Jack sat in the command chair. Aviras and Matilda had the counselor’s chair to his

left. Josie’s bird sat in her chair. It looked the unhappiest of the small group on the

bridge.

“How does this screen work?,” asked Matilda.

“The Enterprise has a number of scanners that convert light to signals that it sends to

the screen. The screen turns the signals into a picture,” said Jack. “If something were

to take out those scanners, the ship would be blind.”

“Could anyone do that without magic?,” said Matilda.

“Yes,” said Jack. “This is a long way from how things started.”

“How did it start?,” said Matilda.

“Pictures,” said Jack. He pulled out his phone. He frowned at the small amount of

charge he had left. “Hold on.”

He pulled on Magik and formed a small ring in the palm of his hand. He put the

phone in it. He nodded as the battery filled. He cut the persona off when the phone

was full.

“All right,” said Jack. “This is a more advanced thing similar to the com bands I

made. You can take pictures with it. I’ll show you.”

He snapped a picture of the two of them. He showed them the picture of them in the

chair. Matilda held her hand up to her face.

“Do I really look like that?,” asked Matilda.

“Sure,” said Jack. “You’ll look different as you get older. You wouldn’t believe Juni

was a cute kid when she was your age. Look at her now.”

“Looks like a blacksmith?,” said Matilda.

“I wouldn’t have put it like that,” said Jack. “But sure. Do you want muscles like

that? It takes a lot of work.”

“Is she a gladiator?,” asked Aviras.

“Gladiator adjacent,” said Jack. “People are paid to fight. There is a small amount of

celebrity to it. Nothing life threatening dangerous unless someone gets hit in the face

too hard.”

“But people do get hurt?,” said Aviras.

“Yep,” said Jack. “Two people as close to being the same weight and height get in a

space roped off from the public. A referee is in the ring with the two fighters to make

sure they don’t do anything shady, and to break up the fight if things get out of

control. Then the fighters have to fight how many rounds of three minutes until they

get to the end, or one knocks the other out. If neither is pushed to where they can’t

fight, then a panel of judges decides the winner on technique, hits given and taken,

knockdowns, that kind of thing. Things have been known to happen despite the pads

and gloves.”

“Is June a good fighter?,” asked Matilda.

“I don’t know,” said Jack. “The Society is not happy with the idea that she has been

less than honest in her dealings. I don’t know if they will let her stay unless she can

prove that she is better than I think.”

“Matilda?,” said June. “I think I found the alchemy shop. I am going in and looking

around.”

“Enterprise,” said Jack. “Full scan on that building.”

“Affirmative,” said the machine.

The building June headed for was on a corner facing other shops of different goods.

A glance gave him life signs. Two normal signs showed and two colder spots.

“Where is Mister Warner, Enterprise?,” asked Jack.

The ship pinged the former champion of order strolling down the road. He had his

hands in his pockets as he headed for the shop.

“Hold the channel open, Matilda,” said Jack. “There are four other signs, Juni. We’re

going to be silent, but listening.”

“All right,” said June. “Let’s see what I can do.”

Jack watched the screen. The Enterprise pinged the signs in the shop. He was tempted

to pop the top of it with a torpedo just to see what would happen.

“Hello,” said a woman’s voice. “How can I help you today?”

“Hi,” said June. “I’m looking for Boim Russ. I was wondering if he was here so I

could talk to him.”

“I’m Boim Russ,” said the woman. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Some friends of my brother asked me to look for you,” said June. “Something about

the boxes of body parts in that house.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said the woman. “I think you should leave

now.”

“I think you are lying,” said June. “I know you are not Russ. Let’s try again.”

“Gilbert, get rid of this woman,” said the shop owner.

“All I want is Russ,” said June. “The rest of what you did is on someone else. I can

tell you that there is a hole in middle of your house.”

“What did you do?,” said the shop owner.

Jack shook his head. This is where the fight was going to start. Should he go down

and take a hand in this? Should he let June handle some of this on her own?

“I took out your monster and blew a hole in the middle of your house,” said June.

“That’s how I found you here. I know you’re not Russ. Who are you, and where is

he?”

“Gilbert!,” shouted the woman. “Dulf! We need to deal with this woman and get out

of here.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?,” asked June. “I don’t have a reason to fight you,

but I will so I can pass my entrance test. You can just walk away after I get what I

want.”

Jack facepalmed. He shook his head. The Society probably wouldn’t like that. They

had to plow on before something bad happened.

“Kill her,” said the woman. “We have to get out of town.”

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

The sound of her watch activating cut the band off.

Jack stood. He had to get down there and do something about this. Maybe he was

having problems with his sister, but he couldn’t let anything happen to her over some

stupid test.

“No,” said Aviras. “Don’t do it.”

“What?,” said Jack.

“If you step in now, then she won’t pass,” said Matilda. “Please sit. We will go down

for you.”

“I don’t think so, young lady,” said Jack. “I am not about to explain how you got hurt.

I don’t think she cares that much about Aviras, but she would have my hide if I let

you go into danger.”

“She is very protective,” said Aviras. “Still something must be done. If Mister Warner

had a band, we could let him know June is in the middle of a fight.”

“Got it,” said Jack. He whisked Aviras around in a circle before plopping him back

on his seat. “Good idea.”

“I know,” said the dragon. “I came up with it.”

Jack pulled up Nate Grey, the X-Man. He nodded as he touched some basic telepathy

skill. Did he have the range?

“Mister Warner,” he sent with the telepathy. “June is fighting in the shop. She might

need your help.”

“Telepathy is okay,” responded Warner. “Don’t get a nosebleed.”

Jack let his persona go as he watched the screen. He nodded as Mister Warner

exchanged his jacket and bow tie for an ancient roman soldier. The old man pointed

at the window of the shop, and then he was inside.

June’s channel lit up again.

“You staked her like a vampire,” said June.

“She was trying to set the shop on fire,” said Mister Warner testily. “She got better

than what she deserved.”

“There is another life sign in the shop with you, guys,” said Jack.

“He must be in a hidden room,” said Mister Warner. “Maybe behind one of the supply

shelves.”

“He is about thirty feet from the window you blew up,” said Jack. “On the other side

of the two cold spots.”

“There is a supply shelf,” said Warner. “Do we rip it out?”

“I think Bond has some kind of thermite we can use to cut through whatever is there,”

said June.

“I have the Sword,” said Warner. “Let me try that first, then I have Samson. He’s got

super strength.”

“Natch,” said June.

“Get ready in case we are going into another fight,” said Warner.

“I’m always ready,” said June. “Those two goons were strong, but Deku is something

that keeps building me up.”

“The more you try, the more you can do?,” said Warner.

“Yeah,” said June.

“That sounds like Thunderbolt,” said Warner. “Let me see what the Sword can do

before I try Samson.”

The sounds of wood chopping filled the channel. Jack imagined the Sword was like

his Blade. He hoped Mister Warner didn’t chop their hidden captive apart by

accident.

“All right,” said June. “There is someone inside there. Looks like a girl. Are you

Boim Russ?”

“Yes,” said another voice.

“Quest cleared,” said June. She sounded happy over the band.

“What are you going to do with this girl?,” said Jack.

“What?,” said June.

“You are responsible for the rest of this,” said Mister Warner. “How are you going

to handle it?”

“No,” said June. “You guys are kidding.”

“This is where the real investigation starts,” said Mister Warner. “Miss, do you have

somewhere to go?”

“No,” said Russ. “I’m from outside the city. I don’t know anybody here.”

“So what do I do now?,” said June. “Do we talk to the Guard to figure out where she

can go?”

“Bring her aboard,” said Jack. “If you are moved in the probie slot, then we’ll work

out something. Right now, she can stay at Jane’s until we figure out something.”

“Did you hear that, Miss Russ?,” said Warner.

“You want to take me with you?,” said Russ.

“I am as much of a stranger that you are,” said June. “My brother and his beloved are

in the south. They know more about everything than I do, and they are better suited

to helping you back to your family if you want to go, or helping you figure out what

you want to do.”

“You won’t do things to me?,” asked Russ.

“We won’t hurt you,” said Jack. “We’re going to take you in, let you get back on your

feet, and then let you decide what you want to do after you think you are better. Jane

has been sheltering people for us and giving them second chances.”

“I think I would like that,” said Russ. “I think this has been horrible for me. I think

something inside is broken and I don’t know how to fix it.”

“We’ll do what we can for you,” said Jack. “Enterprise, beam them up. We have to

get back to Hawk Ridge to drop our pirates off, and then we have to look at these

goblins.”

“Affirmative,” said the machine. “Energizing.”

Jack smiled. Someone was alive, and a monster was dead. That was good enough for

him. Anything else would be gravy.

“Take us to the orbiting point over Hawk Ridge and look for Josie,” said Jack. “We

can drop everything into her lap before we move on.”

Mister Warner led the way out of the elevator a few seconds later. Russ looked

around in dismay. She paused at Aviras and Matilda in their chair. Matty waved at her

with a smile.

“We’re going to be over Hawk Ridge in a second,” said Jack. “I’m going to drop you

troublemakers with Josie. I don’t how you got done with this alive, but you are surely

dead now. Miss Russ, if you will. I have some questions.”

“Mangling Steve Earle isn’t cool, Jack,” said June.

“Do we want to get into this?,” said Jack. “Because we can get into this. Sit at the

helm and touch nothing. As soon as I talk to your rescuee, we will drop all of you on

the ground. Then the three of you will be echoing Sam and Dave. Am I understood?”

“Sam and Dave?,” said June.

“On the chain gang,” said Mister Warner. He rubbed his eyebrow with a finger.

“Chain gang?,” said Matilda.

Jack ran his finger across his neck.

“Miss Russ,” said Jack. “If you please.”

He gestured for his guest to precede him to his office. She paused at the door. It

opened for her. Jack waited for her to go first, then he walked around to sit

behind his desk. He gestured for her to sit in the visitor’s chair.

“The little girl? And the dragon?,” asked Miss Russ. She gestured at the bridge door.

“My partner’s sister, and her friend,” said Jack. “Do you have any objections to going

to Hawk Ridge? I can put you down anywhere on the continent with the right

directions.”

“I really don’t have anywhere else to go,” said Russ. “I have already spent my last

coin.”

“We’re in the middle of a small crisis,” said Jack. “If I put you down with Jane, you

are going to have to work for her, or find another place to go inside the city. I don’t

know what the salary is, but you will be paid for anything you do. Are you okay with

that?”

“I won’t have to do anything bad?,” said Russ. She pushed her hair back from her

face.

“Jane won’t allow anything to happen to you,” said Jack. “Is there something I should

know?”

“I had to steal things and sell my body,” said Russ. “Will I have to do that at Jane’s?”

“No,” said Jack. “Josie would lose her mind over something like that. Jane knows that

and will do nothing to attract that attention. And Jane and Hilda are good

people. I ran into them on a job, and they agreed to help us out.”

“How will I get home if I want to go back?,” asked Russ.

“Jane will put you in a caravan and send you home surrounded by guards,” said Jack.

“How do you feel?”

“I don’t know,” said Russ. “They were going to cut me apart. She wanted my eyes.”

“I can’t say we can fix everything for you,” said Jack. “I will say that I will try to fix

some of it.”

“Why?,” said Russ.

“Why what?,” said Jack. “You’re going to have to narrow things down.”

“Why were you looking for me?,” said Russ.

Jack sat back in his chair. He tapped his desk with a finger. He ignored the clouds

floating outside his window.

“My sister, June, asked to do what Josie and I do,” said Jack. “The old man out there

retired from doing the job, then we came along, and now June wants in to avoid her

problems at home. Our boss gave her three days to find you as a test to see if she

could do the minimal amount required before taking her on permanently. I think now

that there is a second part to the test that we weren’t told. Now that she has found

you, what do they want her to do to keep you on the rails?”

“They want to make sure that June makes sure nothing happens to me until I get back

on my feet?,” said Russ. “I don’t see how that makes sense.”

“Tests of character are important to the people giving them,” said Jack. “I think they

don’t want Josie and I to put our hands on things, but we will if you need it.”

“I will do what I can to help out,” said Russ.

“Then let’s see what we can do to make a place for you,” said Jack. “The Enterprise

should be over Hawk Ridge, and I can drop you off.”

He stood up and gestured for her to leave the ready room. She looked at the pictures

on the wall as she walked out of the room. He made a note that he needed a picture

of June on the wall. He stepped on the bridge.

“June,” said Jack. “We’re going to need a casebook from you. You guys will have to

face Josie. Mister Warner and I will have to look at these goblins. Miss Russ is your

obligation until we know something from the Society, June. Don’t let anything

happen to her until we figure things out.”

June nodded.