We rejoin Chance Summers and her Coven as they return to base after the successful completion of their first mission. What next is in store for Witch Corps?

 
Chapter 1
 
 
“ETA to Mare De Tempest, Charli?” I inquired for the fiftieth time in ten minutes.
“We’ll get there when we get there!” She replied in an agitated, frustrated voice. Mom, Chantell, and I giggled while my other Coven sisters looked to us in confusion.
“You’ll wanna take the ‘Downtown’ exit, dear. Slow down or you’ll miss it.” Mom teased even more watching nervously as Charli ‘manned’ Pegasus’ helm.
“Are you three ever going to stop?” Grunfuller asked from one of the guest chairs at the back of the bridge.
“Chantell looked at mom; mom looked at me, and I looked back at Chantell in silence.
“No!” We chorused and began giggling like teenagers.
Over the last three weeks we had visited many worlds and experienced many different cultures. Least favorite was Eden Three. There again, good had come from our visit to that chaotic planet in the form of finding homes for all the unborn children that would have been lost if not for our quick response and actions regarding the invasion and repatriating of Mare.
Though unsure whether the Hoblins, or Hobgoblins as my parents called them, were aware or even cared about their conscripts’ maternal conditions during transfiguration, over five hundred children had been saved and given homes and at least one parent- despite some said parent(s) still serving prison terms.
Eden Three was a strange world, one where the prison population had rioted/rebelled and deposed the true planetary government due to ‘unfair’ treatment. Several ‘escaping’ government officials went so far as taking their own lives rather than chance being caught and returned to face whatever punishment the ‘new’ government prescribed. Unfortunately, we had a hand in that sad incident as we had disabled their ship’s defenses after their firing on Pegasus. With forty children onboard plus my own precious little Savanna, we were taking no chances.
The ‘sudden’ pregnancies of several hundred of the new government’s personnel forced Eden’s new lawmakers to re-evaluate their ideals on equal treatment across the genders and of their offspring. Hopefully now the planet might develop into a rich and diverse society worthy of the Galactic Council’s originally issued charter.
“Mare De Tempest in four LY’s, High Priestess.” Charli announced as she prepared to relinquish the helm to mom- her shift being over.
“Slow to sublight and decloak.” I ordered.
“Slowing to sublight.” Charli confirmed.
“Active Camo to default.” Charli quickly added. She was remotely controlling the Engineering station while Simone relieved Chantell; all while mom stood standing impatiently behind her- her hands resting on the back of ‘her’ seat.
“Artie, contact Mare Tower and announce our arrival.”
“Pegasus, Mare Tower. We’re two LY’s out on an approach vector.”
“Copy, Pegasus. Welcome back. I trust our Captain is in good health?”
“He is indeed, Mare Tower. We will be pulling alongside, but do not require docking accommodations. Repeat. We do not require docking accommodations.” I responded as everyone on the bridge stared at me.
There was a long pause before we got a response.
“Um, Pegasus? Could you repeat your last transmission? We heard: ‘you do not require docking facilities’?”
“Affirmative, Mare Tower.” I smiled. “We have made other docking arrangements and will be disappearing from your sensors after this communication. Security level thirty ‘stuff’. That’s all I can say. Pegasus out.”
“Artie. Broom Closet Control, please.”
“Go ahead, High Priestess.”
“Pegasus, Broom Closet Control. Requesting clearance and approach vector. Authenticate.”
“Pegasus security identification complete and confirmed. Welcome home, High Priestess. I trust your mission was successful?”
“It was very successful, Control. Thank you for asking. Any developments since our departure?”
“Long range telemetry relay from Pegasus indicates that communication ceased from surveillance agent P1 after it entered the Magellan system. Sensors detected a high intensity EMI burst just prior to loss of signal.”
“Thank you. Lady Charli will be leading an investigation into the matter. She’ll analyze the logs after we dock. Care to assist her?” I indicated.
“With pleasure, High Priestess. Approach vector has been issued. Commencing flight line depressurization and Broom Closet door activation.”
“Got it, Chance.” Mom announced as she rudely thumbed Charli out of her seat.
“Camo to Adaptive, Simone. Take us home, Lady Hope.”
 
 
“Broom Closet doors closed. Flight line gravity generators initializing. Standby for repressurization. Again, welcome home, Pegasus.”
“Glad to be back, Control.” I responded.
“Main propulsion offline. High Priestess.” Simone announced as we felt Pegasus settle to the deck as the gravity generators ramped up to normal.
“Fuel status.”
“Twenty-five point one percent, Chance. Not bad for a three week tour around the galaxy.”
“I still find it impossible! Three weeks and ten different systems without refueling once! Simply amazing, My Lady Chance!” Serangetti gushed exuberantly.
“All weapons offline, High Priestess.” Kitty reported while Lyra nodded and smiled brightly until her smile quickly clouded.
“High Priestess? Where are we?” Our young Coven sister asked as she looked around the brightening hangar. She had never seen the Broom Closet before.
“This is our base, Lady Lyra. Its location must remain a secret for security purposes.”
“But we’re on Poppy’s ship, right?”
“We are, M’lady.”
“Okay.” She replied as she scampered back to her ‘Poppy’ seated beside Grunfuller at the back of our bridge.
“Repressurization complete. Normal atmosphere established. Debarkation may commence whenever ready, High Priestess.”
“Thank you, Control. We’ll be exiting Pegasus as soon as all systems are confirmed offline or in sleep mode.”
 
 
Lyra’s eyes couldn’t have opened wider as she exited Pegasus and stopped at the top of the ramp, staring in excited wonder.
“Wooooow!”
She wasn’t the only one to stare in amazement! Sandra and the eight children she had decided to formally adopt also looked around, stunned, and delayed Pegasus’ unloading and removal from our flight line to her personal hangar.
“This way.” I waved toward the metal stairs on the opposite side of Pegasus to get their attention, and to hurry them off the flight line.
“I never noticed those six doors on this side of the hangar before. Are they new, Chance?” Charli asked as she looked at them in confusion.
“One is reserved for Lady Cora’s Pegasus 9 if she so chooses to visit. The next is Lady Sandra’s, Pegasus 10. One will contain Artemis’ fighter- Pegasus11- if she becomes bored. Next is Lady Demi’s Pegasus 12. The next is Lady Lyra’s…”
“Mine?!” The kitten screeched in excitement.
“Its not completed yet, M’lady, and won’t be until you are old enough to fly it responsibly.”
“And certainly not until your ‘Poppy’ gives his approval!” I added, receiving an approving nod from Cmdr. Serangetti.
“Awwww.” Came her disappointed response.
“Let’s go inside, shall we?” I suggested as I nodded to the stairs and the door at its landing.
Once inside our base, I stopped at the galley and kitchen.
“Lady Sandra. The children will stay in here until a portal to Mare De Tempest can be enabled and stabilized. Refreshments and drinks are available. I do request a Détente though. I’d like our base to remain whole for a few more weeks!” The last I said while glaring at her charges intently. There also wasn’t any ‘portal’ to be enabled and stabilized. I wanted the children to stay put, and if there were no ‘place’ to go…
“Do I. Make. Myself. Clear?” I asked the eight children, ages two through eight in as stern a voice as possible.
“Yes, High Priestess.” They answered shyly.
Since Aunt Cora and her ward, Rodyard, had left a week ago, ‘War Games’ in Pegasus’ multipurpose compartment had eased only slightly.
“The children promise to be on their best behavior, High Priestess.” Sandra Anderson vouched as she glared at the eight.
“Good. Lady Charli? How soon can you and our Base A.I. process our probe’s data into a situational cause report?” I asked switching my attention.
“Give us a half hour to gather, check, and recheck all sensor data, M’lady.”
“Good. Princess Savanna and I will be in our quarters. I have some redecorating to do.”
Charli nodded to me, turned, and headed for the meeting/briefing room.
 
 
Home! Finally!
Entering my quarters resulted in a sudden relaxing of my body as I looked around. I hadn’t had the chance to really get acquainted with the place before we left three weeks ago.
First things first though.
I conjured Savanna’s crib at the foot of my bed and materialized a generous supply of recyclable diapers next to it.
She ‘burped’ just after I used my ‘magic’ to bring the furniture and bedding into being. She had taken to doing that while on our mission. I first noticed it but paid no attention our first day out. Since then, I had made note of the strange response each and every time I used my Current to materialize various things. The notable exception was on Eden Three where I had really dipped into my Current. There, she had become inconsolable until I returned to the ship. At first I had thought it to be ‘Aunt Artemis’, but further observation had disproved that theory.
Could it be from her immersion in the current at such a young age while she had been conscripted?
I thought about that a moment. That could explain young Lyra Serangetti’s ‘natural’ talent toward ‘magic’ too.
I had vowed to observe her carefully each time I used ‘magic’. I also made a note to bring the premise up at our staff meeting- especially to Sandra!
“So Current makes you rift. Ay, sweetie?” I asked sweetly.
The infant smiled for a moment then turned her head away from me.
“Oh, I get it. I wasn’t supposed to notice that, was I?” I asked.
Her tiny right arm waved at me as she turned her head back and looked at me.
Those innocent eyes…
“Well, you’ll learn quick enough that mommas will always find out. We’re always watching- even when you’re all grown up, and I’ll always do my best to protect you, sweetie.” I vowed as I gently rubbed her soft, smooth, chubby cheek.
She coo’d and wiggled her feet a few times.
“Don’t try to change the subject, sweetie.” I smiled. “My main responsibility is to protect you. Everything else is secondary.”
“So…protecting the galaxy from the Hoblins is also secondary, Buddy?” Grunfuller asked from my open doorway.
“If it came down to her or them, yes!” I answered instantly. “Is that so hard to understand?”
“No…I felt it in my activated form too, Buddy. So easy to feel, but incredibly hard to rationalize.” He admitted.
“Nothing rational about it, buddy. You just ‘do’ it. Do what you have to for her protection. Savanna is my world. Ever since I first laid eyes on her…ever since I held her in my arms…”
“I got it, Chance. Unconditional love. Nothing rational about it.”
“And how do you feel about it in your ‘inactivated’ form, buddy?” I asked.
Savanna lightly coughed a couple times. I narrowed my eyes at her. Was she trying to giggle?
“The little munchkin grows on you, ya know? I got that word from your mother by the way. Don’t know what subspecies a ‘munchkin’ is, but…” He replied as he approached the crib and reached down to run the back of his finger across a chubby cheek.
“Both of you do.” He mumbled barely audible.
Again Savanna lightly coughed a few times and waved her right hand twice.
Again, I narrowed my eyes at my daughter. She liked Grunfuller.
“It’s not that easy.” I sighed to the infant in the crib.
“Chance?”
“Nothing, Grunfuller. I was just talking to Savanna.”
“Oh, okay. Hey, I’ll be next door. I have a few things to rearrange in my drawers. I still haven’t figured out why some of our stuff rematerializes in different places when we move them with our Current. Oh well, see you at the meeting, buddy.”
Savanna gave a few cries as Grunfuller Lokust exited our quarters.
“I told you it’s not that easy, sweetie!” I reiterated to her.
 
 
Witch Corps Base: Briefing Room
 
 
“To start this meeting off, I’d like to congratulate my Coven sisters and brothers on a mission well done. I believe the actions of this team speak volumes about the integrity and commitment of the Corps. That being said, we’ll dig right into the important stuff.” I paused before I looked to Sandra Anderson.
“Lady Sandra, I assume our base dining room and kitchen to be in pristine condition?”
She blushed deeply.
“There…there may have been one or two skirmishes that had to be dealt with swiftly, High Priestess. It’s been taken care of though.”
“Understood. Now, something for you to think about, but I don’t need your answer until tomorrow.” I looked at her closely before continuing.
“Do you wish to re-incorporate your children back into Mare’s social structure? If you think it prudent for their development that they live among Mare’s population, the Corps has no problem other than Base security. If, however, you feel it better to live on Base, we have three additional levels awaiting architectural development.”
That got everyone staring at me!
“What…you think the Broom Closet magically fits into one level?” I asked incredulously.
Everyone remained silent as I looked around.
“Hardly!” I snorted. “I don’t do ‘Pocket Universes’! So far, I have simply created the basic floor plan as required by our initial membership. We have plenty of space to expand into as needed.”
“Next item. Cmdr. Serangetti. Do you wish quarters and/or office space on base? If so, how much area shall I allocate? Again, I don’t need your requirements or decision until tomorrow. Lady Lyra. I will be configuring a flight simulator system for you and any active member of the Corps to teach and polish our flight skills. With the Commander’s approval the simulator will be ready as early as tomorrow afternoon. I will also be developing and implementing a training area that will encompass most of level three. It will be completely configurable to any situational setting, planetary or astral.”
“Now. Onto our mission debriefing. Lady Simone. Summary status of Pegasus’ operational condition during our three week misson.”
“Main and secondary propulsion systems remained in the green for the entire duration, M’lady. Upon arrival at base, we had only consumed seventy-five percent of Pegasus’ total Current reserve. Our Current economizer maintained a steady 99.9% Current efficiency; despite that there were some small, but recordable anomalies which I will look into over the next few days.”
“Pegasus Broom propulsion systems registered similar efficiencies with Pegasus 9 reporting a higher efficiency of 99.996 % because of the distance involved and Lady Cora’s reluctance to return to Norge. An average thrust factor of 75% during her return trip to Antarra is attributed. Not bad, even with double occupancy. No similar anomalies have been recorded in those systems however.”
“Structural integrity remains 100% in both Pegasus and her Brooms. Nineteen out of twenty probes are still in inventory awaiting mission specific deployment. One helluva ship you designed, High Priestess!” She concluded with a huge smile.
“Weapons status.” I looked to Sinae.
“All weapons performed better than my expectations, High Priestess. Munitions are deficit by one and its performance also bested my expectations. Pegasus is definitely a force to be reckoned with, High Priestess!”
“Thank you, M’lady. Environmental?” I prompted.
“With the exception of Princess Savanna’s unscheduled test,” my daughter let out a loud ‘gurgle’ to which Chantell raised an eyebrow, but continued, “our first day out, all systems performed above average in terms of breathable atmosphere. Water and waste reclamation remained well within normal parameters- even with a compliment of fifty-two onboard.”
I nodded. “Comm systems?”
“Standard and Subspace equipment performed flawlessly- even when temporarily detuned to receive Eden’s emergency EHF transmissions. Encoded Witch Corps channels remain secure and viable. Long-range transceivers are operating well within prescribed sensitivities.” Dell reported.
“Thank you, M’lady. Lady Hope? Manueverability and performance?”
“She handled like a family-sized Lamborghini if Lamborghini had ever made a family-sized vehicle, High Priestess! Two thumbs as well as two big toes way, way up!” Mom gushed unprofessionally.
We all laughed at her enthusiasm.
“Navigation.”
“Flight computer’s so accurate I could plot a course from here to the galactic rim and still put us on a gnat’s ass with no prob, honey!” Charli lampooned.
“Executive?”
“I think we have a top-notch crew, High Priestess. Morale has been high the whole mission. Cooperation and communication amongst reserve and active Coven members continues to be excellent.” Grunfuller offered.
“Cmdr. Serangetti, any additional thoughts or observations?” I asked after nodding to my executive.
“For a covert, highly black assault group, I find Witch Corps overly flamboyant and highly visible. Professionalism is at times lax, or nonexistent. Stealth, planning, and caution are sometimes ignored or thrown out all together.” Serangetti paused with a stern look.
“To that end, I believe this team to be the most effective and dynamic unit it’s been my pleasure to serve with, My Lady Chance. I am honored to be a part of the venerated EFMC Witch Corps and look forward to many more interactive missions!”
“What about our probe? What happened to our probe?” Lyra asked impatiently.
Everyone laughed at Lyra’s insistence.
“Yes, Lady Charli. What happened to our probe?”
Charli looked at me with a quirky smile.
“According to all available telemetry, the probe we sent to shadow the Hobgoblin shuttle hit something. Its programming determined that it was critically disabled and enacted its self-destruct protocol. That was the last data sent, the high intensity EMI burst. Evidence of its own demise.”
“Why would it…self…self-destruct, Lady Charli?” Lyra inquired innocently.
“Because our technology is very secret, M’lady. If something like our probe were to fall into enemy hands it could be used against us. That is why you must never reveal anything about our base or Pegasus or the Brooms or…or even how powerful our magic is, M’lady.” Charli explained- hopefully so the young Lynxin could understand it.
“Ooooh! Okayyyy!” She replied with a look of comprehension.
“So what did the probe hit, Charli?” Chantell asked. “I mean… Hope wasn’t piloting it, soooo…”
Mom stuck her tongue out at my Aunt.
“Apparently the probe got too close when the shuttle came about and slowed suddenly. Tracking logs indicated the shuttle had been making a series of random turns and velocity changes at random intervals…” Charli answered, ignoring the two.
“Crazy Ivans!” Chantell interrupted abruptly.
“Crazy Ivan?” I asked.
“An old tactic developed during the Cold War of the 20th century by Soviet submarine captains to determine if allied subs were following them. They would ‘randomly’ choose a series of times and directions then turn hard in the chosen direction to smoke out the shadowing sub. I’m told it was very effective until the patterns were detected. Most Russian captains tended to be very predictable despite being ‘random’. Figure out the particular captain and you could pretty much predict the movements, and vice-a-versa.” My aunt explained.
“Well he knows we’re onto him. Any idea as to which way he went?” Mom wondered.
“Directly for Magellan.” Charli answered.
“Should we set out for that system then?” I posed the question.
“My gut says he noticed the strike and changed his plans, Chance. He’s probably still heading for that system because it offers more Current. We took away a good portion of his power base by removing Guan and Evans. I’m sure he’s getting hungry.” Mom advised.
“Then we’ll continue to monitor that system’s communications for any signs of Hoblin takeover- an increase in missing persons or comm. blackouts.” I decided.
Just then, Savanna let out a loud burp and ‘gurgled’ a couple times while waving her right hand. I rolled my eyes.
“Did you just do something, Buddy?” Grunfuller asked as he narrowed his eyes at my daughter.
“Why would you ask that?”
“Because I noticed that she burps every time you use a good bit of Current. So…what did you do?”
“The training area is ready. Take the elevator or stairs at the end of the hall up two levels. You can’t miss it. Maybe we should let the ‘Andersons’ try it out first?” I suggested, shooting a glance to Sandra.
Our Coven sister blushed.
“But we don’t have an elevator OR stairs at the end of the hall, Chance,” Grunfuller reminded.
“Yeah… about that… we do now.” I grinned.
Grunfuller rolled his eyes.
“Meeting adjourned.”
 
 
Chapter 2
 
 
“So, it’s true. Savanna reacts when you use your Current, Buddy?” Grunfuller asked as he knocked on my quarters’ doorframe.
Savanna lightly coughed a couple times in quick succession.
“Will you stop that? I told you it isn’t that easy. Its…very…complicated, honey.” I him-hawed.
“You actually can understand her, can’t you?”
“Artemis told me all I had to do was listen. At first it was difficult, but it’s been getting easier. I think we’re both- Savanna and I- still learning. Maybe you should try listening to her, Grunfuller; really listening- with your heart.”
“I’m not sure I can do that at the moment, Chance.” Grunfuller said with trepidation as he looked at me. He winced slightly before glancing away from me a few seconds. “I’m feeling very conflicted…for the last three weeks, I have seen things…done things…been somebody else…”
“We’ve all seen and done things…” I started to reply.
“But you are who you are. You can’t change back and forth like I can, Chance! You can’t be somebody else…now. That’s why I’m so conflicted!”
I remained silent trying to piece together what my best friend was trying to say.
“Chance, you’re part of the conflict.” He finally admitted. “I’ve always thought of you as my best friend. We worked well together and teased and laughed together. Now though…since you…you reached threshold…” He paused as he drew in a deep breath. “I feel that something… Things have changed…between us…”
Grunfuller Lokust stared at me a moment more before turning and silently walking back out of the room and down the hallway.
I suddenly felt like I had been struck hard in the gut!
Savanna began to cry- accusing me of scaring Grunfuller away!
“That’s not…it’s not fair! I…I told you…it…it was …it was complicated!” I told my daughter through my tears.
 
 
“Care to talk about it, honey?” Mom asked as she gently knocked on my still open door.
“I’m not sure what’s happening, mom. Grunfuller was okay up until we got back to base, but now he’s acting peculiar. He seems distant. He keeps looking at me…and Savanna like…I don’t know! He won’t talk about it! The only thing he will tell me is that things are different with us now. And…and Savanna thinks we should be…get…t-together. I’m really confused right now!”
“Lady Hope, Lady Charli, could you come to Lady Chance’s quarters, please?” Mom immediately went to private comms. She walked over to me and silently urged me to sit down.
 
 
“You called, dear?” Dad…Charli asked as she entered my quarters and shut the door.
“Chance seems to be having a very familiar issue with relationships. Could you possibly offer counseling to our Executive? I’ll be here with our daughter and granddaughter.” Mom requested in a calm voice.
“I’ve been expecting this, Hope. Of course, I’ll go talk to him. Don’t worry, sweetie, things will be A-okay.” Charli said as she smiled, turned, and left to head down the hall.
“Now.” Mom said to me. “Care to tell your mother all about you and Grub?”
“I thought we were friends- best friends, mom. We’ve worked together for over seven years. He’s always been more outgoing than me; likes to take more chances…pushes his luck. We have this mutual understanding when on duty. He’d interface with the various section chiefs and I would use my…Current sense…to locate and confirm leaks and our repairs. He is one of the few people that didn’t protest when I told him what I could feel. Instead of passing judgment on me when we first met like most people, Grunfuller simply let it pass and even spoke up for me when others declared me a ‘freak’.”
“Sounds like you and Grub get along very well, honey. So what’s changed since we got back to base?”
“I have, mom! I’ve changed! I’m not Chance Summers anymore!”
“Of course you are, honey! You haven’t changed that much…”
“But I have, mother! I’m completely different! I’m not Chance Summers anymore! I’m Chance Summers, High Priestess and mother to my own infant daughter! I’m no longer the same person I was a month ago!” I cried.
Savanna cried.
“Yes, I have! You didn’t know me before you were born, sweetie. I was very different!” I argued with my daughter.
Savanna became animated, moving both arms and one leg while staring intently up at me.
“You think I’m over reacting? How can you even say that? Have you ever cared for anybody enough to be willing to die for them?”
Mom remained quiet and watched my apparently one-sided conversation as Savanna ‘gurgled’ a few times and made two fists.
“I’m sorry.” I let my head droop. “That was a low blow. I wasn’t thinking what you went through or how Lyra found you and protected you…”
Again my daughter gurgled several times with a few pauses to separate.
“Do I lov…WHAT? Of course I like… Wait! What are you trying to say?”
Mom began to giggle politely. Savanna and I broke our conversation and looked at her in confusion.
“I’m sorry, girls, but I’m sitting here wondering why I’m even involving myself. You two seem to be actively counseling each other and really don’t seem to need my help.”
Savanna giggled several times as she looked toward mom with her wide, inquisitive blue eyes.
“Surprise! Of course I can understand you, little one. Is that such a strange thing? Remember I was a momma once too.” She nodded to me with a bright smile. “And I agree with your assumption that your mother is clueless when it comes to ‘adult’ relationships. Though, she definitely has thought about relations with Grunfuller Lokust. She’s just not willing to admit it yet.
“Yes, I have ‘thought’ about it, mom! Grunfuller is a very good looking ma…Oh, God! What have I become?” I gasped in surprise.
Mom laughed lightly. “You’ve become the young woman you were always destined to be, honey.”
I stared at my mother in confusion.
“Why so surprised, Chance? Now that you’ve reached your threshold, isn’t it obvious? I’ll admit that when you were born, I worried that you wouldn’t have the courage to obtain your full potential- your threshold. Charles and I both understood that was a possibility. It was your father that reassured me that you would do our family proud. After all, you are the progeny of two interplanetary explorers, honey. You have the courage to do anything you want built into your genes. Charles insisted that you could accomplish anything; that you would face any challenge before you with the same tenacity we had- that you WOULD succeed. I’m glad he was right because you turned out perfect, Chance Summers! Now, let’s talk about your ‘new’ relationship with Grunfuller Lokust.”
 
 
“You got a minute, Grub?” Charli Armstrong asked as I opened my quarter’s door. I motioned her in.
“Rumor has it that you and Chance…”
“Look! I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but there’s nothing between me and Chance.” I cut her off.
“Precisely why I’m here, Grub. I think we share a common situation… A very…tenuous…situation.”
I squinted at her in confusion.
Lady Charli Armstrong shimmered and I stared into the face of Chance’s father, Charles Armstrong.
I was astounded!
“Let’s…let’s have us a talk, son.” He said as he cleared his throat.
“You know, since Chance brought me back, I’ve hesitated to return to this form. I felt I shouldn’t press my luck and just enjoy the additional time I have with my daughter. Yes, Grub, she is my daughter and will be forevermore. You do know that, for people like Hope and Chance…there is no going back…not like us. You, me, and Simon, we have been given special insight into the ‘other side’, the female perspective of life. I’ll be the first to admit it gets very confusing…very complicated…very fast. It took years for me to accept my ‘special’ situation- my…our ‘unique’ perspective. In those days it was customary to see someone called a ‘Shrink’ to seek therapy for such ‘bipolarism’. My word, not theirs.”
“Anyway, I have a good idea of what you’re facing. You know she IS Chance Summers, your best friend for many years, yet now she is not. Am I close, son?”
“Chance was my best friend, sir. We could discuss anything: Sports, politics, our superiors…girls…”
“Was? So, what’s changed? I mean, really, what’s changed, son?”
“Chance…Chance has changed, sir. She’s not a ‘he’ anymore.”
“And that makes Chance somehow different? How so? Is Chance still your best friend? Does she treat you differently somehow? Has her personality somehow changed so drastically? How has she changed, Grunfuller? Narrow it down so we can discuss it like two mature guys.” Mr. Armstrong challenged.
“Chance is a girl now!” I blurted out unconsciously. I immediately felt mortified. I had never drawn assumptions on people before and certainly not my closest friends!
“I’m sorry, sir! I don’t know where that came from. I wasn’t brought up that way.”
“Frankly, It’s reassuring that you noticed.” He smiled. “She is most definitely a girl, Grub. As beautiful as her mother, too! What do you think?” He asked.
“I’ve never met anyone like her, sir!” I answered truthfully.
Charles Armstrong smirked with a raised brow as he nodded slightly to his right.
“That’s what I thought.” He commented before there was a long pause between us.
In the silence he continued to regard me carefully. To my surprise, Charlene Armstrong was now sitting before me.
“And how do you feel about me, Grunfuller? Right now? In this form?” She asked as I tried to figure out where this was all heading.
“You look very nice, M’lady, but what is all this going to prove?” I responded politely.
“Just as I thought.”
Charles Armstrong was back.
“So, what’s the problem, Grunfuller? You obviously have feelings for Chance. Why don’t you let her know how you feel?”
I decided that two could play this little game, and brought Lokust forth.
“While we are asking opinions, how do you feel about me, sir?”
Charles Armstrong smiled approvingly. I got the feeling I had just been set up for some unknown reason.
“I find you very fetching, M’lady. If not in a very stable relationship already, I would take my chance with you. Thank you for obliging me, Lokust. I’ll ask you the same question as I asked your counterpart. How do you feel about my daughter?”
“As I said before, I’ve never met anyone like her, sir!” I answered truthfully again.
“Fascinating!” He exclaimed with a bright smile.
“How so, sir?” I asked, perplexed.
“Although you’re physical, and mental- to a certain extent- perspective has changed, you still gave me the same, identical, response. Why?”
“I’m still the same person, sir. My body may have changed, but I’m still…”
Shit!
“Shit!” I exclaimed as his questions and reasoning became clear.
“I’m such an idiot.” I mumbled as I shifted back to my male form.
“Yes, but a very lovable idiot, Grunfuller.” Charlene Armstrong giggled. “Chance is very lucky to have you as a friend, son.”
“So what do I do now, M’lady? What would you suggest I do?”
“The truth never hurt anybody, Grunfuller. I’d start there and see where it goes. You know, I had similar issues after our first mission too. All through our training and then all through our mission Hopewell, Chantell, and I became tight friends- tighter than with the other three. When Hope accidently hit her threshold…I…I couldn’t take my eyes off her, Grub! She was everything I had ever wanted in a woman, but at the same time, she was one of my best friends. It took a while to realize the beautiful creature before my eyes was still the same person only packaged differently. Despite her new gender, she was still Hopewell. She knew me; she liked me; she treated me no different than previously…no, I take that back. She treated me better than before. We really ‘clicked’ a few months after her threshold. I realized I had loved her from the moment I helped pull her out of the project lab and I’ve never stopped loving her since.”
“I won’t insult you by telling you everything was smooth and uneventful. No relationship is devoid of disagreements, arguments… knock down-drag outs, and it took several years before we were comfortable with each other. Nor has our life together been simple or harmonious.”
“But those were different times we lived in, Grunfuller. Not like the more accepting attitudes of today. There was still a stigma about ‘Trans’ people and people of different ‘preferences’. And, despite Libra’s greeting and formal apology for the ‘accident’, we came home to proclamations of demonic possession, sexual depravity… even ‘alien experimentation’…which, now that I think about it…might have applied…still… Some so-called ‘accepting’ individuals hated her just because! Some worlds to this day still don’t recognize or grant rights to changelings! I could go on about the derogatory, despicable discrimination we experienced in the months and years after our second return to Earth.”
Just listening to her I could imagine the hate and reactions Chance would face on some of the less progressive systems we’d visited over the last ten years. It hurt just to envision Chance’s face as she experienced such treatment should what happened get out.
Shit. I was just as guilty.
I unconsciously wiped tears from my eyes.
“Of course Chance has an advantage that her mother never had. I’m sure you understand that she could easily wipe out an entire planet-as could Hope to a lesser degree…hell, Chance could probably curse a whole system to extinction if pushed too far. I’d imagine each one of you…each one of us could accomplish such a heinous act if successfully provoked!” Charli admitted sadly.
“Sorry. I sort of ran off the tracks. The point to our little talk is that your love of my daughter is more than obvious, son. The sooner you come to grips with that, the sooner you two can get on with your lives. Hopefully those lives will be shared and include Savanna also. I’ve also noticed how that little bundle of joy behaves around you- either form…especially when you hold her. She’s already accepted you as her surrogate father, Grunfuller. That sort of trust is hard to come by, trust me!”
Was she right about my feelings for Chance? Was she also right about Savanna’s feeling for me? I couldn’t dispute how I felt when I held the infant in my arms…
“Say I tell Chance how I feel about her and Savanna and they don’t reciprocate?”
“Then at the very least, you’ll know you tried. You could always try again at a later date. She might be more accepting after she gets more comfortable in her new form. Like I said, it took Hope many months to reach that point.”
What Charli suggested made a lot of sense, but was I ready? Would I be able to return her affection? Could I be the partner she required? Could I provide support for both her and Savanna?
“Well, I can see you’re still conflicted. I hope I’ve helped a little. I’ll leave now, Grunfuller. Thanks for hearing me out.”
Charlene Armstrong turned, opened my door, and left in silence.
I was left alone to consider everything I had just heard and everything I had just realized.
I felt more conflicted than ever.