Acme Time Travel Incorporated - Volume 2
One less thing 8th September 2060

SEG002

Gabriel and Ginny were sitting in the cockpit seats. He had carried her through from the aft cabin, and the contoured cockpit seats had seemed to Gabriel like the best bet for someone with no legs.

“I knew that my injuries were serious when I woke up and saw that you had given Vicky to me,” Ginny said.

Gabriel couldn’t think of anything to say in response. He stared out through the cockpit visor. The starship was slowly circling SEG002 at a height of about half a mile. He hadn’t wanted to stay at the site of the accident, and he hadn’t been able to think of any other location to go to.

“I can maintain your pain relief and make sure that the wounds heal well,” Vicky explained.

“That’s very kind of you, Vicky,” Ginny said. She smiled across at Gabriel.

“Otherwise you would need to have regular sessions in the MED unit,” Vicky continued.

“I’m grateful to you,” Ginny said.

She held her hand out to Gabriel, clasping his hand when he offered it to her.

“I’ll give Vicky back to you when I feel a bit better,” Ginny said.

“No, I think you should keep her. That’s if it’s alright with you, Vicky?”

“I’m honoured to be of assistance to both of you,” Vicky said.

“Do you fancy a drink, Ginny?” Gabriel asked. “Maybe a hot chocolate or something?”

“Yeah, hot chocolate would be nice.”

“Ok.”

Gabriel got up and went to get the drinks.

“Vicky?” Ginny said.

“Yes, Ginny?”

“Do you think ... would it be possible to get me some sort of device that would enable me to get around?”

“I could get you a hover-chair, Ginny. They are like a cut-down chair ... but they have small ramstat boosters to enable them to move around.”

“No, I don’t think so ... but that gives me an idea. Could you get me a cut-down spacesuit?”

“Well, I could maybe ...”

“Could you get me a spacesuit, something tight-fitting, maybe in dark blue or green, plus something I could use to shorten and seal the suit legs?”

“I see what you mean, Ginny. That way you would have clothing with small Ramstat boosters, giving you all of the mobility that you need.”

“Exactly, Vicky. Can you get that stuff?”

“It’s on its way, Ginny.”

Gabriel walked back into the cockpit as a spacesuit materialised on the floor next to Ginny’s chair.

Ginny leaned down to get it, but it was out of her reach.

Ginny looked up beseechingly at Gabriel, who laughed, put the two mugs of hot chocolate down on the floor and handed the spacesuit up to Ginny. Ginny un-clipped the suit helmet and dropped it onto the floor. Then she un-rolled the suit, stretching out the legs.

“Do we have something that could cut the suit legs and seal the ends?” Ginny said.

As she spoke, one of the small lifters floated through into the cockpit.

“The lifters have tools to do that sort of thing,” Vicky explained. “If you place the spacesuit on the floor, I will get the lifter to make the legs shorter.”

“Just as well we kept hold of one, then,” Gabriel said. They had left one of the lifters on SEG002, but the other they had stowed in a corner of the aft cabin.

Ginny looked over to Gabriel, who took the suit from her and laid it out on the cockpit floor.

“Don’t we need to measure it?” Ginny asked.

“I already have your leg measurements,” Vicky explained.

“Why ... why do you have them?” Ginny asked.

As she spoke, the lifter was using its clawed arms to stretch out the suit leg fabric.

“We may be able to get ACME INC to provide you with new legs,” Gabriel said.

Ginny noticed that as he had said that, he was looking decidedly uncomfortable. She guessed that he was concerned that he might be giving Ginny false hope.

“So, anyway,” Gabriel continued, “the MED unit, and Vicky too I guess, took precise details of your legs, so that we could use that information to ...”

The lifter had begun cutting the first of the spacesuit legs. It was doing it very delicately, and it wasn’t a simple cut across the leg. It appeared to be cutting an elaborate series of small cuts. Ginny watched it. She was intrigued by its movements. When it had finished cutting the first leg, it then moved on to the second leg.

“What’s it ...?” Gabriel said

“Can you please move the discarded sections away, Gabriel,” Vicky said.

The lifter floated away momentarily, allowing Gabriel to lean down and pick up the cutaway sections.

The lifter floated back over the spacesuit and lifted one of the shortened legs. Using three of its prehensile arms, it began precisely folding the cut fabric. A small probe-like device emerged alongside the three robotic arms, at which point a narrow crimson beam began to track its way over the joins. They could see the fabric soften under the beam, then re-form as the beam moved on. Ginny and Gabriel sat transfixed. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The work on the first suit leg had seemingly been completed. The lifter moved over and started working on the other suit leg. Gabriel looked over at Ginny. She was looking quietly excited.

“Do you think the suit will have a working seal? You know ... could it work as a proper spacesuit?” Ginny asked.

“Yes, it will, Ginny,” Vicky said. “The lifters are very accomplished. The suit will work fine for what you need it to do.”

“What do you need it to do?” Gabriel asked. He felt a bit stupid. He felt as though everybody knew the answer except himself.

“Just get me about,” Ginny said, smiling over at him.

“The suit is ready, Ginny,” Vicky said.

The lifter had dropped the spacesuit onto the floor, at which point it had floated back into the aft cabin.

“Give me a hand, please,” Ginny said to Gabriel.

Gabriel picked up the spacesuit and handed it over to Ginny.

“Come on, boyfriend,” she said, “I need a bit more help than that.”

Gabriel understood. He lifted Ginny off the chair, whilst she pulled the spacesuit underneath her. She tucked her leg stumps into the spacesuit’s shortened legs and pulled the suit up around her bottom.

“Ok, Gabriel ... you can put me down now.”

Gabriel lowered her back onto the chair.

Ginny began pulling the spacesuit up over her arms and torso. She tugged the zip closed and felt the suit complete the seal. She felt gingerly over the shortened suit legs, checking for the tightness of fit and for any tenderness caused by the proximity of the suit fabric against her stumps.

“It feels good, Vicky,” she said.

“That’s good, Ginny.”

“Well, let’s see if the idea works,” Ginny said.

She powered up the small Ramstat boosters on the suit, lifting herself gently up into the air.

Gabriel smiled as she floated over to where he had put the mugs of hot chocolate. She picked them up.

“The chocolate’s gone cold,” she said. “I’ll go and get some more.”

Gabriel smiled to himself as Ginny floated through into the kitchen area.

It was one less thing for him to have to worry about.

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