Page 18 of Pirate By Parrot

“She is wise for a young woman. The permissions have been obtained, and we are underway. First planet will be reached in twenty-six hours.”

“I didn’t realize we were moving. That was smooth, Ves.”

Ves chuckled. “Thank you. I love what I do.”

Mel grinned and asked, “Can we walk around?”

“Certainly. I will announce dinner. For now, explore, but don’t try to use the exits.”

“Funny.”

There was a chuckle, and Marko nestled into her little safety egg, tucked her beak under her arm, and had a comfy nap.

Mel unsnapped her harness and got up, going exploring beyond her bedroom. She found the food dispensers, the recreation room, a gym, and a cargo area.

She looked at the cargo area, and something was being built. “Ves, what’s that?”

“You will need a shuttle, which I will also fly. I do not trust your attention span with atmospheric flight,” Ves murmured.

“Mean. Accurate but mean.”

She looked at the gym and said, “Will you call me for lunch?”

“Of course.”

She headed into the gym, set everything for her new levels, and got to work. She was still growing, but it had slowed down. It seemed that she didn’t have a partner on the horizon, so the reproductive clause in the contract was going to burn out in three years.

Whatever she was going to do after that was probably going to be odd. She had never done the predictable thing.

She took a break and sat, thinking about her brother and his heart attack. He had been older than his years and ignored his kids. Giving her house and accounts to her niece had just felt like the right thing. Make up for family failings.

She leaned forward and held her head in her hands. The reset didn’t undo her life; it just meant that she could choose not to make the same mistakes again. Of course, she could still make the same mistakes, but right now, Mel was choosing the other path.

“Mel, are you all right?”

“I am old, I am an unidentifiable species, and I just bench-pressed more than my SUV. I am coming to grips with my dwindling humanity.” She snorted. “Hell, I think I am not too far from weighing more than my SUV.” She looked at Annabelle. “How is your day going?”

“Uh, pretty benign compared to that. Thanks for doing this. For asking Ves to do this.”

“I need to thank him. I think I just told him what I wanted, and he made it happen.”

Annabelle chuckled. “That’s what I guessed. You made him bring me in, too.”

“Um. Yeah. Pretty sure I was considering going out after you.” Mel scratched the back of her neck.

“How would that have worked out? Not a clue. Probably not well.”

Ves spoke, “I would have put a tether on you, and you would have had five minutes to find a handhold before I reeled you in.”

“I can hold my breath that long?”

“No, but you are dense enough not to lose all your body heat immediately.”

“Thanks. That is what all the ladies like to hear.”

Annabelle chuckled.

Ves sighed. “You have been remade for a Vendari.”

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