System Overclocked -Ch31- (Patreon)

Over the last three days, Wrench had spent every evening sitting in the field with Stripe.

Talking about the day for both of them, thoughts, beliefs, or what others had been up to.

More often than not, it’d devolved into stories told from one or the other, with Wrench having to tap-dance wildly and quickly a few times. He’d found himself inadvertently telling Stripe a story of a place or time that hadn’t yet occurred.

Forcing him to change the names, circumstances, or if it was a story he’d heard from someone else, rather than something he had lived himself. Thankfully Stripe didn’t seem to mind or notice. Letting the stories roll along as if they were perfectly innocent.

Not suspecting him of anything other than being flustered around her, it would seem.

Entering his pen, Wrench was already pulling off his work-shirt as he walked in.

Dusky was sat on his couch, her eyes fixed to the door as he came through it.

Each time he’d come and gone, she’d been reading, asleep, or waiting for him. There’d never been a word about the situation, other than she was glad that he had a friend he could confide in.

“Evening, Dusky,” Wrench said and closed the door behind himself. He doffed his shirt and went over to the dresser. Flicking his worn shirt into the hamper, and reminding himself his laundry day was tomorrow, which meant he needed to wake up earlier than normal, he opened a drawer. “How was your day?”

“Uneventful. It was rather tame and enjoyable. Much as the whole week has been,” she answered. “The lives of my School are most pleasant indeed. Thank you, Wrench, for bringing us here.”

“Not a problem. Glad you’re all happy,” Wrench said with a fading tone. He was currently trying to decide which color shirt to wear to go see Stripe in. She’d complimented him the last time he wore a red shirt. “Everyone doing alright? Pistol and Popsicle fitting in alright with everyone else?”

He’d seen the two Solos wandering around together more often than not. There had been smiles, waves, and a great deal of gratitude whenever he saw them. Even if they didn’t know he was there, they always seemed on the verge of a smile and a bright and cheery greeting.

“They’re doing just fine as Solos,” Dusky answered, her presence much closer now. She’d gotten up and was now standing behind him. “They let me know they bartered themselves to you to be your woman to be here. I reminded them that if that were true, that it’s fine, but to not dally with anyone else.

“That you’ll come to them when you’re good and ready for them. To otherwise just remain available.”

Ugh.

That’s the last thing I want. The absolute last thing.

I’d rather go flirt with Seventh and drag her into a bed when we get too worked up. Well, provided Stripe says it’s fine.

Doesn’t matter how beautiful Pistol or Popsicle are. There’s just no reason to go seek them out.

“Great. Thanks for handling that. I figured they’d be alright to just wander about as Solos,” Wrench responded and picked up the red shirt. He pulled it down over his head and then shut the drawer. Pulling open the next, he fished out a pair of boxers and then casual jeans, shucking off his current pair of boxers and work pants.

Realizing he might as well get rid of his work boots as well, he kicked them off and got on his field shoes.

“Not a problem, Wrench. Say… I was wondering,” began Dusky, hovering behind him. “How about you stay in tonight? You could collect your end of the bargain, and then we could turn in early. It’s gotten a bit harder to wait up for you.”

“Oh, err, sorry. I promised Stripe I’d be there,” Wrench answered with a small shake of his head. “If you don’t want to wait up for me, that’s fine. I don’t mind at all, I promise. I know I’m inconveniencing you.”

He’d already brought up in passing suspending their trade for a time, given how often he was out late. Dusky’s response had been immediate and concerned.

She’d taken it as to mean that he was clearly unhappy with her and pleaded with him, trying to convince him that she’d do better. That whatever was wrong, she could fix it if he just told her. It’d taken the better part of an hour to assure her there really was nothing wrong, and they could keep the deal moving ahead.

He’d told her he just felt bad keeping her up so late and that’d thankfully been the end of it.

Stripe had been absolutely correct in her assessment that it’d be better to leave the deal alone rather than trying to get out of it. Dusky was firmly entrenched in Hab-mentality and wasn’t going to back down any time soon.

“I don’t like not fulfilling my end of the bargain,” Dusky stated firmly.

“Then we can take care of it tomorrow morning before breakfast. Just wake me up when you’re ready to take care of it,” Wrench murmured. Then he turned around and faced Dusky directly. “I promise I’m completely satisfied with everything you’re doing and offering. I just don’t need it as much as I originally thought I would.

“That’s all. I promise. I’m not trying to get rid of you or look for a way to get out of our agreement to send you away. Nothing like that at all. I promise it, Dusky.”

“Alright,” allowed the beautiful woman. “I believe you. You’re sure I’m not disappointing you? If Stripe is doing something I’m not, just tell me, and I’ll do it too. Then you can get it from both of us and the deal will be perfect.”

“I’m not sleeping with Stripe,” Wrench answered honestly, giving Dusky an almost sad smile. “I promise I’m not doing anything sexual with her at this time. If I planned to, or it happened, I’d tell you immediately.”

“I don’t really care if you’re sleeping with her,” asserted Dusky. “I’m just afraid that she’s doing something that I’m not. I want to make sure I fulfill my obligations completely.”

That’s not what I want at all though… that’s the problem.

The one time I tried to bring that up, you thought I was trying to get rid of you. I’ll try again in the future… but not right now. Not tonight.

“Everything is fine. You’re beautiful. I’m attracted to you. I just don’t need your end of the bargain right now. Like I said, if you really want to make that happen, you can wake me up tomorrow morning,” Wrench offered.

“I’ll do that. That’d make me feel a lot better as your woman,” Dusky agreed with a nod of her head. “If you need it tonight, just wake me up. I wouldn’t mind it at all, and I’d feel useful.

“I’m always available to you as your woman. That’s the agreement.”

Wrench only smiled at her and then gave her a head nod. He briefly considered asking her how he looked, but that felt like too much.

Even if their relationship was that of favors for favors, that seemed like it’d cross the line.

“Thanks, Dusky. I appreciate that,” Wrench stated and meant it.

“Starlight, Sparkle, Ink, and Duchess are also your women. It would be good for you to go to them as well, or instead of me, if you needed any attention. We’re all here for you. Your women for our Schools to be here in whatever way you want,” Dusky continued. “Maybe even a couple of us at the same time?”

I don’t want… all those women.

I don’t want any of them. I don’t want Popsicle or Pistol either.

I’m not some sex-crazed lunatic with an unending libido.

I’d need a somewhat classy yet simple name. Like Vincent or Vince.

Wrench, still smiling, nodded his head again. He patted Dusky on the arm, slipped into his shoes, and then left. He exited the pens quickly and headed out to his normal spot with Stripe.

“Hey,” he said, dropping down into his customary spot beside her.

“Hey! I’m glad you made it. You were rather busy today. I wasn’t sure if you’d be willing to come out,” Stripe murmured, looking at him with a warm smile. Her eyes practically glowed in the soft light. She was leaning toward him partly, which made him feel like he should make the first step past the “haven’t kissed yet” barrier.

Even as he thought of doing it, he reeled himself in.

Given how the School-Hume often behaved, this could very much be a misinterpretation of the situation. He’d wait a little longer before he made an attempt to kiss her.

They were still quite early on in this after all.

“Oh! Wrench! You’re awake!” came Goodie’s voice.

Looking up, he found she was there.

He was once again reminded that Goodie was on the smaller side of the Tongsta race. Only five or six times larger than a Hume. He’d met others of her race that towered over Hume.

Some as high as ten or eleven times as tall as a Hume.

They varied in height as wildly as Hume did. Where you could find some Hume as short as three feet in height, and a few rare ones that hit seven-foot in height and beyond.

“Stripe! You’re here, too. You two look rather comfy. Did you put little Wrenchies in her yet?” Goodie asked.

Sighing, Wrench looked to the ground, laughed, then back up to Goodie.

He shook his head slowly.

“What’d she ask? I heard some of it but a lot of it was static. I used to think I understood them better than most but… you really understand her,” Stripe remarked.

“Err… I’ll tell you what she’s saying going forward. She just asked if I’d gotten you pregnant just now, though,” Wrench answered.

“No? Really? That’s a shame. I think she’ll have beautiful babies with you when it happens,” Goodie continued, to which Wrench dutifully relayed the remarks back to Stripe. “Well, I came to see if you wanted to come to work with me tomorrow. It’ll be a full shift though, so we’d be gone two of your days.”

“Oh, that… that’s so strange,” Stripe murmured. “As you translate it, I understand more and more. It’s almost as if it’s getting better. Like the static isn’t as intense.”

We’ll have to poke at that a bit.

“I want to go with you. Let’s go together, can we?” Stripe asked, reaching out to lay a hand against Wrench’s forearm. “Let’s both go with Goodie to work.”

Blinking, Wrench looked from her, to Goodie, then nodded his head emphatically. Then he took Stripe’s hand in his own and pointed to it. Then up to Goodie.

“What, you want Stripe to come with you? I’m not sure, Wrenchie. My special boy,” Goodie worried, which Wrench continued to translate for Stripe. “You’re such a unique Hume. I know you’re all sentient now, and I don’t want to look down on Stripe, but can she understand as well as you can?”

“I… I certainly understood far more of that than I ever have before. Goodness! It’s amazing,” muttered Stripe. “It’s like… it’s like it’s just clearing up as you go.”

Interesting.

Maybe I understood more this time around because I’d heard Tongsta speak a lot more in my last life. Maybe it’s just an adaptive thing with the implant.

Or maybe it’s the implant with the firmware? Or the implant, with the firmware, and Goodie?

Way too many variables, but at least it’s not just me.

Wrench nodded his head quickly, then pointed to Stripe.

“She understands me?” Goodie asked suspiciously.

Stripe nodded her head in the same way Wrench had without any prompting on his part this time. He hadn’t even translated it.

“Wait, you do Stripe?” Goodie asked, far more excited now.

Stripe had paused in her nodding to listen, then began nodding her head.

“I understand you, Goodie,” Stripe said loudly.

“Oh my gosh I have two special Hume? You two are just perfect!” Goodie cheered. “Yes, I’ll take both of you to work with me. See you in the morning!”

Wrench snickered as Goodie vanished, then looked to Stripe.

“May want to go pack an extra set of clothes. There’s only a single room, bathroom, and bedroom where we’re going. Not much to do either,” Wrench warned her.

“Oh that’s okay. I just wanted to be with you, Wrench,” Stripe confessed, meeting his eyes and not looking away for once.

***

“I knew Goodie was special, but I didn’t realize she was this special,” Stripe murmured, watching Goodie as she casually worked. For the last several hours she’d been doing nothing but making projected paths, it looked like to Wrench.

Test courses and seeing how things responded, rather than actually doing anything. Much as he did with systems himself, in fact.

“Right?” Wrench asked while peering into the guts of what he truly believed was a Grae fabricator. It was very similar to what a Hume’s fabricator would be, but had a very different layout and setup. “Oh… wait. This might not be Grae, but an entirely different species.

“Maybe the Tongsta think every race out there other than them is not sentient? Ha. That’d be a hoot. Imagine thinking you’re the only intelligent life in the entirety of the universe. What a laugh. It’s such a vast place where even time itself gets bent and broken that it’s unlikely that there isn’t other intelligent life out there. You just might never find it.”

Snickering to himself, Wrench moved the electrode over the circuit board to see where the trace went next.

“Miss Nav-cerer?” asked a voice. Wrench was almost positive it was using the same communication system as the last time he’d heard it.

“Yes, Roundbody spssss?” replied Goodie in an offhand way.

“The captain requests the opportunity to speak with you,” relayed the voice.

“Please send him in then. I’m currently working through all the course plots and I can’t really leave,” Goodie answered good-naturedly. “I’m always willing to make time for the captain. This is his ship of course. I’m merely the Navigator. Even if we’re planning on picking up a second one in a short bit, that doesn’t make me the shot-caller.”

Wrench had immediately begun translating for Stripe as Goodie spoke, as well as the other Tongsta. They’d found the more he did it, the more Stripe understood. Even if he repeated a similar word from a previous conversation.

“I actually understood almost all of that. I only got one fritz of static,” Stripe said, still gazing up at Goodie.

“Yeah, pretty sure that was a person’s name. Names almost always go up in a spattering of noise,” Wrench muttered, moving the electrode over again. The trace was completely shot and needed to be repaired or replaced. There was absolutely nothing traveling its course at all.

“That makes a lot of sense,” Stripe reported. “Do you translate this for anyone else, by the way? Like… like Seventh?”

“Nope. Just you,” Wrench answered quickly. “Though… err… she did stop by while I was working yesterday. She’s determined to have sex. I kind of have to tell her yes or no, soon. I think. She’s not exactly subtle.”

“What’d she say exactly?” Stripe asked, sound curious but also concerned.

“Uh… ‘hey, let’s fuck. I’m bored. You’re handsome, I’m good looking. Let’s go at it.’ Like I said, it wasn’t really subtle?” Wrench said an in imitative voice of Seventh’s.

Stripe laughed despite the conversation, then sighed loudly.

“It’s fine. We’re still figuring things out,” Stripe answered in a quiet voice. “Besides, I think she has a weird soft-spot for you but doesn’t know what to do with it. If the opportunity presents itself, you can. If you want to.”

Thinking on that, Wrench wasn’t sure what to say or how to respond. Stripe sounded uncertain in the way she delivered the statement, even if her words were solid.

“I mean it. It’s fine. I understand it. Besides, you already studded her,” Stripe argued, ever yet watching Goodie. Wrench could see her watching in the reflection of the glass briefly before he went back to his work. “It’d just be a continuation of that, and I know you’re not really interested in her in the same way.

“Just be really careful with how that gets back to Dusky. You know how I feel about that. The School-Hume will panic if you try to tell them to stop.”

With a wince, Wrench nodded his head.

He hadn’t told Stripe about Dusky’s freak-out, but he knew he’d need to.

“Ah, thank you for allowing me to enter Miss. Nav-cerer,” stated a Tongsta from near the entry way. “I wanted to discuss the situation with you separately if you don’t mind.”

“Of course! It’s your ship. I understand completely how you’d want to work through everything with me,” Goodie admitted with a noise that sounded like a Tongsta’s laugh. Though that didn’t translate.

“Are… those Hume?” asked the new Tongsta.

They’d floated over and weren’t far away now. They were at least twice the size of Goodie, if not three times the size. Almost always they were as tall as they were wide, which made them quite large.

“Yes! That’s Stripe, and Wrench. They’re going to have babies at some point in the future,” Goodie explained.

“The door’s open. Aren’t you afraid they’ll escape and make a mess?” asked the captain.

“No? They’re sentient creatures you know,” Goodie remarked, closing up all the paths she’d had open. “In fact, they understand what we’re talking about right now.

“They’re sentient, understand us, and have feelings all their own. They’re no different than us.”

“Right. Sure,” mumbled the captain, unconvinced.

“You can ask them questions later and they’ll respond directly. I guarantee it to you. I’ve been taking low wager bets on it in fact, for the disbelievers. I’ve made a good bit of spssss off it.

“For now though… what’d you wish to discuss?” asked Goodie.

She’d floated over the short distance to the Hab, despite being in her harness. The Hab had been moved to be much closer to her and close enough that she could be near it, without getting out.

One tentacle from her reached out and laid down over the top of it in a protective, almost possessive, way.

“We’ve got a bunch of damn box-head pirates in the area,” cursed the Tongsta captain. “I’ve got reports saying as many as eight, and as few as three. Then every amount in between those estimates, too. As well as their positions being everywhere.”

“And… I’m sorry, captain. I’m very new to this. Can you help me out here to understand what you want from me? I may be a Nav-cerer, but I have very little knowledge of the ship, tactics or… or… anything like that,” Goodie apologized and then laughed again. “I’m asking for help. You’re not being condescending or any such nonsense as that. So please don’t worry about talking down to me despite my position. I’m ignorant and need help.”

“Goodie is amazing,” Stripe whispered, gazing up at the Tongsta.

“It makes noises,” the captain muttered. He’d apparently heard Stripe.

“They talk. It isn’t noise. She’s probably responding to something I said,” Goodie answered, then paused. “What is it, Stripe? Was it me admitting I don’t know anything?”

Stripe nodded her head quickly.

“Yes, Goodie. I was just complimenting you,” Stripe replied.

“Aww, were you defending me? Maybe complimenting me?” asked Goodie in her usual ‘good boy Wrench’ tone.

“Yes! I was!” agreed Stripe, nodding much more firmly now.

“Hahha, awww, thanks Stripe. My good girl. You’re looking very pretty today. Did you put on that dress just for my Wrenchie?” Goodie asked.

“I did! He likes this color on me. He’s told me so,” Stripe replied and then spun one way, then the other. Causing her dress to fly up a bit and twirl about her around her knees.

“I like it. It looks good on you. I’m sure he complimented you on it,” Goodie remarked. “Now… captain. Please. Help me understand. What is it you need?”

“I… they understand you,” the captain whispered.

“Yes. They’re sentient. We’ve misidentified them this entire time. Now. The pirates?”

“Yes! Yes, the pirates. I want to discuss all the things you can do to help us get out of this, in case we get ambushed on this stupid patrol. Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” Goodie murmured, her tentacle slowly wrapping around the Hab.

“She wants to hold you,” Wrench muttered under his breath. He’d recognized this behavior before in Goodie but hadn’t had the chance to act on it.

Stripe reacted quickly to his words and went straight to the door then held her arms up to Goodie.

“Goodie! I’m right here!” chirped Stripe excitedly. “Pick me up!”

There was a low rumble that couldn’t have been anything other than some type of chuckle, before Goodie picked up Stripe and held her against herself.

“Stripe you’re just lovely, but I heard Wrench tell you what to do,” whispered Goodie with another Tongsta laugh-like sound. Cradling and holding Stripe possessively. “Your Wrench loves you dearly to tell you what I wanted. He knows me very well, you know.

“Now… please, begin Captain. I’m all spssss.”