Boss King and the Blade

Saturday, October 2046

The Slippery Sod, en-route to Skyport

Trixie

“I won’t let you kill her, Trixie!” Melody warned her, standing between the captive and the woman. “She’s our sister!”

Boss King and Sunset waited outside the cabin, letting the early morning sun warm their backs as Trixie and Melody argued inside. The girl in question, named Melody-Two they had discovered, was lying on one of the bottom bunks, her hands and feet tied with plastic cords. As far as they could tell, she had not regained consciousness since the fight with Melody-Six.

“She’s a cold-hearted killer working for the Hive!” Trixie spat back. “She came here with one sole purpose, to kill you and anyone else who got in her way!”

“You’re wrong!” Melody argued. “I’ve seen inside her heart. I know why she came here. It wasn’t to kill me”

Trixie regarded the young girl steadily, forcing herself to keep her emotions in check. It had been so much easier when she had been a Guard, with her training and the emotional suppressants in her food keeping her calm and unconcerned. These days her emotions surged through her like tidal waves, threatening to overwhelm her at times.

“So why did she come here?” Trixie asked at last, making her voice flat and even by sheer willpower.

“To die” Melody almost cried. “The Shadows caused her so much pain, she wanted to end it all. She thought I would be the one person able to defeat her and give her release”

Trixie regarded the sleeping young woman, barely old enough to be called such. Asleep her face was stunning, slimmer and more refined than Trixie’s own broader features. Yet there was no denying the woman was a sister to her as much as Melody and every Jill in the Guard.

There was no family for the Guard clones other than their brothers and sisters in service. Even that was lost to Trixie now, but Melody had claimed her as family and she cherished the connection, as new and unexpected as it had been.

“She’ll be a terrible sister, Melody” Trixie relented at last. “I promised her a bullet, so if she gives you a hard time make sure to remind her of that”

“Thank you, Big Sis” Melody said, which drew a smile at last from her lips.

=====

She visited Su-Chan next, the Captain recovering in her cabin after the Auto-doc had reattached her hand. In theory she should have remained in the ship’s tiny infirmary, but with half the crew injured to some degree or another they needed the bed space.

Trixie knocked once on the open hatch and entered, seeing the Captain still wearing her blood stained clothes from last night. She was propped up with her back to the wall, right arm engulfed in bandages and a medical monitoring cuff. The left hand stroked the gold ears of her mechanical cat, the machine purring in an off-key electronic tone.

“I meant to ask you before what the cat was named” Trixie said by way of introduction, lowering herself into one of Captain’s folding chairs.

“His full name is Captain Calico Jack Rackham” Su-Chan answered her, tickling the cat under its articulated chin. “But that was a bit of a mouthful, so Ferguson and I just called him Calico”

Trixie smiled sadly at the mention of her previous Captain. Sunset had told them all about the encounter with the black ship that left Ferguson dead. There seemed little doubt that the stealth ship that delivered the two Shadow Blades had been part of the same organisation.

The stealth ship had vanished into the night not long after Boris had taken one of them to the bottom of the sea. The first ship had proven to be operated solely by the cargo mechanicals, so after the battle Trixie had led a party aboard. The crew looted anything of value then they had scuttled the ship, knowing they couldn’t keep or sell the vessel in safety.

“I’m sorry about Boris” Trixie said awkwardly. “He was a mighty fine mechanical. Melody really liked him”

“He wasn’t a mechanical, Trixie” Su-Chan chided her softly. “He was a crew mate and loyal friend to the end. You know Ferguson brought him aboard the first time, along with Calico? The old softie had found the pair of them for sale at an auction. He never told me how much he paid for them, but both became such an important part of our little crew”

The Captain grew silent for a while, her hand laying still until Calico warbled a meow for more attention.

“I’ll talk to my boss once this is over” Trixie responded. “I’ll make sure your crew is compensated for everything you’ve done for us. It was far beyond what you had any obligation to give us”

Su-Chan fixed Trixie with a gaze like a steel trap, fixing her to the seat.

“If your boss wants to pay us back, destroy that harbour” she demanded. “Find those black ships and blast them out of the water. Do that and I’ll consider any debts paid in full”

“Copy that” Trixie agreed.

=====

Skyport Harbour

The day had turned hot and sticky, the clouds scattered across the noon sky like strips of paper thrown by a petulant child. Trixie stood at the bow as the Slippery Sod motored slowly into the vast harbour of Skyport, her companions at her sides.

With them was a pale and drawn looking Melody-Two, dressed in a spare set of coveralls provided by the crew. She looked uncertain of her status, which Trixie recognised was somewhere between prisoner and refugee, with a bit of domestic abuse survivor thrown in for good measure.

“That is one hell of a harbour!” declared Boss King. “I wonder who sorts out the parking for all those ships?”

“I think they call them berths” Sunset suggested. “And it’s all run by the Harbour Master, so don’t get any ideas”

There were hundreds of ships of all sizes and designs filling the artificial bay, many moored alongside long wharves of concrete that stretched for kilometres, others anchored in deeper water. Long breakwaters formed from reclaimed ocean bed and added concrete pylons protected the inner harbour, with small guard towers dotted at intervals along them.

Smaller boats zipped to and fro, carrying crew and supplies between the vessels that were not docked. Adding to the activity were VTOLs, Helijets and drones of all kinds dashing through the sky. Some were personal craft from the bigger ships, others were aerial cabs offering an exciting way to travel to your vessel or the shore.

“Where are we going to dock?” Melody-Six asked Trixie.

She pointed to an elegantly styled ship anchored alone, flying the colourful flags of the Home Islands and the Free Island States that they all belonged to. There was one more flag flying from its stern, a plain blue one with an image of broken shackles in white at the centre.

“That’s our destination. She’s the Wave Traveller, one of the merchant ships that serves the Furidamu” Trixie explained. “They are here to pick up liquid Ceramite and other products that only the Zone can provide. She should have left harbour two days ago, but they had an unexpected issue with the main drive systems”

“Oh” wondered Melody. “Can they get it fixed in time to leave?”

“Funnily enough, Captain Su-Chan told me that as soon as she contacted the Wave Traveller this morning, that problem got fixed right away”

The Slippery Sod sailed closer to the bigger ship, soon being dwarfed by its long graceful hull. Tall cylinders projected above the main deck, looking like vertical wind turbines suggested Sunset.

“They are” Trixie answered. “When the wind blows they rotate, driving power generators in the lower hull. The surfaces are all solar panels too, which add their power to the ship’s batteries. Excess power can be used to take in seawater and break it into Hydrox fuel for emergency use. The Home Islands have a policy of causing as little damage to the oceans as possible, so they take great care in everything they do”

With a final surge of the engines, the Slippery Sod nudged up against a floating dock attached to the Wave Traveller. Lines were cast out and secured by blue suited crewhands, drawing the ship in close.

“We made it” Sunset breathed out in relief.

“Yeah, we did” Trixie agreed and felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Not all of it, but enough to let her feel satisfied in this moment.

=====

The Wave Traveller, Skyport Harbour

Melody-Six

She had never felt more nervous and excited at the same time Melody decided to herself. Her newly acquired sister was clutching at her arm as the pair of them were escorted into the Wave Traveller’s Boardroom. Trixie and Boss King were with them, one either side as the Melody’s walked in tense unison to the long table that dominated the room.

A smartly dressed woman, Japanese in ancestry, smiled at them from where she sat on the opposite edge of the lacquered wood table. Beside her was a young man in his late teens, idly playing with his phone. He looked like a younger version of the woman, so Melody guessed her was her son. Otherwise the expansive room was empty.

The escort of ship’s crew bowed to the woman, who nodded respectfully in reply, then they exited, closing the doors behind them.

“Welcome to Freedom” the woman said in perfect English and stood, moving gracefully around the table to stand before the two girls. “I’m Misaka Tomoki and that ignorant young man over there is my son, Hiroki. I am so glad you have finally reached us”

The young man in question looked up, waved a lanquid hand in their direction and resumed tapping at his phone.

“Hi Misaka” Melody began. “I’m Melody-Six and this is my older sister, Melody-Two” She went on to introduce her protectors as well and the group were invited to sit and discuss what would happen from here.

Misaka explained that she had assisted a number of ‘refugees’ from the Zone and other parts of the world take shelter in the Home Islands. This time however she wished to offer something more personal considering the age of the persons involved.

“If you are willing, I have discussed it with my son and we would like to offer you both places in my family”

“In your family?’ Melody-Six asked in confusion. “What does that mean?”

“I want to adopt both of you, to become my daughters” Misaka said earnestly. “I know this is sudden, so you don’t need to make a decision right away. For now, you can accompany us to the Furidamu as our honoured guests. If you decide you want to live on the Home Islands in some other fashion, I will make that happen also”

The two Melody’s exchanged surprised looks, then nodded slowly in agreement.

“Thank you” Melody-Six answered. “But may I ask, why are you being so generous to us? Surely we are strangers to you and your family?”

Misaka coloured in embarrassment, looking away for a moment, then steeling herself to face them again.

“I know more about you than you may have realised” she began, slowly at first then gaining confidence as the words tumbled from her mouth. “Many years ago, when I was a younger and far more athletic woman, I was approached by an up and coming Genetic Engineer by the name of Alexander Hargreaves. He convinced me to provide genetic samples that he wanted to use in the creation of a perfect human being”

Melody-Six stiffened in shocked understanding, as did her sister.

“In a way, you are already part of my family” Misaka ended, her eyes glistening with tears waiting to fall. “I can’t be a mother to all of the children that carry my genes, but I wish to be yours if you’ll let me”

“I think I’m gonna cry” Boss King said into the silence and set Melody-Six laughing in nervous relief. Soon enough everyone was laughing and Misaka embraced the two young women.

Melody-Six gestured to Trixie, bringing her into the group of crying and hugging women.

“She’s your mother too, Trixie” Melody whispered in her ear.

“I’m a bit too big to be adopted now” Trixie muttered, but she allowed them to hug her anyway.

Out of the corner of her eye, Melody saw Boss King wander around the table to sit next to Hiroki. The boys regarded each other in shared boredom.

“So, Hiroki, are there any Gaming Arcades on this boat?”

=====

It was afternoon now, the few belongings that the Melody’s had already transferred into a shared cabin next to Misaka’s. The room was spacious and appointed like a five star luxury hotel. Melody had asked Trixie if her new mother to be was rich or important in the Home Islands.

“Kind of” Trixie had admitted. “She’s the Governor of the Furidamu, which makes her one of the premier leaders in the Home Islands Senate. Misaka was very wealthy in her own right as an Olympic Athlete and Entertainment star, so she is well known throughout the world”

“Oh” was all Melody could reply with to that.

They were walking the high decks of the Wave Traveller, stopping to watch as the Slippery Sod finished loading some cargo crates aboard. Captain Su-Chan could be seen on the raised bow, yelling orders to her crew with the right arm bound in a sling. Her mechanical cat gleamed in the sunlight as it perched on her shoulder, making Su-Chan look more like a Pirate Captain than ever.

“You know, I really thought she was going to get a hook fitted to replace her right hand” Melody laughed to Trixie. “I’m glad the hand was able to be saved though”

“Yeah, we got off lightly considering what the Hive sent against us” Trixie replied. She leaned on the railing, her eyes searching the distant sea. “Remember what I said about your new sister too” she warned. “You are both fresh out of what I can only call a cult. It will take some time to adjust to life outside of the Hive”

“I know” Melody agreed. “Our new family seems to know a bit about helping people deal with those kinds of past experiences. I think we’ll be Okay”

“Good” Trixie said. “How are you going to handle having two nearly identical sisters named Melody? That is going to get very confusing”

“Oh, we sorted that already” Melody answered. “My older sister was really excited about choosing a new name for herself, since Misaka was going to issue us new Idents”

“Fair enough. What name has she chosen?”

“She wants to make a brand new life, so she picked something appropriate. Her name is Dawn”

=====

“We’re leaving now” Boss King told Melody, leaning with his back against the railing. Beyond him Melody saw the Slippery Sod preparing to cast off, Gemma waiting patiently to unhook the gangplank that linked the ship to the temporary dock. The rest of the crew were lined up on the cargo deck, watching as Melody finished her last goodbye.

She had said her farewells to everyone else already, leaving her first and best friend until last.

“Will you miss me?” she asked the boy. “I know we’ve only been friends for less than a week, but it feels like a lifetime”

“Yeah, I’ll miss you” he agreed. “Every time some kid tries to steal my money, or makes me chase them through the Markets, I’ll think of you”

“Hah!” she snorted. “Admit it, knowing me has been the best part of your life!. You got to meet lots of new people, to see places you wouldn’t have come to otherwise”

“Yeah, but I did the same for you” he countered. “You’ll miss me heaps, won’t you? Every time someone is chasing you, you’ll be looking for Boss King to save you. Every time you want some free food and a place to sleep, you’ll cry for little old Taiga”

“Perhaps” she admitted at last. “I’ll miss everyone that I met, I can’t deny that. Mighty Princess, Samantha-Two, Foreign Jay, Trixie, Sunset and the Violent Surrender Gang” Her eyes drifted to the crew of the Slippery Sod, thinking again of Boris and others who hadn’t made it all the way to safety.

“I’ll even miss Harmony-Three and my siblings from the Hive. We were all victims of Alex-Four and his plans. I just hope they get a happy ending too like Dawn and I”

She faced Boss King one last time.

“It turns out my new family is very rich. Misaka has offered to pay all the money I owe to you and Mighty Princess. So, how much is my final bill?”

Boss King nodded slowly, thinking through his response.

“You owe me Ten Pandas, Thief Girl” he declared.

“Are you sure?” she gasped. “What about everything else? All that time and money you had to outlay?”

“Ten Pandas” he repeated. “You still have those coins in your pocket, don’t you?”

“Yeah”

She dug into her pocket and drew them out, laying the ceramic coins in his outstretched palm.

“Cool” he said and put them into his own pocket. “Well, I guess that wraps things up. I’ll see you next time you come to the Markets”

He turned to walk away until Melody grabbed his arm and pulled him around.

“I never asked you, what’s your full name? In case I need to contact you or something?”

“Well, everyone at the Markets knows who Boss King is” he said. “But since you are leaving, I’ll tell you. My name is Taiga Rex”

Melody couldn’t help but laugh.

“Seriously!” she giggled. “Your name literally means Tiger King?”

“Of course. That’s why I decided to use Boss King as my working name. It suits me, don’t you think?”

She regarded him through eyes grown misty and nodded agreement.

“It’s perfect”

=====

Melody stood at the railing until the Slippery Sod was out of sight, the last glint of its crane slipping past the horizon. She had waved until it felt like her arm would fall off, getting shouts and waves back from all the people she knew aboard.

Sunset had sent her a final message, transmitted over the open water using her Aeromancy. A private message for her ears only.

“He’s crying” the woman’s voice whispered gently.

“Me too” she had answered, but she never knew if her words carried all the way back.