by Frank Carey
"Do you really think for one moment that I would leave you behind with these two malignant things?" Shenda asked as she turned on the two bots and opened fire with both her arm-mounted Gatling guns. Several hundred high-explosive fifty caliber rounds destroyed both bots instantly.
"Nobody, but nobody, plarks with my boyfriend!" she yelled at the smoking remains of Kerus and Vapin. "Come on, Honey," she said as she took Chasm's hand and led him out the ruined hatch to safety. Moments later, a thousand missiles turned the Harvest Moon into a cloud of incandescent vapor. The two million year old nightmare was over.
Chapter Forty
Shenda set the autopilot and sat back in her seat in an attempt to get comfortable, a task made difficult by the baby growing inside her. "Youngin’, you make driving this boat difficult..." She stopped when a pair of strong black hands massaged her shoulders.
"Want me to take over for a while?" Chasm asked as he worked the knots out of her shoulder muscles.
"You don't mind? I could use a break."
He moved down her spine, releasing tension in waves.
"Don't mind at all. Get some rest," he said as he stood up and helped her out of the pilot's seat.
"Thanks," she replied. She kissed him before heading to their quarters. Around him, the empty bridge quietly beeped as the crew slept. "Aren't you scared of all this?" she asked as she stopped at the hatch.
"You mean driving the ship?"
"No. I mean babies, and family, and parenting."
"No. I'm looking forward to it."
"You are such a guy," she said as she left him to his solitude.
"Yes, yes I am," he said quietly so as not to disturb the stars.
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About Frank Carey
Frank Carey has been formally writing and publishing works of science fiction since late 2013. Over the years prior, he had dabbled in various forms of writing including haiku poetry, but that all changed when he and his wife, Jo, decided to try their hand at writing and self-publishing. All his work, to date, has been in the science fiction genre.
Most of his stories take place about two centuries in the future when Earth joins the League of Planetary Systems. Many of his protagonists are strong females. He is an inveterate pantser who believes the story will go where the story wants to go.
Frank’s background includes degrees in physics and extensive work as a scientific programmer and technologist.
Frank and his wife produce a podcast—Xtreme Self-Publishing—which details their self-publishing efforts.
Frank can be reached through his podcast at xtremeselfpublishing.podbean.com or via e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected]
