Zombie Airship

Airship Pirates

"With a crew of drunken pilots,
We're the only airship pirates.
We're full of hot air and we're starting to rise,
We're the terror of the skies; we're a danger to ourselves now."

The redhead sang and hummed quietly to herself as she worked diligently over her ship. It was turning out to be a shining beauty.

"Should be done soon, un?" Ask Austustine from across the field, admiring some mushrooms growing freely on the wilted plain.

Four days she'd been in the field with Abigale. But she wasn't helping build the ship at all. She was busy being curious about everything in the forest around them. It was like watching a child really. Augustine would frolic around until she found something that caught her eye then she would promptly pull out her microscope and study it for hours. Only when the specimen had fallen to pieces from her poking and prodding would she move on.

"Yes ma'am. But it sure would go faster if you'd help out a little." Shouted Gunny from her side of the ship. Sometimes she just wanted to hit the older woman with her steel wrench (a present from Augustine herself, too). The woman would just sit and quietly work on her plants, or she'd rattle on and on about the scientific method that they would be using to fly.

"By air currents passing over and under the wings, when the ship is done, it will take flight of a velocity of approximately nine-point-eight miles-per-hour, at the maximum speed if it is at it's highest point of airodynamicy, " Dr. Augustine said, brushing a stray honey curl away from her face as she examined parts of shrapnel surrounding the nearly-complete ship from behind her bifocals.

"Pardon?" Abigale asked, utterly lost.

The taller woman sighed heavily. "When it's going at its fastest, it will go at about ten mules-per-hour."

"Oh, got 'cha." Abi smiled. Her dear friend Augustine sure could be one to talk your ear off. But sometimes she would be so quiet that Abigale would forget she was even in the forest with her.

"Well, am I going to have to slow all my thoughts down to a remedial language for you to understand a word I am speaking?" Snickered Augustine, she pushed up her bifocals and walked over to where Abigale was struggling with a piece of the cock pit.

"That is a very nice idea. I would be happy if you did." Stated Abigale, not realizing the humorous tone in Augustine's voice.

"Okay, Gunny. Just for you though." She said giving her new friend a hug.

"We need to give you a nickname. I'm getting tired of calling you "Dr. Augustine". . . May I call you Dani?" Abigale asked, she hated calling people by there normal names. She hated such mundane things. She believe one should be named later in life so that they earn their names.

"Why on earth would you call me that?" Augustine gasped, taken aback.

"Because you're middle name is Danielle?" Whispered Abigale, meekly.

She stopped talking and finished working on her ship. Abigale might have been a very bubbly, but when she got embarrassed she sucked herself into her turtle shell and didn't acknowledge the thing that caused her embarrassment.

"It's fine, but I would rather you not call me Dani. You may shorten Augustine however you see fit though." Whispered Augustine, placing a firm yet comforting hand on her friends shoulder.

"Might I ask about your past?" Abigale asked, curious about the older woman's background.

"I suppose so. I was born to parents who immigrated from Russia to England in London. That's why I have a bit of an accent-- my native toungue is Russian. I was always a little peculiar, but I never really noticed it. While other kids prefered to play out in the sun, I took a liking to reading and pointing out flaws in scientic method. I had made so many interesting discoveries by the time I was seventeen... I had even made my way over to America to study.

"But then, the pulled all the the young foreigners out of the major cities, and they forced us to fight in the war. I myself have always been opposed to such aimless bloodshed, but they thrust me into a world of war against my will," she said, her face radiating dread and unhappiness, then continued. "I spent five and a half miserable years in the army. Then, I snapped and ran away. I wanted to run where I could spread my genius to the world. I want to go back home, to Mother Russia. What about yourself?"

"I had a fairly normal childhood. I was born in northern Texas. My parents were both heavily involved with the army, though. I didn't see them that much. I was tended to by nannies and such," Abigale mummered, plopping down on the groung next to Augustine. "When they did come back for me... they sent me to war. I quickly raced through the ranks... but never found true happiness. I wanted to fly, Augy. So that's what I will do. Fly."

The blonde nodded, before standing. "Fly we shall, Abigale. Fly we shall."

The two continued silently on in their serperate affairs, Augy (as Abigale had taken to calling her) had gone into town for food, leaving Abi alone to her thoughts and the ship. Sometimes... Abigale's on thoughts scared her.

"With a crew of drunken pilots,
We're the only airship pirates.
We're full of hot air and we're rising fast.
We're the terror of the skies,
We're a danger to ourselves." She sang, and danced as she finished. Never before had she felt so alive. So enamorative and hopeful.

"Gunny~!" Sang Augustine in her smooth, slightly accented voice. "I have a surprise for you!" She walked up and handed Abi two brown boxes. Under her other arm was a nice loaf or fresh bread and two shiny apples-- one red and one green. This was by far the best food they'd had in a long time. They had been living mainly of a few stale biscuits and the occasional raw head of cabbage.

"What are they, Augy?" She said, switching her attention to the gifts as she shook one of the boxes close to her ear.

"Open it and find out." Augustine replied, urging her to open the packages, folding her hans infront of her, still encasing her parasol.

Slowly, Abigale tore open the wrappings and pulled from the box a medium length black bustle skirt. Also with it was a matching lace garter, with a little cluster of gears and wings on it. In the second box she was rewarded with a brown corset and a white button up shirt. Wide-eyed, she looked up at Augustine, who was staring at her nervously.

"Do you like it, da?"

Out of the blue, Abigale burst into tears. Augustine was taken aback but held her friend none the less. Such emotional turbulance was new to her, having been locked away in herself all of her life.

"If you don't like them it's fine." Comforted Augustine. "It's no need to cry. I can take them back to the village up north-"

"No, no, that's not it at all.!" Sniffed Abigale, holding the clothes close to her chest, where her heart was. "This would be the first time in four years I have worn female clothes."

Quickly, Abigale ran behind the nearest tree, eager to pull on the new outfit. She ripped her militia uniform from her body so fast you would think it had done something to do her wrong. She put on the clothes that Augustine had given her, and for the first time since the beginning of the war, when she was still meerely a child, she felt like a woman. She felt beautiful and confident, like every woman should feel.

She smoothed the cloth over her slim hips. She pulled her short copper hair into a bun over her slim shoulders. Her body felt so thin and bony compared to Augustine's full figure. She wasn't large, no, not at all, just curvy. Would she look as good as Augustine in these new gifts?

She walked out from behind the tree in her new get-up and Augustine let out a slight gasp. She had no idea, the beauty that Abigale's body held. The militia uniform had been baggy and unfitting. But now she was in form fitting clothes, she was the prettiest thing Augustine had ever laid her green eyes on.

Without a second thought Abigale picked up her smaller gun from the ground and stuck it in her garter. She stared in a shining piece of bronze, admiring her own reflection. The woman adjusted the aviator goggles on her auburn hair and smiled with confidence. If only Cooley could see this... he'd never believe it if he couldn't see it with his own blue eyes.

"Perfect fit." She whispered, looking up to the skies and smiling so wide, her cheeks might have burst. "THIS is my new beginning."

"Da!" Augustine agreed in her native toungue. "Indeed, it is a renewed beginning." She turned to the food as the daylight began to dim. "Send Cooley my regards, Abi. Ne?"

~~~~~~X~~~~~~~

Dear Cooley,

Today was very productive. I got most of the cock pit reconstructed, and with a little bit of elbow grease I even got the old bint to shine! I miss you, Cooley. I miss you more than you can imagine. Augustine bought me some new clothes, my first feminine clothes in years. Since we met. I've enclosed a picture of me wearing them, that Augustine and I drew on the parsel she keeps in her bag.

How's our fort holding? How are the boys? Augustine also sends her regards to you and my boys. I really wish I could actually talk to you, my dear. Hopefully this picture will keep you going for a while. I'll come for you, as soon as SS Nightshade is reconstucted. I give you my word. And a lady never goes back on her word, Cooley.

Your's truly;

Abigale