OVER THE SILVER SKY TO THE WORLD OF NEVER : Part 327 - We Should Have Asked For Payment Up Front.

It been a while since I last took a pop at George 'Donkey Punch' Clooney. Almost a year since I made my last baseless allegation against him. Partly due to him not being in the news much recently. I like to fool myself that my barbs have hit home, so he's been keeping a low profile, by not doing as many kind generous things. Then I thought, I can't be sure about that. The news cycle doesn't really go in for publicizing kind generous things. Not unless the celebrity involved has merely done it to raise their profile and as a handy photo opportunity. It mostly concentrates on nasty shit happening and multimillionaire celebrities constantly whining about how hard they have it. Having to cope with issues so they're raising awareness of something for their own benefit. Like me you will all suspect this fucker is just too good to be true. I know he does something weird and creepy like cradling midgets or fondling lemons inappropriately. You can see it in his eyes. Only they always Photoshop that out in publicity shots. I also have the suspicion he's a deep fake and doesn't actually exist. A construct of CGI and good marketing. Poor Amal doesn't know she's married to an imaginary construct I expect. That Clooney is merely some computer code. Although when they inevitably divorce it's going to make serving papers on him very difficult for her, to say the least. Meanwhile helpless midgets are being cradled and even more helpless lemons are suffering the trauma of Clooney's interference. Hollywood is hiding his malfeasance from the public. I know that as an artificial construct that might seem impossible, but he has access to the finest special effects in the world. The world is also full of contradictions. Like the progressive narrative that there are no gender differences. Men and women are identical in every way. Yet the same progressives insist that multinational pharmaceutical companies are producing drugs that only work for men. So I can have it both ways as well. Clooney is only a collection of CGI pixels and he touched me inappropriately when I was a child. Prove me wrong with facts, why don't you. We all know they are irrelevant.

(The copyright to this image is the property of Enterpreneur.)

The integration between the crew of the Nemesis, the Shishani Nehru and the Orcs was quick and virtually seamless. Unsurprisingly all the groups were familiar with mixing with other species and cultures. The same could be said for the other ships. They'd encountered other races, Zhen's people were currently arranging an exchange of envoys with the Dwarfs. The empty houses of the original settlement were up for grabs. It's what they'd been constructed for really. For occupation by humans who passed through. Poppy had already claimed the largest building for her and Norbert to set up shop in. Scarlet was house hunting with the rest of the female cohort. After visiting Tamsin to see how she was doing, since being removed from stasis. Sonora had sent word back to her home planet for them to send a skilled medical practitioner, who might be able to speed the recovery.

Pip and Poppy had spent some time observing the children. Pip in particular being fascinated by them. Having never seen so many in one place at one time. There were a dozen or so. Even the fact they were all a lot older than the boatswain didn't spoil the spectacle. The elves matured far more slowly than humans. Fetu had already got one of those axes he'd had his eye on. He and Sade were now considering opening a tavern. Beating Jake to the punch in a way. Although his imaginary bar would have been a bit more tropical and open air.

Jake was considering the proposal regarding Hermes. Knowing he'd give it a go at the very minimum. His thoughts were concerning the consequences. He'd come to rely on the AI. A lot had happened to the two of them since he'd first discovered the computer intelligence fumbling in his underwear. That felt like years ago. Having him as a constant companion had taken a lot of getting used to. Now being without the bisexual bastard would be a wrench. Hermes didn't know any of this. Sonora and Alvar had ensured he couldn't overhear the conversation. Besides the odds were his best friend would have been canoodling with Morag. Now Jake was selfishly considering whether getting a real body would affect that friendship.

Recently their interactions had become infrequent. Maybe once or twice a day. Holy shit. That voice he'd become familiar with might change. It had when he'd temporarily borrowed that body in Bristol. Added to this conundrum was the possibility Pengelly could be resurrected. They had his DNA on file and multiple backups of his personality. Any decision regarding that would involve both Pip and Scarlet. Both had reasons for opposing his return. Jake had no reservations. The prospect of bringing the man back was welcome. As the Wanderer he himself had been in situations where the slim chance of success had been worth risking all for it.

"Did you know none of those kids are the children of anyone here?" Pip's voice cut through his reverie.
He looked up at her from where he was seated, beneath a convenient contemplation tree.
"I did not. I know they're a lot older than they look."
She sat down beside him, folding her legs beneath her.
"It's their custom. When the children reach the age of twenty they're sent to another elven sept until they reach adulthood. It's a way of them keeping connected. They will always have friends and acquaintances with the different groups. At first I thought it was cruel. They're only five in human years. They look like human five year old's anyway. Then I thought, I was a lot younger when my parents left me for Scarlet to find." She leaned back against the trunk next to him. "Oh and another factoid is that the elves breed in cycles. They don't have many children, being immortal. Two is a large family. But they have them in batches. So that they will always be able to mix with children of their own age. I'm sorry I sent you here."
He sat up. The switch had been a long unexpected leap.
"Yeah, Sade said something about that. Scarlet and I thought it was a possibility. It worked out for the best in the end. I should be thanking you. In fact pretend I just did. No apology necessary. Do you still miss Pengelly?"
"I do and I don't. Why do you ask?"
"There's a possibility we can bring him back. Beebo as well. I say a possibility, there's no doubt the Shishani Nehru can do it. It's more to do with whether or not you want him here."
"Mmmm. Let me think about it. Shouldn't you be more concerned with Scarlet regarding his possible return?"
"I am. He's a frigging pain in the ass, in more ways than one, but that's what he's always been like. Impetuous and self destructive. With a habit of sticking his dick in the wrong hole. If you get my meaning. He falls in and out of love like you and I change underwear."
The young blonde plucked a blade of dry grass, sticking it in her mouth.
"You're avoiding her aren't you."
Definitely not a question. He was going to answer it anyway.
"Oh yeah."
"Why?"
Definitely a question. He didn't want to answer. It was complicated.
"Look. I've only just got her back. She's only just had a disturbing revelation revealed to her. Which she's forbidden me from sharing. I know she feels really guilty about your uncle."
"Thanks for the reminder. I've been trying to forget the link. She's over there with Sade, Morag and Poppy. Morag's presence is in body only. She's in near constant communication with you know who."
"I can hear you." Hermes voice emanated from their com badges.
"I know you can." The boatswain retorted. "I was just seeing if you were paying any attention. And I've been secretly listening in on your conversations you filthy perverts."
"How dare you." Hermes exclaimed. "Our imaginary sex life has nothing to do with anyone except us. The fact you could do such a thing is even more disgusting than what we've been getting up to. You're more than old enough to know that's none of your business."
Pip laughed.
"I haven't really. It was just a guess. Now I know I was right."
The badge shut off. Jake and his companion grinned at one another.
"I suppose I should get over there. I want to. Oh Jesus I'm a mess. Being in love is so confusing."

He knew before he even reached her he wasn't going to say anything about Pengelly, if he could help it. He'd wait for the right time. Push it, push it, push it. Right to the back of his mind. Hoping that if she detected anything from his manner, she'd put it down to him keeping her demigodhood secret from the others. What instrument could detect that? Lovely digression. In the nick of time to. His meandering mind had finally proved useful. Jake heard the clink of glasses from behind the house Pip had directed him to. He slowed to a crawl. Part reluctance, part anticipation. Knowing his couple of hours away from her side would now pay dividends. That buzz when he saw her was, as he'd known, habit forming. Though the front door was open he went round the side. Hearing their voices as they sat and drank. They must have been talking about him. Good or bad? It didn't matter. They all knew him for what he actually was.

"If he gets too much you can always shoot him again." The nerd offered.
"Not a chance." She looked up at him as he rounded the corner. At what he calculated was a natural pace. A half smile on that adorable face. "I saw what you did to Ydrie. No way I'm shooting myself in the ass. I prefer to outsource my gunshot wounds. Besides Pops, I've got you to take care of that for me. Why do you think I had him train you up? Speak of the devil and he doth appear." She patted the ground beside her. "We've drunk all the booze. Unless you've brought some."
He patted himself down.
"I'm not wearing my drinking jacket. That bloody valet is useless." Taking his seat at his side he found her arm snaking around his waist. It felt so good it melted away every scintilla of resolve. "The Shishani Nehru have offered their medical services to us. They've sent for one of their top doctor's. He should be here in a couple of days. They said he'd be able to help with Tamsin. They can also return Beebo to full health." He paused.
"Pengelly as well, you can say it if you like."
Her arm tightened, her head tilted to rest on his shoulder. Not what he'd envisaged. The others were more disturbed than Scarlet.
"I told Pip. She told me to ask you." He explained. "Full disclosure I wasn't going to say anything about it, but right now you're like truth serum."
"It would be pretty shitty of me not to bring him back. We'll leave him till last though. Oh God do you remember back on Callisto when he seduced that Maruvian general's son and daughter?"
Jake rested his own head against hers.
"His wife to I do recall."
The others present were all ears.
"And the general himself. I was supposed to do him, to obtain the launch codes for their missiles. Only he beat me to it. Multiple times. He's always been a rascal."
"Oh Christ that's right. We had to fight our way to the ship. That was a good scrap to." It was fun reminiscing.
"Were we there?" Poppy asked eagerly.
"Oh yeah. You were called Elaine that time. If not for you temporarily neutralizing their spaceport security, we'd never have got back to the ship alive. That realities versions of Sade and Morag blew out the airlock doors and Fetu flew us out through a squadron of fighters. We didn't get those fucking codes though."
"You win some, you lose some." Jake added sagely.
"Well the Silassian's lost really. Most of their space fleet. Had to sue for peace on very unfavorable terms. Told you we should have asked for payment up front."