Junkman is Awake by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

Good and bad memories

We scored big. We were traveling to a new system when we spotted two large ships parked on an asteroid. You could tell that they were abandoned. Not that old, my wife tells me that she has seen this before.

“People will get in over their head and go out in the backwater. They would just abandon them and report them stolen. Most are never found but the insurer will pay a reward of a percentage of the value or give up the title. Either way, we gain the groups we support more resources.”

After documenting where they were abandoned, video records, we tow the two. They are too big to store on our ship so we need to tow them back to the goblin dock. This will be the first time back.

I can see something is bothering my wife. If it is bothering her, it bothers me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing important” is her answer.

I have her sit on the tailgate and I tell her that whatever it is, a trouble shared is a trouble halved..

“What is a husband for if it is not to at least to share concerns?”

“I have not been back to the docks since we left them. I know that we have grown together. I know the wait was worth it but the wait.” She starts to break down. “I had wished that they would have scrapped me. I even thought to fry my own circuits. Seeing those ships we are towing brought all those bad memories back into the light. Especially when we found the AI circuits were destroyed.”

I let her cry on my shoulder.

“My dear wife, you are not alone. Now you will never be alone. I want you to hold your head high. When you left on that journey so long ago. You were just electronic. Look what has happened. That realistic body, our accomplishments that earned notice from the gods. We got married and we both evolved. We have supported both schooling and the goblins. You have made your mark and will continue to do that with me by your side. Hold your head up. Know this, in order to have good you must have bad, happy you must know sad. You have had the bad and sad. We have the rest of eternity of happy and glad.”

I kiss her and we just sit.

After a few days, we enter goblin space. Much to our delight, the entire fleet is here to escort us to the docks.”

I hug her and just say, ”See what they think of you.”

The two ships are taken to their mooring. It surprises me when she requested her dock spot. They moved the ship that held that spot to another dock spot. I saw her wince as she saw that small ship being moved.

I have an idea.

It seems that they have been informed of her becoming real and of us getting married. They have a welcoming of the both of us back. They made us both blush when they started to list the things that have been funded by the profits we continue to give them.

They have really been able to do some great things for the orphans and the elderly. We both thank them for the honor of helping. Now the goblin women take her off somewhere for a women meeting. The goblin men just tell me that we just should go somewhere and get drunk.

I thank them but tell them that first we need to go to the dock master. “I have something that will brighten my wife’s day.”

They tell me that it is the only way to have a wonderful night.

Everything is hashed out and secrecy is of the utmost importance.

Once their meeting is over, I am again together with my wife. They have set us up at a nice guest house. The idea was that we were in the ship all this time and we deserved this. They also said that there are quite a few upgrades they need to do to the ship. All they would say is that we would be delighted.

After the time away, it seemed strange to be on the ground in open air. It almost seemed agoraphobic. No walls or ceiling, out in the open air.

During that time both Steve and Carmine came to see what new goodies we brought them. I have Vannessa relax with the women and gossip while I took care of this. She agreed.

On the way, I asked them to keep silent on what is being done to our ship.

On board, there was the usual mechanical items that Steve insisted on purchasing. This time I took the both to the stores. More gold and silver. The exotic metals but there was quite a pile of coins and gems. Carmine had to sit down and remember to breathe. All I said was do the same split of our portion. Steve told me that the school for the trades has taken off. More areas are asking for us to set up the same. “With this, we will be able to do just that.”

I notice Carmine examining some of the coins. I tell him that we make them to pick up other worlds eatables and treats that Vannessa likes. I show him the variety that we make.

He asks if I could make sets of them. “I can sell them as fantasy coins sets to collectors. They will pay more than what the metal is worth.”

I tell him to give me a week and I can have five hundred folios with ten gold and ten silver coins in each. I’ll have them sent to you. He tells me that he would like to see them here if that is alright.

“Sure. We should be here for a few weeks. I’m having some special things done to the ship.”

They get their purchases and I go back to find that the women have picked out an outfit that freezes me in place, in a good way. My wife is beautiful but what those women did has just broken my eyes.

“You look gorgeous.”

There she stood, that red hair that I love accentuates her lovely face. That tight dress allows every inch of her curvy figure to make me drool. The goblin women told her, “See, we told you he was a true male. We are surprised that he still has clothes on.”

They giggle and run off.

I take her hand and we just walk in the open air and talk about nothing and everything. “I can’t believe I have the whole of eternity to spend with you.” I tell her. “Eternity is not enough. We’ll get on our ship and outrun eternity. You are so beautiful. I am so lucky.”

We walk for the day and then had an early night.

That is how the weeks went. Carmine has all five hundred of the coin display folders.

I was told that all the modifications were done. “Honey, let’s go home.”

We took the dock shuttle up and deliberately flew up to our ship. She gasped and put her hands to her mouth and just pointed. There on the bottom was the small ship she displaced when she wanted this spot.

“I had that ship refitted so that we can land on worlds when we want. There are other modifications I want to show you. Then I will introduce you to her.”

We dock and enter the ship. There, at the inner hatch was a line of felids, mouse folk and goblins. All at attention.

“These are our crew and defense. In the hanger are small fighter ships that these will pilot when needed. We have been lucky so far but we are going into more systems and need protection. They all volunteered. Besides, this is a very large ship. We need a crew.”

I show her things but tell her to feel what I feel. She accepts the conscious connection to the ship and immediately starts bouncing. The upgrades include exterior weapons and manned ones also.

“You like the upgrades?”

She gives me a long kiss.

“You have a few new roles. Some of these people are mates and have children. They need a teacher. Now for that ship. Let’s go aboard it. There is someone I want you to meet.”

We go to the control room and the AI greets us. “Welcome Vannessa, I thank you for rescuing me. The day you were docked, I was told that I was going to be dismantled. You saved me. I am now your servant.”

She sounds like a child. My wife touches the instrument panel and exclaims that the AI has a child’s voice. A twelve year old in human terms. It was commissioned by a man who lost his daughter.

She asks, “Are you a child?”

Yes I am. I’m Amy. My grandfather passed on to the final life. Would you become my parents?”

Vannessa tells me to put in the solid hologram. I tell Amy to run the program with her name as the file. There in front of us is a red headed twelve year old in blue jeans and a pull over shirt. She is cute. Vannessa is smitten