“Did we really sit through hours of questions, just to make a resolution to have another meeting?” Melissa asks.

“Yep. Except next time there will be paperwork.” We tentatively agreed to sign a non-aggression treaty with the people of Earth, and they agreed to limit their previous treaties on claiming celestial bodies to the Sol planetary system until they could work out a better agreement. It’ll be interesting to see who strikes out on their own to find new habitable planets, or who takes the Vassal State route in my known systems.

“I intercepted some pings from some personal assistants focusing on communications that were headed for you and found us a few sources of the rare earth metals we’ve been wanting.” Katie grins, knowing she did well.

“At least someone feels productive. Tomorrow is technically the last day of the summit, but now that we have an agreement for a meeting for a year from now-ish, I have no desire to stay another day.”

“You just want to go back you our beach house and work.”

“Yes please.” Katie and I beg.

Melissa chuckles and kisses us both on the cheek. “I’ll message the customs office and tell them we’ll be departing.” I nod my thanks, already thinking about battery applications and improvements I want to make on the shuttle Beecham’s building.

In a little over two hours we’re back to our island in Bikini Atoll. I wonder how much they want for the whole atoll. I’ll ping the admiral and see if this can’t be our “reconnect” with the US under a guise of trade. Melissa supports the idea.

“And fuck you business clothes, time for jammies!” I toss everything on the edge of the bed until I’ve got my sweat shorts and tank top on, then I put my suit in the closet like a good housemate.

“Tessa, did you ping me a dozen priority messages just now?” Tessa pings a negative, and before I can ask, Katie yells from our workshop down the hall.

“That was me! Collaboration with Jembit Engineering and Mining!”

Huh, why would they be contacting me about jobs?

You should check your notices, or if you want a shortcut, just look at your stat sheet. I’m amused at how easily you are distracted by your projects, even to the detriment of your progression.

I can’t help but blush in embarrassment. I have always had this problem. In this case, advancement will come as I work, so there. I stick my tongue out at Tessa.

Name: Penelope Astoria

Race: Human (Primus) Andromeda Code: T3-S3 Class: None

Track: Artificing (lvl. 29)

Imbalance: t + 24

Mind Intelligence: A Clever: A Awareness: B

Social

Beauty: C Charm: D Presence: B Physical Strength: D Agility: C Fitness: D Aether Capacity: B Refinement: B Power: S Skills Aether engraving: Expert, step 1 Aether insight: intermediate, step 6 Enchanting: intermediate, step 8 Knowledge absorption: Intermediate, step 6 Pain Suppression: Intermediate, step 1 Aether manipulation: Intermediate, step 5 Magitech Integration: Intermediate, step 1 Space manipulation: Advanced, step 4 Aether forging: Intermediate, step 1 Transmutation: Novice 5 Basic constructs: Novice 5 Gem cutting and shaping: Advanced, step 2

Oh, now I get why you were being sassy. The grinding I was doing for Gem Cutting was also working on a ton of other skills, even my Aether Engraving! Sweet. Now my tool ratings will jump up! Hold the phone, I got two levels out of this? Freaking how?

You received a cumulative of 21 skill ups, and many in aether-based skills. Your imbalance provided the rest. Also, as you have not been soaking in ambient aether and have been forced to store more and more within you, your aether capacity has increased as well.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Sweet. That makes that Aether block in my stats look a whole lot better. I take it the titles and whatnot are in the meta-data?

Your data sheet is much longer, listing the systems and planets you claim, your relationships with various factions, etcetera. This sheet shows only personal development details. I’ve included your access levels in your Andromeda Code.

Excellent, now lets look at these jobs.

Company Rating Description Pay VIP Accessories 2_AA min Enchant, Engrave, and charge provided gems to listed specifications 10k AE per pouch Jembit Engineering 2_EA min Expert rated engraver needed for on-site Ansible work. Enchanting Experience preferred. 100k for six months. Jembit Mining 2EEB min 6 Sundering tools for licensed Mining 25k AE base Jembit Mining N/A Assist in mining operation planning per contract per contract

Tessa, do you have the ability to survey our asteroid belt from Astoria?

Not in our current arrangement. I am not able to upload a separate mind from here, and we have no drones currently capable of the mining sensor array necessary to find specific minerals.

Copy, fit sensors onto test-warp drone and send it around the belt. Which means we need to get to Astoria in a few months, which means I need to start putting thrusters and a warp array together for the new shuttle.

Atropos and Ophelia are working on the control systems for the shuttle as we speak. May I suggest you work on thrusters first, the Gem order second, the warp array third, and the sundering devices on the way back to Astoria?

Hmm, I can’t forge Titan Steel on the shuttle, so I’ll have to make that before I leave, but the engraving takes days, so yah, in transit would be grand. Otherwise that schedule sounds workable.

I bring up the thrust cone design in my HUD, make a few tweaks to cone size and shape as I’m eliminating the afterburner function on these., and send it to the fabricator. Katie put a magitech antenna on it and it is now a wirelessly connected device. I put in an order for smaller positioning and lift thrusters in the queue and start engraving small plasma vortex plates to prepare for the assembly of the cones with my new transfiguration welder that uses a plasma spellform and an anti-heat enchantment to keep my hand from melting.

Later the next day, when I’m pulling my welding goggles off my head, I realize I make the lenses out of corundum, just because I had it around and I don’t know how to make glass. Most expensive welding goggles ever. Heh. When you have a shed full of natural seed crystals and another shed half full of drawn crystal cylinders, what the hell else would I make lenses out of?

“How’s it coming out here?” Mel asks, dragging a cooler behind her.

I installed a workbench near Katie’s shaded area and put a car port covering over it so I can work outside when things could get flame-y or explode-y. Thrusters are high on that list. “I’ve got the four main thrusters ready for testing, but the fabricators aren’t finished with the lift and positioning thrusters yet. If I put in a full day, I should be able to finish them tomorrow?”

“Great! Maybe a week of integration and testing and it should be flyable. Do you think you’ll get the warp array finished before you leave?”

“If I work on the whole array at once? Not realistically. If I did the short-range array only, then I can absolutely have that up in three to six weeks. Andromeda am I going to be busy. Feels great producing stuff though.”

Mel distracts me with the sound of a bottle depressurizing. She hands me the re-sealable bottle of my favorite fruit beer and lures me over to Katie’s spot, where the Vampire is going over a data sheet in the shade.

“I didn’t even know you were out here. Sorry about that.” I walk up and kiss her cheek, and then go back to Melissa and thank her for the beer with a kiss and a butt squeeze.

“I need to confirm with the Admirals, but with the way that G-20 meeting went, I don’t think I’ll be working on their space ships anymore.” I leave that hanging, knowing that Katie had read the jobs she sent me.

“That must mean you want to take the Engraving and Enchanting Job.” I nod at that, “Good. I asked Jembit if I could observe their approach to Magitech integration in exchange for our mining survey data.”

“Data we don’t currently have?” I question her logic.

“I’ve already built the sensor suite for the drone you were testing, some thrust tweaks and it’ll be collecting the data I need in no time. We just need to get to Astoria a month in advance.”

“That’s a tight timeline Katie. That’s what, at most four weeks here and burning through our battery stores to get there in time?” She nods. “Dang that’s a push. Might have to lean on that protective jewelry if I run out of juice.”

I take a sip of my beverage and watch Mel avoid our eyes as she draws with her toes in the sand. “What about Mel, what do you want to do?”

“I want to go with, but I think I should stay and try to smooth things over with my parents?” she sighs a tired sigh. “This contention between us is draining me, and I really need to resolve it, you know?”

I give her a sad smile, “Not really, but I can see that you do.” I pull her in for a hug and she latches on to me.

“I wish that feelings weren’t so complicated.”

“Heh, yeah, things are different when you don’t think you’re going to make it home. If things have to change, if your plans are changing because living on Earth is back in the picture, let us know. Please Melissa, let us know.”

She pulls me tighter and starts sobbing into my shoulder. She doesn’t want to make this decision, and I don’t blame her. The choice to defy my parents would have been much harder had they been involved and supporting. The disconnect between her parents and us is clearly crushing Melissa.

Katie gives us space for the rest of the night, showing that she does actually care about Melissa, even if she doesn’t love her. Melissa just want’s to be distracted, any attempt at talking about family or future is squashed by kisses or groping. I don’t care much for being used like this, but if this is as much of a goodbye as it feels, I can give her a proper send off.

As I’d feared, when I woke in the morning, Melissa was gone. She left a hand written note on the bedside table explaining how she felt like she was being neglected and replaced, and that her family was being so comforting. She made some concessions in acknowledging the cowardice of not mentioning it to either of us, and she knew that being rejected by her family was preventing us from moving forward, like Katie and I had. She specifically mentioned the engagement rings as proof that maybe her parents were right, that I was just using her for my wicked whatever the fuck people need to explain away the gay.

>P] Your engagement ring is still in my pocket, Mel. Whenever you’re ready for it. [<

>M] Little late Penny. [<

She makes me so mad sometimes. I pull the ring out of the box I kept it in and ping my bracelet for her location and transport the ring onto her finger.

>P] I accepted your proposal almost two years ago. I left extra gem slots for the kids you wanted to have and made it out of three different metals for the relationship you wanted for us. I never stopped wanting to be a part of you Mel. Say the word and I’ll have us married by the end of the week. [<

>M] You know I can’t do that, Penny, not without my parents permission. [<

>P] I’d never bet against what you can do Mel. [<

She lets me stew in that comment for a few minutes, before replying.

>M] How long have you had this in your pocket? [<

>P] Few months. Made it shortly after we set up the lab. It was just a band then. I had it modified for gems once I started making those batteries better. [<

I feel overwhelming sadness coming through our link.

>P] Keep it, in a box under your bed if you have to. If you don’t want it or me when I get back, just give it back. Simple as that. [<

She pings instead of replies and then shuts down the connection between us.