After Frankenstein fell screaming into the mountains below, I made my way back downstairs. I would have watched him fall, but the pain in my abused ribcage made leaning over uncomfortable. Even walking down the stairs was an exercise in agony.

When I came back into Frankenstein's office inner sanctum, the ninja was sitting on the floor near the couch in the Asian kneeling style. On the floor in front of him was my surviving .45.

As I came over, he gestured to the gun. "Your weapon."

I stooped and laid the sword I had recovered from the rooftop in front of him. "And yours, I hope. The other blade fell over the side."

I gave an awkward and painful little bow and then picked up my .45.

"Thank you," he said. "This sword is mine." He picked it up tenderly. "Or at least it once belonged to someone whose mind lives on in fragments in my head. I don't know who I am anymore."

I nodded, unsure what to say. I had no idea what Frankenstein had done to this man, but based on his description of the transfer process, if any personality survived, it was likely only in bits and pieces. I was just thankful that the man's mind had been clear enough to help me in the battle.

"The man Frankenstein is dead, then?"

I nodded, "Yes. Or at least as dead as a man can be who has machines which transfer his mind.”

"Then he is as dead as we can make him for now. I thank you for getting my vengeance." He bowed his head.

I returned the gesture. "It was our vengeance. I could not have done it without your help.”

The floor shifted as the whole flying castle tilted. I moved as quickly as I could to the control panel. It was mounted on a pedestal that had folded up from the floor near Frankenstein’s desk. It had the status readouts for four dish engines, and their associated luff systems. My knowledge of how to fly gunships and other luff engine-powered vehicles did not include one like this, but familiarity tingled at the back of my mind.

I adjusted the trim on two of the engines before glancing back at my companion. His face covering was still off. Despite the ninja’s stoic expression, his humanness shone through. Compared to the dead features of a Golem with no personality, his face radiated contemplation and determination. He was a man struggling with a great burden.

I wasn't sure there was anything I could do to help, but I thought I should try. "When I came into this body, my personality was intact. I have all my old memories."

He looked up at me for the first time. "Is that a blessing or a curse?"

I smiled as I bend over the controls. One of the engines’ power level was dropping. "I don't know. I do know that the man I was is dead. I felt his death before I woke here. Whatever, whoever I am now is another person. I don't know what I can make of it, but I intend to live this second life to the fullest. Anything less would be disrespectful to all those who never get a second chance."

His brows furrowed, but he gave no other reaction. "So you think I should move on and become someone else?"

"I think you are who you choose to be, moment by moment. We all carry baggage from our past with us. You have the rare opportunity to move forward without.”

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“But what of my family, my clan? Who was I and who I left behind?"

I shook my head. "The man who left them behind is dead. Even if you found them, what could you offer? They have already mourned that man's death. I think you should leave them in peace."

I frowned at the panel. Despite my adjustments the room was still tilted and one of the luff engines was still apparently unstable.

The ninja was mulling over my words. "There is much to what you say, I will consider." He looked me full in the eyes again. "My name is Hiroshi. I remember no other."

"My name was Samuel Anderson. But as I've said, that man died, crushed under a bulldozer, somewhere impossibly far from here. His body is buried in my native soil. Now I'm Sam Golem, Sergeant in the Polish Army."

He tilted his head at me. "A Sergeant? From your wisdom, I would have thought you an officer."

I smiled. "Sergeants always have wisdom for those who will listen." I shrugged, “Whether it's useful or not.”

Hiroshi shook his head. "I don't know. Your words mean a lot to me, but this existence," he tapped his mind, "and this shell," he laid a hand across his chest, "I don't know if I can go on like this."

"As for your mind, no one can decide that but you. But if the body is not to your liking?” I pointed to Frankenstein's back chamber. The door was slightly open. "There's a machine in there that can transfer your mind into a new body. It's remarkably easy to use and there are several bodies to choose from."

"Ah, I was wondering what that was," Hiroshi said. "There is also a device that will heal your own broken body. In the corner to the right of the door."

I made a few more adjustments to the machine until I was sure I had arrested our ascent. A wave of fatigue passed over me. I needed to use that machine now before I passed out from my injuries.

I forced my abused body to stand and staggered towards Frankenstein's special closet. "I'll just be a minute," I muttered.

The machine was there, just as Hiroshi said, ready to use. My implanted knowledge percolated to the surface and showed me just what to do. It was already energized, so a few moments later the Vita-Lux energy coursed over my body.

The pain would have been unbearable, except I knew it was a healing pain. My ribs screamed in agony as they knit themselves back together. In a few moments, the pain was gone and I had been made anew.

I stepped back out of the closet. "Wow, that almost makes everything worthwhile.” I went back to the control panel with a spring in my step.

The indicators still didn't look good. I tried to increase the flagging engine's output and it didn't respond. Instead, I lowered the other three to compensate. The light feeling in my feet told me we were starting to descend even before the instruments showed the same.

There was a clunk from above as something heavy landed on the roof. The castle dipped as though pressed down by a weight.

I looked at Hiroshi, who remained on the floor, his eyes closed as through meditating. "The castle is descending but I don't know where it will land and I can't be sure the engines will remain stable. If you stay here it may land safely or it may not. I believe someone has landed on the roof to pick me up and I'm going to go check."

Hiroshi nodded and spoke without opening his eyes. "Very well. Good luck in your travels and be well.”

I hesitated. “If it is an ally to take me away, should I come back down for you? Would you come?"

He shook his head. "No, but thank you for your offer and your thoughtful words."

I didn't know what else to say, so I left him there, sitting on the floor in Frankenstein's office in a flying castle whose engines were slowly failing. I didn't know if I would see him again, but I hoped I would. The universe had dealt him a terrible hand, and I would have liked to see him make the most of it.

There was a mech standing on the rooftop, a flying model much like Tamara's, but the colors and insignia on its wings were different, lots of red and gold with a two-headed imperial eagle on the chest.

A pilot clad in leathers was just climbing down to the roof. She was taller than Tamara and built with more curves. She pulled off her flying cap and auburn hair fell about her shoulders. “Are you Sam Golem?” she asked.

"That's me, ma'am. Are you my ride out of here?"

She flashed me a smile. It wasn't that her looks were particularly alluring, but she had a presence about her that was difficult to describe.

“I’m Anastasia Romanova and I am here to rescue you.”

Epilogue

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