the nuisance of the flooding river. Frank must have been about 10 years old.

Above the pictures hanging on the wall was a sword. It had been given to Daddy by an Iranian after the police action taken against the failing government that had been shooting at fleeing refugees in the Straight of Hormuz in 2012. Thousands of fleeing Iranians died there before forces from Saudi Arabia, (US and British Mercenaries) forced them to stop. Subsequently, the rest of the world, including China and Russia moved into Iran, over threw the government, and amazingly all the world powers left once the Mullahs were put out. It was still an Islamic country but followed the Turkish model for government.

George Grace had flown some of the refugees back to Iran, and amazingly had a man that would be part of the cabinet in the new government as a passenger. The sword was a gift of gratitude.

This new life as a woman was rattling Katia badly and was very hard for her to cope with. It was not so much when she was in combat, because she just kept on, business as usual. Now things were very different.

She’d quietly left home several months ago, vaguely hoping not to return alive. Then came the miraculous incident that put her in her present state. In the combat zone, being female for her was not such a big adjustment at first, because she was so strong and her mission demanded all her attention. It was not until her captivity and rapes that she was suddenly slammed into the woman’s reality; men‘s attitude about women, and their vulnerability before them. As Katia, she was quite happy and felt as if she were for the first time actually “herself”. Still, it was a huge adjustment, and she’d really no time to alter and order herself as a woman after Malok put her back together. Now, she needed time to think; to adjust to her new life; fit into her skin.

Any decent psychologist would have put her in a situation where she’d had months and lots of counselling to finally come to grips with the changes. But, no, Malok had not done that for her, perhaps out of simple ignorance of the human race. The idea was starting to hit her now and behind that she could feel anger and tears. “Not NOW!” She pleaded with herself. “I can not be laid out because of grief and hysteria now!” She pleaded!

Mum began to stir and Katia was right at her side with the Scotch. It took a few minutes and a couple shots, but pretty soon Mummy was calm enough.

Concentrating very hard. "So, my Frank was killed and then someone put him back together and you is what I have as a replacement for my son?"

"Please Mummy, I know this is very hard for you but it has been hard for me too."
Marge looked over at Katia and saw her hopeful, loving expression. "Oh Gawd, how can I hate such a darling thing?"

So, having been lubricated adequately by the Scotch, Mum and Daughter spent the afternoon talking. And, in the course of the day, Mummy managed to get Katia into one of her own skirts and a blouse that she herself had not managed in a few years. That being after a good bath, and shampoo.

“I wonder if Frank ever suspected how much I wanted a daughter?” Mum thought to herself as she knelt by the tub, shampooing Katia’s long hair.

Katia just loved it as Mum sat on the side of the tub doing the shampoo and the rinses.
"Girl, you are going to have to take better care of your hair!"

"Yes, Mummy, but it has been dreadfully difficult out in the desert of Afghanistan."
Mum looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, "Well, it is entirely unsuitable for a lady to be traipsing around in that awful place with all those men about, I say!"

"But Mummy, it is my job. They shall be quite upset with me if I just up and leave."
As the time had passed, Marge realized that Harry, her husband would soon be home from his job at the agency. Perhaps he could set her mind aright. Women had no business in this awful affair.

"Oh dear, we must be getting dinner ready for your Father!"

"May I help you Mummy?"

"Sure darling, I will set you on the vegetables, while I do a bit of meat for the Barbi."
It was fun being home and though she'd had little previous training in the Kitchen, Katia seemed to have come by a talent for it now. As they finished, Katia walked back into the liquor cabinet and poured Daddy some Scotch in a drinking water glass. Then when she heard his car, she handed it to Mummy and ran into the loo. She heard some talking for quite a long time, and then it got quiet.

Katia just stood before the mirror in the meantime , exploring her face, for the first time in quiet, non threatening circumstances. Later, sneaking out Katia heard them in the back by the Barbi. She could smell the meat and knew that it would taste so good. “Raw goat is OK, but the way that Daddy does it is much better“, she mused.
On the table outside, she noticed that the bottle of Scotch was empty.
She stood nervously near the back door, "Daddy?"

He turned round to look at her. His eyes got big and he turned to Mummy.

"Who did you say this was Marge?"

"Your Daughter, Dear."

He sat there dumb looking for a minute and turned back to his wife.

"The hell you say?"

"Yes dear."

"Yes, well … What’s her name, Frank hardly suits her I’d say”.

“No dear, her name is now Katia”.

“Katia, is that your name?"

"Yes Daddy"

"Yes, well she's got better manners and um looks than Frank, doesn't she?"

"I think so dear."

"Yes, well Katia, do you mind getting me another bottle of Scotch. Go on be a good girl would you?" he sighed. "Marge, I think I shall be calling off work tomorrow as I plan to have a rather severe headache in the morning."

"Of course dear, I think I shall be joining you".

About 10:00 PM, Katia managed to help both Mummy and Daddy up to their room and saw them into bed. Katia went back to the kitchen and made a lot more food. The roast was good, along with that chicken, and that sack of potatoes was too. With a satisfied burp, Katia made her way up to her old room and slept until late the next day.

In the morning, it did not take her long in the Bathroom, and after her shower, she did manage to get the tangles out of her butt length hair, though it was still damp. She’d borrowed some of Mummy's hair conditioner and that helped a lot.

Katia decided to go shopping. She managed to find her old ATM card in her room to pay for any shopping she might do.

Her parents were still not up when she went down to the Kitchen. She could see that the food would be all gone soon, so she ran into the Tesco at Worcester to get more. She managed to roll Daddy's car down the street a ways so that her parents would not waken at the sound of the engine.

“Malok?” Do you think there is a way to reduce my food requirement?

“Well, Katia, as long as you are not expending tremendous quantities of effort you will consume less.”
“I still am consuming much. I am worried that I will eat my Mum and Father out of house and home.”

“Ok, Katia, I will think about it. I could put a power cell in you to power everything but your torso and head. Artificial power makes your inner organs and brain cells rather short lived. I will think about it and prepare one. You’ll have to come up to my ship to do the procedure.”

“Thank you Malok”.

Malok did not say anything to Katia but her word choices and the tension levels in her body were alarmingly high. Doing a few minutes research he found that Katia was suffering from acute PTSD and could begin acting out on the slightest provocation. It was then that he realized that the human was much less durable than the artificially grown artificial brain units that made up much of his own civilization.

Malok was networked with six of them himself, and he could activate a dozen more on very short notice. That was not to mention the brain units that ran his runabout, and Mother Ship concealed up beyond their moon.

He’d have to decide what to do about her stress/trauma levels before she went out again. Keeping that in mind, he set his resources to locating the best treatments for her condition.

Katia tried to ignore the stares she attracted wearing Mum's Skirt and Top. Being braless, was so obvious and that seemed to make the men slobber all over themselves, but the women were dreadfully snooty. It was her boots with Afghan dust still on them that really put her over the top, she thought. Still, the machine took her card so she could pay for the food, and Katia was soon on the way home with the car loaded down with it all.
When she walked into the Kitchen through the back, Mummy and Daddy were sitting at the table looking decidedly limp. Perhaps it was from the brown bottle flu. Katia was quite careful to put the food away quietly and only once knocked a skillet onto the floor from its perch on an upper shelf.

"I'm terribly sorry Mummy and Daddy. It shant happen again, I promise."

After several cups of Coffee, and some biscuits, they began to look slightly better.
"Mummy, I was getting some very ill mannered stares at the store this morning. Do you think we might go shopping to get me a few clothes?"

Mummy's eyes brightened somewhat in spite of the state of her pounding head.

"Give me a bit dear and we can go shopping in Worcester or Birmingham if you like."

"I would love to Mummy, do you think you are up to it?"

Still monitoring, Malok could easily see that since she had come out of the war theatre to a safe place, her subconscious had allowed her mind to regress nearly to adolescence.
"I am quite sure dear." Marge smiled at Katia. The idea of a shopping expedition seemed to be rejuvenating her astonishingly. The woman was only in her 40's and still quite full of enthusiasm.

They got Daddy situated in front of the Telly, watching Football (Soccer to you yanks), and were soon on their way. Today, it was Manchester United against a team she had not heard of; some obscure Welsh team.

They actually did find the basics in Worcester. Along the way, they discovered that Katia was 32 D and very hourglass shaped. She really had little idea about fashion but along the way, the women decided that Katia did not like revealing, sexy clothing. Eventually finished, Katia wore a pair of Pink nursing pants, and over that a White flowered dress that was slightly above her knees.

"Mom, I am so new to all this, I just don't know what to make of it. I can tell you that bras are just awful though."

"I understand darling, and most women find that when they get home, off come the shoes and bra."

"Mummy, it seems like such a bother to get undressed and dressed again when I come home"
"Well, dear, you don't have to undress to get shed of your bra."

With that, Mummy showed her how to reach behind herself, unsnap the thing, and then reach up each sleeve to pull the straps off her shoulders and past her hands. Katia laughed so hard when she was able to reach down inside her front and pull the bra out like a rabbit out of the hat!

Her Mum looked quite smug.

Katia was quite incensed one night when they'd all gone out for Dinner, and the establishment refused to serve her a beer without her Father‘s permission! The steak was quite good and she easily consumed their much advertised 72 oz one and all the chips and salad she wanted.

Later that night … "Malok!"

"Hello Priya"

"Don't sweet talk me Malok, I am not your 'dear'."

"Oh, my are we being petulant tonight?"

"You can't patronize me and manipulate me! I demand that you…" With that the most delightful feeling began to wend its way from head to toes. Katia nearly passed out, but instead just sat on the floor feeling absolutely exhausted and wonderful.

"What was that?"

"How do you feel now dear?"

"Gah!, what happened, did you do that?" Katia was breathing in deep gasping lungfuls. It took her longer to get her eyes to focus once again."

"Do I make my point dear?"

"You can't do that … no please, I neeeeeed to um gasp, talk!"

This time Katia was flat on her back on the floor of her room. She dozed for a few minutes, and then sleepily she asked, "Malok, I need to talk to you?"

"Are we going to be civil now? You could refrain from shouting disrespectfully at me."

"Ok, I'm sorry, please don't do that to me again."

"What is it you need dear?"

"Oh, so you have decided that you are my guardian now?"

"I have been watching you with your parents and you are quite solicitous and respectful to them. I thought that I would like the same. And, in Afghanistan, the women all have guardians”.

"But they are my parents, and I love them. Their bond made me!"

"Well, child I could have left your smoking flesh laying there in the desert?"

"There is that." She ceded.

They chatted for much of the night and in the end, Malok agreed that he would provide her with a driving license, but she would remain just 16.
"Malok, I want to be able to have a beer with my parents at dinner without having to ask Daddy for it!"

"Katia, I have never encountered the fermentation of fruit juices, and I have no idea what it would do with your altered metabolism. You do realize how strong you are? You might hurt someone in a drunken fit, or even destroy the building”.

"So, you are not going to allow me to drink? What if I do it at home?"

Katia experienced a moments' dizziness. "I just fixed that Katia."
"You can't, you didn't." She screamed.

"Well, I just did!" Malok huffed back at her.

She sat there for a few minutes. "Fine, just FINE!" She huffed.

"Katia, I thought we were going for mutual respect?"

She huffed and puffed and pounded the floor; being careful not to put holes in it.

"Are you OK?" Her Mum's voice sounded through the door.

"See what you did!" she mentally blasted at him.

"Yes Mummy, I was just exercising."

"Good heavens girl don't hurt yourself".

"I'm quite sorry Mummy, I'll be more quiet".

To Malok she said, "Will you please not do that other thing to me again, it is quite distracting."

Malok finally agreed to allow her to have beer with her family at home with the stipulation that on the second one she would be very sleepy. Katia at length acknowledged that having her in a drunken rage could be far too destructive.

Later, Katia went down to help her Mum get dinner ready. She was quite willing to help and had natural talent, but no real knowledge of cooking. So, she found herself slicing onions and peeling potatoes.

"When are you returning to Afghanistan Katia?"

"I don't know for sure Mummy, Malok said that I could have two fortnights, but now that I am not there, I do not want to go back. It was simply awful, and I died there." Katia began to cry softly, and he Mum wrapped her in the sort of hug that only a Mother can give.

Afghanistan has been too hard for you and from what you say, you have endured horrible hardship.

"Oh, I know that Mummy, but it has all been so hard for me to take in; the awful things I had to do and the unspeakable things that my captors did to me. It was quite difficult to survive. They'd have killed me had they not wanted to make a spectacle of me for their "Allah".

Katia's Mum turned around and gathered her in her arms and Katia immediately burst into tears and great, gasping sobs. "There there dear, let it all out, you are safe now".
Katia awakened on the couch with a soft blanket covering her. She could hear Mummy and Daddy talking in the Kitchen.

She sat up and looked around for a moment, allowing wakefulness to fully take hold. In a minute or so, Katia walked into the Kitchen. “Mum, Daddy, I think I shall go for a walk down the path for a while. It does not appear as if it will rain soon.”

“Alright dear, be careful and don’t be too long, because I was going to start on Tea soon.”

“Alright Mum, I won’t be too long.” Despite the weather, she still took her slicker with her. This was after all England.

Katia started out the door after putting some treckies on and taking her rain slicker out of the closet in the hallway. She remembered so many days like this as she grew up. White, puffy clouds drifting across the countryside. With scarcely any warning some would darken and begin a down pour of rain, to begrudgingly depart but only after everything in sight is drenched.

She walked on the public trail that led down along hedgerows, across a farmer’s field and finally down to the shallow stream. It was so pleasant to get back out amongst the trees she’d grown up with. Katia sat down to think about the flowing water, the reeds and just how much she enjoyed being home, if just for a little while.

She reflected on all the violence and the shocking conditions that people encountered every single day. In spite of the bad conditions over there, Katia found herself missing Sabeen and Afia. Guilt overwhelmed her when she thought about not being able to save Afia from her bastard husband. She wept violently for a few minutes and then it settled into more gentle tearfulness. Finally, later, the quiet and peaceful thicket influenced her mind and peace began to settle in. Katia was just discovering that tears were strengthening to women.

In the distance she heard an explosion, and her strong hearing could pick out the sound of her mother screaming. “OH, gad what have they done now!” She said, her voice carrying all the exasperation she felt.

On her feet instantly, Katia ran home in a tenth of the time it had taken her to get down to the stream. Barely breathing hard, Katia rounded the corner into her back hard to find her Father standing dazedly with her gun in his hand. Her Mum was sitting on the steps weeping uncontrollably, “Father, what have you done? You’ll have the plod down on us, you will!”

“Oh Mum, just calm down, I was only testing it, you know. I had no idea that the thing would really fire at all, it looks like a toy, it does! Gad woman, who would have expected this?”

“Father, I hear the sirens of the plod coming now! What are we going to do? Your acting like a plonker has got us into a right mess.”

Katia almost laughed for a moment as she strode over to her father and reclaimed her “Pop Gun”. “Father, look what you have done? You could have destroyed the house!”

“Malok, what do I do?”

“Good grief Katia, don’t get so excited!”

“Malok, it is illegal for him to have a gun. He does not have a license, or for that matter I do not either! I hear the sirens, someone has called the Coppers; they will be here any moment.!”

Quick thinking Malok said, “Katia, I will beam the gun to my ship, and if you stand back I will shoot some asteroid fragment collection into the hole. You can say that you have no idea what happened.”

“What about the neighbors? I am sure that they saw something.”

“I have just moved to right over the crater. I can see her looking out her window. She’ll be quite intoxicated in just a moment.”
Suddenly, a window in the neighbors house shattered and there was a soft yelp from Sadie her neighbor. “She’s too nosy anyway.” Thought Katia.

~~~

Later, after the police had left. Katia talked to Malok again. As it happened, Malok had the security routine set to “off” for her gun while he reprogrammed some features, thus leaving a window for Daddy to cause mischief.

“Malok, please don’t allow that to happen again?”

“Well, my sweet, meet me this afternoon, and I will give you an implant that will make it so that the gun will only fire if you and the weapon are close to each other. That should take care of any future problems. Your power alteration is ready also.”

“Since when did I become, your “sweet”?

“Katia, do we really want to discuss this right now”?

“I suppose not Malok.” Katia conceded. Strangely, she had not been that upset at his use of the term, “my sweet”.

In the late afternoon, Malok beamed her up to his ship and had her lay on a table. She remained conscious and able to chat as he worked away on the power conversion and the resetting of her weapon protocols.

Malok told Katia, “I have changed my mind about your weapon, and designed a depression in your right hip so that it will always be on your person, yet it will not be visible or accessible to any one but you. You can bathe or run around naked and no one will know it is there. You can just place your hand near it and “will” it into your hand.”

“Thank you Malok”

“You are quite welcome dear.”

Katia did not immediately reply. Something was happening to her. As she sat there quietly, Katia realised that she was feeling some affection for Malok. She felt a flush of realization pass through her and it felt good. After all, he’d done a great deal for her since the accident, and for not the first time, Katia thought upon the fact that she was living the life of the person she’d always been inside but had to conceal.

“Thank you Malok”

To her mind, Malok’s voice seemed to catch just for a moment. She looked at him and thought she could recognize a deep but unvoiced emotion in him.

“You are quite welcome. You know that my killing you was an accident. I had not intended to do so, but was extremely surprised at what I found.”

Katia just laid there smiling as he finished his work.

“Will I still be pretty when you put in that power cell? She asked.

“Dear, you will not even know it is there, and at the rate you expend power, it will outlast you by thousands of years.”

“Thank you so much. When I was young, I was always jealous of the girls at the pool lying around in their bikinis.”

“Such public exposure is considered so vile on my planet.”

“But Malok, no harm is meant. We just want to have fun.”

“On my planet, such females are considered the lowest of the low. Respectable females realize the power they have over men, so they conceal themselves because of mercy for them.”

“Malok, that is so lame! You mean to say that Men have no control over their own bodies? I thought you were so much more advanced than us?”

“Katia, one of the reasons I was in Afghanistan is that I could not understand how a country with such good values could be so backward.”

“Yeah, OK, fine, making women wear Burquas, stoning them, beating them, imprisoning them in their homes …”

“Katia, stop. I have seen all that and more and it makes me ill. I can not understand how it is happening. On my own planets, we live moderate, modest lives and have no wars at all.”

They kept talking in the same vein for late into the night, and eventually they came to agreement that something needed to happen to help not only Afghanistan but the rest of the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Mum and Katia were in Worcester, and were just walking past what turned out to be a Halal Meat market. Katia was frustrated because she could not find clothing that she found suitable; not knowing that Malok had sneakily placed a preference for the clothing of his home world in her mind. He’d not meant to harm Katia, but for him being dressed that way was only proper.

So, they were almost to this market when a young woman walked out, presumably after buying meat, and Katia could see that she had almost the sort of pants and long top on that she really liked.

She stopped the young woman, who was at first somewhat alarmed, but softened when Katia told her how much she liked the young woman’s outfit. As it turned out, the Woman’s name was Hala, and she apparently was quite flattered by Katia’s praise of her garb.
They talked about the woman’s native country of India for a few minutes and then Katia asked her if she could tell her where she had gotten her clothing.

“Katia, I get my things mailed to me since it is in London. It is called Muslim Base, near Middlesex. Are you Muslim”?

“Good heavens no Hala, but I just love your outfit and should like to have some”.

“Well very good, if you have something to write with I can jot it down for you. I order so much from that store that I have memorized the addy for it”.

The girls and Mum chatted on for a few minutes, and they exchanged phone numbers; agreeing to meet sometime for tea or some such”.

After they parted, Mum and Katia were in the car on the way home, “Katia, do you realize that was a Muslim woman? They are the same ones that originally got this business going by the tragedy in New York.”

“Mum, that was over 20 years ago. The young woman did not seem violent at all. She was actually quite nice, and I would like to get to know her better.”

“Very well Katia, but please do be careful. I lost my son over this business.” Mummy said with an emotional edge to her voice.

“But Mummy, look what you got as a replacement!” Katia said and then giggled sweetly.
Katia knew very well that Mum had not finished adjusting to things at all, but she had also known that within Frank, dwelt a feminine spirit from the time when she carried him, though they had only spoken of it once after she’d caught him as a child prancing around in her heels. She’d known that Henry, her husband had taken quite a strong hand with Frank, but she’d felt that what he’d done was correct, no matter how much it worried her.
Had Marge, her Mum known what was on Frank’s mind when he went to Afghanistan, she’d have felt quite heart broken.

When they arrived back at the family home on Summer Hollow, they found the Police were at the house once again; along with what turned out to be University People. The men from the Uni had decided that they’d found meteoric fragments in the hole, and were astonished that it had left a hole 3 meters wide.

“Good heavens man, weren’t you frightened when the bloody thing lit right at your feet”?
“I most certainly was, but due to my experience in the military, I held up, I suppose.”

Katia giggled, “Mum, Daddy is putting it on a bit thick don’t you think”?

“Oh, be good to your father dear, he is having his moment of glory”.

Both women laughed a little too loudly and that got the attention of the Police and the Uni people.

“Oh, hi daddy, I am sorry that we have interrupted your meeting, we’ll just be carrying the packages into the house”.

Later, as Katia and her Mum were working in the kitchen, they both giggled when they saw the nosy neigbor leading a repair man around to the broken window. She looked much the worse for wear, and quite sad too.

“Too much drinking don’t you think Mum?”

“Really Katia, that is a bit mean don’t you think”?

“Mum, she is nosy and mean spirited”

“Yes, but she keeps an eye on the place so well that we seem to never have to call the Coppers”. They both had a nice laugh over that.

That evening, they had Sheppard’s Pie. Mum had deliberately made much to much and later took a dish of it over to the neighbor. She returned looking quite sad.

“Katia, the poor woman is simply destroyed. She says she has never had a drink in her life, and fears that her reputation is lost. I am quite sad for her.”

“Are you getting this Malok, we need to do something” Katia mentally sent to Malok.
“Malok said, “Don’t worry about her Katia, I will alter her memory of the event, and repair what needs it.”

“Oh, thank you Malok” !

Later that evening, before sunset, Katia decided to go for a run to allow her to think. She thought about Frank’s old running gear but it was twice her size, so she simply put on some cotton leggings and a nice loose top. She’d just got some pastel blue trainers and was soon off down the route she used to take before she’d gone to Afghanistan.

The countryside was pleasant especially once she’d gotten away from the houses. It was a few miles to Stony Cross, and then she turned around and started home. She was passing a field where laborers were picking Onions. The smell of the freshly disturbed soil was wonderful; so much better than the smell of exploded munitions.

As she ran along, she noticed a small child sitting in the dirt, crying loudly. She could hear an adult speaking abusively to the child. “Get up you worthless child or I will give you reason to complain”, the man said.

They were at least 100 yards away, but Katia could hear the exchange clearly. It was appalling what was happening to the child. Katia was about to run out there to intervene, but Malok interrupted her.

“Katia, I have called the Police for you. They’ll be here shortly. I don’t think it will be a good idea for you to get involved.”

“Thank you Malok, we wouldn’t really want the wrong people to know that I am not in Afghanistan”.

“Well, Katia, I have been doing some things over there, to make them believe you are still in the field there.

“Run along now dear, enjoy yourself, the plod will be arriving soon.”

The next day, in the Independent.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-new-slave...

Katia was just finishing breakfast in the morning when her Mum handed her a narrow little barrel with a rod sticking out the top. “What’s this Mum”?

“I make my own butter, cheese and bread now, want to have a go at it”?

Mum showed her how to push and pull on the rod, and in 20 minutes her Mum stopped her.
“Alright love, let’s see what we have.”

Her Mum pulled the rod and lid out of the small barrel and with it came a big clump of whitish yellow butter.

“Goodness Mum, how long have you been doing all this”?

“Well since those horrible bombings in 2018, I have been looking at things very hard. It is very plain that the terrorists mean to drive us into the ground. I only just started getting organized since you left”.

“Mummy, please do not worry, I think something good is going to happen. The terrorist problem will be much less soon I hope.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After bed time, Katia suddenly found herself in Malok’s ship, for a few moments and then standing outside St Johns Chippy. It was a tiny stucco building in a line of row buildings along St Johns street, that she had gone to many times with her Mum and Father as a child.

“My goodness, Malok is that really you?”

“You see Katia, my own body does not look like a human one, so I have to stay in my ship, so I just put together a little Puppet to sit with you. Since you are only 16, I can buy you beer as long as you behave yourself”.

“Oh, so you see yourself as my guardian, do you?”

“You wanna argue the point Baby?” He said in a perfect “Shwartzenhammer” accent.
Katia just had to laugh because she remembered the famous actor from when he played in all those post destructionist Science Fiction movies as a robot. The fish and chips were jolly good. The beer was wonderful.

“Thank you for allowing me to drink a beer or two.”

“I was just concerned about the compatibility of your beverage with our alien physiology.”

“So, we are OK, then?”

“Yes, but do not get intoxicated. I do not want to see what you could do to a pub.”
Later that night, Katia and Malok were talking. “Malok, this semi war has gone on for a very long time. Can you really help us to make it better?” “I hope so Katia dear.”

“I have been reviewing your world’s history and think I have found signs of external interference? It is risking getting in a lot of trouble with Mom for violating the regulations of the counsel in regards to sentient races, but I have seen a couple artefacts that make me suspicious that another race has been planting seeds of warfare here for millennia. I don’t know how to do all the investigation though.”

“How soon will you know Malok?”

“I just don’t know, so I have to be really careful because if I go running to Mom about this, I’ll get punished for such sloppy work, and then grounded for messing around on this planet; you know making a mess and causing pain to a developing sentient race.”
“Malok, how old are you anyhow. Why are you worried about getting in trouble with your Mum?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Malok?”

“Knock it off Katia !”

Instinctively Katia knew that something was wrong, and with Malok suddenly getting so defensive, she suspected it was his age. She thought about it for a few moments, remembering her own past life. “OMG” she thought, “Malok, in your own civilization, you are just a little kid, aren’t you?”

He looked at her as only an alien from millions of light years away, who was impersonating a human could. He looked extremely guilty and embarrassed.

“Malok, do your parents know you are here?”

“Well, they just told me to go find something to do.”

“So, they don’t actually know you are here?”

“I’m not hurting anything, and I fixed you up! I didn’t mean to break anything!” he said petulantly.

“So, in earth years, how hold are you?”

“Well, um in earth years, I would compare to a 14 year old.”

“OH, Bloody Hell !”

“What, we have a 14 year old running around, about to cause WWIII? You’re kidding“ !

“It’s more complicated than that Katia. In lots of ways I am a lot older than that but when you think of the level of responsibility I am allowed, it is about equivalent to a 14 year old in your society”.

“So, a 14 year old blew me up and made me into a living Barbi Doll”? Great, that is just great”!

“Um Katia, I didn’t do it like that, but my ship has all sorts of built in stuff to keep me from getting injured and to protect me because I am um special”.

“What?”

“Yeah, my Mom is the ruler of our sector now, but when I get of age, she wants to step down early”.

With that new revelation, Katia and Malok spent the next few hours with him explaining everything, and Katia threatening to turn him in to his Mum.

“Mom will really get pissed if she realizes that I made such huge changes to you.”

“Yes, I imagine that she might.” Katia said, but it was obvious by her tone of voice that she was not upset. “Listen Malok, if I get a vote, I just want to say that I really like how you put me back together. I would have loved to take a girl like me dancing.”

“Yes, I have been reading about your human dancing, would you like to go?”, said Malok.

“Most certainly not, no Urethan girl would be caught dead …”

“Katia, please stop a moment.”

“What? Wait, I am not from Ureth! Malok, what did you do to me?”

“Katia, I was building you from a completely destroyed human and I had no idea what a human female really was at the time. So, I simply programmed you with many of the social mores of those from my planet, and from what I could see of human females in that area. I meant no harm.”

“Oh, gad, then I am lucky that I was not running around in one of those bloody blue Burqas” And, that is why I am sat here in long silk pants and long top? Malok, I want to go dancing and I also demand that you fix me so that I will be a proper English girl.”

“Remember Katia, we are going for mutual respect here.”

“Alright, please make me like I should be?”

It took them a while to get sorted and come to agreement, but later they were at Tramps dancing like college students. Sifting through his data base, Katia suddenly knew perfect Belly Dancing, UK style.

The dancing and laughing was quite beneficial to Katia’s state of mind and they did not get tired until the club closed at 3:00 AM. As they left the club, three blokes started harassing them, and Malok was hard pressed to restrain Katia from leaving them broken lifeless hulks.

“But Malok, they wanted to hurt me and you both! They did not deserve to live!”

“Please Katia, don’t be so petulant. There are consequences for that sort of behaviour her in the UK, and we don’t want to attract attention. Katia, this behaviour is exactly what I feared in you. I had told you that I was concerned what you would act like with some intoxicant in your blood stream.”

“Ok, I am sorry. I got a bit carried away. Can we go dancing tomorrow night?”

“Katia, it is quite late, so I think that you actually mean tonight, don’t you?”

“Oh, very well, can we?”

“Well, I have some work to do, but I think we may.”

“Oh, thank you Malok.” she said, and then she kissed him on the cheek.

They were both stunned. Katia just drifted for who knows how long. Malok looked confused.
“On my planet, we do not touch like that without an agreement” He said, but his voice was very soft and lacked conviction.

“I don’t know what came over me. I mean I am so grateful to you for all your help and we get along and we have so much in common and you want to help us and we think alike, and …”

His fingers were on her lips. “I know Katia. I would not have it otherwise.”

He looked at her for what seemed like a long time.

“Malok spoke first, “I have affection for you, but we can not be joined. I have obligations and we are biologically not compatible. It would be like a whale and a Tiger joining”

Katia had tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m the Tiger, right?” Katia was trying to be strong; struggling so hard to be strong; it was not very convincing.

“Katia, it is a privilege to know you. You are very strong, and if you wish it, we will always be companions. That is the best I can do. Our minds are alike. I wish our bodies were.”

That was hours ago. Katia was at home sleeping and Malok was in his ship thinking. This was so hard and so impermissible to fall in love with an Alien. She would never be accepted as mate were the biology even attainable.

With reluctance, he began perusing her mental patterns; searching for that which bound them. With a sigh, he turned certain neurons off, rerouted certain pathways. Were it possible, his eyes would have filled with tears also. Turning away from the work he’d finished on Katia, he began to examine new data that his probe near the Oort cloud had reported.

Distracted, he did not see the patterns in Katia’s brain restore themselves to their previous state. Katia rolled over in bed, and smiled to herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katia and her Mum were walking in downtown Worcester, near the Narrow Boats. Mum, “I have been home almost a Month, I will have to return to Afghanistan soon.”

“I know dear, but I hate to see you go, I’ve only just adjusted to your new state.”

“What you mean, I don’t think I have yet.” Katia laughed.

“I know it takes a lot to get used to the boys, but you seem to be adapting, even enjoying them.”

“Mummy!!!!”

“Katia, women know these things about each other. You have no secrets from me, I am your Mother!”

The two women hugged with deep affection. In spite of her differences since the last time she was home, it was still obvious that Katia contained just lots of Frank, even today”

~~~~~~~~

That night at home after dinner, Katia’s father called her into his private sanctum, his study, where he liked to think that no woman could enter without his permission.

“Yes, Daddy?”

“Katia, I have something that I had intended to give to you, but when you showed up in this new state, I had abandoned the idea. There is not the slightest chance that I would ever give it to a Woman. You have surprised me. You have demonstrated the spirit and strength that Frank never had, yet I knew that deep inside much of Frank still lived.”

“What is it Daddy?”

“Come here girl.” Laying on his desk was the Persian sword that had hung on the wall for so long.

Seeing it, Katia started to protest, but her Fathers look silenced her.

“I know that you have all that astounding armament and superhuman strength, but I thought perhaps that in case all that fails, you could use a real sword, that has probably drawn blood and more than once.” He picked up the sword and turned toward her.

Katia stood frozen to her spot.

“They say that these things have a living spirit in them. I would not know, but it was given to me by a man that said that the weapon had been used with deadly force by his ancestors.”
With that he handed it to her.
“Oh, thank you daddy, are you sure you want to give it to me?”

“ I would not have it any other way, soldier. I want to protect my interests. “

Katia wrapped her arms around her father and hugged him for the first time in her life. They had not been close when Frank was young. Unwittingly, Father did not realize the spirit in Frank was not evil or weak. She still had not revealed to either of her parents just how lethal she’d been in Afghanistan. Those who had been in real combat, did not talk of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~

In bed that night, the sleeping Katia did not see the sword disappear, and go to Malok’s ship. He examined it carefully expecting to find flaws in the steel that would make it weak but found the structure of it to be surprising stout. He did add a couple enhancements, just for his own pleasure.

Mum had insisted that Katia have a full English breakfast before she would allow her to leave.

“Mummy, Daddy I shall miss you greatly.”

“I want you to be careful, fight well and be honourable. Be The Best!”

“Yes Daddy, I will try my very best to bring credit to the Crown”

“I know you will dear”

“Mummy, my heart already hurts because I miss you, and I am not even out the bloody door.”
“I know Katia dear.”

Speaking out loud, Katia’s mum said, “You! you whoever I have seen Katia with, you protect her or I shall scratch your eyes out!”

For once, Malok spoke directly into Mums head. “I shall do my very best.”

“Well, see that you do.” She said out loud.

“Katia, I can’t possibly ever let your mum and mine meet, it will be absolutely intolerable for the both of us.” Malok said.

With that, Katia disappeared and found herself sat in the seat of Malok’s runabout. In seconds they were passing over the English Channel.

“Katia, I’ve had some probes circulating in the country since I picked you up. There is a huge build up of fighters in the north near Taloqan. I want you to pick up your young religious leader and I will take you there to see if there is a chance that they will talk about building some local industry; see what they think should happen.” Malok said.
In minutes Malok had dropped her near Moqor, and she began to walk in. She’d donned attire suitable to the local culture but not the Burqua. “Let some man try to force me into that!”, she thought.

She’d just entered the village, and with her extremely sensitive hearing, heard some men talking.

“Mamadou said that the invaders were going to come here soon. Do we flee, or do we fight?”
“We will talk to him soon. He is returning from the mountain soon.”

Katia sat out of sight until almost dark when she could see the figure of a man descending the steep trail in front of the village.

“Mamadou, what is this about the western invaders coming here?”

Mamadou had to be really careful. If these two hardline Taliban ever suspected his true affiliations, they would kill him. “It is what I heard in Kandahar, and it will be soon.”
“A man said that you were in Kandahar speaking to the western invaders.”

Mamadou could feel his heart quiver at the accusation. “Let that man face me and we will decide who lives together!”

“We will all meet to plan our strategy later this afternoon, after Asr Prayer. We will bring your accuser.” With that, the men split up and Mamadou moved toward one of the houses.

Katia moved around to intercept him. When he got close, Katia stepped out from her concealment.

“Hello Mamadou.”