In The Navy

 

Kelly was so tired. Each step she took was exhausting, but she had to see her grandfather, Albert. She had to get her body back. It was not fair. He had tricked her into swapping bodies so he could go off and do God knows what in her body, leaving her trapped in this aging one. God, how much this body hurt.

As she finally reached the top of the hill, she saw her body sitting on the wall, a pair of binoculars pressed up against her eyes. She tried to see what her grandfather was looking at, but her eyesight was now so bad she could barely make anything out.

“Saturn,” her body spoke.

“It’s my ship, Kelly. The ship I was captain of. The ship I sailed across the world protecting my country. And now they’re taking her away for scrap. I just needed to have one last look at her.”

He lowered the binoculars and looked at his granddaughter, who was still breathing hard after climbing the hill. Kelly was confused. Why had her grandfather tricked her into swapping bodies? She could have helped him get up here somehow. She was about to ask that very question, but she was still struggling to catch her breath when he spoke again.

“I was always hoping for a grandson,” he said. “But the Navy is very modern these days — they accept women. On my way here, I signed up again. Well… I signed you up.” Kelly was stunned, but finally managed to speak.

“Granddad… I don’t understand.”

“I’m joining the Navy again. It’s what I love. It’s who I am. But as you can see, they would never let me back in the Navy in that body. I’ll have to go through training again, but with my experience I should do well. Captain of a ship again within five years.”

Kelly watched as her body walked past her and down the steps. It smiled at her before disappearing out of sight.

Five years later, Albert stood over the grave of his former body in a naval uniform. He had done it. Captain of a ship again, back where he truly felt at home the Navy. He did not feel bad for what he had done and he planned on doing it again. Only now, it was part of his job to make sure he always had another body ready to swap into when the time was right.