“you’re back.” He said. Why did it take so long? We've been here for days.”
“no. Its been 4 hours at most, getting home waiting for mom and getting back. I’ve only had time to make a few sandwiches and get some water and medication and clothes for you.”
“ooh you got food? Great I’m starving.”
Lex what happened , you were burnt badly and covered in metal , how are you up already?”
“ I’ve told you. Its been days here. It hurt real bad for about 2 days but its eased off now it just feels like an old burn. More sore than pain. I don’t understand what it is.it should be solid but I can move and feel like it wasn’t there. I do have buzzing n my ear though I think it’s damaged my hearing on one side.”
“where’s tatty and who’s this girl?”
“Arrg, yes well , this young lady seems to be Tatty .we don’t know how, but something must have been in the meteor that hit us or at least that’s all I can think of. Either that or she killed tatty covered her hands in metal took her clothes off and pretended to be her. Which I mean could be a possibility just as much as anything else.”
Ella run her hand over her face.” how . what’s going on. When I left you, you were both unconscious and you’re telling me it’s been days even though to me its only been a few hours. Tatty’s a real girl now. Did you wish really really hard for a girlfriend?”
“oh ,come on”
“what do you mean come on? Do you know how absurd this all sounds?”
“Hunny what happened to you ?your sister said you had an accident. You have some kind of metal leg and arm.”
“you haven't seen half of it .I’m actually half silver surfer.” I don’t know how or even how I’m alive or can even move but this is me now. I don’t know if its permanent or temporary.”
“how about you put some clothes on and we get you home.”
“sounds good mom. Hey sis what did you pack for me?”
“i didn’t know what you would want I got a pair of jeans , some jogging bottoms a hoody and a jumper and some trainers..”
“cool. Give tatty the jogger and hoody I’ll take the jeans and jumper and trainers.”
Lex went out to change and Ella helped tatty dress rolling up the legs and sleeves so she wasn’t swamped by the larger clothes. When he was ready they walked back to the car and drove home. The first thing Lex wanted was a shower. He took off his clothing and looked in the full length bathroom mirror. He was literally half metal. Yet he could move and feel. ”so weird.” he inspected his hand and arm , poking it flicking his ear. It jiggled. He entered the shower and it felt normal. God he needed this shower he felt mangy. He washed his hair and rinsed down. He dried off walked to the sink and brushed his teeth. He felt human again. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked to his room. He called downstairs. ”El can you help set tatty a shower and clean clothes. Oh shit. Can she borrow some of your clothes I’ll buy some tomorrow.”
He looked through his draws and picked clean underwear and a shirt and jeans.
He went downstairs and sat at the table with his mom. She handed him a cup of tea.
“are you ok” she said. She reached out and touched his hand and arm. It felt strangely solid yet it obviously moved just like a normal arm.
“ I think so” he said sipping the hot drink.” it hurt like a fucker and still aches a fair bit but its settling quickly. The worst part is the weird noises. It kind of sounds like 90s internet and radio static . I’m thinking it was the loud bang when it crashed through the roof and it will settle in a few days. I’ll just play white noise for a couple of days .”
“ok. But let me know if you have anything feels ,well more odd,”
He chuckled, “ yeh anything stranger than what ever this shit is. I’ll let you know”
“goodoh. Drink your tea. I’ll start dinner. What does the young lady like.”
“tatty? I don’t know. how about some ribs and corncobs. Ooh and some rice if we have any I really fancy a filling meal. I haven’t eaten anything except a bit of fruit and rabbit , rat , hedgehog thingy.”
She pulled a face and started collecting ingredients.
Tatty and Ella came down stairs all cleaned up and dressed. Tatty sniffing the air” meat. I smell meat. Are we eating soon master.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“El can you try and get her to stop calling me master. I’ve tried for 3 days and its not sinking in.
“yes master.” she sang . “ tatty why do you call Lex master. He isn’t your master or owner he’s just Lex. You’re family so call him Lex”
“is that ok.? he saved me , I’m bonded to him, I’m his.”
“what do you mean you’re mine. Ella’s right that we are family. I’m just Lex. Ok. Treat me as family only. Nothing else.
“i will try, but I feel that I should call you master.”
All for sat down round the table and mom started dishing out the rice and corn while a pile of ribs sat in the middle of the table. Every one just helped themselves to the ribs.
“thish ish yummy” tatty said while holding a rib in each hand and a third in her mouth.
“well, I guess she is a fox” Ella chuckled.
The evening was pleasant, a warm summer evening , everyone just sitting and chatting . a large jug of juice with ice cubes sat on the table for every one to help themselves to.
“what is it like been human now? Does it feel strange at all?” Lex asked looking tatty up and down. ”are your arms ok?”
“i like that I can talk to you and Ella” she said as she looked down at her hands” my hands feel normal but also not. Also standing only on two legs feels odd to me, although I can see more because I’m taller now and can see above the long grass and bushes.”
They all nodded understanding how different she must feel. Lex suddenly felt extremely tired , and his head started to hurt and his ears began to ring.
“i think I’m going to go to bed. I feel a bit crap.” Lex stood from the table and headed to his room. He looked back over his shoulder.” El can you sort the spare room so tatty can rest aswell.”
Lex lay on his bed in total darkness. Well it should have been, but to the side of his view there was a green square and the 90s internet sound came back. His head started to hurt again.
“er hello. Testing testing. Ah I think I did it,”
Lex looked around, searching for the owner of the voice .” hello” Lex said “who is this.”
“well, that’s a hard one. Ill try to explain. When you were merged with my body I became part of your mind. My processor entered through your audio input system.”
“my ear?” Lex said feeling his metal ear.” so you’re in my brain now.”
“well, kind of.” the voice said “I’m a sentient automated roving scout drone. I was scouting out a sector looking for a planet to settle a colony of settlers who’s planet was destroyed by the cyberorces”
“ wait what!. I am merged with a sentient drone and there are cyberorces. What's a cyberorce?”
“the cyberorces are a race of high orces that have augmented them selves with electronic and mechanical part.”
“Cyborges! Are you shitting me?” Lex said incredulously “ so am I a cyborge now? Look at me I’m nearly half metal.”
“ well, yes ,and no. You are bonded with me so yes in the way that I am mechanical and electronic . but no because you are completely self aware. I can sink beneath your skin if you wish. I will still be here but I will be hidden from view.”
“yes! Please do. And what is this green box I can see?”
“Ah that. That is a thing called system. Our universe is run by an entity called system. It levels your skills and strengths. It also gives quests and items. You will need it to help me claim the planet for the refugees so they can start a new life.”
“ the refugees, how many are we talking.?”
“ around 3 to 4 billion”
“what! How are there so many?”
“well we have rescued survivors from 9 planets. There are many races all with their own traits and skills..”
“ has tatty got an AI or system like me. She has metal on her too.”
“ she has a basic system interface. She can level and get skill but that’s her limit. I can also hide her alloy skin, would you like me to do so.”
“yes please. How long will it take? And will she stay a girl?”
“she will stay a her present life form.”
“good” Lex nodded to himself. He had to admit that he rather liked tatty and hoped for a relationship down the line.” so what do I need to do?”
“ firstly go to sleep, and leave the rest to me. We will talk when you awaken.”
Lex drifted of into an unsettled sleep as the AI configured his body and created a matrix of pathways through his brain ,it may not tell him about this part. After a day and a half of sleep both Lex and Tatty awakened .
“wake up Lex.” tatty and Ella shook him to wake him.” look look. My hands and your body. We are normal.”
Lex opened his eyes to a bunch of green boxes and 3 orange boxes. he thought to himself, how do I move these things?
“ I will hide them for now. You will need to check them later though”.
Thinking his thanks to the AI , the boxes cleared. I need to find out if it has a name, I can’t keep calling it AI that’s just rude. As he thought this a blue box appeared with a single sentence . “ nice to meet you. My name is alloy, call me alli” the box disappeared.
Tatty thrusted her hands into Lexs’ hands. ”feel. I’m normal again”
Lex turned Tattys’ hands over running his thumbs over her smooth soft skin. She looked up at him with moist eyes and pink cheeks. Damn she’s cute.
Lex uncovered himself from his bed sheets. Looking at his body and leg holding his arm out in front of him. Tatty held his hand and brushed her cheek on his palm.
“soft” she said with her cheek cupped by his hand. “ I like how you feel on my skin.”
“ahem.” Ella coughed, feeling a bit like a third wheel “ as cute a couple you two make. How did this happen?”
“ahh, about that. How about we go and get breakfast and ill tell you about it while we eat, I’m stared again.”
The trio went down stairs and started cooking some bacon ,eggs, sausage, tomatoes and toast. Ella put the kettle on and made a pot of tea .
Tatty sniffed the bacon and her eyes lit up.” more meat. And eggs I’m so happy you found me.”
Ella smiled, a little jealous of her brothers relationship with the super cute fox girl. She wished she was the one she bonded with.
As Lex explained what him and Alli had been talking about he asked Tatty if she has been seeing anything in her vision, something like coloured boxes.
“i think so. I’ve been seeing strange boxes with marks on them but I can’t tell what they mean”
“oh right” said alloy “ I will make it so she can understand the writing, I didn’t think she wouldn’t know what writing was”
Lex looked over to Tatty.” give it a minute and you will be able to understand the marks. Its writing, its like talking but without sound”
Tatty cocked her head to one side not understanding what he meant .
“think of it as it’s telling you something but in a way only you can see.”
She kind of understood what she was been told. Something only she could see, so she wasn’t losing it