The Intergalactic Peddler-Volume 1
Page 21
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Jill Marie Yutaka is now the sole owner and only human being aboard The Empress. As she grieves her mother and fathers deaths, she realizes that she can continue operating The Empress as her father had done. The computer has explained to Jill that her father had placed all the components to assemble six more travel watches in a locked safe in the inventory control locker, and her father had then left the instructions and the ever-changing combination to the safe, safely stored in the computer’s memory bank. The computer explained that if she ever needed or wanted to bring a partner or lover aboard, that she could provide them with a travel watch if she felt comfortable in doing so.
When Jill crawled under the covers of her bed aboard The Empress that night, she began crying all over again. She could not stop thinking about the death of her father and mother. She began singing to herself, comforting herself as her mother Angela had taught her to do when she was frightened or alone in the dark.
Hush, little darling, don’t you cry
Mama’s going to keep you safe tonight
If that nightmare makes you weep
Mama’s going to hold you, until you sleep
When you find your prince someday
One small child you’ll have I pray
If that child should wake at night
Hold her tight until the light
Hush, little daughter I love you
Mama’s going to have to hug on you
If the hugging can’t still your cries
Mama’s going to have to kiss those eyes
If those kisses don’t work on you
Mama’s going to have to tickle you
If those tickles put a smile on you
Maybe you’ll sleep the whole night through
Hush, tiny dreamer, I love you
If you dream about the dark
Hug me close and calm your heart
Feel my love that mends the fright
Let my love show you that life
Will guide your way to the light
Please my God, please help this child
Don’t let her take her life tonight
Her love you see is dear to me
Show her life is the way to thee
Hush, little darling, please hold tight to me
I am the light that will set you free
A boy named Ronnie, will fight for thee
A girl child he will give to thee
If you see the light in He
The child he gives will set you free
Hush, little darling, don’t you cry
Close your eyes and sleep with me
Hush, little darling, don’t you cry
Mama’s going to keep you safe tonight
If that nightmare makes you weep
Mama’s going to hold you, until you sleep
When you find your prince one day
One small child you’ll have I pray
If that child should wake at night
Hold her tight until the light
Hush, little darling, don’t you cry
Mama’s going to keep you warm tonight
If you wake and need to feed
Mama’s going to let you fill your need
When your diaper needs a change
Mama’s going to wash you nice and clean
If the dreams, you dream tonight
Turn too real and make you scream
Mama’s going to hold you until you sleep
Hush, little darling, Mama love you
Hush, little darling, papa loves you
Hush, little darling, don’t you cry
When the computer woke Jill in the morning, she quickly dressed and then filed a flight plan with Quantum’s Director of Operations. The Director did not want to work with Jill and asked to speak to Ronnie. Jill finally had to explain why he could not talk to him. She explained the death of Ronnie and Angela to the Director. Then she explained how Ronnie’s travel watch had flickered, and how it had sent her father and mother into the planet of Keemus. The Director asked for the details of the accident so he could forward them on to the IFTT. Jill said that the computer could send him a detailed report if he wished, which might help the IFTT understand what exactly happened. The director of operations was crying by the time Jill cleared the channel with him, Jill could hear him sniffling and trying to keep his composure. The Director quickly approved Jill’s travel request to Janet’s home, and asked Jill to pass along his sympathy to the family.
Jill swallowed a Misenall tablet with a glass of water and waited five minutes. She smiled as she remembered that she had inherited the same inability to teleport as her mother Angela. She would always be ill for hours if she did not take the Misenall. She had found that sometimes she could teleport by resting her head on her father’s or mothers shoulders before pressing the green button on her travel watch, but even then, she would sometimes be sick for many hours afterwards.
The one thing she had received from her father that she cherished was her nerves of steel. She did not fear anything, she did not worry about anything, she had the intelligence that her father had passed into her gene pool, and she could think her way out of most problems she encountered. From her mother Angela, Jill had acquired her beauty, her constant never-ending nightmares, and her love of life. As Jill had grown older, the nightmares became incredibly vivid, and she could see the man raping her mother in a very dark room. For some unknown reason, Jill could see the attackers face clearly, as if a bright spotlight was shining on his face, as if her mother knew the attacker very well. Jill did not know why she had these dreams, because she was not even born when her mother’s attack took place. Jill figured the man’s face was a figment of her own imagination, a face that a child had placed into the dream to help explain the pain her mother felt. How could she possibly see her mother’s attacker so clearly? The mental pain her mother fought with most of her life was the driving influence in the creation of the comfort songs; first created by Connie’s (Angela’s) mother, later modified and sung to her daughter Jill. Jill sang those same comfort songs now to herself whenever she felt sorrow over the death of her parents.
Jill felt tears beginning to run down her cheeks and instantly became angry. She screamed aloud, “Enough with all the tears, I need to be strong, teleport to Janet’s house and tell her about her brother and her sister in-laws deaths.” Jill knew that Janet had already lost her parents and a husband, now to lose her brother would be devastating to her, and Frederica and Monica would be heartbroken. The girls were all grown up now; Jill was the baby of the family, but would be the strong shoulder the family would need to cry on in the coming days. She would be strong, she would be herself, and she would keep her tears in check; until she was alone and could no longer keep the tears from leaking from her eyes. She had already cried a river of tears after her parent’s death, but realized she would cry an ocean of tears during her lifetime. The tears would come whenever something reminded her of them; simple things like a spoken word, a smell, a sound, a picture, even a dream would stir her emotions; force her to shed tears she did not want to shed; she wanted to be in control, did not want to be vulnerable, did not want to be weak.
Jill teleported down to Quantum’s surface and stabilized on Janet’s front porch. She knocked on the front door, but got no response. She opened the door and announced herself, but still got no response. She walked around to the back of the house and found Janet in her garden. She had been picking tomatoes and peas from the garden for her supper tonight. When Janet recognized Jill, she quickly took her gardening gloves off and met Jill at the edge of the garden. Janet hugged her tight and tried to be cheerful in her greetings, but Janet was no dummy and saw right through Jill’s facade. Janet stepped back from Jill and began to cry even though she did not know what she was crying about, but realized t
he news was not going to be good. Jill stepped up close to her, wrapped her arms around Janet, and then began to explain that there had been a teleportation accident, and Angela and Ronnie had both died.
Janet could no longer physically stand, her legs simply failed her and she sat down in the grass and cried. Jill sat down with her, and they both cried. Jill’s heart was broken and she needed another woman to cry with to help face the loneliness that she felt after the loss of both parents in one single accident.
Janet finally stood up, held out her hand and said, let’s make tea and call the girls. Janet looked Jill in the eyes and said, “Jill, will you help me call the girls?” Jill said that she could pull herself together, talk to the girls and give them a shoulder to cry on while they faced the reality of Ronnie and Angela’s deaths. Jill hugged Janet and said, “Janet, I have had two days to cry my tears and grieve my parents death, I can now control my emotions for the girls.”
After the girls had made tea, Jill asked where Frederica and her daughter Trish would be today. Janet said that they both worked at the same hospital and were both on duty during the day. Jill then asked about Monica, and Janet said she would be at home because the school was on spring break. Jill got the address of Monica’s home and teleported to her house. When Jill knocked on the door, Monica opened it and almost jumped into Jill’s arms.
As Jill sat Monica down and explained the death of her uncle Ronnie and Angela, they both decided to teleport to hospital where Frederica’s worked. The human resources director paged both Frederica, and her daughter Trish to her office. When Trish walked into the office and saw Jill and Monica, she sat down and began crying. She finally was able to hug the girls and let them explain what had happened. Frederica had walked in during the crying and Jill filled her in on the details of Ronnie and Angela’s death. Jill hardened her emotions and said, “Girls, we need to teleport to your mother’s house and console her, now if you can get away.” Jill explained that she had already told Janet and cried with her for a couple of hours before she met with Monica. When Frederica looked to the Human Resources Director, she stood up, hugged the girls and said their funeral leave would end in five days, and they could leave now and she would do the paperwork for their time off. When the girls stabilized on the front porch of Janet’s house, Janet quickly pulled the four girls into her arms and the crying started all over again.
It was three in the morning and the sound of a woman screaming was the most horrible sound anyone could ever imagine. By the time Janet, Frederica, Trish and Monica got to the loft over the kitchen, Jill was completely hysterical. Trish pulled Jill into her arms and kept telling her that she was safe; she needed to wake up. Finally, Trish slapped Jill hard across her face. Jill instantly fought back and began punching Trish in the face and shoulders. Trish wrestled Jill down onto the floor and sat on her until she could get her awake from the horrible nightmare. When Jill realized what was happening, she reached up and pulled Trish down close and sobbed. Jill told Trish that she often would dream the same nightmare as her mother Angela had dreamed. Sometimes she would fight the attacker, sometimes she could see his face, often she could feel him enter her body and cause her horrible pain. She told Trish she did not understand how she could relive her mother’s nightmare, her mother’s rape; see the face of her mother’s attacker.
It was now obvious that there would be no more sleep in this house tonight so Janet and Monica made a pot of tea and some toast. The smell of the toast brought Jill and Trish down to the kitchen. As they sat and drank their tea, Janet asked Jill if she knew the name of her mother’s attacker or could actually see his face well enough to recognize him if she saw him somewhere. Jill nodded her head, then stood up and left the room. When she returned, she put her briefcase down and extracted a drawing pad with a sketch drawn on the first page. Jill had neatly drawn the sketch with colored pencils, and she had drawn all the man’s facial features very accurately. Jill said, “I would know the bastard anywhere if I saw him, and there is one more thing you need to know. I have listened to his voice and memorized the words he spoke to my mother as he repeatedly raped her, and I could pick his voice out of a crowd with ease.”
Monica asked how the dream (nightmare) could have transferred from Angela’s mind into her daughters (Jill’s) mind at birth. The girls all shrugged their shoulders, not seeing any way that should have happened. Jill needed to do something to settle herself so she began cooking eggs and bacon for their breakfast. She put on a another pot of coffee, then stopped and looked at her family and said, “I will sleep on The Empress from now on and not let my dreams ruin your sleep and unsettle your emotions.” Trish stood up, put her arms around Jill and said, “You will do no such thing. I will sleep close to you and keep the boogie man away while you sleep.”
Monica said she would move to the loft and let Jill sleep in her bed beside Trish’s bed while she was here at the house. Jill asked Janet if Ronnie and Angela had any more relatives that she needed to tell about her parent’s death. Janet explained that all of Ronnie’s relatives were here in this room, and then asked if the girls remembered that Angela’s birth name was Connie, and that she had lived on the planet Earth. She may have had relatives but she disowned them just before she and Ronnie were married. At the wedding, Connie legally changed her name to Angela Irene Yutaka. She had no one that cared, or at least no one she would have wanted to know about her death. You must also remember that Ronnie and Angela have continued to let the IFTT believe Connie had died in the teleportation accident, which happened just before she first arrived aboard The Empress.
During Jill’s stay at Janet’s home, Jill learned that Trish wanted to join her and become a partner in the operation of The Empress. Trish is six years younger than Jill, only fifteen, but very mature and very well educated. Trish was already working on her Master’s degree and planned to get her doctorate in intergalactic time travel and follow her Uncle Ronnie’s profession. Jill discussed Trish’s desire to join her on The Empress with her mother Frederica, and she was very excited. Frederica felt that joining The Empress would be exactly the challenge that her daughter Trish needed to fulfill her life’s goals.
When Jill had made an agreement with Frederica to take Trish aboard The Empress, she also explained that Trish would be earning a hefty wage as she worked on the vessel whenever she was not studying or attending a lecture at the college. Jill also explained that when Angela died, she left a small fortune aboard The Empress and the computer had agreed to allow Jill to pay for Trish’s education with the Galax in Angela’s safe. Jill would pay Trish her wages, and she could spend and save her earnings as she wished, just as Angela had done. Jill explained to Frederica how her father Ronnie had created the safe that only Angela could access while she was alive, and then only the computer could control the account if Angela should die. There was enough Galax in the account to pay for Trish’s doctorate and then some. Jill said she would add anything left over from her education to the savings that Trish acquired as she worked. Frederica gave her blessing and Jill said she would discuss the details with Trish later today and allow Trish time to make up her mind about her future.
As Jill was about to walk to her bedroom to make beds and prepare her new sleeping place for the night, her travel watch chirped twice. Jill answered the computer aboard The Empress and then cleared the channel. Jill walked back into the kitchen and sat back down on the stool at the eating bar. Frederica looked at her and Jill asked if she could have one more cup of coffee and discuss one more thing with her. Frederica poured Jill a cup, then one for herself, and sat down across the bar from Jill. Jill began tactfully questioning Frederica to see if she had incurred a large debt while trying to provide the education that Trish had already received. Jill explained that The Empress could easily pay off Frederica’s debt burden so she could concentrate on her own life. Jill explained that this offer was not just an idle offer, that Ronnie and Angela had horded away a large fortune and he would have wanted hi
s family to be provided for when he died.
Frederica reached over the counter and squeezed Jill’s hand. The tears started leaking from her eyes, and then she said, “Jill, I presently have a second mortgage on this house, have used all the money I had in savings, and now may have to take another mortgage out on this house to live on. I make a fair wage working, but not enough to cover the payments for my daughter’s expensive education. Trish works as many hours as she can, but be are barely surviving right now.”
Jill reached over to the end of the counter, pulled a pad of paper and a pencil towards her, and then slid it to Frederica. Jill said, “Write down the amount of money you presently owe on outstanding education bills.” Frederica said, “But, Jill that amount of money is not your responsibility to repay.” Jill said, “My father would have not asked your permission, he would have just paid the bank and said nothing. I am not experienced enough to understand how to accomplish that task, so I need your help to pay for Trish’s education. Frederica, will you please write down the full amount of Galax that you presently owe?”
Frederica said she needed one moment to get a paper from her office, and left the room. When she returned she handed the paper to Jill and as Jill read and arrived at the amount due column, she realized why Frederica was having financial trouble. Jill contacted the computer aboard The Empress and discussed the outstanding dept for Trish’s education. The computer agreed that the outstanding dept would fall into the criteria that Ronnie and Angela had set forth with their private accounts. The computer asked for Frederica’s bank and account numbers. Jill read the numbers to the computer off Frederica’s checking account book. The computer said he would complete the money transfer from The Empress’s accounts to the bank immediately.
When Jill had cleared the channel to The Empress, she asked Frederica if she could travel to the college with her and redirect all future statements to The Empress, so the monthly payments could originate from there. Frederica agreed, and within seconds, they stabilized in the front entry of the college. Once the paperwork was complete with the college, Jill explained that The Empress would now insure that the tuition payments were on time. The arrangement made the college administrator very happy.
When Jill and Frederica where back at Janet’s house, Frederica pulled Jill into her arms and hugged her so hard that Jill had to say, “Frederica, you are killing me.” Frederica backed up and told Jill that she would never forget what she had just done for her. She said that Trish was the most incredible child she could ever imagine having in her life, and she would do anything for her, but the dept from the college had been so overwhelming that she did not know what she was going to do in the next few months. Now her brother’s daughter had saved her from financial ruin and she would never forget the help.
Jill sat down in the chair and began crying. She had let her emotions get the best of her once again, but this time she could not seem to stop crying. Frederica sat and hugged Jill until she could calm herself. Jill explained to Frederica that Ronnie and Angela loved them all, and would have taken care of the money problems long ago, if they had only known. I just did what Ronnie and Angela would have done, and it makes me feel very good to know your life will be easier in the future. Jill hugged Frederica and told her that if she ever had any problems that she and The Empress could help resolve to call at once and not put it off. As they talked, Trish walked in the front door and sat down beside them, wondering what all the tears were about this time. Frederica explained the afternoon’s events, and then it was Trish’s turn to hug the stuffing out of Jill for her loving gesture.
Trish explained that she had discussed her new living arrangements with the Human Resources Director and filled out all of the paperwork. She said, “The HR director has notified the IFTT of my new address and living arrangements, and they approved my relocation.” Trish slid over close to her mother and said, “I hope that having me move out so suddenly does not upset you, or cause any problems taking care of this home.” Frederica explained that she would be just fine now that the college bills were paid. Then she kissed Trish on the forehead and said, “Maybe I can come aboard The Empress sometime and visit when you two are in the neighborhood.” Jill assured her that all she had to do was let them know and she could visit as long as she wanted.
That night Jill and Trish slept in the same room, but Jill was very nervous about having another screaming session and waking the family again tonight. Trish discussed Jill’s concerns and discussed leaving the light in the room turned on, but Jill felt that the one small lamp on the desk would be enough, maybe. Trish walked over to her travel case, pulled out a small mask with an elastic strap on it and said, “Jill, the room light can stay on if you like, because the light will not bother me.” Then she put the black mask over her eyes and adjusted the strap. Trish said, “There, I cannot see any light at all.” Jill began to laugh at the ridiculous looking mask, but Trish said it worked just fine and she would sleep with the mash in place. They crawled into their beds still giggling, but Jill was certain she could sleep through the night if the lights remained on as they were.
When they woke in the morning, Trish yawned and asked Jill if she slept okay with the lights on, and Jill said, “I only woke once and that was because of a sawing sound coming from the bed next to me.” Trish covered her mouth with her hand and said, “Sorry, I guess I must snore. Monica says I do, but I never believed her because I never heard myself doing it.” Jill started to laugh, then jumped up and left the room very quickly. When she returned, she said, “Sorry, almost peed in my pants with all the laughing.” Trish and Jill got out of bed, dressed and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. When they got to the living room, Frederica’s Mother (Janet) was in the recliner, reading a book. When they sat down near her and asked how she had slept last night, she said that she had slept just fine until about five in the morning when her eyes popped open and she found she was wide-awake. Janet said, “When you get to be my age, you will find that if you sleep until five o’clock in the morning you have done very well.” Frederica had joined them in the living room and she squatted down beside her mother and kissed her gently on the forehead. Janet reached up and hugged her, then said, “Girls, I am starving, who will help me cook breakfast this morning?” Three girls stood up at the same time, and Trish said, “Grandmother, I believe we will all cook for you this morning if you will allow us.” Janet, said, “Then help me to the kitchen counter so I can tell you how to do it properly,” then she laughed her deep belly laugh; the same wonderful sound Jill remembered her father Ronnie produced as he laughed.
Jill turned away and walked towards her bedroom, tears running down her face from the wonderful memory of her father. Janet started to apologize for upsetting Jill, but Frederica smiled at her mother, held her hands and reminded her that Jill would always find tears for her father and she needed to cry the tears to heal her broken heart. Trish walked with Janet to the kitchen counter and as Frederica sat, Trish kissed Janet on the cheek and said, “Grandmother, I will check on Jill and settle her emotions, then be right back.” Janet said, “Thank you Trish, I hate to see Jill cry alone.”
When Jill gently knocked on the bedroom door and stepped inside, Jill said, “I am sorry for the tears, but when Grandmother laughed just like Father, I could not keep my eyes from leaking again.” Trish walked up to Jill and hugged her, but the tears that Jill cried were contagious and soon both girls were crying over the death of Ronnie and Angela. Trish finally got them both settled down, took Jill’s hand and escorted her back to the kitchen. When they stepped up close to the counter where Janet sat, Frederica said, “We need to make a pact, girls. From now on, the tears we shed for Ronnie and Angela’s death we will shed in the arms of a family member, and not in hiding. Agreed?” All five girls hugged and agreed that it was time to start the healing process; from now on, they would talk about their tears and share their emotions.
The following morning, Jill and Trish made their plans to
teleport to The Empress where Trish would become a full time crewmember. She would work whenever needed and would study whenever she had free time. Trish’s college courses would be top priority in the end, and Jill was more than capable of helping Trish with her studies, she being a Mensa member and all.
By lunchtime, the girls were all starting to say their goodbyes and beginning to pack. They all had jobs to return to, Janet’s two girl friends had asked her to join them for a two-week vacation on planet Earth and she really wanted to go with them. Janet’s girl friends were all unmarried and they all took good care of each other and always had a good time together.
Janet said that a few good gin and tonics would cure most everything that ailed her; and maybe a little rich boy could cure the itch between her legs. Frederica just threw up her arms and said, “I am proud of you mother. Most women your age long ago forgot they had a vagina, but yours seems to continue working just fine despite my insistence you could have a major heart attack in the arms of some stranger.” Trish just laughed and said, “Do him once for me, would you Grandma? Then get his phone number.” Jill punched Trish in the shoulder and said not to encourage Grandma’s lustful nature. Trish announced that she hoped her vagina worked as well as Grandmothers when she was living her third century of life. Grandmas said, “Trish, you need to use it often and keep it well lubricated with testosterone.” Trish made some comment about also needing a little estrogen in her system sometimes, but said it low enough that only Jill heard the comment.
With lunch over and the dishes washed, Trish asked if they could teleport to The Empress very soon. She hoped to avoid a major crying session that surely would start if they hung around much longer. Jill asked who was going to do the crying and Trish said she was afraid she might be the one who started it this time. Jill said they could leave in twenty minutes since the travel plans with the Director of Operations were now complete. Jill and Trish moved their luggage to the front porch, Jill only had one small bag and her briefcase, Trish had two bags and her briefcase. When they were ready to travel, they walked into the house and began the goodbyes. The one who finally started the crying session was Frederica, she did not want to let go of her daughter. She had contained her fears over teleporting accidents very well until this moment, but now those fears surfaced and she was very frightened for her daughter, and for Jill. Jill took her Misenall pill then offered one to Trish, but she said no to the offer. As Jill waited for the Misenall to take effect, Jill finally convinced Frederica that Trish would be safe and that she could call home when she was aboard The Empress. Jill helped Trish and Frederica set their travel watches to the correct frequencies, and then save the numbers so they could communicate whenever they needed.
Then Trish and Jill held hands while Jill pressed the green button on her travel watch. When they stabilized on The Empress, Jill spoke to Trish and told her to stand very still for a moment and make sure her stomach was well. Trish sat down on the floor instead and Jill quickly slid the trashcan beside her. Trish finally stood up, put her hands on Jill’s shoulders, looked her in the eye and said she would be okay in just a moment. Jill stepped up close to Trish and let her rest her head on the shoulder for a moment and Trish leaned forward and kissed Jill on the cheek. The girls then walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Jill sat down across from Jill and asked if she was okay now. Trish finally stood up, walked around the kitchen for a few moments, and then pronounced herself fit for duty. Jill laughed and said there would be no duty tonight, the computer would be lonesome and there would be little time to rest.
Jill took Trish by the hand and walked her to a door in the hallway, opened it and stepped inside. She turned the light switch on and Trish followed her inside. Jill said this room was Angela’s and she had not been in here since Angela died. Jill said this room could be Trish’s room or they could have the computer start over and create her a new room. Trish looked around and said, “This room will do very nicely, thank you.” Jill took Trish’s hand and said, “Let me give you the grand tour of The Empress since you have not been here in a very long time.” Jill spoke to the computer and said, “Computer, this fine lady with me is Trish, the one we have been discussing for the last week or so.” She will be staying with us and will be working as a crewmember, so we will have to help her for a few weeks to understand the operation of The Empress. She will need our help to get the answers to the many thousands of questions she will have. Trish, please say hello to the computer.” Trish stood tall, pulled her shoulders back and said, “Hello computer, I am pleased to talk to you again. If you remember, I talk too much and ask too many questions. I hope I do not become a nuisance.” The computer spoke in his deep masculine voice, “Hello Trish. I will never become annoyed with your questions. I am a machine and will answer your questions anytime you wish, and as often as you wish.”
I can also read your thoughts right now and the restroom is behind you. Trish never spoke another word; just stepped back, opened the door, stepped inside and shut the door. Jill walked into the kitchen and waited for Trish to return. It was ten minutes later when Trish returned and sat down on a stool beside Jill and very quietly said, “The teleportation did not make me puke, but it certainly made my insides work.” Jill snickered at the words Trish spoke, and then asked if she was ready to continue the tour. Jill showed Trish Ronnie’s room, which she said she would have the computer remove from The Empress once they had time to investigate the room and make certain Ronnie had not left things in there vital to The Empress or family mementos that she and the computer felt they should keep. Then Jill showed Trish the cargo bay area, the inventory locker area, the ready room, and the control console area. When they had finished with the tour, Jill explained how to do her laundry and how to use the food replicator. By the time, Jill had completed showing Trish everything she needed for tonight, she said, “Do you like popcorn and hot chocolate?” Trish explained that she liked both very much, but would gain twenty pounds if she allowed herself to eat the things she loved. Jill said she could work off the calories in the cargo bay running, or exercising each day. Then Jill took Trish back to her room and showed her how to access the computer, log into the college to retrieve her lessons, and see her class schedule.
Trish and Jill worked late into the night taking care of all the routine maintenance the computer had saved for them. Finally, the computer said that they had completed their work and they could retire for the night if they wished. Jill looked at Trish and said, “You realize that we missed supper don’t you.” Trish nodded and said, “I think I need a little food or I will not sleep well tonight.” Jill took Trish by the hand and said, “Then food it is.” Jill walked up the food replicator, and spoke her food order. “Replicator, two fried eggs, cooked easy over, two strips of bacon cooked crispy, two slices of buttered toast toasted lightly, and black coffee.” The replicator chirped two times, paused and chirped twice again. The door in the front opened and there was the food Jill had ordered, steaming hot. Jill took her food to the counter, then returned to the replicator and stood beside Trish in case she needed help. Trish ordered, two eggs scrambled, two slices of buttered wheat bread toasted dark, two pancakes with maple syrup, and hot green tea. The replicator chirped twice, paused then chirped twice again. When the door opened, Trish clapped her hands and said, “I think I am going to like this wonderful machine. I will be able to eat properly, but quickly when I am in a hurry.”
Trish carried her food to the counter where Jill was sitting and ate slowly, spending most of her time talking and giggling about how lonesome the computer had been when they came aboard. Trish said, “I think the computer needs human companionship to maintain its own form of sanity.” Jill said that tomorrow they would clean out Ronnie’s room with the computers help, and then work on their own living arrangements. Jill asked if Trish was shy, and she giggled and said, “Heavens no. I am one of the girls that run around naked in the house or dorm room if no males are around.” Jill mentioned that th
ey could remove the wall between their two rooms, which would allow them to intermingle better. They could keep separate bathrooms, and then create a small office for each of them so if they needed quiet time to study or read; they would have a place to shut a door for privacy. Trish said that would work out nicely and she would appreciate the company, as being alone for any length of time was very distracting and emotional to her. Jill said they would work on the new arrangements in the morning.
Both Jill and Trish were up early the next morning, showered, then made their beds and started their laundry. Trish said she would eat some breakfast and then be ready to get to work. Trish walked into the kitchen, ordered her food on the replicator, but instead of two chirps, she heard a series of steady beeps, then the computer spoke to her. The computer said, “Trish, when you order food from the replicator, you must give more detailed cooking instructions. Your toast will come out as cold bread with butter instead of being toasted as you wished.” Trish quickly picked up the computers meaning and restated the food order, this time explaining the wheat toast was to be toasted dark. The replicator chirped twice, paused and chirped twice again. The door opened and she could smell the wonderful aroma of breakfast. Jill was standing in the ready room and heard Trish say, “Life is good,” as she tasted her first bite of eggs.
When Trish walked into the ready room, she heard a strange woman’s voice, then another one, and then a third woman began speaking. As Trish stepped into the control console room, Jill pointed to the copilot’s seat for Trish to sit in and said, “I am working with the computer to find a new voice for, Him. The computer is about to get a gender change.” Trish giggled and listened to the different voices. When Jill pressed the button to play the next voice, both Jill and Trish said at the same time, “That is the one.” Jill played the new voice a few times and then asked the computer if it would acquire the new voice and begin using it from this point forward. The very feminine voice came over the speakers, “Jill, does this new voice please you?” Jill looked at Trish, and Trish put her fingers on her crotch and said, “That voice makes me damp.” Jill giggled and told the computer the new voice was perfect. Jill looked at Trish and said, “We are going to get along just fine, I do believe.”