Ark - Box Set #6, Part 1 of Ever After [an Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel]

by Robert Iannone

  “How’s all that coming along?”

  “We expect the next generation of serpents to be fully self-aware. The Nauti are beside themselves with the beauty and abundance of this world. And my research is incredibly fulfilling.”

  “Any great breakthroughs?”

  “I’m on the verge of discovering why dragons have such big feet,” she teased.

  “HEY, I heard that,” squawked Bl’azzz.

  “Okay, K’ssss. We’ll talk to you later. Love to Zazzi.”

  “Thanks. Safe journey to all of you. K’ssss out.”

  *****

  “Where to, Captain Courageous?” quipped Serenity with a big smile.

  “Well, you’re in a good mood,” replied Egg.

  “It’s so unlike her,” added Jax’x. She turned to face her friend, “Who are you and what have you done with my beloved yet cantankerous and perpetually irritable shipmate?”

  “If you think you’re going to get me riled up, forget it.”

  “Wow. I guess your engineer friend did a complete systems upgrade,” teased Egg.

  “She loves him,” explained Tee’ka.

  The Serenity of old growled. “I told you not to say anything.”

  “Oops.”

  The other five girls turned to face their friend. “Spill it,” demanded Egg.

  “He’s a nice guy. End of story.”

  “Egg, he called me before they met. He wanted to know as much about our resident grump as I was willing to share,” explained Jax’x.

  “And apparently you felt the need to tell all,” griped Serenity.

  “Other than your nickname, I told him only one very personal fact.”

  “Which one?”

  “That you are like any nut – once you expend the energy to get past the hard outer shell, the insides contains a little treasure well worth the effort.”

  Serenity glared at Jax’x. Then shockingly she broke into an even bigger smile. “Thank you, cat woman. I owe you one.”

  The former Librarian, as well as the others, stared in disbelief. Jax’x was right – who was this girl? Tee broke the silence.

  “I told you she loves him.”

  Serenity, smile still on her face, shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the control panel.

  *****

  “On screen.”

  “Greetings, sisters.”

  “Hey, Meggy. We were just heading out.”

  “I have some information about the Ark that my people are transmitting as we speak.”

  Serenity raised her hand indicating she was receiving it. “Got it.”

  “A couple of other points. First, with Tee’ka’s . . . encouragement, Waldo is on his way to Kallous to meet with their Ambassador. If all goes well, the Klat will settle on that planet.”

  “That’s good news. Tee can visit her love easily enough. And, maybe you can sign a treaty with the Klat.”

  “To what end?”

  “They’re natural warriors. Instead of starting your own army, maybe you can hire them when the need arises.”

  “Interesting thought. However, I would like to think that diplomacy can avoid any armed conflict.”

  “That’s a wonderful thought but I’m not sure it’s realistic.”

  “Perhaps not. I will consider it.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Waldo and my parents did finally speak. Once we can convince my brother, the First Citizen will perform the operation.”

  “I always assumed your mom would come around. The problem has always been getting Benny to agree.”

  “True. Egg, Waldo said that the longer we delay the operation, the less chance of success.”

  The other girl exhaled loudly. “Yeah, I guess I knew that.”

  “If anything changes, I will contact you immediately.”

  “Thanks, Meggy. Later.”

  *****

  Q’umulus

  Molly called out, “One minute please.” She finished buttoning her blouse then went to the door of her apartment and opened it. Her eyes went wide and she stared . . . definitely a breach of protocol.

  “May I come in?”

  “Sire, that isn’t appropriate.” She was more than a bit befuddled by the unexpected visit.

  “Consider it a royal command,” and he rudely pushed past her and into the room.

  The girl didn’t move – holding on to the handle of the door as if it were a life preserver.

  “Do come in and close that thing,” demanded the Prince.

  Molly swallowed hard. “As you wish” and she did as she was told.

  “Now that I am fully recovered from my injuries, I would continue our relationship,” and he smiled as if he had just showered the girl with gold.

  “Your Highness? “

  “Please. You have my permission to call me Ben’Edikk.” Then he reconsidered. “When we are alone, that is.”

  “Your . . . I mean Ben’Edikk, we parted ways some time ago. You are now in a relationship with Egg.” She really wasn’t trying to jog his memory but to state her objections without seeming to do so.

  “Please, do not refer to her by that ridiculous name. Further, Eloise and I hardly know each other. And quite frankly, she is a lot more impressive in the history books than she is in real life.”

  Molly hadn’t been privy to all that had happen to the man since his accident so his statements were incomprehensible. Instead of prying into his personal life, she asked, “What is it that you want of me?”

  He seemed annoyed. “I have already stated the purpose of my visit. I wish to resume our relationship. Are you not pleased?”

  Oh boy. Time to stall. “Of course I am delighted. This is such an honor that I am rendered speechless.”

  “Of course you are. Perfectly understandable. I will be back at seven to escort you to dinner. We will dine out in the garden and watch the surface below fade into darkness as the sun sets. It will be romantic, so be warned.” He certainly knew how to get a girl excited. Not.

  “I look forward to it.”

  As he made to walk out, he stopped and kissed her full on the lips. “More of that later, you lucky girl.”

  The only thing that was lucky was that she didn’t express the big “YUK” that formed in her mind.

  Chapter 5 – The Love Boat

  “On screen.”

  “Hey guys.”

  “Hey yourself. It’s been like an hour since I left. Bored already?”

  “I . . . um . . . I called to tell all of you that I really enjoyed our little adventure together. And Jax’x and I’za, you two are the best. I’m so glad I can count you both as sisters.”

  “Sylvia, it was an honor. I can see why they call you Egg’s brain,” complimented Jax’x while inadvertently insulting her beloved leader.

  “I, too, am honored to have met you,” added I’za. “Your calm demeanor, infectious smile and your deviously clever mind were all a marvel to behold.”

  “Barf.”

  “Shut up Sparky,” scolded Jax’x.

  “It is truly amazing,” continued Sylvia tongue in cheek, “that we keep recruiting such a diverse group of accomplished women who work so very well together.”

  Serenity opened her mouth to say something sarcastic. Instead she yelped. “Stop flicking my ear, you creepy masked maniac.”

  Syl’s smile got bigger. “As I said, you work so, so well together. Anyway, I’m going to miss being with you.”

  The other girls replied in kind.

  “What else you got, girlfriend.”

  “Egg?”

  “Spill it.” She knew her friend so very well.

  “Maybe in private?”

  “It’s okay. My life’s an open book. Go ahead and write another chapter.”

  “I received a call from Molly.”

  “Molly? About Benny?” Then she got goose bumps. “No. Don’t tell me.”

  “Afraid so. He thinks he’s still in love with her. They’re having dinner tonight. According
to him, a romantic dinner.”

  “I’m tempted to say this can’t get any worse . . . but if I do, it will. I’m guessing Molly is a bit confused.”

  “To say the least. I brought her up to speed. I even told her about Waldo and what he might be able to do.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said – and I quote – ‘what should I do’”.

  “And you said?”

  “What any all-American earth girl would do – fake a headache.”

  “Good thinking. Is she up with that?”

  “Egg, she said that the debt she owes you and me can never be repaid. She has no intention of encouraging Benny in any way, shape or form. She will also update me at every step in this grim fandango.”

  “Tell her thanks. You can also try to convince her that she doesn’t owe us anything. Dazzle accepted her, and the Tree cured Jenny. All we did was taxi them to Aerianna.”

  “I repeated that yet again but like the last hundred times, she brushed it off.”

  “Predictable. So when do you start classes?”

  “Mañana.”

  “Try not to fall asleep in class. And no passing notes.”

  “Can I text you?”

  “No cell phone, sorry.”

  “Can I text Bob?”

  Egg barked out a laugh. “Just don’t get caught.”

  “Bye guys. Good luck and be careful.”

  *****

  “Egg, could you explain that conversation?” asked I’za.

  “Which part?”

  “How about the whole thing.”

  “Okay. First Molly was a little girl back on Earth when Syl and I found her and her mother living hand to mouth. We weren’t supposed to interfere in their lives just observe. Naturally, we interfered. We took them to Aerianna where the Myst Tree cured Jenny, that’s Molly’s mom, who was dying. The Queen – at that time it was Meggy’s mom – invited them to live on Aerianna. She even made them royalty. At one point, Molly was engaged to marry my very own Benny. That didn’t work out and they split.”

  “Split?”

  “Stopped seeing one another romantically.”

  “And now because of his injuries, he thinks he’ still in love with her?”

  “Apparently.”

  “I have a question,” said Jax’x. “If she was a little girl, how could she date Benny?”

  “They’re about the same age. Weirdly enough, they were both younger than me. Now, of course, they’re older.”

  “Hate to sound dumb, but I really don’t understand.”

  “Time on Aerianna ran about six times faster than the rest of the galaxy. Well, until K’ssss fixed it. Now it’s back in synch with everyone else. Any other questions?”

  The two girls were beyond confused. “Perhaps we can discuss it later?”

  “Sure.”

  “I have a question,” asked Bl’azzz.” Who is Bob?”

  *****

  “So what is our mission?” asked Bree.

  “Find the Ark, assess its condition and that of any remaining habitats still attached. Then we need to figure out which habitats were ejected like the Klat’s, and whether or not they should be treated as hostiles. If we can make contact with these strays, more the better.”

  “Egg, figuring out the condition of a ship that big and that complex will take experts.”

  “Right you are, Sparky. Check your long range radar in the direction of Aerianna.”

  The girl fiddled with her controls. “Ship approaching at high warp. Who is it?”

  “Meggy was able to convince her dim-witted brother to send some of his people to assist us.” The girl’s ability to poke fun at the love of her life spoke volumes as to her current state of mind.

  Serenity whirled around, blushed and asked, “The chief engineer?”

  “Is his name Lt. Tess’lar?”

  All she could do reliably was nod yes.

  Egg decided not to razz her sister. Being in love for the first time was serious business. “He’s supposed to have a couple of guys with him. One’s a theoretical engineer in space propulsion technology. The other is a Brainiac in computer systems.”

  “Why didn’t they hitch a ride with Serenity?” asked Bl’azzz.

  “Last minute decision and they wanted to have a second ship in case it was needed.”

  “Egg how long till we reach the Ark?”

  “In a hurry to get back to Waldo, Tee?”

  “Wouldn’t you be?”

  Egg flashed an enigmatic smile. “Absolutely. Unfortunately the answer is I’m not sure. If the Ark is where they’ve calculated it should be, just a day or two. If not . .” and she shrugged.

  *****

  “Gracie, this is HRH Dazzle, over.”

  “You take this one,” Egg said to Serenity.

  “This is the Gracie. What can I do for your sailor?”

  “Is this communications private?”

  “NO,” she virtually screamed.

  “Too bad. In that case, permission to dock in your cargo hold.”

  “That’s a pretty tricky maneuver. Did you need help from one of us girls?” Sparky’s mouth was in full grin mode.

  “Well, I calculate my odds of a successful docking at a smidge over sixty-three percent. Thanks for the offer but I guess I’ll give it a try.”

  “Please remember that on a lieutenant’s pay, it would take your approximately four centuries to pay for any damage.”

  “You’re right about that. On the other hand, I could always sell my heart. Know of anyone that might be interested?”

  Serenity was absolutely, positively not used to this kind of banter. She grabbed her face with her hands hoping it would keep her head from exploding. “Permission to land, Gracie out,” she blurted. Then she flicked a few switches to open the pod bay doors and turn on the lights.

  “Sparky,” called Jax’x ever so sweetly.

  “What?”

  “Turn around.”

  “Not happening.”

  “Serenity,” interrupted Egg.

  “I’m not turning around even for you.”

  Egg laughed. “Actually, I would like you to meet our guests. Assign quarters to each of them, show them the galley then have them join us in main conference room.”

  The girl finally turned to face her sister. “Maybe you should send someone else?”

  But it was Jax’x who answered. “Just keep your hands and lips to yourself and you’ll be fine.”

  “Arggg.”

  ******

  By the time she reached the Dazzle, the three occupants had already exited.

  “Lt. Tess’lar reporting for duty, sir,” and he snapped off a very proper salute.

  “At ease, sailor. We don’t stand on protocol here. Especially me.”

  “Maybe not today, but soon.” Before she could ask what he meant, he introduced his companions. For the first time, Sparky realized that neither were naval officers and one was, in fact, a dragon. ‘Wow’, she thought to herself, ‘love isn’t blind . . . love makes you blind’.

  “This young man is Grexin Toff. Grex, this is Serenity.”

  “Ah, the young lady he’s been going on about. Pleasure.” That statement caused Serenity to smile, blush and look at her man – who shrugged with a leer.

  “Same here,” she said over her shoulder.

  “And this large fellow is Aero.”

  The dragon bowed his head. “Honored.”

  “Likewise. Okay, guys, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to your quarters, then I’ll show you the galley and the conference room.”

  As they started to follow, Aero inquired, “May I ask which of the sisters are onboard?”

  “Egg, of course. Jax’x, formerly from Spell ‘Bound. I’za from the Ark of Forever. Bl’azzz from Aerianna. Tee’ka, formerly from Laff’Alott. And BreeZee from Zynn-Zaz’zia. Why are you asking?”

  “I never imagined I would get this opportunity. Like everyone else, I know of your exploits . . . and mo
st of your personal stories from the history books. They don’t include I’za or Jax’x however.”

  “I’za is a Gek’a. She has the ability to disappear by blending seamlessly with her background. On board the Ark, she was a Guardian – a member of the security force.”

  “And Jax’x?”

  “She was a Librarian on her home world in charge of cataloging and analyzing artifacts and documents rescued after their great war. She is also an Amber Heart – one of two sects that could interface with a machine called MAGEK. It converted your thoughts into reality.”

  “Does . . .”

  Sparky cut him off. “No, we destroyed it. Sorry.”

  Into the silence that followed, Skotti asked playfully, “Did you miss me?”

  Serenity stopped abruptly and turned to face the young man. “I’m sorry, what was your name again?” She managed not to smile.

  “Well, now you’ve done it.”

  “Done what?”

  “I was planning on raising a ton of money by selling my heart. And now . . . well, now you’ve broken it. How much can I get for a broken heart?”

  “Not much. Maybe if you’re lucky (and she emphasized the word) you’ll get one, possibly two, kisses.”

  “That’s all?”

  She looked him the eyes. “Everything is negotiable.”

  Grexin pointed to his open mouth in the universal sign of impending vomit. “Just get a room, you two. You’re killing me.”

  Even the dragon had a sense of humor. “I, too, feel queasy.”

  Sparky’s expected rejoinder of “Everybody is a comedian” was met with a chorus of ‘thank you’. “That’s not a compliment, boys.”

  “You’re right,” she heard Grex say. “She is grumpy.”

  *****

  Her guests were seated when Egg walked in followed by her entourage. The men immediately stood . . . and gawked. “Next time anyone stands when I walk into a room, I’ll toss them out the airlock. Any questions?” She said it as gruffly as she could . . . just for kicks.

  The three young men mumbled their apologies but kept standing.

  “SIT,” she demanded . . . and they almost fell into their chairs. They stared wide eye at the living legend.

  Egg and her sisters took their seats. “Well?”