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“Take it easy, Jane,” John said, snorting in a vain attempt to stifle his laughter. “There’s plenty of food now, there will be plenty tomorrow, and this isn’t your last meal.” He couldn’t help but laugh as he admonished Jane for being so enthusiastic about the food. It was a new experience for her.
“Don’t pay any attention to him, Jane,” Chiana interrupted. “Eat as much as you want.”
“Everything is so delicious! I never knew how pleasurable something so simple as eating could be.” Jane said before eating the last morsel on her plate. She leaned back and asked, “Why do my clothes feel so tight?”
‘Snerk’ “You’re overfull, you ate too much. You’re going to pay for this by tomorrow.” John said. He enjoyed watching Jane experience life, where each experience was new to her. John wondered how many pediatricians would give their eyeteeth to watch an articulate person experience the wonder of life as an infant would. But this was no infant, body or mind.
D’Argo was the first to leave, followed quickly by Jool, Rygel, and Chiana. Sikozu excused herself, “I am tired, and it is your turn to clean up Crichton.”
“Yeah, Sikozu,” John said. Turning toward Jane, he added, “Harv, it’s a good time to continue your lessons in the mundane. Help me clean up.”
“John, you should get used to calling me Jane, at least for now,” she said. She rose and followed John’s lead clearing the table. “So many sensations. I am overwhelmed! How do you stand it?”
“What do you mean? Are you in pain?” John asked as he put the last of the food trays away and began cleaning the dishes.
“No, no pain. Quite the opposite, in fact. Being able to touch, to smell, to feel, and to taste is... It is all so very exciting. And this body is exquisite. Jool tells me it is... I am in perfect health.” Jane stroked her body while she talked; there was a slight flush visible in her flesh.
John found her provocative. He asked, “Hey, how ‘bout a real game of chess?”
“We have to clean-up, do we not?”
“Yeah, but we don’t have to do it this microt” John said cleaning the dishes. “Unless you’d rather talk, then we can finish cleaning up at the same time.”
“I have so many questions. There are so many things I never conceived. Like what happens to the food one consumes?” Jane asked with a sudden yawn.
“How much time did you spend in the Dumpster, anyway? All processes have waste, living as well as mechanical. Didn’t Jool go over any of this with you? And you look pretty tired. It’s been quite a day for both of us,” John said and sat down feeling every bit as tired as Jane looked.
“I am embarrassed to say that not only did I not connect the dots, but there were many things you did that I thought were boring. I never expected to exist in my own body. And, yes, Jool did her due diligence. She covered much ground, however, there is still much that I do not understand.” Jane said, sitting opposite John resting her head in her hands, her eyes half closed.
“Hmm, I can imagine Jool rushing through this stuff. I’ll have to talk with her. Or maybe it would be better if I spoke to Chiana. She might be more willing to spend time with you.” John said, seeing that Jane could barely keep her eyes open. “Why don’t you go to sleep? I’ll talk to Chiana in the morning.”
“Thank you. Good night John.” Jane said sleepily walking to her quarters.
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John managed to corner Chiana early the next morning to solicit her help. He asked, “So Chiana, will you do this? Spend sometime with Jane and show her the ropes? She’s not stupid, it’s just that everything is really new to her.”
“I thought Jool went over all that with her.” Chiana said, resisting John’s plea. “You say she’s not stupid.”
“Chiana, think about it. We’ve all have had the privilege of growing up more or less normally. We had time to get used to the day-to-day things, like eating and pissing and walking and all those other things we take for granted. This is all new to Jane and she may have trouble getting used to everything in a day or two. Also, as she is a she, won’t there be some things she needs to be aware of as a female?” John asked. He was reaching on the last. He didn’t know if Sebaceans were like humans, if Nebari were even close in reproductive matters, or for that matter about any other species except for Hynerians as Rygel had let on how they reproduced.
“All right, I’ll do it. Ya know, Nebari aren’t like Sebaceans, but I know about Sebaceans. I can tell her what she needs to know.” Chiana said and left to get something to eat.
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John spent the next several days with Sikozu, trying to recapture much of the wormhole data he had lost. He was rather enjoying the experience of working with someone as he once did, knowing Harvey was no longer resident in his mind, no longer second guessing him. Not that Harvey interfered that much, but it was always nagging at the back of John’s thoughts. At the same time, he had to admit he kind of missed the poohka. ‘I must still be losing it.’ he thought. ‘I’m finally myself, so why do I think I miss him?’
“Crichton, are you going work or are you going to be in my way?” Sikozu said, waving her hands in front of John’s blank stare. “There are other things I would rather do than chase wormholes.”
“Huh? No, uh, forget it. Let’s take a break. We’ve been going at it for a few hours and I’m hitting a wall. D’Argo, Chiana, and Jane are due back soon and we’ll have to help them with supplies. This’ll be a good stopping point,” John said, rubbing his temples to emphasize the futility of continuing.
“Jane seems to be assimilating to her body well. Surprisingly, it has not taken her long.” Sikozu’s statement surprised John.
“I didn’t think you noticed.” John said. He didn’t think Sikozu noticed much about anything except herself and science. She gave the impression that the rest of them could go to hell for all she seemed to care.
Pilot interrupted before Sikozu could respond, “Commander, it is D’Argo. They ran into some trouble.”
“Patch him through.” John said, he could feel the rattlers again and he knew it had to be serious. ‘At least they don’t want Jool,’ he thought, ‘I guess no one’s injured yet.’
“John, we need your help. Jane is missing. Chiana thinks she saw some one dragging her off. We have a plan, but we need a third person.” D’Argo said, then deferred to Chiana.
“I know where she is,” the Nebari stated. “I saw where they took her. We have time, but not much.”
“I’m on my way. Pilot, I need a pod,” John said, running to the docking bay.
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“So you think she’s still in the shop where you last saw her?” John asked. He was incredulous. It seemed the Peacekeepers had left their mark on every planet they visited. ‘I guess they just don’t get that not every Sebacean is a Peacekeeper!’ he thought.
“Yeah! I’ll get his attention.” Chiana whispered, nodding toward the shopkeeper. “You get Jane.”
Chiana went into action, first trying on one pair of boots and then another, sending the shopkeeper to the stock room each time. On his third trip back, she tripped him up sending him flying into the accumulating pile of boots. “Oh, I’m so-oo sorry,” Chiana said, getting up and standing over the shop keeper, her feet on either side of his hips. Slowly and seductively, she lowered her body down to his, pinning him to the floor with her hips against his, her arms crossed over his chest. Chiana noted with satisfaction the shopkeeper could not be comfortable as he was lying on top of several pairs of boots.
“No, it’s okay,” he stammered, overwhelmed with her actions.
“Are you sure?” Chiana asked, rubbing harder against him.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he breathlessly let out.
Nuzzling her cheek against his, she whispered in his ear, “So, what’s your name?
John and D’Argo saw their chance and slipped up to the back room doorway, weapons at the ready. D’Argo nodded to John, staying just out of sight by the door while John crept in. Once inside, John saw Jane tied to a pole, a gag in her mouth. She looked frantic. Cautiously, John looked around the room, checking for threats. When he didn’t see anyone, John signaled D’Argo he was going to Jane to untie her. D’Argo maintained his position. An older woman suddenly appeared, wielding a knife and charged John, causing D’Argo to jump through the entry. Hearing D’Argo and sensing the woman behind him, John instinctively moved closer to protect Jane. D’Argo moved like a knight on a chessboard to get a clear shot at her neck with his tongue. She fell unconscious to the floor next to John. Nodding his thanks to D’Argo, John got the knife and removed Jane’s restraints and they silently slipped out of the store. The entire incident took less than 100 microts.
Meanwhile, the shopkeeper was reacting to Chiana’s cues, and started moving his hands up her thighs. When she saw her friends were clear with Jane between them, Chiana grabbed handfuls of his hair and slammed his head against the floor, putting him in a daze. She sprang up off him and kicked him in the crotch hard.
“You fekkin’ tralk!” the immobilized shopkeeper cried, balled up on his side, cradling his crotch in his hands.
“Frell you.” Chiana yelled, walking to the door. “Your boots are ugly too!” she threw them over her shoulder, yanking the door open and left.
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It was fortunate this little incident did not go down in infamy as so many had before. Thankfully, no one was hurt and no one was the wiser that the “Great Crichton and D’Argo were here”. The incident raised the issue as to how was it that Harvey, in the form of Jane, knew nothing, or seemingly little, about defending herself. That would have to change.
The next morning found the crew sitting in the eating area. John used one of the lulls between conversations to broach the subject. “Jane, do you know anything about self defense?”
“I never had to, John. That is, until now.” Jane paused to take a bite of bread. “As you intimately know, I was either gathering data for Scorpius, as the good little automaton I was programmed to be, or banished to the dumpster, or saving your sorry ass!”
“Then why don’t you teach Jane how to fight now that your research has stalled?” Sikozu asked. She arrogantly added, “It is the most obvious solution.”
John agreed; Jane needed to learn. “Okay, Chiana, help Jane find something grungy to wear. Jane, I’ll meet you in the workout area.”
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John began the lesson with some simple falls, showing her how to roll and spring up, go limp and trip the opponent up and protect the face and other vulnerable places on the body. They continued in this fashion for nearly an arn when John suggested they put the few pieces together in a mock attack. “Let’s take a short break to catch our breaths, then I want you to leave the area for sixty microts, then come back. I’ll be hiding somewhere and try to attack you.”
John hid behind a storage unit and waited for Jane to enter. He noted she was cautious. ‘Good’ he thought. ‘She’s learning fast.’ He waited until she was slightly in front of the crate then jumped at her from behind. She sensed his movement before he could touch her and spun to her right, grabbing his right arm, and pulled him forward as she caught his leg with her foot, tripping him. Reflexively, John twisted around to make sure that he landed on his back and not his face. He unintentionally caught Jane’s legs up in his own, causing her to come crashing down on top of him as he hit the deck.
John felt Jane’s hot breath on his neck while she struggled to free herself. Her legs were still caught in his when she pushed against the floor with her hands causing her hips to push into his.
John froze. His expression was unreadable.
“What is wrong? Are you hurt?” Jane said. She stared at him, not moving herself.
“Ah, no. Let’s bag it for today. We’ll pick back up with this tomorrow.” John said, releasing her feet and pushing Jane off of him.
Jane walked towards the door alone. When she turned she could see he was still lying on his back. “Aren’t you going to get up?”
“No, go ahead, it’s okay.”
Jane nodded and turned to leave the area.
“Crap!”
