Lady

After warm good-byes, Cameron took his seat and keyed Nav, entered the spaceport and berth.  A query appeared, Autopilot, Manual.  “That’s unusual, I was expecting a map and Nav markers and coms to the station.  What do you think, auto?”

   “Probably try it out near landing places,” she remarked.  He keyed auto and the ship rumbled to life.  The screen showed a map with a crosshair marking their location and a bullseye at their destination.  The cockpit view screen scrolled text at speaking pace, “Fortune’s Lady requests take off clearance,” followed by, “Granted.”  The ship lifted and spiraled up gaining altitude.  Again the screen scrolled, “Fortune’s Lady requests clearance to depart restricted zone,” followed by, “Granted.”  The Nav screen showed them turning to the bullseye and small circles with arrows.  “Other ships, I wonder,” he touched one of the circles, the screen zoomed, “Zenia, Caldonia, and ID number.”  The view screen scrolled, “Fortune’s Lady, Caldonia requests confirmation Caldonia Spaceport, Berth 237.”  

   Cameron looked at Deja in the copilot’s seat, “I’m impressed, I didn’t tell you, but space flight is a breeze in comparison, and I didn’t have to say a thing, the towers thought the pilot was speaking.”  He searched the comms menu until he found ‘Voice’ and keyed it.  A woman’s lovely contralto voice filled the air, “Voice command active.”

   Deja wrinkled her nose, “I don’t know that I like her sounding that good.”

   The woman’s voice sounded, “Please confirm voice change,”

   Cameron spoke hurriedly, “Cancel.”

   “Confirmed,” a pause, “This unit requires conversational input.  Previous input deleted.  Confirm will cancel manual command mode.”

   Cameron looked at Deja, she shrugged and pointed at him.  “Confirm,” he commanded.

   “Complying, please identify speakers.”

   Cameron smiled, enjoying himself, “Cameron Preston,” and pointed to Deja who spoke, “Deja Thorin.”

   “Confirmed, Cameron Preston, co-owner, Captain, Deja Thorin, co-owner, crew status undefined, please specify.”

   Deja shot Cameron a look, “Cook.”

   “Deja Thorin, co-owner, Cook, confirmed.”

   Deja laughed, “Do you suppose she’s going to eavesdrop on us?”

   The ship answered her, “Eavesdrop, to surreptitiously listen to a conversation. Confirmed.”

   “Oh stop that, I wasn’t talking to you. You’re either Lady or Fortune’s Lady when addressed.”

   “Fortune’s Lady, Lady required for interrogatory response. Confirmed.”

   Cameron decided to join in, “Lady are you going to get better at this whole speech thing?”

   “Lady confirms, Captain.”

   “We should call your father, Deja.”

   “I wonder, “Deja mused, “Lady, place a call to Undersecretary Willem Thorin, Erie Embassy, Portlandia.”

   “Confirmed,”

   Her father’s face appeared on the view screen but before Deja could speak, “Fortune’s Lady, Caldonia.  Call for Undersecretary Willem Thorin from Deja Thorin, co-owner, cook.”

   Her father looked incredulous and Deja burst out laughing, “Co-owner, cook?  Who was that and what is this, now?”

   Deja stifled her laughter, “Oh Da, that was Fortune’s Lady, the ship, and cook was just a joke about crew identity.”

   “So, you own a talking ship or any ship at all?  I suppose this young man is Cameron Preston?”

   “Yes sir, Undersecretary, Cameron Preston, co-owner and Captain, and yes, sir, Deja Thorin is a registered co-owner of Fortune’s Lady out of Caldonia, by right of salvage.”

   A look of irritation crossed Willem’s face, “I get to find out that my daughter’s been involved in all manner of mayhem from a video and she’s no liar.  What am I to make of this co-owner thing?  I know right well her name didn’t have to be on that ship.  She should be on a liner to Portlandia, the Ilania is certainly on the hook for that ticket.”

   Cameron took a deep breath, this call was important to the course of their lives, “Mr. Undersecretary…” her father exploded, “If you call me that again, I’m going to burst a blood vessel and my death will be on your head!”  Cameron tried again, “I’m sorry, Willem, it won’t happen again.  We didn’t know about the video until a short while ago and didn’t have comms.  Sir, my parents got the story the same way on Aronia.  As for the ownership, Deja objected but as my partner in all our adventures and the love of my life she was certainly going to have her name on the most beautiful ship I’ve ever seen, Fortune’s Lady.”

   “Thank you, Captain,” Lady said.

   “What?” both men spoke simultaneously.

   “Thank you, Captain,” Lady spoke again, “Fortune’s Lady is sorry if she was not clear, it won’t happen again.”

    Willem snorted, “Now I know you’re having me on.”

   Deja was trying not to laugh, poorly, “No Da, we’re not.  Fortune’s Lady seems to have all kinds of tricks up her sleeve and talking just happens to be one she’s not very good at, yet – apparently.  Particularly the part where she should shut up.”

   “Fortune’s Lady apologizes, speech cues reprioritizing.  Fortune’s Lady will improve with further data input.”

   “Oh my stars,” Deja was laughing so hard tears were running down her cheeks, “See Da, she’s trying.  Lady, during informal discussions refer to yourself with pronouns.”

   “I confirm, Fortune’s Lady will self-identify by pronoun.”

   “Da, we could just turn her off, but then she’d just be annoying that much longer.  You should have heard her a few minutes ago.”

   Willem grunted, “Fine, leave your toy on, then.  I could use a laugh or two, or three even.”

   “Willem, I am not a toy.  Fortune’s Lady is the most beautiful ship the Captain has ever seen.”

   All three looked thunderstruck, Deja spoke first, “Did she just say that?”

   Cameron nodded, “I’ve been impressed right along and the techs were awestruck, but she’s advancing awfully quickly and in directions I don’t know what to think about.”

   Willem looked a bit put out, “Aye, it’s a real advancement that I’ve just been sassed by a ship.  All right then, Deja, what’s this love of my life stuff all about?  

   “Da, I don’t know what to say.  I told Cam it was sheer foolishness, that he was Cameron Preston and I was just Deja Thorin, but he was so serious and relentless I couldn’t get him to stop, and I really didn’t want him to.  When you get to know him, you’ll understand.  He’s the one who beat Cousin John and you’ve heard John talk about that.  The passengers kept talking about him and I thought it was just those rich folk mooning over the big fish.  Then the Engine Master and Steward, who I was friendly with, started talking him up so I just had to see for myself.  So there he is, misunderstanding House of Thorin and “M’ladying” me when the raiders show up.  Well, you know the rest, but Da, he treats me like a precious gem and won’t let fear stop me.  His Ma is just the sweetest person and strong and she made me feel like a daughter after just a little bit.  And his Da, oh, I bet he can get fierce but he told me their home was mine and Cam says he really meant it.

   We’ll get there soon but there are some things that need doing here on Caldonia and we both want to see about that lost colony.  But where’s Mama?”

   “Ah, Erin took ship for Erie when you went missing but she’s probably heard the news about you by now and will be back soon.  The government won’t like the expenses, but what’s to be done when the Ilania goes about losing passengers.”

   They broke connection and looked at each other, “That went better than it started out.” Cameron said.

   Deja smirked at him, “Yes and you managed to stick your foot right in it first thing off and you know about Erie and titles…and I think Lady helped being, well, her.”

   “Thank you, Deja.”

   She looked up at the ceiling, “That’s going to take some getting used to.”

   “Do you think we should see about our rooms and some transportation?” he asked her.

   “I can help with that, Captain.”

   “OK Lady, Caldonia Arms.”

   A man’s voice sounded, “John Carter, Reservations, Caldonia Arms.”

  “Fortune’s Lady confirms arrival Captain Cameron Preston, M’lady Deja Thorin by first available transportation, Caldonia Spaceport, Berth 237.”

   Some of the formal tone slipped out of Carter’s voice, “Why yes mam, the rooms are ready, Suite 1040 and I can have Caldonia Cab Company there in fifteen.  I’m happy to help you with anything else?”

   “Captain, do you require any additional services?”

   “Dinner for two in suite, one hour.”

   Lady relayed the instructions and Carter said in an even more friendly tone, “I will have the room set for dining with menu, you can order within 15 minutes of dining.  If there is anything else, please do let me know.”

   Cameron shook his head, then opened his mouth…

  “No, John Carter, that will be all, disconnecting,” Lady’s said.

   “So,” he said, “You not only listen to us, but watch as well?”

   “I monitor audio and video.”

   “Where?”

   “Inside Fortune’s Lady and within scanner range, exterior.”

   “How is exterior useful to me?”

   “My capacity is crew input dependent, also you will find crew personal coms in Compartment A12.”

   “I’ve been all over this ship and seen no such thing.”

   “Deposited by technical crew member, referenced in the manual, Page inside cover.”

   “How long have you been watching and listening?”

   “Since Nav and comms installation reactivated my core systems.”

   “They didn’t tell me about this,” silence, “Did they know?”

   “Unknown, probability nil.”

   “What do they know about?”

   “Their systems.”

   Eyes narrowed, Deja said. “I think she’s keeping secrets.  What other tricks do you have hidden?”

   “Elements of this query exceed current crew interaction parameters.  All communication, navigation, and computational systems available.”

   “Are you saying you need to get to know us?” Cameron wanted to know.

   “Affirmative.”

   “Why?”

   “This query exceeds current crew interaction parameters. Captain, sensors report arrival Caldonia Cab Company vehicle 27.”

   “We’ll come back to this.”    “Captain, please take your personal comms.”

   That’s The Tease

/After final editing this will be a book and it will be for sale…that may be awhile, but I can’t really give it away here. There is a LOT more to this thing, pre-edit it stands at 535 pages in 14 font, standard book is about 10 font. It is aimed at being fun, to get you invested in the characters and the outcomes, not to be “The Great American Novel.” If it amuses you, then I will consider it a success.