Edax sapiens

Matricide: Part One

"Do you think she'll ever figure it out?" the Dog asked, looking on to where Roach had left with Jasmine Sordy.

"No," the Boss answered his dearest friend, who was curled up in his arms. "She's not the news watching type. Jazz will keep her away regardless."

She put a paw on his cheek, mistaking his rigidness for mourning.

"Will you miss her?"

"No. I meant it when I said it was only business."

The Dog scoffed, "Oh, come on, she was-"

"A coward," the Boss's lips curled. "A coward to the very end."

"Okay, okay," she dropped the issue.

The Edax male inhaled every awry feeling he had for Roach and purged it like smoke from his lungs. He had his fluffy companion in all things, his ship, and an eternity, all stamped in Master Sordy's writ. He and his love were now free to walk in courts, theaters, and churches; sheriffs, celebrities, and holymen be damned.

Yet, despite these privileges, the Boss knew he was not yet free. The god and the witch who still claimed his soul would have to die for that blessing.

Today, he prepared himself.

He turned around to go about his business but instead found his six surviving researchers awaiting instructions for what to do.

"Shoo," he told them.

They did not.

"Go work on something you care about. Or go home. Stay on the ship, leave the ship, fuck a stranger, kill yourself, teach a child, fuck if I know--just go," he commanded them.

They took a few cautious steps away, then left altogether.

Crocker had left sometime before without notice, so all who remained in the birdcage were the Boss and his Dog, and they went to the command platform to assume their respective positions: he in the captain's chair, she by his side.

The captain pulled out of his coat the master key for Earth's dead R.A.I.N.G.A.T.E. and slotted it into his armrest.

"Master key accepted," Rain announced.

"Who owns this ship?" he asked.

"Constance Crosley," she replied.

"Designate me as your new owner," he instructed.

"But you are already Constance Crosley," she advised.

"Fuck," Boss Two muttered, then inquired, "Rain, who has permissions to command this ship?"

"Boss One and Boss Two."

"How do you differentiate between Boss One and Boss Two?"

"By sex and temperature," she put simply.

"Rain, delete Boss One's profile and rename 'Boss Two' as 'The Boss.'"

"It is done, Captain."

The Boss nodded, but had to be sure.

"Rain, who is first-in-command and how do you identify them?"

"The Boss: Male, Heat Signature of 106 degrees."

"Rain, identify your owner."

"Constance Crosley: Nine Females, One Male, Heat Signature varies."

The Boss shook his head in denial.

"Rain, redefine Constance Crosley as, 'Male, Heat Signature of 106 degrees.'"

She refused, "I cannot do that."