Outlaw Star: A New Dawn
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Outlaw Star characters...sad, but some day...
Chapter 1: The Meeting
Jim Hawking yawned and ran a hand through his dirty blond hair as he sat in front of his laptop. He was looking into how much money Starwind and Hawking Enterprises had left in its account. The only number he kept seeing was zero.
The sound of the door opening caught Jim's attention and heavy footsteps thumping away could be heard.
"Hey! I'M HOME!" Gene Starwind's familiar voice rang. Jim let out an exasperated sigh and stalked out of his room to confront his partner with their current problem.
"Gene! Where have you been? Did you find us a job?" Jim demanded.
The outlaw frowned at his eleven-year-old partner. "Jeez, Jim! Don't I even get a hello?"
"Hello. Well, did you?"
"Yeah, actually. Where's Mel?"
"Out buying groceries. What's the job?"
"Man! I thought she'd be home to make me a snack. I'm starving!"
"GENE!"
Gene held up his arms as if to fend Jim off. "Okay, okay. Chill out kid. I got a job from Fred Lowe."
"Fred Lowe? What does he want?"
"I don't know. He wants us to meet him later at some restaurant called The Star Room on Korral 4 for details."
"Korral 4? That's not very far from here, is it? We really need to save fuel," Jim said in a worried tone.
Gene frowned again. "You worry too much, Jim. Just relax for a change."
"Well, someone has to keep track of all this stuff or else we'd be bankrupt."
"What, are you saying that I couldn't handle it myself?"
"Well, you couldn't!"
"Why you-you take that back, you brat!"
"Make me!"
Jim and Gene growled at each other, their eyes locked, challenging the other.
"I'm home!" Melfina announced in her singsong voice as she entered the house carrying a bag full of groceries. She stopped when she saw them glaring at each other in anger. "Um...what's going on?"
"Nothing, Mel. Jim and I were just waiting for you to get home so that we could go meet Fred. Right, Jim?" Gene said in a tight voice.
"Whatever," Jim muttered back.
"Okay. I'll just put these groceries away and I'll be right out," Melfina said cheerfully, oblivious to the tension in the room. The bio-android disappeared into the kitchen.
Gene grunted and flopped down onto the couch. Jim frowned and sat across from him, arms crossed stubbornly. The two waited for Melfina in silence.
After a moment, she returned and looked at the two. "Okay. I'm ready."
"Alright," Gene said rising. "Then let's go."
Humans had always been odd beings. Such competitive and ambitious creatures. Gillium saw Gene Starwind and Jim Hawking as two of the oddest. The two were always "butting heads" as one of their phrases go.
Today, the captain of the Outlaw Star and his young partner had come aboard acting coldly towards one another yet again. How many times had it been this week now? Thirteen? Fourteen? Gillium had, even as sophisticated a system as he was, lost count. After they had taken off from Heifong, Gene had set the Outlaw Star on autopilot, and he and the boy went off their separate ways.
"Are Gene and Jim arguing again, Melfina?" Gillium asked the female bio-android.
Melfina sighed in the tank filled with water, "I'm afraid so, Gillium. They were when I got home this afternoon."
"Oh dear. Those two don't know when to quit," Gillium said in exasperation.
"Are we near Korral 4 yet, Gillium?" Melfina asked.
"As a matter of fact yes. I'll tell Gene and Jim," Gillium said and then accessed the speaker in Gene's room.
"Gene. We'll be approaching Korral 4 in a few minutes."
"Alright, Gil. Thanks. I'm on my way," Gene's roguish voice replied. "Fred's already paid for our clearance and docking so we're home free."
Then Gillium contacted Jim. "We're almost there, Jim."
"Cool, I'll be right down," Jim said in a grouchy tone.
Hmmm...humans. So strange how they could argue over such trivial matters. What had these two argued about now?
As he led Melfina and Jim through the busy town of Lioce, the capital city on Korral 4, Gene wondered briefly what kind of mission Fred had in mind for them. He hadn't given Gene any specific details when they'd last spoken. Instead, Fred had seemed hell-bent on talking it over at dinner. He had kept insisting that Gene, Jim, and Melfina join him at the Star Room, some new restaurant in Lionce.
Fred's just too...weird. Gene thought. He glanced back to survey his team for a moment.
Melfina was just walking and looking around at all the stores they were passing by. She looked happy and pleasant, a mild look of curiosity on her pretty face.
Jim was obviously still sulking. He walked with his hands jammed into his pockets, looking at nothing in particular until he noticed Gene looking at him.
"What?" Jim snapped testily. With an indignant grunt, Gene focused his attention back to where they were going. Screw Jim. If he wanted to be a baby then let him!
Gene looked up and noticed that they were fast approaching a huge, elegantly designed building. On the front was sign with neon pink lights shining The Star Room restaurant.
"This is it," Gene said unnecessarily to the others. Together, the three wove their way around the people standing all over the place to get The Star Room's entrance.
They were greeted by a huge hall decorated with expensive looking paintings and pottery displays. There were several tables with navy blue table clothes with vases of white flowers organized neatly. People of all kinds were gathered around the tables, chatting over huge plates of food.
"Welcome to The Star Room! Would you like a table?" a waiter that resembled a penguin said as he saw them.
"We're meeting someone," Gene said absently as his sharp eyes busily searched the tables. Then he spotted a man with short black hair with a red bandana running across his forehead. Two men dressed in black suits and ties were standing beside him. Fred Lowe.
Fred looked up and spotted the trio. "Gene! Oh Gene! There you are!"
"Hey Fred," Gene said to him as he, Melfina, and Jim walked over to join Fred.
Fred stood up and threw his arms around Gene. "I thought you'd never get here! What took you?"
Uncomfortably, Gene wiggled out of Fred's embrace. "Just stuff. Can we get down to business, Fred?"
"Why of course, my friend! My, are we all business today!" Fred giggled and looked over at Jim and Melfina. "Hello Melfina. James, you seem to get bigger every time I see you!"
"It's nice to see you again, Fred," Melfina said politely. Jim just muttered a greeting darkly.
Ignoring them for a moment, Gene focussed on Fred. "So what's the job, Fred? You usually don't drag us off to fancy restaurants just to give us details. What's up?"
The cheery expression on Fred's face died immediately and he motioned for them to sit. He took a breath as they complied.
"Something very precious was stolen from me. Something that is absolutely irreplaceable."
"What is it? A family heirloom or something?" Jim asked.
Fred shook his head. "No. It's something of great power."
"Well, what does it do?" Gene prodded.
"It has...special capabilities," Fred said mysteriously.
Gene was getting impatient. "Like what?"
"Alter time and space. And if who I think stole it indeed has it, we could all be in big trouble."
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Outlaw Star characters...sad, but some day...
Chapter 1: The Meeting
Jim Hawking yawned and ran a hand through his dirty blond hair as he sat in front of his laptop. He was looking into how much money Starwind and Hawking Enterprises had left in its account. The only number he kept seeing was zero.
The sound of the door opening caught Jim's attention and heavy footsteps thumping away could be heard.
"Hey! I'M HOME!" Gene Starwind's familiar voice rang. Jim let out an exasperated sigh and stalked out of his room to confront his partner with their current problem.
"Gene! Where have you been? Did you find us a job?" Jim demanded.
The outlaw frowned at his eleven-year-old partner. "Jeez, Jim! Don't I even get a hello?"
"Hello. Well, did you?"
"Yeah, actually. Where's Mel?"
"Out buying groceries. What's the job?"
"Man! I thought she'd be home to make me a snack. I'm starving!"
"GENE!"
Gene held up his arms as if to fend Jim off. "Okay, okay. Chill out kid. I got a job from Fred Lowe."
"Fred Lowe? What does he want?"
"I don't know. He wants us to meet him later at some restaurant called The Star Room on Korral 4 for details."
"Korral 4? That's not very far from here, is it? We really need to save fuel," Jim said in a worried tone.
Gene frowned again. "You worry too much, Jim. Just relax for a change."
"Well, someone has to keep track of all this stuff or else we'd be bankrupt."
"What, are you saying that I couldn't handle it myself?"
"Well, you couldn't!"
"Why you-you take that back, you brat!"
"Make me!"
Jim and Gene growled at each other, their eyes locked, challenging the other.
"I'm home!" Melfina announced in her singsong voice as she entered the house carrying a bag full of groceries. She stopped when she saw them glaring at each other in anger. "Um...what's going on?"
"Nothing, Mel. Jim and I were just waiting for you to get home so that we could go meet Fred. Right, Jim?" Gene said in a tight voice.
"Whatever," Jim muttered back.
"Okay. I'll just put these groceries away and I'll be right out," Melfina said cheerfully, oblivious to the tension in the room. The bio-android disappeared into the kitchen.
Gene grunted and flopped down onto the couch. Jim frowned and sat across from him, arms crossed stubbornly. The two waited for Melfina in silence.
After a moment, she returned and looked at the two. "Okay. I'm ready."
"Alright," Gene said rising. "Then let's go."
Humans had always been odd beings. Such competitive and ambitious creatures. Gillium saw Gene Starwind and Jim Hawking as two of the oddest. The two were always "butting heads" as one of their phrases go.
Today, the captain of the Outlaw Star and his young partner had come aboard acting coldly towards one another yet again. How many times had it been this week now? Thirteen? Fourteen? Gillium had, even as sophisticated a system as he was, lost count. After they had taken off from Heifong, Gene had set the Outlaw Star on autopilot, and he and the boy went off their separate ways.
"Are Gene and Jim arguing again, Melfina?" Gillium asked the female bio-android.
Melfina sighed in the tank filled with water, "I'm afraid so, Gillium. They were when I got home this afternoon."
"Oh dear. Those two don't know when to quit," Gillium said in exasperation.
"Are we near Korral 4 yet, Gillium?" Melfina asked.
"As a matter of fact yes. I'll tell Gene and Jim," Gillium said and then accessed the speaker in Gene's room.
"Gene. We'll be approaching Korral 4 in a few minutes."
"Alright, Gil. Thanks. I'm on my way," Gene's roguish voice replied. "Fred's already paid for our clearance and docking so we're home free."
Then Gillium contacted Jim. "We're almost there, Jim."
"Cool, I'll be right down," Jim said in a grouchy tone.
Hmmm...humans. So strange how they could argue over such trivial matters. What had these two argued about now?
As he led Melfina and Jim through the busy town of Lioce, the capital city on Korral 4, Gene wondered briefly what kind of mission Fred had in mind for them. He hadn't given Gene any specific details when they'd last spoken. Instead, Fred had seemed hell-bent on talking it over at dinner. He had kept insisting that Gene, Jim, and Melfina join him at the Star Room, some new restaurant in Lionce.
Fred's just too...weird. Gene thought. He glanced back to survey his team for a moment.
Melfina was just walking and looking around at all the stores they were passing by. She looked happy and pleasant, a mild look of curiosity on her pretty face.
Jim was obviously still sulking. He walked with his hands jammed into his pockets, looking at nothing in particular until he noticed Gene looking at him.
"What?" Jim snapped testily. With an indignant grunt, Gene focused his attention back to where they were going. Screw Jim. If he wanted to be a baby then let him!
Gene looked up and noticed that they were fast approaching a huge, elegantly designed building. On the front was sign with neon pink lights shining The Star Room restaurant.
"This is it," Gene said unnecessarily to the others. Together, the three wove their way around the people standing all over the place to get The Star Room's entrance.
They were greeted by a huge hall decorated with expensive looking paintings and pottery displays. There were several tables with navy blue table clothes with vases of white flowers organized neatly. People of all kinds were gathered around the tables, chatting over huge plates of food.
"Welcome to The Star Room! Would you like a table?" a waiter that resembled a penguin said as he saw them.
"We're meeting someone," Gene said absently as his sharp eyes busily searched the tables. Then he spotted a man with short black hair with a red bandana running across his forehead. Two men dressed in black suits and ties were standing beside him. Fred Lowe.
Fred looked up and spotted the trio. "Gene! Oh Gene! There you are!"
"Hey Fred," Gene said to him as he, Melfina, and Jim walked over to join Fred.
Fred stood up and threw his arms around Gene. "I thought you'd never get here! What took you?"
Uncomfortably, Gene wiggled out of Fred's embrace. "Just stuff. Can we get down to business, Fred?"
"Why of course, my friend! My, are we all business today!" Fred giggled and looked over at Jim and Melfina. "Hello Melfina. James, you seem to get bigger every time I see you!"
"It's nice to see you again, Fred," Melfina said politely. Jim just muttered a greeting darkly.
Ignoring them for a moment, Gene focussed on Fred. "So what's the job, Fred? You usually don't drag us off to fancy restaurants just to give us details. What's up?"
The cheery expression on Fred's face died immediately and he motioned for them to sit. He took a breath as they complied.
"Something very precious was stolen from me. Something that is absolutely irreplaceable."
"What is it? A family heirloom or something?" Jim asked.
Fred shook his head. "No. It's something of great power."
"Well, what does it do?" Gene prodded.
"It has...special capabilities," Fred said mysteriously.
Gene was getting impatient. "Like what?"
"Alter time and space. And if who I think stole it indeed has it, we could all be in big trouble."