by Sarah Noffke
“I’m real enough, with the parts that are necessary,” he answered.
“He’s an AI Geppetto made into a real boy,” Bailey supplied.
“What?” Sophia asked, totally perplexed by this new bit of information. Pip looked as real as any man she’d ever seen with the stubble on his chin and his long sideburns. His eyes had depth, and the expression on his face was genuine as he continued to stare at her, making her increasingly uncomfortable. “That’s incredible. And Geppetto?”
“That’s our engineer mechanic scientist who we think can help you with your request,” Lewis explained. “We call him Hatch because his real name is a mouthful. Bailey calls him whatever she feels like at the moment. She likes to come up with little nicknames for all of us cause she thinks it’s cute.”
“It’s adorable,” Bailey stated dryly.
“Where is Hatch, anyway?” Lewis asked Pip.
“Probably telling one of the crew members in detail how dumb they are,” Pip said, not taking his gaze off of Sophia.
She managed to pull her hand from his, making him frown slightly.
“We’ll take it slow if that makes you more comfortable,” he told her.
“Hate to break it to you, Kilts, but Sophia can’t marry you,” Bailey told him. “She’s here on a mission. Apparently—”
“Pip, would you turn down that blaring music already! I can’t hear myself think!” a voice yelled from behind a set of tall shelves piled high with supplies.
The creature connected to the voice appeared, waddling out from behind the shelves, and Sophia realized just how much weirder things could get.
Chapter One Hundred Nineteen
A giant, purple, octopus-like alien moved out from behind the shelves, a frustrated look on his face. The large creature’s tentacles were busy doing other things, like typing on a keyboard or reaching for something at his back as he stared out at them. His bulbous eyes went wide at the sight of Sophia.
“Well, that’s not something you find every day,” the strange creature said, puffing out his cheeks.
“I know,” Lewis agreed, nodding. “I was surprised to see Bailey up before noon too.”
The soldier stuck her tongue out but didn’t reply otherwise.
Moving strangely, the large octopus-like creature approached, awe obvious on his face. “I can’t believe it. How did you get here?” he asked Sophia.
She stood frozen, speechless.
“True love carried her to me,” Pip answered for her.
“A portal set up by her fairy godmother,” Bailey corrected. “She’s from—”
“Earth,” the creature interrupted, supplying the information. “Yes, I can tell.” He looked Sophia over. “By your clothes and the make of your weapon, you’re from the twenty-first century and a part of a magical race. Not an elf, based on your ears. And not a fae since one wouldn’t be smart enough to get here. So you must be a magician.”
Bailey elbowed Sophia in the side. “I told you, our resident scientist is pretty smart. If anyone can help you, it will be him.”
“You’re the scientist?” Sophia asked, finding her voice.
“I get that I don’t fit the typical appearance with glasses and a white lab coat, but I assure you I’m competent enough to figure out most complex problems,” the creature said.
“Sophia, please meet Dr. A’Din Hatcherik, or Hatch for short,” Lewis said formally. “He’s of the species of Londil from the planet of Ronin in the Behemoth system located in the Pan galaxy.”
Bailey leaned in again. “This will be on the test. I hope you’re taking notes.”
Hatch looked around at the others. “When were you dimwits going to tell me that an Earthling was on the ship?”
“Hey, Hatch!” Pip said, excitedly.
“What?” he growled, irritation heavy in his tone.
“There’s a bona fide Earthy on the ship,” he answered.
“I can see that,” he spat. “Now, I want to know how. Time travel is strictly forbidden on Earth.”
“Remember that bit about her fairy godmother?” Bailey asked, eyeing her nails like they were of sudden interest.
“I remember everything,” the Londil replied.
“I sort of have an in with Papa Creola, who you might know as Father Time,” Sophia explained.
Hatch nodded, like this made perfect sense. “You would have to.”
“She’s a dragonrider,” Lewis imparted.
“Oh, so you’re from twenty-nineteen, then?” Hatch asked, his memory for history remarkable.
“Twenty-twenty, actually,” Ricky Bobby chimed in.
Hatch’s face went slack. “Oh, dear… No wonder you’re here.”
Sophia twisted her mouth to the side. “Yes, I’m apparently trying to avoid the Earth falling into complete destruction or whatever your history books say happens.”
Hatch waved one of his tentacles dismissively. “History is relative and changes all the time based on how the continuum is adapted.”
“Or if you’re Bailey, then you rewrite history to suit your story,” Lewis quipped.
Dismissing this, Hatch went on, “It’s sort of like the time theory of Jeremy Bearimy. It doesn’t flow in a straight line. Anyway, I won’t bore you with theories like that.”
Sophia blinked at the scientist like she was on a prank show and waiting for the host to jump out and say this had all been a funny set up. “I’m aware of the theory, and the spider named for it.”
Hatch appeared impressed. “Well, don’t stick around here or stupid will rub off on you. These numbskulls couldn’t supply a theory to save their pathetic lives.”
Bailey batted her eyes at Hatch. “Isn’t he just the sweetest, most thoughtful Londil in the entire universe?”
“Your Q-ship is ready,” he said to her. “Go test the controls and report back with any problems.”
“Oh, heck no,” Bailey replied. “I’m hanging out with the dragonrider. She said I could play with her sword.”
“I didn’t actually,” Sophia corrected.
“You can play with my sword,” Pip said to Sophia, winking at her.
“I’ll let you hold my gun,” Bailey offered.
“That’s okay,” Sophia declined. “I’m here because I need a way to combat some pretty major guns and a lot of other dangerous weapons.”
“Finally!” Hatch exclaimed, throwing three tentacles into the air. “We’re getting to the reason Father Time would allow a dragonrider from twenty-twenty onto Ricky Bobby.”
“I’m hoping you can help me to combat some pretty major magitech,” Sophia said, doubt heavy in her voice.
To her surprise, the grumpy scientist actually smiled. “Not only do I think I can help you, I believe you just gave my meaningless existence true purpose.”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty
“Should we be offended that working for us, supplying technology to save multiple planets, races, and galaxies, hasn’t given Hatch purpose before now?” Bailey asked Lewis.
“Completely,” he replied.
“Be offended,” Hatch said flatly. “That all is good and well as far as projects go, but to actually have the chance to work on magitech, well, that’s a whole new level I never thought I’d have the opportunity for.”
Bailey held up her hands. “Wait, so if magic is actually real—”
“It is, I assure you,” Hatch interrupted.
“Then why don’t we have any magic now?” Bailey asked. “Why aren’t there magicians and all those other races you mentioned?”
Hatch’s eyes slid to the right, his expression saying everything and Sophia felt her hope plummet.
“Apparently, we make ourselves extinct,” she muttered.
“Not extinct, but endangered,” Hatch corrected, his tone sympathetic.
“Is Earth gone now?” Sophia asked.
“Not gone,” Hatch replied. “But a long way away and not someplace we could get to in our lifetime under the current gate structure. Be
sides, we don’t much care to. Our job is here on Federation Frontier.”
“If something did happen to magical races,” Lewis began, working out what he was saying as he was saying it. “Sophia changes the history based on your help, won’t that change our current lives? Like will magicians all of sudden be all over the galaxy?”
Hatch shook his head. “No, because their Father Time would have considered this and to avoid the grandfather paradox, he sent her to a different, parallel dimension.”
Bailey whistled. “Talk about the jetlag you must be experiencing. Time travel, across multiple galaxies and then through into a different dimension.”
Sophia blinked, feeling more than overwhelmed. It would be all worth it if she got the technology to help her to fight Nevin Gooseman’s army.
“Okay, magic,” Pip said, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s see it. Make Hatch nice.”
Bailey laughed. “I’d pull up a chair to watch that.”
Sophia pointed to a barstool over by a workstation, and it disappeared and reappeared next to the soldier.
“Wow!” Bailey cheered. “That’s a cool party stunt. What else can you do?”
Sophia shrugged. “Create different elements, like fire and wind. Make myself faster or stronger. Create a shield or cloak myself. It sort of depends on what I need to do.”
Pip draped his arm around her shoulder, hugging her in tightly. “We’re going to have such a happy life together.”
“She’s got to return to her home in Scotland,” Lewis stated.
“Scotland!” Pip exclaimed, lifting up his kilt. “I’m Scottish.”
“You’re an AI,” Hatch corrected. “Keep that skirt down, would you?”
“It’s a kilt,” Pip argued. “It’s what everyone on Earth wears as the coolest fashion.”
“No, no they don’t,” Sophia said.
“Well, Scotsmen do,” he offered.
“Not as much as you’d think,” she disagreed.
Bailey hopped up on the stool, making herself comfortable. “Although this is very entertaining, I think we better get to the reason Sophia trespassed on our ship.”
Pulling in a breath, Sophia nodded. “Okay, I’ll give you the quick version of the story and hope you have a quick solution.”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One
“Simply fascinating,” Hatch said, drumming a tentacle against his lips as he thought.
“So, their planes are powered by magic?” Bailey asked.
“Enhanced,” Hatch corrected.
“Not all of them,” Sophia explained. “It is only recently that technology and magic have been paired together, and usually it’s not a pretty combination. Many of my missions have been to stop power hungry villains who take it too far.”
Hatch nodded. “It’s a slippery slope. Technology in and of itself is incredibly powerful. So is magic. Put them together, and you can save a planet or destroy it rather quickly.”
Sophia sighed. “Yes, a common issue Mama Jamba and the dragonriders are constantly policing.”
Hatch’s cheeks puffed out suddenly, surprise covering his face. “You know Mama Jamba?”
Sophia laughed. “Well, if by know, you mean that we eat breakfast together and live in the same castle, then yes.”
“And she is…?” Bailey asked.
“Mother Nature,” Pip snapped at her. “Keep up. My future wife knows all the gods of her world. Our wedding will be amaze!”
“You’re not setting foot through that portal when Sophia returns to Earth, Pip,” Hatch said, a punishing quality to his voice.
The AI crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t own me!”
“I created you, and I can take you from this world,” Hatch fired back.
Pip stomped off like a hormonal teenager. “I can’t wait until I can get out of this place! You ruin my life! I wish I’d never been born!”
Hatch shook his head, ignoring the tantrum being thrown by the AI, and turned his attention back to Sophia.
She couldn’t help but giggle. “I always thought that AIs were…”
“Dull, mechanical, lacking personality,” Bailey supplied. “Me too. Then I came here and learned not to drink the water.”
Lewis nodded. “Yeah, we’re all mad here.”
“It’s ship life,” Bailey added.
“I don’t mean to make this all about me, but—”
“You have the Great Library to save,” Hatch supplied. “You’re quite right to make this about you.”
“Do you think you can help me?” Sophia asked.
“I think that I’m going to need your help to alter tech devices that I’ve already created,” Hatch answered. “Yes, I’m certain I can offer you something. It won’t be like what you mentioned before that disabled the magitech you fought in the past.”
“Oh.” Sophia deflated slightly, wondering if they’d stand a chance against Nevin Gooseman’s army if they didn’t disable the magitech aspects to the military forces.
Hatch intertwined two of his tentacles, a victorious expression on his face. “It’s going to be much more destructive than that!”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two
“It’s so unassuming.” Sophia sat at one of Hatch’s many workstations peering at a stainless-steel box with several antennas sticking out of the top. A red button sat under a clear cover, and beside it was a meter that would illuminate when the device was in use.
“The very best things in life are,” Hatch offered, bustling around behind the table, doing several different things at once with his tentacles. “People too. Aliens as well.”
One of his tentacles was using a screwdriver to open up the back of the box, which Sophia couldn’t see. Another was digging around in a box full of tools. A third was typing on a keyboard, and a fourth was scratching the top of his head.
Pip had returned at Hatch’s “request,” which involved a few choice words and some yelling. He was apparently supposed to be the conduit between Sophia and the device when the time came.
He was sitting next to her, his head on her shoulder, and a pouty expression on his face. “I’m going to miss you so much when you’re gone.”
Bailey shook her head. “You’ve known her all of an hour.”
“I already like her more than you,” he retorted.
She plastered a mock expression of hurt on her face. “I have feelings, you know?”
“I didn’t actually,” Pip replied, turning his attention back to Sophia. “What’s your dragon’s name? Tell me all about him. Will he come between us?”
“No, but my boyfriend will,” she replied.
Pip shot up, pulling his head off her shoulder. “Sophia! How dare you! Two-timing me with a common ditch digger…”
“He’s a dragonrider too, actually,” she informed him, laughing.
Lewis nodded commiserating. “Not a lot of options when you live in a Castle, huh?’
“Says the guy who lives on a battlecruiser in the middle of frontier space,” Bailey said dryly.
“When you dump Roy Little,” Pip cut into the conversation, “do you think he’ll cry?”
Since Sophia had zero idea how to respond to that, she was grateful when Hatch snapped the tip of his tentacle in front of them. “Focus. I need Sophia to channel her magical energy into this device. I’m ready to do the conversion and final calibrations. Pip, hold her hand.”
“Gladly,” the AI said, taking both of Sophia’s hands in one of his and then putting his other on top of the stainless-steel box.
“What do I need to do?” Sophia asked, looking at Hatch.
“Just force the energy through Pip and into the device, the same way you’d power technology on Earth,” he answered.
Creating magitech wasn’t really Sophia’s specialty, like Liv’s, but she did as she was told, closing her eyes so she stayed focused.
The vibration in her hand and the smell of something burning made her eyes pop open with sudden concern.
H
atch waved her off immediately as she spied Pip appearing to be fried from the inside out. Steam was issuing from his ears, and he was bouncing slightly, his eyes wide like he was in pain.
“He’s fine,” Hatch assured her. “He just isn’t used to funneling magic, and it will take over his systems. The AI will recover quickly and be telling repulsive jokes in no time.”
Relieved, Sophia continued to push her magic out, feeling it leave her like she was creating a complex spell.
“Just a little longer,” Hatch encouraged.
Sophia felt Pip’s hand tighten around hers and immediately felt herself slump as exhaustion took over, the result of draining her reserves. She almost tipped over, but something caught her.
Opening her eyes, she found Bailey standing next to her, a strong smile on her face. “We’ve got you. Keep going.”
Sophia nodded, her eyes fluttering from the sheer act of sending her magic through an AI and into a technical device. It was a strange experience to be on a battlecruiser soaring through space and already thinking of these people as her friends. Since the beginning, she felt at ease with them, like she’d always known them.
That was good because when she passed out, all her weight fell on Bailey and Lewis, who caught her just before she lost consciousness.
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three
“Do you think I should kiss her to wake her up, like Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty?” Sophia heard Pip say, although she hadn’t opened her eyes yet.
She was trying to assess her internal state, which felt quite shaken. Her anxiety was high, and she felt like her organs were rattling around inside her body.
“I think you should because I want to see her clock you in that pretty face,” Bailey said with a laugh.
Pip scoffed. “The love of my life would never. I’m just worried she’s locked in a coma.”
Sophia tried to shake her head, to tell them she was okay, but her muscles weren’t responding to the command from her brain. She had never been depleted quite like this. It must have been a combination of the method of funneling her magic and being in space on a different timeline.
