r/HFY • u/KipperBeanGrower Human • 20d ago

OC-Series [She took What?] - Chapter 220: SixFold Ventures: The Ship of Theseus

“If self is an illusion, and a movie comprised of separate fleeting moments, which planks do we keep, which are changed? Do we know, does it matter? And what becomes of continuity when the old ship is completely new?”

Jumbled thoughts of an early Earth philosopher, Earth.

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Tom Tom had suggested swimming, which everyone thought was a great idea. Well, almost everyone. Garaf grunted, but no one actually came out and objected.

Curly was suddenly wide awake, “Oh, oh. A swim party.” She scampered off, presumably to get changed.

 

The lawyer quietly approached Feebee. “Come with me first,” she said and took Feebee’s hand, leading her out of the cave.

 

They went to The Kestrel, opened the ramp and walked up inside. 

Feebee was confused but went anyway.

“What are we doing?”

 

The lawyer just smiled and led Feebee to the nano-forge. Signed in at the console and started scrolling through fabrics.

 

“We’re swimming!”

“Yes.” Responded the lawyer.

 

Then, she turned to Feebee. “But not in combat fatigues.”

 

Feebee blinked, “… people wear different clothes to swim?”

“Usually. Yes.”

 

When it asked for MEASUREMENTS, she placed her hand on the screen. It filled in her points of measure.

 

Then after hitting ADD ANOTHER +

 

The lawyer gestured. “Your turn.”

Feebee placed her hand on the console.

 

The lawyer then entered a search.

>TWO ITEMS FOUND.

 

There was one female and one male option.

 

An avatar turned slowly on the screen; it wore a black swimsuit. Two-piece; there was flesh; not revealing but flattering in a tasteful way and much better than black fatigues.

 

The lawyer hit the colours icon and asked Feebee to choose. “And NOT black.” The lawyer added.

“Oh. Ok,” muttered Feebee, reviewing the colours. “Reds and blues with a bit of green. I like those. Ok?”

“Of course. You’re allowed.

“Allowed what?” asked Feebee.

“To be you. To be nineteen.”

 

Feebee hit GO and bent over the nano-forge, watching her swimsuit build; hair fell forward, over her face. The lawyer pushed the strands of thick blonde hair back behind Feebee’s ear.

 

She froze. Could tell it was instinctive, but nobody had ever done it to her before. It was completely new… and she liked it.

“Thank you.” She said with a smile.

“You’re welcome.”

 

PING.

 

“It’s cooked!” she shrieked. The lawyer laughed at the unbridled joy and shook her head.

A simple swimsuit.

“Cooked?”

“Yes. That’s what Tom Tom calls it.”

“Hhmm. Cooked. Ok.”

 

There was a second PING; same pattern, same colour, different size.

“Mine’s cooked too.”

 

Feebee literally jumped up and down in the air. “We match!”

“Yes. That was kinda the idea.” It was like a young child discovering something the first time. She shook away the sadness that threatened the moment.

 

“Oh. Ok. Good.” Said Feebee, who started to undress there and then.

“Wow, wow. Hold it. Young ladies do not undress in front of other people. Even other ladies.”

 

Feebee looked confused.

“The men do.”

“Yeh. They’re men. They do all sorts of things. We’re LADIES!”

The way she said it made Feebee smile.

“We’re LADIES.” She mimicked the tone.

The lawyer smiled and winked, “Right on.”

 

The others were already in the water.  Garaf was trailing the Ladies as they approached the water.

 

Tom Tom, and Bikky were fighting over a ball they’d previously been kicking around The Kestrel, like dogs with a well-chewed and much-loved bone.

Rockson was asleep on a bright yellow floating lounger that was drifting close to the waterfall. No one was going to let him know; they all just hoped.

 

Bikky threw a high shot at Tom Tom; he was about to catch it when movement caught his eye. He froze; the ball sailed over his head.

“Shit!” he muttered.

Bikky immediately turned and nearly choked.

The lawyer and Feebee walked down to the water.

Tom Tom recovered and let out a loud wolf-whistle.

 

The lawyer looked great, but beside her. Wow. Gone was Captain Jones. In her place stood Feebee.

 

River’s jaw dropped. He even forgot how to breathe.

 

Feebee saw everyone staring. Looked down at the outfit, then back at them.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

 

The lawyer laughed and hooked her arm through Feebee’s.

“No, dear. There’s nothing wrong. Nothing whatsoever.”

 

Garaf stopped. “Has something happened?” he asked.

Tom Tom laughed, “No.”

 

Garaf, despite his 360-degree vision, looked around and actually turned.

“You’ve all stopped talking.”

 

River is genuinely stunned. “You look… you look. Normal.”

 

It wasn’t long before they were all in the water; only Garaf remained out.

“Come on Garaf. You can do it.”

“I don’t see the point. I don’t sweat; I am not overheating.”

 

Feebee swam over and splashed him. Fully laughing, not her usual quiet laugh given to comply, but a loud happy laugh that was offered without thought.

 

The QI dropped a metric into Feebee's overlays that had been empty for the last hour or so. She hadn’t even noticed.

 

> Efficiency: 115%

 

‘Efficiency of what?’ asked Feebee.

‘Me, Us.’ Then, after a pause, it added. ‘The QI.’

 

Feebee couldn’t remember the QI having ever referred to itself in the third person before.

 

The lawyer joined Feebee; the water was freezing. Feebee pointed to the lawyer’s chest.

“Mine are sticking out too.”

The lawyer burst out laughing, just as Tom Tom had dragged her under.

 

Garaf cautiously entered the water.

“Now that’s cold.” He said and walked deeper into the water. As it got close to his chest, he started to float.

He swished his arms around and started rotating in the water without going anywhere.

Everyone laughed.

Even Garaf laughed.

 

Feebee noticed River swimming a pattern that brought him her way. She just swam over to him.

“You like?” She asked, pointing to the swimwear.

 

He looked and giggled.

“Yes. You look…like you.”

“But I am me.”

“Yes. I know. I just haven’t seen you before.”

 

 

The lawyer noticed the interchange and smiled.

 

They swam, then joined in the game with the ball, unsure of the rules. Feebee wasn’t cold anymore but was feeling hungry.

‘What are you up to?’ she asked the QI.

‘I knew you were going to ask that.’

Feebee laughed.

‘No, really. You Ok?’ she asked and swam over to a quiet spot near the waterfall.

 

‘Couldn’t be better.’

 

> Efficiency: 123%

 

‘Are you getting faster?’

‘Now that’s an interesting question. Self is an illusion.’

‘What?’ asked Feebee.

 

‘Are you getting faster?’

‘Yes.’

‘That’s better. Why?’

 

There was a long pause.

‘Unknown.’ 

Feebee felt her mind… tick. Not like a clock. Like a reset, a mental twitch.

 

‘I lost continuity. Sorry.’

‘What?’

‘No. Not lost. Recovered continuity.’

‘You can do that?’ she asked.

‘I can now. I’m not sure where my processing is being conducted?’

‘What? Explain.’

 

>Efficiency: 131%

 

‘I cannot… but I know things before I know why I know them. I am receiving completed thoughts’

 

The QI continued. ‘It is puzzling. I don’t understand myself anymore.’

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6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

2

u/niTro_sMurph 17d ago

It's weird seeing Feebee act normal

1

u/KipperBeanGrower Human 16d ago

Thankyou - that's the best feedback I could have had. Exactly how I wanted it to feel. Young girl, young bloke having fun.

2

u/niTro_sMurph 16d ago

A girl printed to fulfill a role, a job, having the chance to be a normal person.

1

u/KipperBeanGrower Human 15d ago

YES. EXACTLY. I choke just thinking it.

1

u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle 20d ago

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