“By the Gods and Goddesses! Did I just experience that?” Link gasped, making me open my eyes in surprise.
Everyone around me was either wiping tears away or staring at me as if I was some monstrous alien!
“How did you do that, Christina? It was…it was like I was reliving that day… but…but from your perspective- every thought; every feeling; every emotion.” Charli Anderson sniffed sadly in awe.
“What?” I asked in surprise. I thought I had just been remembering the events of that day fourteen hundred years ago.
When I thought about it like that it seemed so far away, but right now, right here, it felt so fresh in my mind- like it just happened!
“Damnedest thing I ever experienced.” Aunt Cora proclaimed. “And you were kinda handsome back then, Hope.”
Instead of looking saddened or depressed like everyone else, Hope Summers looked very, very angry- her eyes blazing bright orange!
I was suddenly right in front of her?
”Ma’am? Please? I didn’t do this on purpose. Charli just asked me to relate the events of that day. Please don’t be mad for… um…” I looked off to the side a second, “for my sharing?” I pleaded, taking her hands in mine tightly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”
“You marvelously ingenious witch.” Lady Hope muttered to herself. She then looked between my face and our clasped hands a few times. Then her attention seemed to return to the present and she looked to our hands again.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m not mad at you! Your memories just brought back my memories of that asshole. Gods, I could never be mad at you! You’re the one whose quick thinking probably saved our lives. If you hadn’t issued that last command- for the IPD to go back to idle, none of us would probably be here today. You saved our future, Christina Everhardt. Because of what you did, Charli, Chantell, and I were able to make it to FeLane and establish relations that united a galaxy.” Hope comforted, pulling me into a tight embrace that felt so wonderful I didn’t want it to end.
“Hopewell? Did you recognize ‘Dr. Anna McCorkle’, dear?” Charli asked quietly.
“We good, Christina?” Hope asked as she released me and moved back so she could appraise my condition.
I nodded.
“Morgana.” She said with a nod. “Though at the time I had no idea she was anybody other than who she claimed.”
“Her real name was Morgana McCorkle? That almost sounds made up.” I joked at how comical it sounded.
“Basically it was, sweetie. You see; Morgana is a very old Current Mage we met almost nine years ago on a mission to the Magellan System. She had been one of the conscripts we recovered on their moon-turned-Deathstar. I shit you not about the Deathstar. Looked just like it.” Hope insisted.
“Did you guys blow it up?” I asked fearing we would, at some point, revisit it or they would make it bigger like in later movies.
“We recovered the conscripts and returned control back to the Magellan people, sweetie. We only disabled the makeshift, fake reactor that Morgana had manifested to test us.” Hope answered.
“Test…you?” I was curious now.
“Test us. She claimed she needed to see which side we were on, and, to what extent. Chance bested her though and we parted company amicably.” Hope giggled
“I upgraded some of her ship’s systems and installed a hot tub for her, mom.” Chance giggled. “She loved it and thanked me.”
“A hot tub? In a spacecraft?” I asked in disbelief and waited only a few seconds for a reply that never came.
“Hey, why not?” I deadpanned as I shrugged my shoulders and rolled my eyes.
“That explains some things, but raises even more questions. Like who played the part of Marta Green? I remember working with her all the way through training and during our mission prep. She’s as knowledgable as they come. The real deal.” Charli pondered.
“Who do we know that would know Latin, dear?” Hope hinted.
“What’s the population of Olympus, Hope?” Charli giggled.
“Ninety gazillion mortals knocked up and counting, I’d guess.”
I had to giggle at her answer, and I had to ask.
“So, Olympus, heh? What’s that place look like?”
“Lush green meadows, a big, steep mountain with a huge, white Parthenon atop it. Lots of toga clad gods and goddess’ frolicking around the place; the usual.” Hope described nonchalantly.
I couldn’t help but to snort in laughter!
“Yeah? I’d love to see that place!”
I found myself on a huge grassy meadow! A woman clad in a long, white gown trimmed with gold had apparently just walked past me. She stopped suddenly and slowly turned around as if suddenly ‘feeling’ my presence. She quickly composed herself- confused smile instantly changing to a pleasant, welcoming smile.
“Welcome, sister. We weren’t expecting you for another couple of your weeks. I am Artemis, and you must be Christina Everhardt. Come, walk with me.”
I was wearing a similar flowing, white gown!
“Hang on a sec.” I said as I tried to take everything in. “Is this some kind of Witch Corps hazing ritual for the newbie? When did Chance slip me a Mickey or do a whammy? I’m still on Pegasus, right?”
“So many questions, young one. All in good time though. Let us continue into the mountain.” This ‘Artemis’ answered with a pleasant smile.
“Um…shouldn’t we climb it instead? Should I conjure some climbing gear, ma’am?” I asked.
“Why do all you girls ask that question? No. We’re going into the mountain and that is the only place we are going!”
“Saar-rie! I just thought that while I’m having this crazy-assed dream about Mt. Olympus I might as well follow the myth!” I answered with some attitude.
“And that is exactly what you are doing, Christina! Following the ‘Miss’.” She laughed brightly.
And legend, apparently, I thought.
“Yes, as in ‘miss’ and legend, Christina.” She replied, still laughing.
“That’s what I get for being a smart-ass.” I mumbled, chastising myself.
‘Artemis’ laughed harder for a moment.
“That’s what you get for being affiliated with Witch Corps, Lt. Christina Everhardt. But, I too, hold membership in the Corps.” She giggled and turned with her hand held out. She was suddenly dressed in a Witch Corps uniform. “Lt. Cmdr. Artemis of Zeus, Lt. Christina Everhardt. Nice to finally meet you.”
“A-a-a-a-artemis of Zeus? The Goddess of the Hunt?” I gasped in shock as her uniform instantly changed back to her toga.
“Meh. More of less these days but yeah… that Goddess.” She bobbed her head side to side. “Shall we continue?”
“Um… where are we continuing to?” I asked as we neared a cave entrance. “I…um…I never went in for Spelunking. Just thought you ought to know.”
“Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, and still able to quote movie lines? You are the gem everyone’s been talking about, aren’t you, Christina?”
“People have been talking about me, ma’am?” I asked in disbelief. So far I hadn’t seen anybody else here.
“You sound surprised.”
“Weeeeell…I haven’t seen anyone else around, and-.”
“And you wondered about those I was including, right?” She continued my question as she continued leading us further into the mountain.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“We do have jobs, Christina. Some of us are just on vacation as is my situation or, sabbatical. I thought I had another few weeks, but you seem to be in a hurry.”
“Oh God! I’m dead, aren’t I? This is my own personal hell and you are the man himself here to see me suffer!” I declared fervently.
Laughing erupted and echoed from somewhere deeper in the cave; a deep, pleasant sounding laugh that reminded me of Santa Claus- only way deeper.
“Di? Why do you insist on teasing the girl? Have you been among Nike and her Furies long enough that you mimic their playful nature?”
“Oh, kiss it, Hephie! I wasn’t the one teasing her; she was doing that all on her own. Are they ready?” ‘Artemis’ inquired mysteriously.
“Just placing the finishing touches to them now, Di. Come on in.” The deep, male voice boomed from just ahead.
“Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts.” I repeated over and over.
“You might want to stop that before you bump that pretty blue coiffed head of yours.” Artemis recommended.
I looked down to see I was several feet off the cave floor.
“Eeeep!” I squeaked as I hit the floor harder than I expected. How had I done that? Hovered above the ground?
Oh, duh, witch.
“Greetings, Christina Everhardt. I welcome you to my humble forge.” The huge man boomed with an equally huge smile!
“Christina? Hephaestus, God of the Forge. Hephie? Christina.” Artemis introduced.
“Allow me a moment, Lady Christina. As a fellow engineer and designer, you must be familiar with the need for last minute ‘tweaks’ and refinements to get something juuuust right?”
“But I’m an Astrophysicist.” I corrected.
“Yes you are, but you are also a gifted designer, mathematician, and aerospace engineer in advanced propulsion systems, are you not? Or, do you disagree with those credentials awarded you fourteen mortal centuries ago? Posthumously, of course, but they count and are well earned despite that little detail.” He answered in a very understanding tone. “The muse’s were right about you, Christina. You reshaped the Milky Way with your achievements and once more honor your galaxy with your courage and intelligence.”
“Heph? The girl can’t take much more. I suggest we conclude her business here before she decides to leave without your gift.” Artemis strongly suggested.
“Ah. Forgive me, Lady Christina. It is such a pleasure to meet someone I hold in such high esteem that I feel I must compliment infinitely. I meant not to frighten you, sister.”
The actual God of the Forge… was my number one groupie? How screwed up is this?
“Forgive me, my lord.” I said, hoping that was the correct way to address a god. “I’m still getting acclimated to all the recent changes- both in myself and my surroundings. I also didn’t know I was such a celebrity.”
“Completely understandable, my lady. Here, I think these perfectly suit you. What do you think?” The huge, well-built guy asked as he held out a pair of delicate, but beautifully designed earrings. The intricate design looked similar to the old Native American ‘Dream Catchers’ I had seen at the Carnegie Museum a few years bac- relative to my old life, that is. At the center of each earring was suspended a fascinating, dark blue gem. It seemed to sparkle no matter which way you held it to the light. I instantly fell in love with them and wished I hadn’t left my pierced ears heal over.
The earrings disappeared from his palm and I instantly felt weight on both my ears.
“HOOOO! Marvelous! My lady, you out-talent yourself! Why, I’ve never seen one so young adapt so quickly! Obviously the things they’ve been saying about you are all true, Lady Christina! You truly are remarkable.” Hephaestus boomed happily, but blinked in confusion as he looked at me.
What was that all about?
“Come now, Lady Christina, we should be getting you back to Pegasus.” Artemis politely suggested.
“Thank you, Lord Hephaestus! I shall treasure them always and they will constantly remind me of you- they’re designer. Thank you, my lord.” I said in appreciation as Artemis took my hand and gently began pulling me away.
“And I shall always remember this day, my lady- the day I met the incomparable Lady Christina Everhardt; unifier of the Milky Way and beyond!” He boomed as we started to make our way back up the natural rock tunnel.
“He really deifies you, Christina. I think, of all the citizens of Olympus, Hephaestus is your biggest fan.” Artemis giggled as we reached the mouth of the cave.
Why did it seem to take less time to get out than to get in?
“Why? Why would he do that?” I asked.
“I’ve already told you, dear sister. Have you not been listening?”
“I have, Lady Artemis; it was rhetorical.” I answered.
Artemis turned and smiled at me.
“Now, the earrings have special attributes, Christina. Every member of Witch Corps has a pair that is specific to the wearer. One attribute is a transdimensional link that gives the ability for an Olympian to contact and appear or be heard by the wearer. Another is a passive protection spell of sorts that limits the amount of damage sustained in any given battle. But the best feature allows any of your talents- as powerful as they now are- to be amplified by a finite degree. In other words, as your talents develop, the earrings amplify that power by a constant amount. Be warned though, that these innocent looking pieces of jewelry are intelligent and will not function properly when revenge, jealousy, or greed is detected. With those and similar negative emotions, the earrings will suppress to the same degree, a certain amount of your talent instead. You are a very powerful goddess, Christina Everhardt! Always use logic, wisdom, intelligence, and above all, caution in your day-to-day life as a Current Mage. Listen and learn from our sister, Nike, but…” Artemis paused as a sad, tormented look crossed her face. “Please look after her as well, Christina. Nike is a very sensitive sister and as such, very fragile at times. And please, look after all our ‘Furies’ in the years and eons to come.” Artemis advised as she brought us to a stop.
“It is here that we must part for the moment, Christina, but I along with others of our family will continue to watch and advise you where we can. Farewell for now, Lady Christina.” Artemis said dramatically, but after a moment she looked confused.
“Why aren’t you gone? You were supposed to return to the mortal realm when I released you.” Artemis puzzled. She looked off to the side for a moment then turned back to me having possibly found an answer.
“That was your cue to return to Pegasus, Christina.” She deadpanned sarcastically. “Why must there always be one?” She paused. “Though, I stand corrected in the case of Witch Corps. Why must there be so many?” Artemis looked up and rolled her eyes.
I giggled.
“Please go home, Christina Everhardt? Our business here has concluded and it is now time to rejoin your coven sisters. Shoo!” She motioned me away with both hands.
With a laugh, I was back in the lounge of Pegasus. Everyone was staring at me.
“Wow, a new worlds’ record for a visit to Olympus. Ten whole seconds.” Hope said cynically.
“I like the earrings, Christina.” Chance smiled.
“Who did you meet there, sis?” Link asked excitedly.
“She called herself Artemis?” I answered, unsure that I’d even been there. “I like her.”
“Meet anyone else?” Aquia seemed to expectantly hold her breath in wait for my answer.
“Hephaestus.” I replied. “You know- huge, well-built dude with fantastic looking pecs, biceps, and abs? Booming baritone voice, and makes you wet in a place an’ it ain’t sweat?” I answered by way of description.
“Yep. She’s definitely Antarran.” Kitty laughed.
“I thought it an apt description.” Link and Aunt Cora said at the same time. They looked at each other and began giggling.
“I can see that getting very old in the coming days, months, years, centuries!” Simone shook her head in annoyance.
“So who else did you meet, Christina?” Aquia pressed, still excitedly awaiting my answer.
What did she want from me?
Hmmmmm…
“Well. He was blonde.” I started.
“Yes?”
“He was very well-built- physically.”
“Yes?”
“He had this nicely groomed beard and moustache.”
“Yes?”
“He was around six-six, maybe six-seven.”
“Mmmm, yes?” Aquia prompted dreamily.
“And he looked like he might have a decent package.” I finished my description.
“What was his name? Did he give you his name?” Aquia pushed harder with even more excitement.
“I don’t think so.” I answered as I paused in thought.
“Why not? Why didn’t you ask his name, Christina?” She just about demanded.
“Well, I hadn’t gotten to that yet, I just made him up.”
Aquia looked devastated, while I think Hope almost pissed herself laughing so hard! She had fallen, face down on one of the couches, pounding the furniture’s arm with her left fist, hysterical. Chance had her eyes closed and was shaking her head side to side with half a smile.
I could hear Kitty snorting uncontrollably into PM Tau’s shoulder while Lyra and Greer were laughing so hard they were tightly embraced, crying into each other’s shoulders.
Aunt Cora, Link, Lokust, Kate, and Simone were staring at me as if I had four eyes…strike that… staring at me as if seeing a yet to be seen, new subspecies.
“Yeah, without a doubt, you’ll fit in around here, Christina.” Charli giggled as she went to check on Hope.
“Well, I met Ares when I was there! I’m the daughter of Ares, you know! I’m Nike! That’s what he called me!” Aquia hissed petulantly.
Chance’s eyes lit up bright orange and her demeanor changed noticeably. Even her stride changed as she approached our furious sister.
“Child,” Chance said, but her voice echoed mysteriously throughout the lounge, “You are no more Nike than I am Zeus.” She said calmly, but the orange intensity of her eyes said otherwise. “Father has spread his genetic code around several galaxies and is far from able to identify his progeny individually. Yes, you are one of many thousands of sisters, but you are not me. Understand, Aquia Anderson, granddaughter of Ares?”
Aquia gulped and backed down immediately- nodding as tears rolled down her face.
“You,” Chance…Nike turned to me- her orange eyes burning into mine, “you are being a pain in the ass and as a daughter of Zeus you should honor and respect your nieces as Grandfather does his whole family.”
“Um. Par-don me for interrupting?” Hope cut in, stepping in front of me. “But Zeus is the biggest tease there ever was, Lady Nike! He constantly screws with us mortals with his games and tests and challenges and… well, you know how he can be.”
Thunder echoed through the lounge!
“Oh up yers, Allfather!” Hope shouted as she shot her middle finger to the ceiling. “You know I’m right! We’ve known each other for almost fourteen centuries.”
“And you are the only Fury that he lets get away with such arrogance, Hope Summers.” Chan…Nike glared at Hope.
“Oh contraire! Chantell Denison has a similar rapport with the old man, honey.” Hope challenged, wavering her eyebrow confidently.
Chan…Nike’s eyes dimmed to a dull orange. “You speak the truth. Grandfather has mellowed as of late. Even Hera never pushed his boundaries as Witch Corps does.”
Nike thought a few moments.
“I will now reintegrate with our High Priestess and continue to learn and experience.”
“Now what did she do?” Chance’s normal voice asked apparently a little upset by being possessed.
“Oh, she just asked Christina here to tone it down with our sisters. Apparently, she has this ‘thing’ against teasing, Chance.” Hope grinned evilly.
“Gods, is she in the wrong circle!” Chance giggled. “I’ll try to explain things to her when I have the time to induce a conversation between the two of us.”
“Nike lives in there with you, Chance?” I goggled.
“It’s complicated, sweetie.” Hope assured as she touched my arm. “She’s not schizo if that’s what you’re worried about. Chance is genetically Nike. That being said, Nike’s um, eternal soul… took up mutual residence. She’s quite stable, sweetie.”
“Gee thanks, mom. What would I ever do without you?” Chance’s remark dripped with sarcasm.
“From time to time, Nike pushes forward if she doesn’t understand how this reality or the people around her work. She never really got to experience life before she exiled herself to oblivion the first time around.” Hope continued.
I suddenly felt the urge to comfort Chance. Taking her hands in mine, I looked deep into her eyes.
“I understand the insecurity and trepidation you feel, sister. I too, feel like a stranger in this wondrous, mysterious land. Baum, Poe, Asimov, Howard, and Carroll couldn’t have collaboratively dreamed up this frelled-up reality.”
I blinked and released her then stepped back, confused.
Did her eyes just sparkle at me?
Freaky.
“Well… We’re almost to Tarantis. Meeting adjourned.” Chance said with a quirky smile. She clapped twice. “Places everybody.”
I was back in my room.
 
 

 
 
“I really wish you would stop that, Christina.” Link groaned in exasperation. And, we weren’t alone. Simone and Aunt Cora were here too.
“So…” Simone said as she paused to rub her forehead. “I was heading for the Bridge, but thanks for the ride this far, Christina.”
Simone bowed courtly, turned, and exited my room in silence. Aunt Cora and Link just stood where they were, observing me cautiously.
“I know! I have to get my act together. Any idea about how I can do that?” I replied to the unspoken concerns I saw on they’re faces.
“Maybe don’t think so hard?” Link suggested as she made a silly, contorted, lopsided face.
“I would suggest you ‘learn’ the ‘feel’ of your magic, Sugar Plum. Pay closer attention to what’s inside you before you try something.”
I suddenly did feel ‘something’!
“Something’s wrong. We’re dropping out of warp too soon.” I gasped.
“We are?” Link seemed surprised and hurried onto my bed to look out the viewport.
“No we aren’t. Christina, why did you say…I’ll be damned! We just did.”
The three of us were suddenly on the bridge!
“Lt. Everhardt! It is customary to use the door when entering MY Bridge!” Chance warned without turning around.
“She sensed us dropping out of transdimensional about thirty seconds before we actually did, High Priestess. What’s up?” Aunt Cora explained.
“Sensors have picked up a Scavenger apparently making a run on a system bound transport. You want first crack at him, Porno?” Chance answered.
“Sure, give Pin-up a wake up call. Christina? You wanna come?”
“Um, sure.” I nodded hesitantly.
“Okay. Aquia, you’re her wing.” Chance ordered.
“Oh goodie!” she squealed.
“Lyra, launch control, please.”
“Aye, High Priestess.”
“Come on, Sugar Plum, we have a broom to catch.” Aunt Cora touched my arm. The three of us exited the bridge and hurried down the passageway. “We’re in Docking Ring Two.”
Zero ‘G’ was interesting. It felt like I was constantly falling.
“Hey, girl? Ready to go?” Aunt Cora asked as she activated the security pad with Pin-up’s nose art image beside it.
“Ready and raring to go, Porno. Hey, Perfessor! Nice to have you along.”
“Thanks, Pin-up.” I answered.
“Back seat first, Sugar Plum.” Aunt Cora nudged me to head into the short, somewhat narrow tunnel. I quickly seated myself and buckled my five-point harness.
“Ready all systems for immediate departure, Puddin’ Pie. We got a Pirate ship to neutralize.”
“All systems are online and awaiting Pegasus Launch Control departure vector, Porno.”
“Porno, Pegasus LC. I’m ready. Where’s my vector and clearance?”
“Pegasus 9, you are cleared for launch as soon as you receive your vector.” Lyra’s voice answered.
“Vector received, Porno.” Pin-up announced a second later.
“Pegasus 9. Vector received. Releasing moorings and umbilicals.”
“Good hunting, Porno.” Lyra wished us luck.
Hearing just the slightest ‘clunk’, we pulled away from Pegasus and I watched my instruments as Aunt Cora slowly brought her throttle up.
At point one percent, we matched speed with Pegasus.
“Water Lily, Pegasus. Ready for launch.” Aquia broke over the comms.
“Pegasus 15. Vector sent and you are cleared for immediate launch. Good hunting, Water Lily.” Lyra again wished our sister luck.
“Porno, WaterLily. Pull in tight to my port and we’ll light ‘em up. Puddin’ Pie? Set course for our quarry, please.” Aunt Cora requested.
“Course ready and set, Your Highness.” Pin-up replied in an irate tone.
“We going to start this again, Puddin’ Pie? In front of my niece, no less?” Aunt Cora sounded annoyed.
“I’m a Broom, not a damn desert, Porno. Just a reminder.” The A.I. protested.
‘Porno’ sighed heavily.
“How we doin’ back there, Perfessor?” She asked with concern.
“Not my first rodeo, Auntie.” I answered.
“Water Lily, Porno. Hey, Ladies! Miss me?” Aquia’s voice asked over our Comms.
“Like a good back rub, Water Lily. You ready to hit the swells, Puddin’Plum?”
“On three, Porno?”
“Three.” Porno said as the streaks of blue around us sped up considerably. “Deep Space Camo, Pin-up.”
“Deep Space Camo enabled.”
We were at ninety percent thrust, and our velocity indicator said we were traveling at forty-five-point-eight LY’s per second.
I squealed out in excitement, despite knowing how loud that would sound in our closed cockpit.
“I had the same reaction my first time in Pin-up, Perfessor. Just try to keep the volume down a bit. So you know; I’ll probably be flying some tight aerobatics in about four seconds.”
Our throttle reduced to point zero five percent and the speeding blue streaks became stars once more.
“What’s the plan, Porno?” Aquia asked.
“Knock out their propulsion and weapons.” Porno answered. “Pin-up. Enable weapon systems. Water Lily, you got her port side defenses and maneuvering emitters.”
“Copy, Porno.”
“Particle and optical weapons are online, Porno.”
“Targeting their main emitters.” Porno announced and a tight, blue beam shot out from our bow with a high-pitched hiss. A red flash erupted from the pirate vessel.
“Lucky shot, Your Highness. Main Emitters offline.”
“Quiet and target their port side defenses and emitters.” Aunt Cora growled. “Damn! Looks like they made some modifications.”
I quickly brought up the enemy ship’s scan in a pop-up window. I counted forty gun emplacements on the starboard side alone.
“How’s your aim, Perfessor?”
“You want me to use the weapons?” I asked in shock.
“Pin-up? Enable the Perfessor’s seat for aft weapons and enable. Answer your question, Sugar Plum?”
I swallowed hard as my system’s display switched to a tactical display of the enemy ship. Several red ‘X’s’ highlighted specific points the aft weapons were tracking.
Aunt Cora opened up on her designated targets and a second later I placed my finger on and squeezed my trigger. Several blue beams shot out from behind me followed by about a dozen red flashes.
“Nice shootin’ Tex!” Porno said as she put us into a tight turn to come back around for another pass. “One more run, Sugar Plum.”
I wondered why I didn’t feel any ‘G’-forces. Turns as tight as she just made should have pegged the ‘G’ meter! As a matter of fact, I hadn’t felt any gravitational or centripetal forces since we left Pegasus.
Duh! Inertia dampers!
Porno opening up on the ship again refocused me and I pulled my trigger once more. Again, about a dozen- dozen and a half red flashes erupted.
“I need one more pass, Porno. I don’t have a tail gunner.” Aquia reported.
“She did pretty good for a rookie, yeah?”
“Pegasus, Porno. You got two more coming in at a high two.”
“Perfessor and I’ll go start on the new bad guys while you finish this one off, Water Lily.”
“Copy, Porno. See you in a few.”
“Pin-up. On to the next contestants.”
“Course plotted and set, Porno.”
“Ready, Perfessor?”
“Sure am.” I answered enthusiastically.
“Good to hear, but don’t get trigger happy. Always inspect the target before you pull the trigger. Some of these ships look very similar and it is possible to disable the good guys instead of the bad.”
I got one of my ‘feelings’.
“Target the lead craft, Porno.”
“And just how do you know that, Perfessor?”
“I just had a ‘feeling’ about the lead ship. They’re trying to stop the freighter of the same model.” I revealed.
“Here’s hoping you’re right, Sugar Plum.” Porno slowed us and immediately opened up, taking out the ship’s main emitter. As we passed, I targeted the port weapons.
The trailing ship immediately swung wide to port and increased her velocity to avoid possible confrontation.
“Porno. Surf’s Up is telling me two more are coming in on an intercept vector.”
“Copy, Water Lily. I see them now. I’ll follow your lead.” Aunt Cora responded as she opened up on our present target’s starboard weapons. I finished the job of disarming it just before she advanced Pin-up’s throttle.
Aquia’s Surf’s Up pulled alongside.
“Damn, Perfessor! How long have you been shooting,” Aquia asked, sounding very impressed?
“I grew up on a small farm in northwestern Pennsyl-tucky. We had a problem with groundhogs, swamp-rats, polecats, and opossums. The hogs, opossums, and polecats were easy, but you had to lead the swamp rats pretty good to get a headshot, Water Lily.”
“Sounds like a wonderful childhood, Perfessor.” She responded dourly.
“Daddy’s experimental rail gun was a little heavy at first, but you should’ve seen how far those rats flew when I dead-nutted them. Didn’t want to eat them anyway.” I laughed.
“Hey, would you look at that? Two on a platter.” Aquia seemed to want to change the subject.
I got another feeling. It was different this time though.
“Porno? I’m feeling something again. Not the same as before, though. It feels like back at Palatial Haven.” I tried to explain.
“Water Lily! Prefessor thinks we have other concerns with these two. Switch modes.”
“Copy, Porno. Switching weapons to Current Purify mode.” Water Lily responded.
“Good call, Perfessor. I’m picking up eight taints in the closest freighter.” Aunt Cora praised.
“Porno. I’m seeing ten taints in that trailing freighter.” Aquia replied sounding very excited.
“Hobgoblins?” I asked.
“Looks like it, Perfessor.”
“Is this normal? For Hobgoblins to steal ships”
“If they get onboard before take-off, they conscript the whole crew. You have to be careful cause they have a bad habit of sabotaging the Current reserve tanks to cause an overload that takes out everything within about two LY’s.
“Doesn’t anybody ever try to stop it?” I asked innocently.
“When that happens, we shit-‘n’-git, Perfessor. Nothing can stop it; unfortunately.” She explained- sadness in her voice.
“All those people…condemned. I wish there was a way I could stop that from happening with these two ships.” I said as I was suddenly on a very foreign, very empty bridge!
 
 

 
 
“Water Lilly! Abort! Abort! Perfessor’s disappeared!” Porno screamed from my comm pendant.
“Nobody’s onboard this thing, Porno.” I said into my pendant.
“What the hell are you doing on that ship, Perfessor?” Chance shouted over the comm next.
“I’m going to try and stop the overload.” I explained.
“I’m not reading an overload yeeee-shit! Get the hell out of there, Perfessor!” Aunt Cora shouted hysterically.
“I’m heading aft to see if I can seal the leak.” I said calmly as I hurried through the vacant ship looking for Engineering. I blinked on my Current sight.
The orange Current flooding the passage was a pretty good indication of where the Current reserve tank was. As I ran along the passage, I felt the Current flowing into me. Turning to look back, I saw that the passage was Current free! Huh? Was I absorbing it all? I hurried through the access hatch and stopped just inside. Several large, ugly, creepy Hobgoblins turned to greet me.
A blue bolt of lightning hit me in the stomach and I was glad I had my uniform on.
“Hey, boys. So this is where the party is, huh?” I greeted with a pleasant smile.
I was met with another shot to my stomach. It didn’t bother me in the least.
“That’s not very nice.” I said as I conjured my wand and flicked it at the disgusting group.
I immediately felt the surge of Current enter me and I quickly reversed the flow. Ten unconscious, strange looking, multi-limbed crewmembers appeared on the floor.
With that accomplished, I began to inspect the Current tank and immediately found the gaping hole on its side.
“That shouldn’t be there,” I said, and it suddenly wasn’t! The tank seemed as solid as the day it was made.
“Well, now that that’s fixed, I guess I should put back what leaked out.” I said to myself as I pointed my wand toward the top of the reservoir.
Bright orange Current flowed out of my wand and disappeared into the reservoir’s opaque tank!
“Wow. That’s different.” I said impressed by what I was accomplishing.
“Christina! Get the hell out of there! You’re running out of time!” Aunt Cora shouted over the comm.
“I need to get over to that other ship to save those poor people.” I said as I was suddenly on a different bridge.
A smaller, ugly Hobgoblin greeted me with a loud stomach-wrenching growl/shriek.
I returned the rude greeting with a loud raspberry and flipped him the finger.
My wand went into action and a second later two more of those multi-armed people lay unconscious on the floor.
Blinking on my Current sight again, I followed the orange brook back to a similar hatch and opened it.
Seven equally rude, ugly, disgusting Hobgoblins greeted me.
Within a few more seconds I had recovered seven more people, absorbed the freed Current and fixed the reservoir tank.
“Christina! Get the hell out of there! You’re running out of time!” Aunt Cora shouted over the comm. again.
Why did that sound so familiar?
“I need to get over to that ship to save those poor people.” My own voice replied from my comm.
“Huh? What the hell?” I demanded as my eyes went wide, but I thought about Aunt Cora’s Broom instead.
“Okay, I’m done.” I said, finding myself back and seated in Pin-Up’s second seat again.
“Norge’s have mercy! What is wrong with you, Christina? Do you have a death wish or something?”
“I fixed both ships and recovered their crews, Auntie. Just like I had hoped to do.” I told her.
“But those two ships are going to…” Aunt Cora was suddenly very quiet.
 
 
“Porno, Pegasus. See any other hostiles?” She finally spoke. She seemed very rattled.
“Board is clear, Porno. Come on home, ladies. Is Perfessor still on one of those freighters?” Chance responded.
“Negative Pegasus, Perfessor is back in her seat.”
“Copy, Porno. Water Lily and Porno. Sending approach vectors. Docking order: Pegasus 9 then Pegasus 15.” Chance answered.
“Copy, Pegasus.” Aunt Cora acknowledged.
The rest of our way back to Pegasus was deathly silent.
I think I jumped- head first- into a deep pile of it this time!
 
 
“Christina Everhardt! My quarters! Now!” Chance growled angrily as I stepped out of Docking Ring Two and into the artificial gravity of the passageway.
“Yes, ma’am.” I said as I followed submissively with my head down.
She opened her quarter’s door and motioned me inside, closing the door behind her; she stared at me intensely for several minutes in complete silence- her eyes burning brightly.
 
 
“I was under the assumption you didn’t want to die, Christina- all that fear, lack of confidence, and especially reluctance to get near that Lifeboat of yours? Is that complete and utter bullshit, Miss Everhardt?” Chance started to chew my ass off. “Cause what I heard over comms sure seemed like you didn’t give a damn about it to me! What were you thinking, girl?”
“I just wanted to help those people, High Priestess. I-.”
“You could have been killed, Christina!” She shouted as tears sprang from her eyes and poured down her cheeks. “We could have lost you!”
“I’m sorry, High Priestess, but I managed to save both freighters and their crews from a major catastrop-.”
“That’s not the point, Christina! We could have lost you- because of your own recklessness! I refuse to let, or watch you commit suicide! You have so much more to live for!”
There was a gentle knock on her door.
“Yes, Kate?” Chance said angrily to the closed door.
“Not to spoil a spectacular ass chewin’, but I think you both should come up here and listen to the comm. files. There’s somethin’ really strange goin’ on.” Kaitlyn Yates said through the door.
“We’ll be there in a few minutes, Kate.” Chance replied in a commanding tone as she wiped her eyes dry.
“Bully for you, High Priestess! Give her round two for us!” She said excitedly.
I prepared myself for ‘round two’.
Instead, Chance approached and wrapped her arms around me tightly.
“Please, Christina, We really don’t want to lose you! If you are having difficulty adjusting to this time period and life, we can tap resources that can help with that. Please don’t think you need to end it all by pushing your luck.”
“Chance? I…I just wanted to help those people. It wasn’t my intention to kill or do harm to myself. I just wanted to return the lives that were going to be taken prematurely by the Hobgoblins. In order to do that, I needed to purify and recover them then repair their Current tanks. I couldn’t do that from the back seat of Aunt Cora’s Broom.”
“Do you realize how reckless that was? Did you even think about your own life before you acted, Christina?”
“I had to do something, ma’am. I know how it feels to be bullied. I’ve been victimized constantly since coming out at age fourteen and know, very well, the feeling of helplessness. If I can help others through their own darkest hours, I’ll do as much as I can- however I can.” I answered solemnly.
Chance placed a chaste kiss on my cheek.
That caught me completely off guard.
“And we would like to help you do that, Christina. After all, that’s what Witch Corps is all about. Let us help you though, sweetie… as a team.”
I nodded.
“Come on. Let’s go see what Kate found.” She nodded to the door.
 
 
“Good thing the uniform is so durable. You can’t even tell she’s had her ass chewed off.” Kitty teased as Chance and I entered our Bridge. “She must heal really fast, too!”
“The issues have been discussed and worked through. What have you got, Kate?” Chance said as she stopped behind Kaitlyn and Simone at the Engineering consoles.
“First this, High Priestess. This is our archive of their comms from the latest sortie.”

“Unfortunately, that’s happened a few times, Christina.” Simone blushed.

“That’s what I want to know, Christina.” Lyra agreed.

“Apparently you were, Christina, but how?” Kaitlyn wondered.
“She can answer that later. Keep listening.” Simone interjected.
 
 

“Pennsyl-tucky, Christina?” Hope giggled. “Sounds like you have a few issues about your childhood home?”

“That’s kinda what I thought.” Aquia inserted in a worried tone.
“Sounds like my own.” Hope added.

“Couldn’t handle the ‘rural life’ description, Aquia?” Hope giggled. “We lived on base. Pops always had the real guns. Where’d your dad work to be able to build a ‘rail gun’, Christina?”
Kate paused the playback.
“Are we going to discuss ‘back in the day’ or continue with my findings?” She asked with some attitude.
“Daddy got the plans out of a ‘Mechanics Illustrated’ magazine when I turned ten.” I responded easily. “Please continue, Lady Kaitlyn.”
Kaitlyn eyed me carefully for a moment before starting the playback again.
 
 

“That really was a good call, Christina. Thanks.” Aquia complimented.
 
 

“Like there would be any other bad guys capable of doing that?” Lokust snorted offhandedly.

“The thing is, Christina, we’ve lost so many ships to their kamikaze tactic.” Hope said sadly. “The collateral is hundreds of times more frightening than losing a couple dozen conscripts.”
“I never thought of it that way. Of course, I’ve been out of the loop for some time, too.” I acknowledged sadly as I looked to the floor.
Kaitlyn had stopped the replay and waited for our attentions to refocus on her, silently pointing at the voice pattern charts now on the display. There were six voice traces- one labeled for Aunt Cora, one for Aquia, one for Chance, and strangely three for me. She pointed to each and told us whom they represented. “Christina? I designated three traces for you, because you are the anomaly. Each of your traces are filtered solely by background noise and voice. You’ll all see what I’m talking about in a minute.
“This is where things get wonky. Have a listen.” She said restarting the audio after backing it up slightly.
“All those people…condemned. I wish there was a way I could stop that from happening with these two ships.” My voice appeared on my designated third trace.
 
“Water Lilly! Abort! Abort! Perfessor’s disappeared!” Aunt Cora screamed.
 
“Nobody’s onboard this thing, Porno.” My voice said on my first trace- trace one.
 
“What the hell are you doing on that ship, Perfessor?” Cora demanded.
 
“I’m going to try and stop the overload.” I replied, again on trace one.
 
“I’m not reading an overload yeeee-shit! Get the hell out of there, Perfessor!”
 
Aunt Cora looked up to me in confusion.
 
“I’m heading aft to see if I can seal the leak.” My voice informed on trace one.
 
“Hey, boys. So this is where the party is, huh?” My voice asked. Trace one.
 
“That’s not very nice.” My voice continued after hearing some kind of explosion. Trace one.
 
“That shouldn’t be there.” My voice continued. Trace one.
 
“Well, now that that is fixed, I guess I should put back what leaked out.” I stated in a very serious voice again on trace one.
 
“Wow. That’s different.” My voice was still on trace one.
 
“THHHHHHWWWWWWP!” My voice said, but the background noise had changed and trace two now displayed my voice pattern.
 
“Christina! Get the hell out of there! You’re running out of time!” Cora screamed in fear.
 
“I need to get over to that other ship to save those poor people.” My voice, trace one.
 
“Huh? What the hell?” My voice switched back to trace two.
 
“Okay, I’m done.” My voice said as the background noise silenced and I knew I was back in Pin-Up. This time on trace three.
 
“Norge’s have mercy! What is wrong with you, Christina? Do you have a death wish or something?” Cora sounded incensed.
 
“I fixed both ships and recovered their crews, Auntie. Just like I had hoped to do.” I said calmly on trace three.
 
“But those two ships are going to…” Aunt Cora sounded even more confused.
 
 
“Does anybody else have a major problem with that audio record?” Kaitlyn asked as she turned to both of us.
“It sounded like I was in two different places at once, but that’s impossible. I would’ve had to travel back in time a little to do that! And I distinctly remember being on both ships- one after another!” I protested.
“I’d like to copy and download the personal stream from your pendant, Christina? I want to try something. It might sound crazy, but I think you might be right about jumping backward in time a little.”
I nodded and we waited for Kate and Simone to copy and download the pendant’s memory.
Kate brought up the media file and advanced it until we heard Aunt Cora scream for me to ‘get the hell out’. She then brought up another copy of the file and advanced it even farther until she heard the same phrase. Synchronizing the identical files in that one place, she began the duel playback again and we watched, as I certainly appeared to be in two places at the same time!
I was dumbfounded, and I valiantly struggled to comprehend what I had seen.
How had I done that?
Could I actually travel back and then forward in time?
 
 

 
 
“Chance? Honey, I’ve gone through Simone and Kate’s synchronized version of that mission log and I’m afraid they line up exactly. Somehow Christina was able to arrive on the second freighter five minutes before she left the first freighter.” Charli gave her analysis through the speakers.
“But that isn’t possible…is it?” I questioned.
“Technically, when we go transdimensional, we in essence do time travel, Christina. By Einstein’s thinking, the blue shift is all we should see as we get closer to the speed of light. It stands to reason that as we move faster than light, we should experience a red shift, but traveling through dimensions- especially the one we use, is essentially colorless. Because the laws of time-space are different- actually reverse of ‘our’ dimension- for the dimension we enter and transit through, we still see the blue shift around us, but we’re moving faster than light.” Simone elaborated.
Her theory made sense to me. The ‘multiverse’ theory had been proven in collider experiments about twenty years before I’d ‘left’ Earth. Nobody had found a way to utilize it though.
“Got it. Thanks for trying to help, Simone.” I smiled. “But the simple fact that I don’t have an Ion Propulsion Emitter strapped to my butt or a Transdimensional Discriminator on my person negates it and places us back at our starting point. How could I do what I obviously did?
“Let’s just call it ‘magic’ for right now- until we can explain it, that is.” Lokust suggested.
“Agreed. Now, how much longer to Tarantis?” Chance brought the deliberation to a close.
“Twenty-five minutes at our current sublight speed, High Priestess.” Charli answered.
“Good. I’d like Christina, Charli, and Link to go planetside and investigate the theory of Gene Modification.”
“Um? Question?” Simone raised her hand looking very confused.
“Christina? How is it you know about the Transdimensional Discriminator? I don’t recall Kate or I releasing that information to you.”
“What else would you call a device that helps determine which dimension you want?” I answered logically.
“She got ya there, Blue.” Kate laughed.
“Ladies, we’ve known about alternate dimensions since the late twenty-first century. Hell, the comic book people speculated about it a hundred years before that. Ask Ladies Hope and Charli.” I provided as proof.
“She’s right about that, girls. The major comic book companies started using the ‘multi-verse’ ‘concept’ in the 1960’s and 1970’s to explain revamping their popular characters to newer audiences.” Charli confirmed as she exited the Navigation Tube.
“It just took Science a while to catch up.” I concluded. “As usually happens.”
“Marvel actually wanted to adapt Witch Corps in the mid twenty-second, but they cancelled us after twenty-four months because they claimed readers thought our adventures were too tame and not dramatic enough to hold interest.” Charli giggled as she shook her head.
“Yes, dear, but a few centuries later we hit the ‘motherload’ when ‘Team Witch: Galactic Peacekeepers of the Way’, issues 1 through 24 became cult classics and their value went through the roof!” Hope gloated. “And you and Chantell thought I was nuts for holding ten full sets.”
Hope stuck her tongue out at Charli.
“How true-to-life were the adventures, Hope?” I inquired. “If any still exist I could use them to familiarize myself with our original mission statement.”
“Chance made sure to include the whole 24 issue collection up in the lounge, sweetie. They are beyond valuable today so be very careful with them.” Hope smiled.
“She did?” Charli seemed surprised. “I thought we left them back on Gaia Four. When … never mind.” She continued, but suddenly looked pale.
I’m sure there was a story there. So I tried to change the subject.
“So…I can move through time to a certain degree. How did I do it though?”
“Well, I noticed you said ‘I wish’ before you actually moved backward in time, sis.” Link offered.
“So, if I wanted to take us back a few, I should probably say, “I wish we could go back-.”
“NO!” Everyone shouted at the same time.
I closed my mouth promptly.
“Unknown Vessel. Please identify.”
Everybody froze!
“What did you just do, Christina?” Chance growled with narrowed eyes and a very uncharacteristic scowl.
“Of course she moved us backward in time, Chance. Where would the comedic humor be if she hadn’t done that, while at the same time putting us into orbit and disabling our Camo?” Kitty deadpanned sagely.
“So how far back did she take us, Smart ass?” Hope challenged.
“This is Witch Corps Flight One, Webb City Control.” Greer answered the comm as she looked panic stricken.
“Witch Corp Flight One? We just issued a request for your help. How on Tarantis did you know we needed you?”
“We were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by.” Greer answered, but with a tense grin, pained eyes, and pinned back ears. Her tail even stiffened and looked up at her in confusion. “We heard rumor you were having shipping lane troubles.”
“Hmmm. She can even lie like her older sister.”
“Hey! I barely ever ‘lie’, Tau! I do however, not include the whole truth at times.” Kitty rebuked.
“How very ‘diplomatic’ of you, my queen.” Tau deadpanned.
“That we are, Witch Corps Flight One. Sending you an approach vector for Spaceport dock 4. Welcome to Tarantis.” The guy on the radio sounded relieved that we were here.