Chapter 36

I hate I told you so with a passion. “You’re going to screw up,” and the resulting broken arm...”I told you so!” Kissing JW when we were 8, the paddling I got, Cyn saying, “I told you so.” Yeah ... well ... she tattled ... mom would have never known.

I don’t know how many more ... well ... I do ... but. So when The Powers that Be showed up after the refit and I was pretty far along ... well ... Seven. Yeah ... her ... that Seven ... the predictor of my condition ... grinned and opened her mouth.

“Shut it! Wretch!” I said. She opened up again. “Don’t say it.”

Seven and her minions disincorporated. Slightly disgusting ... I’m more at ease than I used to be. I only gagged once ... probably because I wasn’t ready. The Powers that Be don’t give a warning ... they’re just ... there.

The refit was slow. It was like the newly found regime was experimenting ... freedom takes a bit of getting used to. And the ‘hard-liners’ didn’t like it much. They kept expecting and were ignored. “No” was a new and unusual word they were used to saying ... most had never heard it. It took a while for the budding recreational folks to get materials and labor tended to walk off when they felt like it. Soon, there would be car payments to make and bills to settle and the walking-off stopped. Capitalism at its finest.

We were a lesson ourselves ... happenstance and accidental surprise ... and me ... preggers and no visible mate.

“I was just going to say ... I say, Melody ... that’s an evil look,” Seven said as she was working on getting a cup of coffee inside her. “I was just going to say, you haven’t used the watch. Need lessons?”

I pitched it at her. She’s a much better fielder than a scientist. The wench threw it back ... and I grabbed it. The port was open and I gave it a look when I noticed this watch was different. The sneak had switched watches.

“Hmm ... what does this one do?” I asked.

“How many times have we found you in the big middle of nowhere?” Seven asked.

“I don’t know. How long does it take to find me?” I shot back.

“Once.” Seven grinned.

“You know those damn cellphones with a single number important people list?”

When we were in Japan, they were the coming thing ... preset number calling.

“Yeah ... how did they do that?”

“Computers ... you’re number ONE on our list.”

“You have Locate Surprise Flintkote in your preprogramed watch?”

Seven grinned.

“Actually ... we ask the computer to take us to you.”

“What computer?”

“You’re holding it.”

Assuredly, I dropped it. Well ... she spooked me. Computers ... even the small ones, are huge, this was like losing the set out of my wedding ring and I wasn’t ready.

Come to think it ... wasn’t ready occurs every time The Powers that Be show up.

“Now that you’re distracted ... nice belly,” Seven said.

And The Seven gathered round and rubbed my baby bump.

“What are you doing?”

“Remember? <We’re looking forward to meeting the next Watch Holder.> Remember that?”

I nodded.

Oh shit ... just another I told you so!