OVER THE SILVER SKY TO THE WORLD OF NEVER : Part 128 - Have You Pissed Yourself?

It's terrible when you lose a child isn't it. I should know, I've lost dozens of them. There's all that paperwork you have to do. There's all those difficult questions you have to answer. Like when and where did you last see it? It's so hard to remember these things. The last time I saw it was over there a couple of weeks ago. I go away to Vegas for ten days and when I come back it's gone. The parents can be very difficult to deal with as well. Some of them get really angry when you lose their child. Sometimes an apology doesn't work. Offer them a replacement of equal value and they throw it back in your face. There's all the overheads I've got. My insurance premiums have rocketed. It's got so bad I may have to close my daycare center. That's seventy plus kids without daycare. Won't somebody think of the children? I'm not bothered, but somebody should. There's the next door neighbor's 14 year old daughter to think about. She comes in twice a week to muck out. Now there's a chance she's lost that job. That day I lost nine was a nightmare let me tell you. I suppose I shouldn't have left that wood chipper at the bottom of the slide. Perhaps I should have counted how many there were to begin with. I can't do everything. It's a one man operation apart from the next door neighbors daughter four hours a week. I tried roping them together, but I lost six to wolves before the other kids chewed their own arms off. Crafty those wolves. They know a good thing when they see it. That's probably while packs of them hang around my daycare center. Incidentally if you do see any of those kids pictured below do let me know. There's no reward or anything. I'd dearly love to know where they got to. Keep them if you like.

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

So far Jake had avoided entering Norbert's lair. He did so now with trepidation. There'd be science stuff in there. It had been laid out exactly as the hermit cave they'd found the nerds in. To help him settle in more easily. He didn't like change. Jake introducing himself would be change. He wanted this to work. Norbert was a very important part of Poppy's life. This relationship business he was now embarking on, could be tricky. If he got too friendly the female nerd might take umbrage at being displaced in Norbert's affections. Jake didn't want that. Principally because he'd seen Poppy loose it on that island. The woman was dangerous when riled. She was dangerous when she wasn't. Poppy had already shot him twice. He felt a twinge in his groin where the last one had nicked an artery a couple of centimeters from his penis. That could have been bad. No one likes to get shot in the dick.

There he was. Sitting at his computer desk running his hands over a huge pile of paper. With a disturbingly bonkers messianic gleam in his eyes. Lovingly fondling the pages. Chuckling to himself as he thumbed the top few several times. Patting them as though they were a favored child who'd done well. Oh Jesus, he was talking to himself.

"Two thousand four hundred and thirty seven pages. The first ever complete translation of a Simbri text. Dozens of algorithms created from scratch. A new system of musical annotation developed. Nobody has done anything like this before."
Jake cleared his throat. He cleared it again. Much louder this time. The nerd sat up like a startled meerkat.
"Who are you? What are you doing in here? Get out now."
Jake was sensing a bit of hostility here.
"I'm.."
"No. I can't be interrupted in my work. It's important. Far more important than you."
"You just said you'd finished." Jake advised. "That means I can't be interrupting anything."
"I've finished, but I haven't finished, finished. There's... I have to do certain things. Otherwise it could all go wrong. I've only patted it seven times. I need to do at least three more. Only now you've interrupted me, I'll have to start all over again."
Oh shit. He was obsessive compulsive.
"Go ahead then. Do your routine. It's not going to change anything is it."
"Ha. That's all you know. I've counted those pages four times. Have you any idea what would have happened if I hadn't?"
"No. Tell me."
Norbert became puzzled.
"I don't know but it doesn't bear thinking about. It would be catastrophic. That's all you need to know. Where is that useless, stupid girl? Get in here now. You only have one job and you can't even do that properly." Norbert picked up a heavy object of some sort. Hefting it in his hand.
Poppy entered wearily yet in a placatory manner.
"I've told you Norbert. You have met Jake before. He's part of the crew. Jake was down here yesterday."
"Enough of your excuses you dumb bitch." Norbert threw the weighty object forcefully, catching Poppy on the shoulder. She cried out in pain.
The next bit was pure reaction. Jake punched Norbert right on the nose. Hard enough to draw blood. As the nerd clasped his face a pistol was placed against his chin.
"You want to know who I am?" He growled. "I'm Jake fucking Halliday. I'm the man who will blow your fucking jaw off if you don't apologize right now."
"Please don't hurt him." Poppy pleaded.
Norbert swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I'm very sorry Mr Halliday."
Quick as a flash Jake rapped him on the skull firmly with the barrel of his pistol.
"Not to me you dope. Apologize to Poppy. The woman who has wiped your ass for the last eight years. Say it like you mean it or I'm shooting at least one of your kneecaps off."
"There's no need really." Poppy interjected.
"Yes there fucking is." Jake screamed into Norbert's face. "Where are your fucking manners, you dipshit?"
"I'm..I'm..I'm sorry....... Poppy."
He hit him again.
"Not good enough. Put some feeling into it you prick. Right now she's the only reason you're not lying on the ground drowning in your own blood. What she sees in you I have no idea. Now do it properly."
"I'm really, really, really very, very, very sorry Poppy."
"That's better. Have you pissed yourself?"
Norbert swallowed again. Trying hard not to move his head.
"A little bit."
"Me to." Poppy added helpfully. "It's alright Norbert. I forgive you. Jake's not really going to hurt you, are you Jake?"
"That very much depends on Norbert. I strongly suspect that this will slip his memory shortly after I'm gone. Therefore I'm going to ensure this is as memorable as possible. You're going for a walk Norbert. Do you have any objections? Bearing in mind that if you do I'm going to beat them out of you."
"No." he croaked.
"I don't think this is a good idea." The female nerd offered. "He can really fly into a panic. Norbert could run off anywhere."
"Not without his knees and elbows. Do you understand me Norbert?"
"Yes." He squeaked.
"Good. Now get moving. Poppy, out of the way please. I will not ask again. How is your shoulder?"
She nervously stepped aside.
"It's a bit sore. I hope you know what you're doing." She added.
"I hope I don't. You're going to see a bit of the ship Norbert and a fuck ton of The Never. Don't worry. Poppy will be with you every step of the way."
With Norbert taking a hesitant lead, the three of them left the hut. He blinked at the changes that had taken place and the two tiny creatures scrambling around on Poppy's desk.
"What are they?" Norbert gasped.
"I told you all about them."
"No you didn't."
"Yes I did. Yesterday. I stuck notes on all your screens as well. He's not going to hurt you I promise. Jake is really nice. Normally he's so patient. Although they did say he led the Forlorn Hope and killed five or six men in the blink of an eye. Oh goodness. You did, didn't you."
"Oh yes." Jake replied sinisterly. "Now move it Norbert. Don't be nervous. If you get nervous, I'll get nervous. If I get nervous there's no telling what I'll do."
The party headed up passing through the galley. Pengelly looked up from what he was eating.
"Is he causing you trouble?" The boatswain asked.
"Nothing I can't handle. Now Norbert turn left and head up those steps. That'll take you onto the deck of the ship."
One stair at a time, clutching the hand rail, Norbert mounted those steps. The breeze at the top caused him to stop. Jake kicked him in the rump. That worked. Clinging on for dear life, Norbert met fresh air for the first time in years. Scarlet was standing there. Hands on her hips. An amused expression on her face.
"Good morning Mr Halliday. Where are you going to with my nerd?"
An expression of hope broke out on said nerd's face. He knew the Captain. There'd once been the prospect of sex with her.
"It's alright Captain. He's finished the translation."
"In that case carry on then. Good morning Poppy and whoever he is. Sade, we might need a new nerd when we next hit port. Keep an eye out for one will you."
Jake urged Norbert along with his pistol. Moving him to the rails. Where he could clutch on until his fingers bled. His eyes screwed tight shut. Halliday took a deep cleansing breath.
"Take a look at that Norbert. It's infinity. Fucking impressive isn't it. One more wrong move from you and I'm going to throw you into it."
Something caught the corner of his eye. Out there. Where the sky met the sea. There was a small hole. A hole that grew bigger and bigger. The rest of the deck crew had noticed as well. Scarlet came up alongside him opening out her telescope.
"Well what do ya know. Take a look at that everyone. Zhen will be as happy as a pig in shit."
The hole in this reality grew larger and larger. It was black, so dark it took the light out of your eyes making everything else dimmer.
"What the hell is it?" Jake asked stunned.
Surprisingly it was Norbert who answered.
"It's a stellar transitional portal. Any minute now.." The darkness lit up with a searing white light. "Beautiful isn't it." The agoraphobic nerd stood transfixed as the flickers of lightning crossed the growing void. "Who knows what star system it would take you to?"
"It's Ursa Majoris. About 46 light years from earth and an absolute shit hole. It's got one decent planet and that's covered knee deep with organic slime." Scarlet provided. "You do not want to go there. It was mined out by the Frint centuries ago. Anything left isn't worth the effort involved. That's where we're all headed though. That lightning is what powers the Crystal Dragon. Tens of millions of volts."
Poppy sighed. Her face beaming.
"Now that's amazing. I've never seen anything like it. Let me think." She rubbed her chin. "They use kites and superconductors don't they. Storing the energy in batteries within the ship."
Morag put her arm around Poppy.
"More or less." She advised. "Why is Jake pointing a gun at Norbert?"
"Norbert threw something at me. At least I think that's why. That was when things became a bit fraught."
"Well done Jake." Morag slapped him on the back. "Draws your eyes doesn't it. Things are going to get a wee bit rough as we close on the STP. We don't get a lot of storms out here, but they can be pretty intense. A few hours from now you may want to get below as we ride it out."
Norbert turned towards his fellow scientist. Ignoring the pistol that was now in his face.
"Poppy. I'm truly sorry I hurt you. I do appreciate what you do for me. All of it. I don't know how to show it though. Thank you Jake for showing me the error of my ways. If I may I'd like to get back now. I need to do the indexing."
"A precis would be nice. Two and a half thousand pages is a long read." Jake uncocked his pistol and holstered it.
"I'll do my best. Would you mind coming with me please Poppy?"
"Of course not." Norbert set off on wobbly legs using the railings to steady himself. Poppy threw her arms around Jake. "Thank you. Those are the nicest things he's ever said to me. The first please ever. The transformation is miraculous."
He patted her back awkwardly.
"Thing is with sudden miraculous changes they can suddenly and miraculously go back to how they were before. I've had a few myself."
"I'll make sure he doesn't slip back. I'll take him home and be right back."
"The practice sessions?"
"Partly. Mostly I want to look at that and see what happens when we get to it."
With a quick squeeze she left.
"Well I never Mr Halliday." Scarlet intoned humorously. "You do seem to have a way about you. It staggers me the way you can pull some half assed stunt and end up with a satisfactory resolution."
"I just bullied a nerd with a loaded weapon. I'm not proud of that. He hurt Poppy and she's my friend. Still, he'll remember me from this point on."
"That he will. Who are you again?" She guffawed and wandered off casually.
"There was no need for that. I was being nice."
"Tell that to the nerd."