Chapter 38

Jim Bob slowly opened his eyes. The Chairman had graciously agreed to let Uncle Maligna and Bobby John do the limb replacements while he worked with Sheanna'Ree and Betty Sue to make plans to stop Greklor.

The lights were bright and it took several moments before he could make out the sleeping shape of Carol Anne in the chair beside him. He smiled. Maybe there was something there. Maybe Carol Anne did have feelings for him. The thought made his heart beat just a little faster.

But first, did he actually have arms and legs again? He pulled back the thin covering sheet and gasped. The metal was gone!

He wiggled two sets of hairy toes. Not quite what he had expected but better than what he'd had. He held up his new hands and slowly turned them over. Leathery palms and hair covered arms and hands. They were longer than he thought too. It could have been his imagination but the legs looked shorter than his old ones. They too were covered by a thick covering of black and brown hair.

Might as well try them out. Jim Bob swung his body over the side of the bed. The legs were definitely shorter and dangled more than a foot above the floor, but the new arms were powerful and he eased himself down like his body was a feather.

He tried walking and stumbled. It took him several minutes to realize that he needed to use his much longer arms to support himself as he walked. His knuckles carried the top half of his body while the stubby legs held the lower portion.

He felt like a freak and no mistake. What would Carol Anne think?

He looked over at the girl and caught her watching him, a smile on her face.

"Carol Anne? You're awake!"

"Shore am, Jim Bob. I'm glad to see you up and about." She stood.

Jim Bob looked up at her, realizing his shorter legs made her taller than him. He frowned. "You must think I'm a freak!"

Carol Anne shook her head. "No way, Jim Bob. I don't think that a'tall. You're as handsome now as ever and you don't need that clunky old body anymore." She gave him a hug, his chin just resting on her breasts.

He hugged her back, stopping when he heard her groan. "What's the matter?"

"Ya big lug! Ya don't know you're own strength. You almost squeezed the stuffing outta me."

Jim Bob held her back by the waist and looked at her. "I'm powerful sorry, Carol Anne. I guess I don't know my own strength."

She smiled. "I guess you don't." She looked at him for a moment. Then another before she finally spoke again. "You can put me down now, ya know."

It was only then that Jim Bob realized he had been holding the girl a handspan above the floor.

"Looks like I've gotta get used to this here new body, don't it?"

***

"So what can we do?" Betty Sue asked.

The Chairman's smile was nasty. "I've never met anyone who doesn't have a skeleton in his or her closet* (*The jury is still out on whether that's true of invertibrates or not). I think we can make the men and women of that extermination fleet come to an understanding."

Betty Sue looked confused. "Ah don't quite understand, Mr. Chairman, but I'll have to take your word for it."

"Ah think he means he knows things about people they don't want others to hear," Zeke said.

Betty Sue almost fell over. "Zeke, did you just say something smart?"

"Ah don't know. I'll try not to let it happen again," the big man said.

"No Zeke, no! That's a good thing! Don't stop now."

"OK, Betty Sue. If something smart comes to me again, I'll say it." He scratched his head. "How's will I know if it's smart or not?"

Betty Sue patted him on the arm. "Don't you worry none about it, Zeke. I'll be sure to tell you."

"Daddy, is there anything else we can do besides blackmail the fleet?" Sheanna'Ree said.

"That's part two of the plan, daughter. I've already put a call into The Corporation Headquarters. Every available corporate ship is being pulled out of service to form a flotilla. We're going to meet up with them en route to Greklor's extermination fleet."

"But, Daddy. Those are just delivery and cargo vessels, aren't they."

The Chairman smiled. "Think about what The Corporation is, Daughter and tell me you don't believe we have a few extra surprises built into those ships. Every one of them has military grade armour and at least a couple weapons. I think we can stand up to that fleet."

"Really, Daddy? You have your own battle fleet?" She put her hands on her hips. "And just what were you planning to do with it?"

"Planning to do with it?" The Chairman's eye's twinkled. "I don't know what you're talking about, Daughter. Those are just built-in precautions so our competitors don't think we're easy targets."

"I see," Sheanna'Ree said. "When are we going to go?"

"As soon as your uncle has the asteroid's engines online. He's coming with us."

"What? Engines on the asteroid?"

"How else did you think we would move it?" The Chairman said.

"I didn't. I thought you would abandon it and relocate Uncle Maligna."

The Chairman shook a finger at Sheanna'Ree. "Didn't I teach you better than that? Never throw away a valuable asset when you can still use it. This asteroid has some very unique and expensive technology and I would hate to lose it. So, we built it with the ability to travel under its own power."

"Whatever you say, Daddy." Sheanna'Ree said.

"Mr. Chairman, Sir. Ah'm gonna have to go and tell my ship about this. Ah don't think it's gonna wanna take the time out of it's mission to come with us," Betty Sue said.

"Ah, yes. Your ship. I've heard a lot about it through rumour and other more reliable sources. It has a rather interesting history itself."

"Ah'm not sure what you mean, Sir, but it is a thinking ship. Grokmar is the reason we're out here in the first place."

The Chairman's eyes gleamed. "I have no doubt it brought you out here. It has done that many, many times that I know of. Taking people from their planets and using them up in its travels. Are you sure you want to keep it around?"

"Well, it needs us. That much I know. I'm not sure what I'd do if Grokmar left us here. It's sorta become a home for me and my folk." Betty Sue straightened up. "Besides, Grokmar promised to take us home when its mission was finished."

"I've heard that before too," The Chairman said. He looked at Betty Sue for a few moments before he shrugged. "It looks like you have your mind made up. If you change it, please tell me. I know a lot of people that would like to get their hands on that ship of yours. The technology alone is worth a large fortune."

"Thank you, Sir. I'll be sure'n do that. But for now, I've got to go and talk to Grokmar and let him know what's been going on."

***

 "Mr. Wassabi, Sir. There is a small asteroid droid out here to see you."

Overjohn Wassabi, Producer of Galaxy News stared at the desk comm unit for several moments before he answered. "An asteroid droid? What does it want? I'm very busy."

"Sir..." His secretary sounded very nervous. "Perhaps if you looked out your window to the street, you might free some time up?"

"Look at the street? What in Cork is going on?"

"Please look, Sir."

Overjohn swore under his breath and stood to look out the window. The sight almost made him sit down again. The street teemed with machines. Every building was covered from ground to top with a shell of constantly moving robots. Truly, what in Zork was going on?

"Um, would I be correct in assuming the droid is part of what is outside?"

"Yes, Sir. It claims that everything outside is following it. It is quite insistent that you see it. In fact, there are a few...bigger...bots with it that are preparing to let it in forcefully should you not agree to see it."

Overjohn stared out the window for a few moments longer before he replied. "Send the droid in, please. I'd like to hear what it had to say."

He had no sooner finished speaking than the door of his office silently slid open allowing a battered asteroid droid to enter. The machine rolled around Overjohn's desk until it was directly in front of him. It beeped at him.

"Computer, translate, please," Overjohn said.

"Are you Overjohn Wassabi, producer of Galaxy News?" the computer dutifully translated.

"Yes I am. Why are you here and what are all the droids doing outside my office."

The robot beeped again. Overjohn waited for the computer to translate for several moments. When nothing happened he realized he hadn't given explicit enough instructions.

"Computer, continue translating for droid until instructed to stop, please."

The computer translated again. "I am G8R1 and I have been sent here by MegaDan Scholes to deliver a message. The other droids have decided to join me in the delivery and eventual support of MegaDan's efforts."

"You have a message from MegaDan? From where? Let me see it." Overjohn couldn't believe his ears. He had, of course, seen MegaDan's broadcast, but had no idea what all the information MegaDan had discovered about the Vice-Chancellor.

G8R1 beeped again. "I will play it now."

A flickering, three-dimensional image of MegaDan appeared in front of Overjohn. It was about two feet high. MegaDan's voice came from the Droid. "This is MegaDan Scholes, Voice of the Galaxy..." the voice began.

Overjohn listened carefully to the entire message. He had the droid repeat it just to be sure he'd heard it correctly. "Do you have the data MegaDan was talking about?"

The droid chirped and extended its data wand.

Overjohn nodded and pointed to a data jack in his desk. "Please load the data there so I can examine it."

Overjohn sat at his desk and began scrolling through the information. His eyes grew wider and wider as he read the damning charges against Vice-Chancellor. He exclaimed out loud several times as he reviewed the accompanying proof that the charges were, in fact, real.

He looked down at the droid. "We need to do something about this!" He stood and looked out his window. "Thanks to your friends, my building isn't being blockaded and I should be able to transfer this information. Still, I could use your help to stop the military from interfering."

G8R1 beeped. "We can do that. Our programming allows for non-aggressive forms of resistance."

"Great. If you can keep the military away I will start sending this information out immediately."