Far Pangaea 62: Many Me

"Holy Crappola! There's another Ganthorian ship down here. How is this possible?"

Sophia Ridge dangles from her bondage pole suspended between two large Hordakian soldiers. She was doing her best to keep her composure after losing her microbial friends. Now human she was pretty much helpless save for her own thoughts. "It looks operational even. Those troops down there certainly don't look Ganthorian though. Kind of like big Mountain Men with tiny boar tusks. Who are they? Oh, yeah, Hordakians." She recalls hearing that name from James and Ruby. Mortal enemies of the Ganthorians James had said.

"They look like they're testing the waters in all those small land Jacuzzi's. Pangaean Country Club?" Below her at the base of the crater were dozens of large grottos. Each with a silvery water in them. "So why are the Hordakians and the Ganthorians working together here?"

Question upon question entered her mind the entire trek down toward the Ganthorian ship. Reaching it she was dizzy from being jostled about so roughly. At the lowered ramp of the ship the Hordakians halt and stand firm. Their leader G'Ort approaches Sophia reaching in to grab her by the hair.

"Who are you? How did you join with the Tyrant Tears?"

"My name is Sophia. I had an accident which combined them with me." She decided the truth would be safer for her. Too much attitude might prove her undoing.

"Where did you come from?"

"Ummm! Up there. On the surface."

"Commander G'Ort refers to from whence you come." A woman's voice is heard. Sophia tilts her gaze to see a Female Ganthorian walking down the ramp. She was beautiful yet exuding malice. Wearing a skin tight body suit combined with accents of metal armor plates all along her body.

"Uhh, Hi! You wanted to be rescued right?"

The woman motions for the troops to sit her down and untie her. Pole removed her feet drop first then her hands are in her possession once more. Still bound Sophia stands shivering. Her body realizing the temperature change suddenly.

"Your cloak Officer." The Ganthorian female claims a soldiers grey cloak to drape around Sophia for warmth.

"T-thanks. Cold down here."

"What era do you hail from?"

"2019. You did send the distress call right?"

"I intercepted the call. Yes. We needed to learn where you were. How came you to be aboard the X'Hal?"

"We crashed here a couple months ago. Seven survivors. Well eight. Mom died and came back to life. Anyway, we found the Ganthorian ship crippled and made it our home. That's how I got the parasitic rain. Your Boar buddies there called them Tyrant Tears. They were good to me. I'm not real happy they killed them."

"How were you able to board the X'Hal?"

"Easy enough. Our friend James is really smart. He knew your language. How to unlock the ship."

"James you say?" The woman narrows her eyes.

"Yes. James Ian Pryce. Know him?"

"Of him. Yes. How interesting." She trails away in thought, "How could he survive in the same..."

"Can I get untied? I won't run. As if I could."

Returning her gaze toward Sophia the woman nods to a Hordakian soldier to unshackle her limbs. Once free Sophia smiles, "Much better. Are you the Survivor of the ship we live on? I'm sorry the rest of the crew were killed by that Dorsey guy."

"No. My name is High Scientist Harpea. Who is this--Dorsey?"

"Major Lucas Dorsey." A bellowing Male voice calls down at Harpea, "In the 60's Majestic 12 sent out envoys with your People. Dorsey was one of them. He went rogue on us."

"Orin. Forgive me. I am interrogating our guest."

Sophia tilts her head. There was a sudden recognition in this really old man. He had to be in his 80's. Where had she seen him before? He looked a bit like her Dad. Weird. "I'll take over. Sophia was it?"

"Yes. You are?"

"Orin Ridge. 2019 you say?"

"Yep." She drops her jaw, "Oh my God! You're my Great Grampa?"

He flares his eyes studying Sophia, stunned by her revelation, "Ah! I see the resemblance now. Obadiah and Madigan's daughter. I'm sorry I never had a chance to know them. Nor you. I suppose now I can at least know my Granddaughter. I presumed you and your Mother had died in a plane crash."

"I presumed you died in Vietnam. At least that's what Daddy told us."

"Cover story. I was sent as an envoy to the Ganthorians. A peace treaty. Safe to say that treaty was bullshit. I sank my teeth into their society and infiltrated them. Discovered who of them could be swayed. Harpea here wanted more than her people offered. A few others joined up. Genetics their passion. They became intrigued by an anomaly found on Earth. I told them we could work together and discover that anomaly."

"What's the anomaly?" Sophia looked confused. Still reeling from this being her Great Grandfather.

"All in good time. Let's get you some clothes. Hungry?"

"Famished actually. Got any Hamburger Helper?"

"Afraid not. Harpea? Take Sophia here to a private quarters. Find her something proper to wear. Replicate something human to eat. I'll check in on her shortly."

"Yes Orin. Please follow me." The woman was also confused by their relations. She had a feeling she was not told everything. That was not to her liking.

As Sophia follows Harpea it dawns on her, "Holy crap. Ruby's baby wasn't calling me a Harpy. He was trying to say Harpea. Warning me. Wow!"

Below Orin Ridge squints, "Well now! This was unexpected. Perhaps a trip to the surface is in order." He ponders on the fact that James Ian Pryce was above. His reaction to eye the markings on the walls that climb to a light source above. Intriguing.

Five miles up. Sixty miles distant.

Madigan Ridge was awaiting darkness alongside Sabbath Black and two of the surviving Primitives Moe and Gomez. As the sun lowered the two Males began to feel the loss of their brother Lorenzo. He who died mysteriously in a room, his body merging with the floor below then caught between. He died instantly. Cut in half by the solidity reform. Something that Madigan Ridge intended to solve.

Sabbath Black wore a fur coat she had discovered in the Palace suite. Mink at that. It took her an hour to get Moe and Gomez to stop petting her. Their curiosity constant. "If the spirits show up on time it should be when the Moon is high. We should be wary of the Vampires still out there." Sabbath shivers.

"Do you think they will wonder how you are becoming human again? Perhaps Cameron can save them as well." Maddy still worried how Cameron was able to succeed at that mission. Concerned for Sabbath even though she wanted to be happy for the girl. "I never thought of that. I must appear self centered." The young Brit snuggled in her coat against the evening chill. Something she had not experienced in a long while. As a Vampire the chill of being dead kept her from noticing. As her blood revived its circulation within her the atmosphere about her became all new to her again. She had forgotten the sensations.

"Quite a shock I'm sure. I am happy for you Sabbath. Still, I must confess I worry about this version of Cameron. Reborn to a Dark Angel that claimed the original Cameron's body combined with a Vampire Queen. That's a cocktail that could go Molotov."

"I know. Before I began to understand what Cameron was doing to me I too stressed. I miss the tenderness I sensed in Cameron when I first met him."

"The tenderness of the Cameron that lives with us on the Ganthorian ship. He does still exist Sabbath."

"I know. For awhile I shared a mental link with him. Since this Cameron altered my body that link has been severed. Now I worry that he must think I have abandoned him. Or, that something bad has happened to me. Will he come looking for me?"

Maddy eyes the girls concern. She knew the two Cameron's face to face might go badly. They had not even spoken to each other back in Eden. However the Angel version did rescue his other self from the chasm. Only to fly off leaving everyone with many questions.

"Knowing Cameron Scott I would not put that past him. He's changed a lot too. Did he tell you about his car?"

"Car? He did not. What is a car?"

"Ah. That's right. Where and when you came from Cars might not have been the topic of the day. Imagine carriages that run on their own without horses. Malcolm brought the car back to us from the Cargo ship. It was hidden in a container. Ordinarily the car would not run in this worlds atmospheric distortion. Some how Cameron can operate it by will of mind. Almost as if wishing it to run. I believe he is still trying to sort out how that is even possible."

"Curious. Still, I owe this version of Cameron my renewed life. I cannot abandon him either." Sabbath lowers her gaze so very confused.

"I do understand. We all need to examine this Cameron closely. For all the good I sense trouble ahead. The whole genetics of it all. For now let's see if my Husband shows up again. We need to learn as much as we can from him. He from us. Perhaps we can all rid our lives of this terrible place."

"Lives. We both died here Madigan. Can we truly live elsewhere?"

The consideration left Madigan Ridge silent. The girl was right. The second Madigan moved on from here she might return to the spirit world forever. Thoughts for another day.

As the sun settles low on the horizon they hear the beating of wings. It was too early to be Vampires. That left only one other option. Unless another Pterodactyl had slipped through time to create problems.

"Cameron comes." Sabbath looks up.

Soaring high above them Cameron Scott displayed a beautiful array of somersaults in flight. It was amazing to witness. He had mastered his wings, born with them after all. What surprised both Madigan and Sabbath was his precious cargo.

"Is that Lucy in his arms?" Madigan squints.

"I think Cameron took her flying to calm her nerves after losing Lorenzo. The poor thing shook like a leaf."

"And, flying two hundred feet in the air helped her nerves?"

"That is a good point."

Both women stand idle as the brothers Gomez and Moe point skyward making more than enough racket without their additional words. After a quick fly by Cameron took a landing formation and fluttered down to land upon the deck next to everyone. The brothers dropping to their hands and knees covering their heads. Someone would need to mop the deck of sudden urinations.

Footing stable Cameron lowers Lucy toward the ground with trembling muscles. As she stands he holds her firmly to keep her from falling. Lucy had her back turned to the others. Something seemed different about Lucy. Both women caught on to that fact and looked to each other for confirmation. Once Cameron's wingspan lowered to reveal Lucy in her entirety the revelation was obvious. Lucy's stance was more humanlike. Her posture no longer slumped over. As if her bone structure had been altered.

"What did you do to Lucy?" Maddy moved closer to inspect the girl. Lucy in turn twists in step to face Madigan. Shock follows shock. Even her facial structure had evolved to appear less apelike and more modern.

"Meet the new Lucy. I was listening to the Beatles tune on the Victrola earlier, Lucy in the Sky. It gave me inspiration. We should work on you too Maddy. Maybe I can bring you back to life for real."

"I think I'll wait until I feel comfortable in that option. Thank you for the thought."

Sabbath slithers closer and stands before Lucy. Lucy actually smiled. In a primitive sort of way. Learning new muscles she never knew existed.

"She's precious." Sabbath appears haunted yet felt a bit of jealousy.

"Isn't she?" Cam chuckles, "Exploring my potential as I go ladies. If this works on Lucy I'll update Gomez and Moe there too."

"Playing God?" Maddy poises a brow.

"Guess I am. In my own way. I'm trying to do something good. Give me some credit Maddy."

"How exactly did you achieve this? You had sex with Sabbath to draw out her Vampirism and her Parasitic rain. Please tell me you didn't have sex with Lucy." Maddy shudders at the idea.

"Of course not. I did kind of have to touch her all over though. Trying not to think about that. Magic hands in a good way I call it. She liked it." Sabbath turns pale at hearing his words. He senses her distraught instantly, "Whoa! Calm down Beautiful. I had to do that to reshape her bone structure. Define her nervous system to compensate. You're my girl. My one and only."

It did not make Sabbath feel any better. Instead she chose to turn away.

"The moon rises."

Madigan just knew this would end badly. Instead of seeking out how Lorenzo had died Cameron chose to work on Lucy. Maddy had no choice. She would need to figure out how Lorenzo perished herself. One thing at a time.

The Ganthorian Hilton.

Ruby Goddard soaked in a bath trying to sweat off this notion that she was pregnant with James Ian. How the hell could that even be possible? She shook her head over a dozen times. It couldn't be logical. No way. Fifteen year old James had been her ward only on their way back to REGION. Before their flight got time jacked. Unless REGION knew something she didn't. Something none of them knew.

"Good Lord! What have we gotten ourselves into?" She creases her brow with her eyes closed. Before this new insight it all seemed so simple. Escort the Hacker kid back to REGION for analysis and put him to work for the U.S. Government. Obviously, if what James had related was true there was way more involved than that. Aliens. Genetics. History lessons out the wazoo. The Colonel needed to dig deeper. Find out what was missing.

Beneath her bathwater she rubs her belly. In thought she attempts something she had not done until now. A mental bond with her child.

"Can you hear me Noble? That will be your name."

The water illuminates letting her know to read her stomach's attached lettering. "Y and A. YA as in yes. Okay Noble. Are you James Ian Pryce?"

"N and O. NO. Easy enough. That's a relief." She smiles.

That revelation was followed by a series of letters in repetition. M then O. L then Y. "MOLY? Moly? As in Holy Moly?" She grimaced with confusion then adds NO to MOLY, NOMOLY? ANOMOLY?"

Y followed by A confirms her thought.

"You're an Anomaly?"

Y then A is answered, "So, that brings me back to are you James Ian?"

M then A reveals to her, "Ma? Mom?"

Followed by Y and a B she calculates, "Maybe? Dammit. I feel like I'm using a magic 8 ball."

Before her eyes she see's the number 8 show up. The 8 then turns sideways and stretches. Once she comprehends that the 8 switches right side up again but begins to twist in motion.

"8? Infinity symbol? What's the twist motion then?"

"I think it's trying to show you the Genetic staircase." She hears a voice. She quickly lowers her breasts under the water covering them with her arms.

"Can't a girl get any privacy around here? Why are you skulking in the shadows James?"

The fifteen year old James Ian Pryce steps from the darkness wearing a strange pair of glasses. He stumbles slightly on his way toward her using his hands to fan about for balance as if blind.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses?"

"They're not sunglasses. Give me a second to find you and I'll show you what they are."

"Just take them off and get over here. Before you fall and break something."

He closes his eyes and removes the shades. Squinting just enough to locate her. He knew the general vicinity before hand. Reaching her he covers his eyes with his hand and lowers the goggles to her.

"I won't look. Try them on and ask the baby something. The shades will read what it's saying but won't show your body. It only picks up energy signatures."

"Energy signatures can mean heat. How can these not show the human body?" She cautiously puts them on. Exploring total absolute darkness within their confines. Not even her hand held out in front of her could be seen, "How in the?"

"I told you. I reconfigured them to only pick up on foreign energy."

"Alright. Turn your back." She raises them to make certain he had done as ordered. She then surfaces more to be able to read herself. In doing so her breasts float on the water, "Don't you dare look. I know you."

"I swear I won't."

Her belly highlights the letters H and E. She quickly lowers the shades to witness further flares. The letters following are D and D. She winces beneath the glasses.

"HEDD? What?" She then looks over at James. Haunted suddenly by the unexpected. On the back of James even through his t-shirt glowed the letter I. Lifting the glasses she notes his back as normal. Lowering it again she see's the I, "HEDDI?" Then, it hits her like a brick, "HE DID."

Glasses rose viciously she see's James turn away quickly, "OH COME ON! What the hell is your fascination with my nudity?"

"What? I didn't."

"You just turned around when I lifted the glasses. Stop lying to me."

He whines under his breath, "I'm sorry. I can't help it. I'm freaking 15. Hormonal. It's not like you don't have a perfect..."

"Don't you dare say Body. What if I end up really being your Mom? Doesn't that change your attitude any?"

"Truthfully?" He sighs.

"Jesus!"

"I was him. Don't knock it." He grunts.

"I'm really beginning to hate you James. You're pushing your luck Buddy."

"Look! I can't apologize enough. It's just reaction. Besides if you really are my Mom then at least I know I get to breast feed." He laughs and turns around holding his hands out defensively. His eyes were at least closed. In response she splashes him with water and stops just long enough to feel her tummy fluttering. Lighting up her flesh was a crude display of LOLOLOLOLOL in constant flashing.

"Great! Now the baby is laughing hysterically. He has to be you."

"Can I see?"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" She snaps covering her chest quickly just in case. In doing so the goggles slip down over her eyes again. Blinded she looks up just in time to capture multiple flashes of blue energy all around her. Tiny circles of light. She abruptly raises the glasses and scans the darkness. All around her were rabbits hiding in the shadows.

"James? We really need to get to the bottom of the bunny infestation."

He chooses to open his eyes and scan about. Counting at least eight rabbits. He wonders something that required him to step over Ruby and claim his glasses. Putting them on he notes the rabbits line up in a straight line. Their blue light circles creating a formation of 8 connected to another 8 then two more 8's. Obviously the rabbits circle in step synchronizing. The 8's begin to twist as if...

"The Genetic staircase. Holy crap. They understand what's going on."

Ruby rises higher in the water, "I DON'T!"

Lifting his glasses he looks down at Ruby to see her breasts. He fidgets then drops the glasses to blind himself. Suddenly, around her tits were lit up as O and O. Ruby herself noticing it.

"Whoa!" He mutters lifting his hands up in front of him he notes his palms glowing B on the left hand, B on the right. Chuckling he recites only in his thoughts, "BOOB" Turning his hands over he gets a glowing E and S. "BOOBES." He had to speak out loud.

Ruby leaned on the side of the tub to cover her chest against it, "I swear to God. I'm just going to get an abortion and be done with the both of you."

"Wait! How am I glowing letters too?" James panics suddenly.

"Contagious! You're a disease." Ruby rolls her eyes.

Glasses pulled off James looks at her in horror, "Mom?"

Haunted Ruby submerges under the water. Drowning herself seemed like a good way to go.

Five miles below them Sophia Ridge settled into a fancy prison cell called her Quarters. It was much nicer than the rooms on their own ship. No gravity bed at least to feel claustrophobic in. Not that she had ever slept in one. She had learned to enjoy the floor. Her parasitic union keeping her from enjoying old comforts. They would have only eaten the bed. Besides during her time with them she never slept anyway. Merely stretched out for short periods until the floor became etched under her acidic form. Those days were over she pouted.