After an early morning start Jack Ramse and Ruby Goddard divided up priorities. Battle weary though they were from dealing with big ass lizards they knew they needed to get their lives under control better. They had managed pretty well for themselves for such a short time being trapped in this hellhole of lost time. Feeding themselves was under control. What they needed was power and hygiene control. They had access to water but had yet to achieve any safe means of bathing or restrooms.
Today they were cleaning house and reaching goals. Everyone had a job to do. So far so good.
"Careful Elle. That last cut nearly pierced the hull again." Jack forewarned as her energized gaze fired precision laser beams to remove sun shielding panels. Each section increasing the lighting within the gloomy Ganthorian starship.
"Still learning control Jack. Stop nagging."
Jack knew she was doing her best. He just lived a perfectionist regiment. His military rank insisted upon it. Still, he was softening up where needed. Leaving Elle and Sophia to the panel removal Jack steps away and makes the journey down into the sub level. Below Cameron Scott and Ruby Goddard were cleaning up the debris zone around the interior lagoon. After yesterday and their battle with the elastic Komodo the damage was more convoluted. For them to ever adapt to their water source it all began with cleaning house. Smaller items were removed outside the ship. The larger obstructions merely nudged to one side neatly and left alone.
The fish pens were luckily not destroyed and still had enough live fish to feed them another four or five days. They needed to figure out a better aquarium to accommodate their food supply. They had no real idea when or even if Animahni and her family would bring them more seafood from the depths. They might have to become vegetarians in the meantime.
"Making head way down here. Need any help?" He reaches their vicinity.
"We have this Jack. How goes the solar panels?" Ruby halts her walk with a chunk of shard metal.
"Should be done in two hours. The ladies are on a roll. It's good to see everyone working together."
"Everyone but the Genius. Where the hell is James?" Cam grunts also hauling debris nearly too heavy for him.
Jack ponders his absence. He hadn't seen him since the morning roll call for breakfast. Nodding Jack eyes Ruby who looked rather pale.
"You alright Goddard?"
She reaches her destination dropping the metal, "I'm fine. Just overtaxed. This junk weighs a ton. Little indigestion doesn't help. Not like I have a Tums laying around."
"If you get too queasy go find Elle. Maybe her touch can ease up your problem." Cam blurts out.
"Stop fussing Boys. I'm good. Let's just finish this job. I want a bath before sometime this year. Whatever year it is."
"We could all use one." Jack notes his own scent, "Those large cylinders over there. Maybe Elle can cut those in half to make tubs. Could get four out of those. Just need to make sure they're safe to bath in. Have James test the interiors for substance residue."
"Gotta find him first." Cam huffs.
Jack grimaces as he realizes the weakness in Ruby. As she struggles with yet another trip of scrap metal he stops her. She looks shaken by his touch to her arm. It was tender. "Ruby? Go take a breather. Find James and see what he's up too. I'll help Cameron."
After a moment of shared eye contact Ruby relents, "Yeah! I could use some fresh air. The water down here smells like fish and mold."
"Step by step." Jack nods, "We can see about some air purification system once we establish a sturdy power source. Go on before I pat your ass in front of Cameron and embarrass you."
"Not going there Colonel Ramse." She points at him sternly.
He smirks and claims her scrap debris lifting it as if it were a piece of paper.
"Show off." She shakes her head trying not to smile. She wanted to. He wanted her to. Ruby just knew he was watching her wiggle away. The problem was, so was Cameron Scott. Men!
Outside the ship, Malcolm Brand and Madigan Ridge were chatting as Malcolm in his larger size of twelve feet tall moved the solar panels that Sophia would keep bringing out to a better storage locale.
"I think Sophia is wondering why you're spending so much time with me." Malcolm chuckles.
"Let her. I'm a grown...ghost. Besides I may never see my Husband ever again. We're friends Malcolm. Nothing more. Correct?"
"Right. Even though last night got a bit compromising. And, we weren't even drunk."
"Stop. I don't think I can effectively blush." She smiles, "I am just happy that we experimented with your runes. Now I know it's possible to become a living creature even for short periods of time. I'm thankful for even a few moments of that leisure."
"Which makes me question the reasons for my runes in the first place. What's their purpose? I mean they're on me. If I were alone on this world what would be their reason to exist?"
"I would say only God knows. But, that might be Gods for all we know." She surmises.
"I believe in God. Born Baptist." Mal confesses, "God created other Gods in his image I'm thinking. One true is all I'll follow."
Madigan hovers lost in his last few words as she looks out into the distance. Enough so that Malcolm halts his removal of panels to look in the direction she had focused on.
"You see something?"
She merely studies the desert, "I would not say I see anything. I sense something. As a ghost I call pick up on vibes my human side could not. This was the location that the dead Ganthorian's walked away toward. It is almost as if they're calling me. Something is at least. Maybe it's God calling me to Heaven?"
"I hope not Maddy. I'd miss you." Mal charms her.
"I have no intention of abandoning my daughter again. Nor my friends. I'll just listen and learn."
"Good to hear." He returns to his duty once Sophia hauls yet another solar panel cover to drop off at their feet.
"Two more and we're done." Sophia reports, "I need a break though. My little buddies are getting hungry."
Maddy floats to her daughter, "We should go on a salvage run with Malcolm here. It would do us good to see a change of scenery."
Sophia puckers, "Sounds like fun. Tomorrow?"
Malcolm returns for the section Sophia had just dropped, "Had my eye on something out that direction. We haven't really explored those dunes in the distance. Lots of ships out there. Might be something we can use."
"Great. I say we head out at dawn tomorrow." Sophia changes her focus toward the energy pen safeguarding Greta's herd of cows. Greta was inside the pen shoveling shit to use for their crops growing all around them. Seeing her mound of manure Sophia had a brilliant idea.
Walking toward the pen Sophia in her indestructible form literally walks right through the zapping energy. Greta stopped her shoveling to wince at the girls arrival. It had stirred her cows and horse into a nervousness.
"You're spooking the herd." Greta tries to calm them with her gloved hands. Greta had covered every inch of her body, including her mouth behind a bandana. Nobody questioned her outfit considering the stench of the job she chose to partake upon. What really scared Greta Winston was her disappearing hand. When she woke up her forearm was also invisible. She could still feel her limb, just not see it. She panicked that it might continue.
"Sorry. My friends are hungry. Time to eat."
Greta bulges her eyes and rears her shovel over her head defensively, "Don't you go near my cows."
"Chillax, Cowgirl. I'm not going after your beef." Sophia steps over to the pile of manure and literally falls backwards over it. Upon impact the smelly crap began acidic hissing and absorbing into the girls flesh.
"That there is making my belly churn." Greta chokes turning away.
"Making your job easier though. I won't be long. It never occurred to me before now that I could feed my friends this way." Her body glows faintly.
"You're lighting up like a candle." Greta huffs.
"Candlelit dinner for me and my million lovers. Isn't it Romantic?"
Coughing at the digestive process Greta turns away. She needed air. Reaching the energy net she looks up toward the small floating spheres that were generating the net. Young James Ian had programmed a recognition door for Greta to easily access and entry/ exit point. Once leaving the net returned to protect her cattle.
Outside she was met by Madigan easing up to her.
"I apologize for my daughter. I barely recognize her myself these days. Her so-called friends have altered her in every way save persona. Before them she would be repulsed by white rice. Let alone dead animal marrow or fecal matter."
"Lil hard getting used to." Greta looks up at her with a grimace.
Maddy saw Greta lower her bandana to talk. As she did Maddy notices the woman's neckline. Beneath her collar her flesh had given way to the shirt. Only it was the back of her shirt's material.
"Forgive me, Greta. Have you noticed anything about your body that is unusual?"
"You're one to ask?" Greta winces offended.
"Are you well?"
Greta presses her lips together, "Not really. I mean I feel fine but--can you keep a secret?" This was a moment of truth. Could a cowgirl and a ghost bond?
"I will not tell a soul. Unless you are suffering due to it."
Looking about her for Malcolm and Sophia she finds both occupied. In a hurry Greta removes her glove and lets Maddy see. To her shock her flesh was back. Good as new.
"What the Sam Hill?" She turns her palm up with a look of shock. Greta then rolls her sleeve up to her elbow. Normalcy had returned. It was just her shoulder missing at the moment. Pointed out by Madigan.
"I presume by your surprise that your arm was missing before now?" Maddy acknowledges.
"Yeah. This is really making me batty."
"Please come to me if you need a friend. You can actually just call out my name under your breath. I can hear you and will come to you."
"Thank ya, Madigan. All I know is I can feel my body it just ain't in sight all the time."
"A cloaking device as my Husband used to talk about. Do we know what caused this?"
"I'm thinking it was that big lizard Malcolm killed off. It was able to do this. It breathed on me up close and I inhaled it's breath. Thought I was gonna die at that moment."
"Death is overrated Greta. As I can attest to personally. Monitor your condition. If it gets better wonderful. If worse you need to consult everyone. You are among friends."
"I know. I will. Just not ready yet."
Maddy smiles as Sophia stepping through the energy pen makes a great deal of noise. The distraction led to Greta's silence. Smelling manure up close as Sophia joined them burping the girl prides herself.
"My minions loved that stuff. I bet I smell huh? Here! I'll fix that." Closing her eyelids Sophia secretes a thin sheer across her gorgeous body that encloses every pore. The scent fading away to be replaced by what smelled like cherry.
Greta bulged her eyes, "Smell's mighty purdy."
"I love my new body. I better get back inside before Elle and Jack get after me. Thanks for lunch."
Watching Sophia waddle away with confidence Maddy scowls, "I swear she was a beautiful child."
Greta continued to shiver. This world was so strange.
