Page 2 of Pirate By Parrot

“It was my brother’s. He’s passed, and his kids don’t want poor Marco.” She smiled and sighed. “He used to ride on my shoulder, but since the coughing has kicked up, it freaks him out.”

Minerva looked thoughtful. “What if you could take your bird?”

Mel stared. “What?”

“You could take him with you. He would be reworked and given a new lease on life so that you wouldn’t be out there alone.”

Mel looked at her splotchy bird and then at the woman in the gracefully designed armoured suit with a gauzy long vest. “What kind of clothing would I end up with?”

“The Cekkaro dress like this.” A projection of a male with a silky tunic, leather pants, and a sturdy build was suddenly in the middle of the gazebo.

“What about the ladies?”

“They don’t have them. They went to a cloned population a few hundred years ago and are now suffering from clone collapse.”

“Oh, the copy factor.”

Minerva nodded. “Yeah. So, you would be welcome to design your own wardrobe or just dress like the dudes.”

The reference made Mel laugh, and then she coughed.

“Why don’t you use a mask and tank?”

“Why prolong things? I am a huge fan of getting things over with, and I have already lived far longer than my doctor guessed at.”

Minerva nodded. “Fair enough.”

“If I say yes, when can I go?”

“Get your things in legal order so that all heirs are accounted for, and I will pick you up in hours.”

“Done. Already done. You can’t live like this and not take care of things. My niece gets it all.”

“Excellent. Well then, I will just offer you this contract. It outlines what you are volunteering for and what we will provide you with, including security.”

She took it and signed it.

Minerva gasped. “Don’t you want to read it?”

“Nope. Die here, or die there. I am up for a change of scenery as long as I can bring Marco along.”

“A second contract involving Marco is being prepared, and my assistant will be in with it momentarily. The addenda will be connected to your contract.”

“You have minions?”

Minerva laughed. “Yes. My husband makes sure that someone has my back at all times.”

“Is he as snappy a dresser as you are?”

Minerva chuckled. “More so. He’s running a few of the other Reset ladies into space. You are going to be our test with a new contractor.”

Mel chuckled. “Sounds like fun. Do they get a bonus if I am delivered?”

“They do, but all healing and alterations are going to happen on the Lunar Base. We don’t trust them with the tech we are using or the extremely rare genetic samples we are pairing.” She smiled. “You will be spending a lot of time with my daughter. Alyla.”

Mel smiled. “You have a daughter?”

“Yes. She’s going to be an only child in all likelihood. Imbolt is a bit much on the genetic scale and highly radioactive at close range.”

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