Episode 17: Dust Bunny

After an early morning start Jack Ramse and Ruby Goddard divided up priorities. Battle weary though they were after dealing with big ass lizards they knew they needed to get their lives together. They had managed pretty well for themselves for such a short time being trapped in this hellhole of lost time. At the very least feeding themselves was under control. What they needed was better power and hygiene control. They had access to water but had yet to achieve any safe means of bathing or restrooms.

The literal OUT house was taking it to the desert floor. With such lengthy open range around the starship there was no real privacy. Even worse when you had cattle that left droppings. That led to hauling it as far away as possible to avoid the stench. Fertilizer forgiven! Sadly, the group was learning to fear less about modesty and more about survival laws. Shoot the moon! Today their itinerary list had cleaning house for some and reaching goals for others. Everyone had a job to do. So far so good.

“Careful, Elle. That last cut nearly pierced the hull again.” Jack Ramse forewarned the Sergeant and field Medic as her energized gaze fired precision laser beams to remove sun shielding panels from the interior. Each section departing its latches increased the lighting within the gloomy Ganthorian starship.

“You just give me some room to stretch my retinas, Colonel. I’m still learning control over my diamond side. Stop your nagging.” She closed her eyelids after the beams ceased fire and lowered her obsidian visor to secure safety around her before re-opening her eyelids. Thank God those did not burn away.

Jack knew she was doing her best. He simply lived a perfectionist regimen. His military rank insisted upon it. Still, he was softening up where needed. Leaving Elle and Sophia to the panel removal Jack stepped away and made 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 the alien hybrids Animahni and her family would bring them more seafood from the depths. They were coming to a conclusion that they might have to become vegetarians in the meantime.

“Making head way down here. Need any help?” He reached their vicinity, his eyes adapting to the darkness while everyone else used flashlights. Batteries were weak but James Ian their resident genius had recently found an easy solution to recharge those at least.

“We have this, Jack. How goes the solar panels?” Ruby halted in step with a chunk of shard metal. “No blown out windows I hope.”

“Not as of yet! The solar panels are out of the way, but the regular glass is fully intake. So, no sand dune buildup in our future. Should be done with most of them in two hours. The ladies are on a roll. It’s good to see everyone working together.”

“Everyone but the genius. I haven’t seen him since he jumpstarted our AA’s. Where the hell is James?” Cameron Scott grunted, also hauling debris nearly too heavy for him to carry.

Pausing to look back up the shaft leading to the upper decks Jack pondered the boy’s absence. He hadn’t seen him since the morning roll call for breakfast. At least he knew James was doing something vital after the AA comment and the brighter than normal beams on the flashlights. Nodding, Jack eyed Ruby who looked rather pale.

“You alright, Goddard?”

After reaching her selected indoor destination and dropping the metal she used her forearm to wipe her brow of perspiration. “I’m fine. Just overtaxed! This junk weighs a ton. Little indigestion doesn’t help matters any. Not like I have a roll of Tums lying around.”

“If you get too queasy go find Elle. Maybe her touch can ease up your problem.” Cam blurted out. “Afterwards she can challenge you to a game of laser tag.”

“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 noted his own scent, “Those large cylinders over there. Maybe Elle can cut those in half to make tubs. Could get four out of those.” How they missed those once buried tubes when they were making water troughs for the cattle was anyone’s guess. Oversight! “Just need to make sure they’re safe to bath in and doesn’t blow up from whatever might be inside them. Have James test the interiors for substance residue.”

“Gotta find him first.” Cam huffed!

Jack grimaced as he realized the growing weakness in Ruby. As she struggled with yet another trip of scrap metal he stopped her. She looked 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 relented. “Yeah! I could use some fresh air. The water down here smells like fish and mold.”

“Step by step.” Jack nodded! “We can see about some air purification system once we establish a sturdy power and water flow 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. “Off limits!”

With a smirk Jack claimed her scrap debris lifting it as if it were a piece of paper with one hand.

“Show off!” She shook 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. The plan was to use those panels to power a smaller outdoor compound once it was built. Baby steps!

“I think Sophia is wondering why you’re spending so much time with me.” Malcolm chuckled!

“Let her! I’m a grown ... ghost. Besides, I may never see my husband ever again. You and I are friends Malcolm. Nothing more! Correct?”

“Yes, Ma’am! Even though last night got a bit compromising. And we weren’t even drunk.”

“Stop! I don’t think I can effectively blush.” She smiled! “I am just happy that we experimented with your runes. Now I know it is 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 surmised! “There is so very much we never knew about our world long before coming back in time. I presume time we still revolve around a sun.”

“I believe in God. Born Baptist.” Mal confessed! “I’m thinking God created other Gods in his image. One true is all I’ll follow.”

Madigan hovered in the air lost to his last few words as she peered out into the distance. Enough so that Malcolm halted his removal of panels to look in the direction she had focused on.

“You see something?”

She merely studied the desert terrain. “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 Ganthorians 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.” Mal charmed her! “I’d miss you.”

“I have no intention of abandoning my daughter again. Nor my friends. I will just listen and learn.”

“Good to hear.” He returned to his duty once Sophia hauled yet another solar panel cover to drop off at their feet.

“Two more and we’re done.” Sophia reported! “I need a break though. My little buddies are getting hungry.”

Maddy floated over the soil to her daughter’s side. “We should go on a salvage run with Malcolm here. It would do us good to see a change of scenery.”

Sophia puckered over the idea. “Sounds like fun. Tomorrow?”

Malcolm reached for the section of solar panel 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.” Sophia changed her focus toward the energy pen safeguarding Greta’s herd of cows. The cowgirl Greta Winston 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 walked right through the zapping energy as if sideways through a half-opened door. Greta stopped her shoveling to narrow her eyes at the girl’s arrival. It had stirred her cows and horse into a nervousness.

“You’re spooking the herd.” Greta tried 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. After the strange fadeout yesterday in battling the Komodo she stressed over anyone fawning over her due to some malady. That scenario scared Greta Winston. When she woke up this morning 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 bulged her eyes and reared her shovel over her head defensively. “Don’t you dare go near my cows.”

“Chillax, Cowgirl. I’m not going after your beef.” Sophia instead stepped over to the pile of manure and literally falls backwards over it as if crowd surfing at a concert. Upon impact the smelly crap began to conceive an acidic hiss, the substance liquifying to absorb into the girl’s pores.

“That there is making my belly churn.” Greta choked turning away. Shit happens Wichita!

“Makes your job easier though. I won’t be long. It never occurred to me before now that I could feed my friends this way. You can thank me for saving you some work later.” Her body glowed faintly in its suckling mode. Gross most certainly!

“You’re lighting up like a birthday candle.” Greta huffed! “On a birthday suit!”

“Candlelit dinner for me and my billion followers on Tik Tok. Isn’t it romantic?”

Coughing at the digestive process Greta turned away. She needed air. Reaching the energy net, she looked up toward the small floating spheres that were generating the net. Young James Ian had programmed a recognition door for Greta to easily access as an entry and exit point. Once leaving the net it 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 and a main course of fecal matter.”

“Lil hard gettin’ used to.” Greta looked up at her with a grimace. “Just like you bein’ a ghost. No offense Ma’am!”

“None taken! We all understand that nothing makes sense in this realm. I still live yet as a phantom. Malcolm there has succumbed to a greedy appetite for golden apples, Colonel Ramse his medical advancements, Sergeant Franklin her jewelry exchange so to speak, and of course ... my glutton of a daughter.”

Maddy saw Greta lower her bandana during their talk. As she did Maddy noticed the woman’s neckline. Beneath her collar her flesh had given way to the shirt. The only anomaly 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 cringed almost offended but knew there was no long-term hiding.

“Are you well?”

Greta pressed her lips together glancing across the property at Malcom setting up the panels and digging a trench for them with his foot. “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.”

Once more looking about her for Malcolm and Sophia she found both occupied. In a hurry Greta removed her glove exposed her invisible hand for Maddy to observe. To her shock her flesh was back. Good as new.

“What the Sam Hill?” She turned her palm upward with a bewildered expression. Greta then rolled 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 acknowledged!

“Yeah! Unlike Malcolm’s big billy.” She blushed over his package swinging about in the distance. “This is really making me batty.”

“Yes!” Maddy too looked out at a timid erection. Smirking a bit she changed her direction of curiosity. Last night still had her mind racing. “Please come to me if you need a friend. You can actually just call out my name under your breath. I can hear you even at a whisper. I will come to you.”