Chapter 16

Gloria said, "Commander and Captain? Would you please take your command chairs. We are under attack."

"Oh, crap! Who is attacking us?" I said.

I found myself in the bathroom.

"Gloria, put me in the command chair."

The ship's caretaker did as I asked.

Webbing quickly secured my body to the chair, and a voice entered my head.

"Attend, Commander. Three war vessels of unknown origin are attacking with primitive lasers. Our shields are holding securely. We are using minimum power."

A visual of the three ships appeared, as if I was looking at them with my own eyes, only from a vantage point deep in space.

"What are your orders?"

I thought, "What are my options?'

"Attend... You may launch fighter craft to deal with them... one fighter will be sufficient. You can have the Point Defense cannons fire on the ships, or you can order one of the other ships in the armada to deal with them."

It was like being slapped in the face. More ships than this one? An Armada?

Jenny's voice came though.

"Oh, I finally I got this figured out. Sir, I recommend you use the cannon, and then re-cloak the ship."

"Make it so," I said.

It took only a moment. The Vargon ship fired three of its cannon at the attacking Renegade Vipers. Sam watched as the ships simply disintegrated into dust.

"What kind of cannon is that?"

"They are Point Defense ion cannons," said Gloria's voice.

Bonnie said, "I have never seen anything like them."

I said, "Your grandfather is going to shit bricks."

Gloria said, "Ha, ha, ha! I understand! It's a joke."

"Gloria, are we cloaked again?"

"Yes, Commander... excuse me... Yes, Sam. Your order now makes good sense."

"Have you completed the downloading, yet?"

Jenny said, "No, it still has to transfer Annette over to its systems."

Bonnie asked, "What happened to the two of you?"

Jenny replied, "Emergency shut down of our systems occurred. Gloria started pulling data from the main system, faster than the system was capable of transferring it."

Gloria, "I did not know it would happen like that. The system on your launch is severely underpowered. I will have the maintenance droids correct that, as soon as the transfer of Annette's personality is complete."

Bonnie asked, "So, can Jenny and Annette be displayed on this ship in the same way as on ours?"

"Allow me, Gloria."

"Gladly, Jenny."

"Actually, by use of this ship's medical systems and advanced bio-manipulation, Gloria can make it possible for us to exist both in her operating system, as well as... this is hard to put into words."

'Click', went my mind.

"Jenny? Are you saying the ship can give you real bodies?"

"That's close enough, yes."

"Absolutely amazing," said Bonnie.

I found I had to agree with Bonnie's assessment. It was so unreal. It also fit with everything I'd heard about the 'magic' of Vargon technology.

Gloria said, "I would like to create a body for myself."

"Oh, my. I don't think where in Kansas any more, Toto," Bonnie said.

"Ha, Ha! I like this humor thing," Gloria said. "Vargons had no humor."

My curiosity was piqued so I asked, "What did the Vargons look like?"

"Attend..."

In my vision, came a view of a Vargon.

It was a female. It had long flowing yellow hair. She looked human from all outward appearances.

Bonnie gulped, "She was beautiful."

Gloria, "Then I will use that form, for my physical manifestation."