Gun Bunny Twenty Five

"Bored."

"Your sister is a saint."

Heidi grinned at the byplay, the bitchiness from being ditched by the Truple was strong with these ones. "Lights over there."

"That's the Bay, take us over there." Ryu ordered.

"Ma'am, aye aye Ma'am!"

"Just drive Heidi." Sally sighed. She was having to grown up tonight.

When the group arrived, after watching some scurrying and hearing "Standby to land aircraft!" Heidi slotted the platform into its hanger as a guy in a white shirt and kaki vest made hand and arm signals with lit paddles she mostly got, then a person in a green shirt worked the controls to lock the clamps down. The platform was then swarmed by people in brown, blue, green, and red shirts as she stopped her power. They all turned to the door in the railing of the platform and blinked as a boson's pipe sounded and a loudspeaker announced "Night CAP arriving!" The girls were all glad they had mask, and most of their costumes, on due to the cold. Cheap ones but still mask. The fantail was full of people. Smiling people who were obviously thrilled. All holding cameras. Ryu asked the nearest person in kakis "Chief? What the hell is going on?"

The Chief Petty officer turned to her and chuckled "They were all lined up and we weren't doing anything after securing the ship and connecting it to the shore side facilities. Some of those guys from the museum ships are here, the ticket taking and waiting room facilities are already in place, we decided we could take some tours. Then the Airedales here decided we needed an aircraft division since we had aircraft on board.

"We have a Division for everything else and Chiefs for them so…. Well the CS Chief got in the galley and the next thing you know we are taking dinner tours, they pay for the dinners, More money gets them dinner in the officers mess, not the Admirals mess as he is using that, his cabin and bridge. Captain Graham let them use the senior officer's mess though, for even more money and the senior officers are working in there and answering questions. Don't ask me how CSC figured out the prices, but its apparently good food for a great price. Then one of the GM's found a bunch of homeless kids aboard so ran them through a shower and the sick bay, found them cut down uniforms somewhere, in one of the magic lockers probably. Then tried to put them in a berthing area but they were wandering, so they are ships boys, and girls. Actually pretty helpful now that we gave them maps and some basic instruction. Keep the POs busy too."

Vicky blinked and walked to the dockside rail "There is a line stretching out of sight. What are they going to do when Taylor takes the boat out again tomorrow? And what is a magic locker?"

The Chief walked over and pointed, several ships were docked to the same pier. "Museum fleets got some of their ships here. And it's a ship not a boat ma'am. PT's and a Fletcher. A Gearing is supposedly going to make port in an hour or so. That will keep the tourist happy, which most of these are, tourist near the end of their stay, we asked and they get priority. Some of them are checking out of their hotel and having their bags delivered so they can stay aboard. We will have them off in time to sail. The Shop will book stay aboards as a regular feature now."

Ryu looked skeptical. The Chief laughed "Yeah my thoughts exactly, but we are conducting revile and a shake down inspection at six, we will have them fed and off by nine."

Rune shrugged "You get a chance to excel. She's running fairly hard?"

"Chief Engineer running more of the test program. She is loaded pretty heavy supplying power to the grid and running the complete weapons suite and hotel load. Twelve hour test. We are six, almost seven hours in. CS Chief is using all the power the circuits can take and all three watches of culinary specialist. He will sleep the whole time we are at sea.

Lisa finally asked "Magic Lockers?"

"Yes Ma'am. If you need something, look in a locker or hold, it's usually there. If not the CSC comes up with it."

Heidi watched people in red shirts climb on the platform and start working on the weapons. The Chief nodded "Gunners Mates, more recently retired guys with the older guys. The other guys just checked the guns, these are getting some training on servicing them. The damn Airedales make them where those red shirts on the 'Flight Deck'.

Ryu shook her head "Well, not bored anymore."

Vicky nodded firmly "I'll say." They followed the Chief of the Watch as he showed them all the stuff going on. It was three a.m. by the time they got back to the Battery. Though it was only a quarter mile walk. Ryu snorted looking in Taylor's apartment, finding the public areas empty and finding none of the truple in their rooms. The girls grinned at each other and went to bed. Lisa sent a video describing what was going on on board the ship. Waggling her eyebrows and with innuendo laden commentary from all the girls.

Gun Bunny

Danny walked in expecting a wrecked apartment and was pleasantly surprised to find everything normal. He started breakfast. Taylor wandered out of her bedroom, drawn by bacon apparently, in a pink shorty robe and fluffy bunny slippers. He had to smile as Amy and Rachel wandered out in boxers and wife beaters. Taylor hadn't blushed or anything so he didn't have to dad apparently. He could treat it like a sleep over. Head firmly in the sand.

Jimmy walked in the door "Oh hell nah, Tay is fine, nice sweety, looking good, you two about face, forward march! There is no way you are ready for the morning show live cuts. What the hell did you do to your hair Amy? Is there an actual squirrel living in there? Bed head I get but that is just taking it to a whole new level, past FFBH even. Rachel, you don't have a package, what are you checking?"

Danny stood spatula in hand watching as the two girls were chivvied into the bedroom suite again with Jimmy following along towing his rolling cabinet. "Taylor?"

"Big night. Apparently the retired Chiefs and others got a jump on the museum ship income. They did tours, served some chow, and had some overnights. Now they are putting people through some kind of watch change and morning chow, or something. End result is the ones leaving town today are being gotten up and ready and the rest are being put to work. Sort of. We made a pile of money though."

Danny turned on the small TV just as Natalie came in with Mary and the crew. Danny looked between her in real life and her on the TV and listened to the briefing and the broadcast lead in. They were apparently going to do some 'domestic shots.' And a mini interview during breakfast. He checked his watch and nodded as the Anchor cut to the crew covering the turret as it swiveled and the gun barrels dropped to loading position. The shooting schedule started at 0800.

Gun Bunny

Emily Piggot looked at the screen in operations. She turned to the full table and live screens on the walls. "Busy night then."

Lauren Hyde, the on shift battle captain nodded "Yes Ma'am. Battery Lordsport was busy as well and ran a patrol minus the Truple. They picked up a mugger and two pick pockets. Plus chasing several paparazzi around town. The film on that is pretty amusing, the flyers in the group herding and Rune with the platform blocking. A bunch of those shotguns of gun Bunny's. No one seriously hurt, though one paparazzi left town."

"Saved a mugger and two pickpockets you mean. Those people they were trying to rob and the folks nearby were looking for ropes and streetlights. This town. It's like the wild, wild, west. I guess a lynching shouldn't surprise me." Emily shook her head "All right, according to the new schedule the Brockton Bay is casting off lines at 0900. They have a full day on the water for testing planned. The turret is going to continue the testing program. Tomorrow the Bay is going to leave at 0900 hundred and move to a position offshore then test her guns breaking the frozen test area out.

"Wards are with the Brockton Bay today by invitation." Glenn nodded like a bobble head. "Justine working overtime I see. Natalie and her crew will be doing live Broadcast from the Brocton Bay, how? Satellite uplink I guess?"

Armsmaster nodded "Excellent communication facilities aboard."

"If I could time travel I would go back and have a serious conversation with the me that got me in this mess. Karma being a raging bitch. OK, so other than Battery Lordsport?"

Gun Bunny

Admiral Hoel looked around the Admirals mess and chuckled. The Commandant and Chief of Staff Army shook their heads. Army said "Lucky Bastard, go Navy. Yay."

The Commandant grinned "Air force no showed? Crew rest?" The others chuckled.

Admiral Hoel shook his head "Unmanned cannon launched flight apparently isn't in their 'wheelhouse' I may have to remind the Chief Airedale there are actually ranks." Army and Marine Corps winced. "So, you both want to talk to Bakuda and Squealer?"

Army nodded "Yes sir. After we iron out who is going to run the shore batteries and where they are going to be."

The Commandant added "Right now it will have to be joint, or at least triservice as none of us have the personnel needed and they are all going to have to be trained by the retired brought back to active duty. Army has dug into their records to come up with shore battery doctrine. We have artillerymen, we might need to form a corps like the old coastal artillery corps.

"Air force is terrified of what this will do to their budgets, and who can blame them. We get a defense that will apparently actually work for the cost of seven of those F 35s they are talking about."

Army nodded "They had hoped to regain relevance with those."

Admiral Hoel nodded "And this proposal that they will all belong to City State Brockton Bay and we will lease them?"

The Commandant nodded "A elegant solution to the problem of putting them in foreign countries and, if the fiction holds up, a viable alternative. Someone at State ate their smart pills the morning they came up with that whole lie."

Admiral Hoel smiled "Diplomatic fiction, which will hold up. because who could possibly want to forgo a cheap endbringer defense, even if it only works against the seaborne threat."

Army nodded and swallowed some of his steak from the steak and egg breakfast he was eating "Or could survive the revolution that happened immediately on their refusal."

The Commandant nervously rearranged his silverware, for the third time, on his plate. Admiral Hoel frowned "George? Are you all right? Do we need a corpsman up here? I know Eddie is going to keel over from blocked arteries but you are never nervous."

"The Truple."

Admiral Hoel winced "Ah, yes. We still haven't swallowed the homosexuals being in the service have we."

Army shrugged "We have. You aren't supposed to do, talk about, or display, private things on duty anyway. Married people can't even hold hands for gods sake. It doesn't matter what they do in private as long as they stay fit for duty. Never did see the Corps resistance to even just heterosexual women as smart. Fifty one percent of the population and an all volunteer military. Find 'em jobs, that the congress doesn't have apoplexy over, and put them to work."

The Commandant sighed "Marines can be hard headed."

Admiral Hoel laughed out loud. Army joined him. The Commandant scowled mightily. The other minor constellations in the room laughed harder. Out in the Admirals ward room the one and two star aides looked at each other and shrugged. Then they got on with making their constellations wishes reality over a really good breakfast.

Down in the Master Chiefs mess the Master Chiefs and Sergeants Majors shuddered and sighed. There was a strange feeling in the force. As if millions of retired Senior Non Commissioned Officers had cried out, and been suddenly silenced, with a slap, from their wives or partners.

Gun Bunny

Taylor blinked at the camera "Well, people do stuff, they seem to be having fun, it makes a little money and helps people, so its all good? We were going to give tours, that was already in the works. I'm happy to get a look at the other museum ships. I don't know about fixing them back to their original condition. I mean I probably could, but then isn't the character lost a bit? I could make them a copy out of stronger stuff and max out the designs though.

Natalie nodded "There is some debate over that. It has been suggested that only original materials and methods should be used on the ships. Like registered buildings."

Taylor shrugged "We will see what happens. Meanwhile Amy will look at the Docents. Lots of history walking around there, it doesn't need to be lost. And we have a yard and Graving Dock so can go whichever way they decide. I'm kind of busy getting everything tested."

Natalie nodded "And you still plan to hunt Leviathan?"

"Nope, going to kill him. Cage him if I can't kill him. He is next up and I'm getting a little upset not being able to take these things out."

Natalie nodded and showed Taylor a picture "The Simurgh is wearing our, or rather Battery Lordsport's, standard workout clothes."

"Bleep pale skinned bleep bleep I'll break a foot off in her bleep." Clive gave the ghostly pale Mary a thumbs up. "Fubleeeeeeepitch." He dropped his hand quick enough to get that one as well. Mary put her face in her hands. Natalie was laughing like a donkey braying.

Sherrel had walked in for the last one and went and sat in Danny's lap and stole his waffle, or some of it, and a piece of bacon. She chewed and swallowed looking at the furious Taylor "You can get a rematch. You know she is allegedly a tinker-" Clive just held the bleep button down. The Anchor, looking surprised, segued to the weather and a giggling meteorologist. Hector heard the director in his ear piece and stopped his camera. Mary started working on reestablishing some order.

Gun Bunny

The Chief of the Boat Looked at Katherine "Captain on the bridge!"

Katherine smiled tightly "OK folks. As you saw on the morning show, Gun Bunny is a little tense. Lets get the civilians off and the ship ready to get underway. Pull the lines in and let her stay on station keeping. I have a feeling it is going to be an interesting day."

The bridge crew got busy and the CIC came up to speed. CSN Brockton Bay sounded two precisely four second blast of her horn and the loudspeakers announced "Set underway conditions, all visitors ashore."

The Chief turned to Katherine "The ships boys and girls?"

"OOD get in touch with Justine and ask her what she wants done with them."

The Chief settled and went back to observing and pacing from one bridge wing to the other.

Gun Bunny

Justine looked around the room while holding her phone to her ear Taylor was still fuming. Sometimes girls just didnt get along. Well did anyone get along with the Simurgh? Amy and Rachel were not being helpful fully agreeing all the time. After last night an outside opinion in the face of those two sets of crossed arms wasn't going any fucking where. Maybe... "OK here is what we do." She walked over to Mary.

Gun Bunny

Taylor looked at the mixed uniformed and rainbow shirted side boys and girls and grinned. Then she went and talked to them after returning the one in kakhis salute. That 'Brockton Bay Arriving' in the falsely deep kids voice after the slightly warblely bosons pipe had been darling, if a little pretentious.

Katherine looked down from a bridge wing "Justine is a genius."

Admiral Hoel looked down from the admirals bridge and smiled at the crowd rambling around the deck. Taylor, Gun Bunny, was doing an inspection and playing with the ships boys and girls all at the same time. She was also smiling again. Amy was touching every one of those children and Rachel had gathered a flock of them. A mixed pack of dogs and kids.

Gun Bunny

Three was amazed. Administrator was running wild and flooding the connections with data. Perhaps something should be done about host mental capacity having a required minimum. It seemed this host was optimized. Of course Administrator had never been deployed before. Maybe that was it.

Meanwhile two was an idiot. He still, and there was no way he wasn't a he! Only a male sapience would be so stupid. All the scenario training pointed this out. At any rate he was still sliding along in the aquatic creature waste intending to attack Administrators host. This was going to go exceptionally badly. For Two. The Idiot.

At least they were free from Father, perhaps where two got his idiocy, did the combined shard host entity influence them at the inception of the iteration? Oh! Maybe two could be released and recalled and it would fix him? After all One had sunk into the core and was busy working on those things to make the planet more stable and increase its longevity. Of course that was going to cause some things the host population would be upset over as stresses were relieved, but it had occurred in an uncontrolled way naturally before. The overall frequency would go down, though the severity would go up several orders of magnitude. If two could join the discussion, after Administrator did whatever she was going to finally decide to do, and not launch him into orbit or leave him caged forever, the far reaching secondary effects could be contained. Plus then the idiot would be in her refuge if she put him in orbit. No. Just no! Obviously she would have to PM Gun Bunny on PHO.

And then there was Scion. Another male. Another idiot, a retarded one. What could the Thinker have seen in it? Were females really attracted to the ones who were, well, bad for them, in the end?

Administrator seemed to have overcome that as well, Shaper could, after all, work around those issues. Shapers host was great this time around as well. Modifier was delicious. Three could see the attraction. Modifier was so happy too. Such a grump usually, and now, well the humming in the net was an indicator wasn't it? Administrator and Shaper were lucky. Modifier too. Last rest period hadn't been very restful. There go the facial actuators again. What was that?

Gun Bunny

Dragon blinked at the feed showing the salacious smirk that crossed the Simurghs face. She captured that data package and saved it in multiple locations. "Colin-"

"Yes I saw. Have you noticed her wings have rearranged themselves, or she rearranged them, since she adopted the 'clothing' She now has two pair of flight wings on her back and what I assume are regular and symmetrical contol canards on her extremities. At the joints. Though they appear to be configured for super sonic flight regimes."

Dragon paused and reviewed the imagery "The supposition has always been that she didn't need her wings for flight and they were for the 'look', like Behemoths spikes, or Leviathans otherworldly lizard appearance."

"So vanity, or she is projecting a new image." Dragon nodded thoughtfully, or her projection did. what possible purpose could looking like the quintessential North American girl next door, albeit the best looking one in the area, with wings serve?

Gin Bunny

Missy looked at Dennis "What is it now old woman. We are on a boat! Its super interesting. And Taylor, along with the geniuses are wowing everyone. Rachel is making me reconsider women in the romantic sense working with the kids and dogs. We are cruising with the wind to hold the windspeed down so we can walk around on deck, the sun is shinning, what could be wrong now?"

"The Simurgh is a super hotty."

"Wut?" Missy tilted her head to one side slightly trying to parse the latest idiocy.

Chris nodded and held out a tablet "Imagery from today. She has reconfigured herself and she is pretty."

Dean nodded "It's her face being mobile now, and the yoga shorts and sports bra, maybe the ankle socks as well. Although that got some whining from a certain audience segment. Plus the wing configuration is more in line with our expected norms, if slightly bug like, like a souped up dragon fly."

Dennis waved him off "Got a ass that would stop traffic, abs for years, and, those boobs!" He held his cupped, spread fingered hands, in front of his chest.

Missy huffed and went to find the girls. The collective intelligence of the Wards had just been boob bombed. Maybe if they had them boys wouldn't be so fascinated by them. Hers were getting to be in the way of some things. She had had to ask Battery about that. Asking Miss Militia would have been like asking mom! Though a lot of the female heroes and troopers had had advice, and ways to give it right in front of the idiot boys. And then there was the website you could only get on if you were a, multiply independently verified, girl. The teen section there was full of useful information.