SHIP'S LOG:

Invictus

Ensign Filbert 12/9/2022 11:37pm

I'd taken the Invictus to a safe distance from the carnage at the Witch Delivery™ Quick Station.

"But the captain!," said Sylvia. "And Quiller! They're still down there!"

Were they crushed in the rubble? The site was already crawling with drones.

We remained at a distance with the transponder down, losing ourselves in the loitering traffic of automated delivery ships and wandering commuter craft. We were scanning the EM band and watching for unusual activity. First responders were going through the wreckage of the Quick Station, but no bodies had been recovered. The haze of the night sky was lit by city light.

"There!" said Sylvia. "35 degrees from the bow. What is that?"

Some distance from the Quick Station, and at a rather high altitude, the underbelly of a ship appeared through the smog ceiling. But it didn't look right. It seemed... huge.

"Sylvia..."

Sylvia was busy with her slide rule.

"Based on the curvature of the hull it's... this can't be right. It's as big as the moon?"

Below the great ship, there was something on the end of long thin cable. Something not much bigger than a phone booth. And it was being reeled in.

"Why didn't something that big show up on radar?"

"It's like it's there, but it's not there," Sylvia said. "It's so large it's almost like background noise..."

"It's got to be Quiller. And the captain. Take us to it, Sylvia."

"We'll be spotted for sure, Flibert."

"Yeah but so will they, and they'll get all the attention."

"Aye aye."

Nathan Hill 9/17/2022 11:06pm

We were in a tiny mop closet in the back of the donut shop.

"The explosion at the Quick Station? That was you?" asked the waitress.

"It was all a misunderstanding. We had a... misdelivery, and--"

"Yes," said First Mate Quiller.

"Your misdelivery," said the waitress. "Kindly old woman? Toadsbottom lane?"

How could she know that?

"How could you know that?" asked Quiller.

"We have access to the Witch Delivery database. You're from the Invictus?" asked the waitress.

"I'm the Captain" I answered. I wanted to let her know just who the boss was.

The waitress lifted up her arm and spoke into her watch. "Ok Tony, pull 'er up!"

The tiny mop closet started to tremble and shake, then suddenly jolted up with tremendous force.

A mop fell on my head.

Nathan Hill 7/5/2022 11:57pm

The men in serious suits left the donut shop, and a few moments later woman at the register came out to wipe the table next to us. She dropped a folded paper napkin on my lap when she moved on to the next table.

"Ok, but the donuts and coffee make up for the service, am I right?" I asked First Mate Quiller.

"It's obviously a note, dummy. Put it on the table, naturally. Like it's your real napkin."

"But I have my real napkin... oh. I see what you mean."

Casually, I unfolded it on the table. "Can you read it?" I asked. "I feel like I shouldn't look down at it. I'll just look at you. Can you read upside down? I can--"

"Door next to restroom. Employees only. 5 minutes."

Nathan Hill 4/9/2022 11:57pm

First Mate Quiller wasn't enjoying her donuts.

"No cameras, see?" I said, trying to cheer her up. I turned my head in an exaggerated fashion in all directions. "These old independent places can't afford them, and this part of town is safe enough they don't get robbed enough to need 'em."

First Mate Quiller relaxed her shoulders.

"This coffee is terrible."

"But it's the perfect match for these donuts. Here, you need the non-dairy creamer and a couple sugars."

The donut shop had steady business. People coming in, people going out.

"I'm sorry that Witch Delivery™ turned out this way," she said. "I just assumed they were a legitimate outfit. I mean, they're supposed to be going public in a few months. How could a company that does all this--"

"No, no, I get it. I didn't have any qualms either, did I? I mean, ok the blood taking part was weird."

"I mean, how much more of this am I bought into and don't even know it?" she continued. "Like, if Witch Delivery™ is bad, then what about 10 Basic Boxes, or Funniest Favorites? I mean, they're all big businesses, so of course nobody trusts them, but really we do trust them, which is why we just forget about the boycotts or whatever and keep on living like it's all normal."

Something in the energy inside the donut shop changed. I glanced over my shoulder at the register and saw a couple of big men in serious suits talking to the clerk, showing her their padds. I could tell by the look in her eye that she hated them, and wasn't going to give us up even if she did recognize us.

"Split this maple long john with me?" I asked.

Nathan Hill 2/1/2022 10:29pm

"You'd think we'd be safe and sound back on the Invictus by now, wouldn't you?" I asked First Mate Quiller.

We were standing outside a grungy doughnut shop on a grungy street. We were still dusting off debris from the explosion. We could see our breath.

"I don't think we had an actual plan, Captain."

She was right about that. We lost contact with the Invictus after they tore a hole in the wall of Witch Delivery™ Quick Station #9962384. Too much smoke. Too many tall buildings.

"They have cameras in those Quick Stations," she continued. "They have our pictures. They have three dimensional models of our bodies. And our voices. And probably of our personalities. They're probably running simulations right now against the immediate surroundings and predicting our outcomes and setting up the final traps as we speak!"

The doughnut shop smelled good. Or at least warm and greasy. And it was late.

"Hey let's get some doughnuts," I said. "It's on the ship."

WDQS STATION 9962384 12/9/2021 11:56pm

Welcome to Witch Delivery™ Quick Station #9962384

Are you a customer or a team member contractor?

I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Are you a customer or a team member contractor?

Please say, CUSTOMER, or TEAM MEMBER CONTRACTOR.

"Oh, uh, team member contractor."

Thank you. Please present your Witch Delivery™ pendant app with the screen facing up to the vibrating tube sensor.

zzZZAAAAAAP!

"Ouch!"

Welcome team member contractor 62492YG724. Just a moment while I review your status.

... ...

Order number 249272292Zq27. Package undeliverable due to vagrant action. Can you confirm?

"Well, we didn't think they'd get blown up like that."

I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Please say yes or no.

"Yes."

... ...

Please place the undeliverable package on the measurement transducer.

"Uh, what?"

Please place the undeliverable package on the measurement transducer.

"Oh, you mean this table here. Quiller, could you give me a hand?"

Thank you. Just a moment while I scan the package.

... ...

At Witch Delivery™, we value the safety and well-being of our trusted team member contractors. Have you been within one meter of this package for more than thirty minutes?

"Well, it was on the bridge with us, and I might have sat on it a little during our trip to the South Shakes..."

I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Have you been within one meter of this package for more than thirty minutes?

"Yes."

... ...

Please wait here for the next available Witch Delivery™ Cleansing and Sterilization Drone to complete your ticket.

"Oh, well, this is our last job. We just wanted to drop this off and be on our way..."

Please wait here for the next available Witch Delivery™ Cleansing and Sterilization Drone to complete your ticket.

"Captain, the doors won't open..."

"Eh... computer? Er, what can I call you?"

You can call me Terry. How can I help you?

"Terry, the doors somehow got locked. Could you open those for us?

Please wait here for the next available Witch Delivery™ Cleansing and Sterilization Drone to complete your ticket.

"Captain, I don't like this..."

"Terry says we just need to wait..."

Commencing countdown to cleansing and sterilization. All customers and non-quarantined Witch Delivery™ team member contractors are recommended to leave the area within three blocks. 30. 29. 28.

"Captain we need to go. Ensign Filbert, do you copy? We need a 450 on the front door immediately."

"Filbert here, mam. A 450? We haven't..."

"IMMEDIATELY FILBERT!"

"Ok! You two take cover!"

"Cover?"

"Get down, captain!"

KABOOOOOOOOOM

Nathan Hill 10/16/2021 11:54pm

"Uh... WOW. And NO. No no no no. Did that drone just murder those people?"

First Mate Quiller looked as shaken up as I felt. We were glorified mailmen, not... assassins, or special forces, or military. Anymore.

"The manual didn't say it would do that... Just that we needed to report suspicious activity..." she said.

"Is it too late to quit Witch Delivery™?" I asked. "I think we need to seek out different gigs."

Ping!

The Witch Delivery™ pendant had let out a friendly ping.

"What does that mean? Are we in trouble? I mean, those guys are DEAD!"

First Mate Quiller looked at the pendant.

"It's a notification," she said. "About the box we were supposed to deliver there. Now we've got to take it to a Witch Delivery™ Quick Stop Station."

"Great. We'll give them the box, and then quit, or delete the app, or whatever. I'm sure they can tell us what to do at the Quick Stop Station and make it official, right?"

First Mate Quiller looked pale. And queasy. Like she was about to throw up.

"You're probably a little tired of pushing their buttons, huh?"

I took the pendant out of her hand. She barely noticed.

"This little gem here is the one, right?"

GAZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!

WtchDlvr Drone 902b 9/1/2021 11:24pm

SUSPICIOUS LOCALE REPORTED. 137TH AGGRANDISEMENT, CORNER OF VICTORY AND AVENUE F (VERTICAL). SOUTH SHAKES, SHARK COUNTRY.

SCANNING.... SCANNING...

SUSPECTS ACQUIRED. HEAT SIGNATURE OF SIX INDIVIDUALS. ELEVATED ENERGY. CHEMICALLY ENHANCED. FOUR CARRYING HEAVY METAL BLUNT OBJECTS. TWO ARMED WITH PROJECTILE WEAPONS. SEE SUPPLEMENTAL VIDEO.

TARGET LOCKING. TARGET LOCK ACQUIRED.

FIRING.

TRACKING... TRACKING...

MISSON COMPLETE. PROPERTY DAMAGE MINIMAL. INSURANCE NOTIFICATION MOD 1B46 SUBMITTED.

WITCH DELIVERY™ DRONE 902B RETURNING TO SLEEP MODE.

Nathan Hill 7/19/2021 9:56pm

"Oh my god those are loud sharks!" I yell over the cacophony.

"Yes we're coming in too low over the river!" First Mate Quiller shouted back. "Take us up, Ensign Filbert!"

The roar receded as we rose over the trees and then the hills of what could only have been the South Shakes. Ridges turned to stone fins and vertical drops, trees growing directly out of cliff faces, and tree houses and scaffolding sprinkled throughout like a delicate spiderweb made of ropes and wooden planks.

The denizens of the South Shakes lived vertically. Rope ladders, dumb waiters, and service lifts connected tree houses and common areas built on the tops of trees growing straight out of the stone. If anyone dropped anything off their wooden decks -- like a tea cup, or a beer can -- a neighbor somewhere down the line would notice for sure.

First Mate Quiller pointed the app at the jungle of tree house shanties. Then she slipped on a pair of high tech glasses and stared into space for a moment.

"They're pairing," she said.

"You're watching the South Shakers... do it?"

"No! The glasses are talking to the app. There's an immersive AR mode."

"Ah," I said. Like that helped. But I was learning to not look like a complete dummy.

"What do they take us for, complete dummies?" Quiller said.

"Excuse me?"

"These coordinates are for the back end of a dark alley in the warehouse district. Somebody called us here to jump us."

"That happens?"

"I read about it in the manual."

"So we turn around and leave, right?"

"No there's a whole protocol. First we report it, which is this little red button... here!"

The Witch Delivery™ app suddenly leapt out of Quiller's hand and enveloped us in a three-dimensional grid made of neat green laser lines. It had a low, growling hum about it. Pensive, like it was coiled and ready to strike.

"Ah! So THIS is immersive AR mode!" I exclaimed.

Nathan Hill 6/1/2021 10:44pm

"I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this Witch Delivery™ app," I said, nursing my finger on the bridge.

First Mate Quiller had already unlocked the coordinates of the target destination and her finger was poised on the button.

"Oh, it's just operational security. DNA is a lot less invasive than what they used to use, believe me."

"But how long till I run out of fingers?"

"Once we've done a few runs, we start building up stars. Enough of stars and we get a blue checkmark, which means no more pokes for you."

"Hmmm. Well the sooner we get a blue checkmark the better. What's the heading?"

"The South Shakes, east of the Big Nose river, in Shark Country."

"Sounds loud. Let's hit it."

GAZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!