Treasure Planet

by 0628097

What happens when you add Kay, a feisty teen, into the story of Treasure Planet? Will things be twice as bad, or a million times better?

Just moments after the first abrupt intrusion into the Benbow that afternoon, there was another: me. For a second time, the wooden inn door swung inward. There I stood, flanked by two robot officers, scowling at the floor. "Mrs. Hawkins," the cop to my left said. Mrs. Hawkins nearly dropped the stack of dishes in her arms. "Oh, officers, I don't have a daugh-" "Mrs. Hawkins, is there a Mr..." The cop on my right looked down at me. "Pridgen," I muttered, rebellious eyes never leaving the floor. "Mrs. Hawkins, is there a Mr. Pridgen on the premises?" Mrs. Hawkins carefully set down her stack of plates, and ran a finger down a piece of paper, tacked to the wall. "Oh, yes, officers," she said, recognition dawning on her face. "Yes, I remember him." 'Psh. Who couldn't?' I thought. I casually lifted my eyes from the floor to watch the scene that was about to unfold. I noticed - I'm rather observant when in hot water - that everyone in the inn's dining room had stopped eating. Stopped everything. They just stared. There were only two people moving, besides Mrs. Hawkins. Her son, whom I knew to be named Jim, was putting dirty dishes into a metal pan, probably to be taken to the kitchen to be washed, but I could tell he was watching with slight interest out of the corner of his eye. I sighed, and rolled my eyes. 'Nosy busybodies,' I thought. The other moving figure was none other than my father. There he was, sitting in the back, downing ale like there was no tomorrow. Mrs. Hawkins went back to him. "Mr. Pridgen, these police officers are here to see you." She stepped back as my old man stood up, bumping the table and knocking his chair over backwards as he did so. Somehow he managed to stagger his way up to the door. "What can I do fer you, officer?" he asked, slurring his words terribly. "Sir, we found your daughter in a restricted area. We caught her red-handedly vandalizing private property," Officer on the Left said. "Trespassing Violation 417. Vandalism Violation 696," Cop on the Right added. Obviously, this was their first time these cops had handled my case. 'Idiots,' I thought. "Sir, this is a violation of her probation." Now I saw that Jim stopped what he had been doing, and glanced at his mother, and then let his eyes rest on me and the officers in the doorway. 'Surprised, Jimmy-boy?' I thought, smirking a bit and laughing inwardly. "So, what're ya goin' ta do with 'er?" my father asked. Quite frankly, I was surprised my father was still standing, let alone speaking in complete sentences. 'I'll take 'Drinking Since 9:00 this morning,' Jody,' I thought with disgust. "We're putting her in your care, Mr. Pridgen, but if this, or anything like it happens again, it will be Juvenile Hall for you, Miss Pridgen," Left Cop said, directing the last part of the sentence towards me. The two officers raised their hats, turned, and rolled out, closing the door behind them.

Once the door was closed, I crossed my arms, and leaned up against it. I then scrutinized my father's face, which had 'Totally P-ed Off' written all over it ,now that the cops were gone. His face was red, not only from drinking. "So?" he demanded, stomping his foot shakily. He tottered a bit to the right. "So, what?" I countered. I stood upright again, and started to walk around Daddy. "Don't you sass me, girl!" the drunken man spat, grabbing my shoulder and whipping me around. Some of the guests started to walk to the back exit, not wanting to witness a family feud. Mrs. Hawkins stood immobilized, as though she didn't know what to do. Now my back was to the tables, and my father's back was to the door. "Listen, you pitiful excuse for a parent! I'll 'sass' you however I wish! As far as I'm concerned, you're NOT my father, just the unemployed DRUNK in which my well-being was, unfortunately for me, entrusted to!" I shouted, blue eyes flashing angrily. A few more chairs scraped the floor as guests hurried to pay and leave. While I let dear ole dad digest those last few sentences, I looked over my shoulder to see who was left. There was Jim and Mrs. Hawkins, of course, and a bespectacled man at a corner table with a stack of books. Dr. Something-Or-Other. There were also a few stragglers still sitting at their tables, their food cold. I looked forward again, my steely eyes meeting his bloodshot ones. His teeth were clenched so tightly, two veins, one on the side of his forehead, the other in his neck, stood out clearly. Before I could even react, my father pulled his fist back, and then suddenly flew forward. CRASH! I was on the floor before anyone could say 'Cyborg'. Dad went to hit me again, but I was so stunned by the surprise attack I just laid there, trying not to see double. I could taste blood from where I had bit my cheek inside my mouth. I could see someone - was that Jim? - hanging onto my father's back, making him roar like a lion. As my vision began to clear, I lifted a hand to my cheek, where my father's fist had connected with my head. It felt really sore, but I was pretty sure that only a slight bruise would form, if any at all. 'Heh,' I thought. 'One of the few times I'm actually glad he's drunk.' I sat up just a bit, supporting myself on my elbows, and shook my head a bit. "Dear, are you alright?" asked a woman's voice next to me. I sat fully upright. "Yea, I'm fine. And my name's Kay, not Dear," I answered, rubbing my cheek. Mrs. Hawkins nodded, and stood up straight, facing my dad. "You, Sir, are WAY out of line!" Mrs. Hawkins scolded loudly. My father's back was Jim-free once more. "How dare you hit your daughter like that?! I am absolutely disgusted! I want you out of my inn this very instant!" I stood up, leaning against the nearest table, while my father puffed himself up. "Fine. I've seen better inns than this mess hall anyway." My father beckoned at me, but Mrs. Hawkins intervened, coming behind me and placing a hand on each shoulder to keep me from going anywhere. "Kay will stay here. I will not allow her to go anywhere with you." "WHAT?!" Jim and I both cried out instantaneously. My father looked like he was about to explode, he was so angry. "This isn't over, you scheming lot!" My father shouted, yanking open the door and storming out. "Ooh, big word!" I called tauntingly after him as Jim slammed the door shut.

After a moment or two of silence, Jim stalked out of the dining room, hands in his pockets, glaring at the floor. Now the only ones left in the spacious dining room were Mrs. Hawkins,the good Doctor, and me(unfortunately). I clapped my hands together, and turned towards the stairs. "Thank you for that charming little demonstration on how to stand up to my father, Mrs. Hawkins. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll just get my things, and be on my way". Mrs. Hawkins laid a gentle-but-firm hand on my shoulder, and started to guide me to a table. "Kay, you were hit pretty hard. I told your father you were staying here, so here is where you'll stay. Here, let me get an ice pack for that cheek of yours..." Mrs. Hawkins moved away, and I stood up again. "Look, thanks for everything, but, seeing as your charming song doesn't bode well with my presence, I'd better go," I said sarcastically, taking long strides towards the door. Mrs. Hawkins, ice bag in hand, looked helplessly at the Doc. He coughed, took a deep breath, and stepped into my path, blocking me from the door. "Look, Kay, it's getting dark outside, and-" Doc was interrupted by a clap of thunder and a splash of rain against the window. "And it's, um, parading, er, I, um, I mean, raining." I arched an eyebrow. "And, you are..." He took another breath. "Dr. Delbert Doppler, specializing in Astrophysics." "Riiight..." I thought for a moment. However much I hated to admit it, Dr. Doppler was right; now was no time to run off from shelter. "I guess I can stay tonight..." I said finally. "But only tonight. Tomorrow, I'm outta here." I went back to my table, sat backwards on a chair, and took the ice from Mrs. Hawkins to keep her from continuing on about my cheek. I almost told her that my old man's hit me harder than that before, but I decided to keep quiet, and listen.
(I REALLY didn't want to stay!)
Soon, Mrs. Hawkins' and Dr. Doppler's conversation led to Jim. "I don't know how you manage it, Sarah," Dr. Doppler started. "Trying to run a business while raising a felon like, felon, fellow...fellow like Jim." I snickered; apparently the good Doctor had a unique way with words. I stirred the soup Mrs. Hawkins was trying to make me eat while eavesdropping further. "Managing it?" Mrs. Hawkins countered. "I'm at the end of my rope! Ever since his father's left, well, Jim's just never recovered." 'He can have mine,' I thought sourly. "And you know how smart he is," Mrs. Hawkins went on. "He built his first Solar Surfer when he was eight!" 'He solar surfs? That's kinda cool...' I found myself thinking. "And yet, he's failing in school," 'Ouch.' "he's constantly in trouble," 'Me too, what a coincidence.' "and, when I talk to him, he's like a stranger..." And that's where I stopped listening. I started to immense myself in my own thoughts; where I would go the next day, what I'd need, how I'd get there. And then, suddenly, I was startled out of my thoughts by a sudden, ear-splitting, shout from Mrs. Hawkins.

Jim's P.O.V.

I shoved my hands into my pockets, and, staring at the floor the whole way, strode angrily out of the inn. I climbed onto the roof, as I always did when I needed to think. Slowly, my anger subsided. 'Well, I should be thanking her, really, for getting the spotlight taken off me, but I still don't like the look of her,' I thought. Dimly, I heard Mom and Dr. Doppler talking inside. I started flicking pebbles off the side of the roof. 'She looks, I dunno, bad, like a trouble-maker. Like... me...' I realized suddenly. I straightened up so suddenly I nearly fell off the roof. But, before I could ponder more about Kay, something happened that did make me slide off the roof, intentionally, of course. An extremely damaged ship came hurtling out of the sky. I mean, this thing had sparks and black smoke billowing out of it like you wouldn't believe! It finally crash-landed on a dock just a little ways down the road. I slid down the side of the roof, started to run up the road, skidding to a stop at the wounded spacecraft. I pounded with my fist against the nearest window. "Hey, Mister, you're OK in there, right?" I asked. A clawlike hand suddenly hit the window, and a scratchy, coughing-moaning noise came from inside. A hatch suddenly sprung open and I backed up a few paces. The creature from within emerged; he looked to be some crossbreed between a snake and a giant turtle. He was holding a small chest underneath his arm. With his free hand, the cloaked... thing grabbed my shirt. "He's a-comin'. Can 'ear 'im! Those gears an' gyros clickin' and whirrin' like the devil himself!" As he rasped, his neck extended to my face. "Uh, hit your head pretty hard, didn'tcha?" I asked in all seriousness. "He's after me chest. That fiendish Cyborg, and his band of cutthroats!" The thing lifted the chest onto his shoulder. "But they'll have to pry it from ole Billy Bones' cold, dead fingers afore I, ah-" Billy Bones collapsed on the ground in a coughing fit. "Oh my-" I murmured, going to help Bones. "Uh, c'mon, gimme your arm," I said, draping it over my shoulders. Billy coughed again. "It sounded like a lung was coming up or something. "Good, lad, good..." Bones managed to say, his chest still under his opposite arm. I sighed, blowing hair out of my face. "Mom's gonna LOVE this..."

"James Pleonese Hawkins!" Mrs. Hawkins shouted, standing suddenly. I arched an eyebrow, standing as well. "Pleonese... now THERE'S a name you don't hear very often," I muttered. "Mom, he's hurt, bad," Jim panted, lowering whoever he was helping onto the floor. A small chest clattered down beside the figure. "Me chest, lad," Jim's new best friend rasped. Curiosity got the better of me; I knelt down on the other side of the creature's chest as he started to open it. "Ah, he'll be comin' soon... can't let them find this!" he said. "Who's coming?" Jim and I asked simultaneously. We both glared at each other, but our staring contest was interrupted when Jim's buddy grabbed his shirt, and yanked him downward. "The Cyborg..." the creature whispered. "Beware... the Cyborg!" The thing's head fell backwards, and I knew that his time on Montressor had ended. After a moment of respective silence, I demanded, "Who was that?" "His name was Billy Bones," Jim answered. "He said someone was chasing him." Just then, a bright light flashed in through the front window. Jim and I leapt up from the floor and raced to the window. Jim cracked the shades; outside I saw a group of creatures jump from a spacecraft. The one in the lead turned something on his right arm. "Quick, we gotta go!" Jim cried, grabbing his mother's wrist and hauling her up the stairs, stopping at the top to wait for Dr. Doppler and myself. I saw a wrapped bundle in the chest, and grabbed it. A purple laser shot blasted through the door. "I believe I'm with Jim on this one!" Dr. Doppler shouted. "Hey, Jim!" I shouted. "Your buddy left you something. Catch!" I threw the circular bundle at Jim, who caught it at the top of the stairs. I sprinted up the stairs, never looking back as the door burst open below. I ran past Jim, and into a room at the end of the hallway, jumping onto the windowsill next to Mrs. Hawkins. "Don't worry, Sarah!" Dr. Doppler was saying. "I am an expert in the laws of physical science. On the count of three," Mrs. Hawkins was strongly objecting, "No, no no no no no no!" "One-" "Three!" Jim interrupted shoving everyone out of the window, and then leaping out himself. Since I was taken by surprise, I started spinning my arms around like a windmill, unconsciously trying to grab something to stop the fall, and kicking my legs. When I landed in the carriage, a sharp pain shot up my spine. Humans weren't meant to jump into things from two stories up. "Go, Delilah, go!" Dr. Doppler shouted.I ended up landing - and sitting - between Mrs. Hawkins and IT (Jim). As Mrs. Hawkins turned around, I did as well, to see what was so entrancing. And what I saw was... the inn on fire. It didn't register at first, but then... 'Oh my- ... it's on fire!' I thought. I sat back down, and Mrs. Hawkins rested her forehead in her hand. 'Well,' I thought, 'there's an up point. Dad'll never find me now.'
WOW! I can never feel sorry for anyone, can I? I'm just a heartless person, aren't I?
I looked over at Jim, who was unwrapping what I had found in the chest. It was a funny bronze color, covered in zigzag lines and weird circle patterns. The sphere was divided in half by one line like an equator. I was somewhat disappointed, and Jim puzzled just like the idiot he his. "Well, Jim, I'll let you take the credit for this one," I said, sitting back and closing my eyes, and waiting to arrive where ever we were going.
I've said it once, I'll say it now, and I'll probably say it again... HEARTLESS!
Dr. Doppler stopped Delilah at his ginormous home. I alighted from the carriage, and gazed up at the house. It looked like an observatory-turned-home, complete with a huge telescope jutting out of the roof. "Astrophysics," I muttered, putting my hands in the pockets of my pants and following behind the trio of Jim, Mrs. Hawkins, and Dr. Doppler. Once inside his home, Mrs. Hawkins took a seat next to the fire, and Jim stood next to her. They said nothing, 'Mourning the loss of their inn,' I supposed. I sat up against the nearest wall; close enough to hear anything that was being said, and far enough away so that I wasn't involved in whatever I heard. Now Dr. Doppler entered the room. I tuned in just in time to hear him say, "Those blaggard pirates fled without a trace. I'm sorry, Sarah; I'm afraid the old Benbow has burnt to the ground." Jim looked as though he were about to say something, but closed his mouth. 'Probably thinks it's his fault, by bringin' ole Billy into the inn,' I thought,studying my nails. I started taking out my pony-tail, tying today's bandana - purple - around one of my belt loops. That was my new hair style since I became a rebel against humanity and whatever else crossed my path. Messy ponytail and bandana. Best idea I had had since my dad gained custody. Dr. Doppler started rambling on about how puzzled he was about 'that odd little sphere'. I finished with my hair and pushed it behind my ear. Suddenly, all lights went out. My immediate reaction was to stand up, and move into the middle of the room. "Hey!" Dr. Doppler shouted. His objection was directed at Jim, so I whirled around to face him, my hair swirling about my waist like water. Green beads of light were rising from the ball in Jim's hands. Jim himself was looking up in awe. The ball looked, well, more open. All indentation lines had been deepened. I turned around again, as the Doctor said, "Why, this is us! The planet Montressor." "What did you do?" I quietly demanded of Jim as he slowly walked past, looking around. "I didn't do it on purpose!" he hissed back. I rolled my eyes, and looked around. 'It's a map,' I realized. You heard Dr. Doppler say, "What's this? What, what... it's-" "Treasure Planet!" Jim finished. I walked up on the other side of a green depiction of a planet with two ring around it that crossed like an X. "NO!" the Doctor breathed. "That's Treasure Planet!" Jim exclaimed. I knew EXACTLY what that was. I wasn't as thickheaded as most girls my age. "Flint's Trove? The, the Loot of a Thousand Worlds?" Jim gave me a strange look. I smirked. Dr. Doppler, though, plowed onwards. "Do you know what this MEANS?" "That all that treasure is only a boat ride away!" Jim replied excitedly. "Whoever brings it back, would be held atop the pantheon of explorers! He'd be able to experience-" Suddenly, all the green light disappeared, and firelight cheered the room once more. "OOH! What just happened?" I rolled my eyes again. "He closed the map," I said, making it sound as obvious as it was. "Oh." "Mom, this is it. This is the answer to all our problems!" Now Mrs. Hawkins spoke for the first time all night. "Jim, there is no way-" "Don't you remember? All those stories?" 'I do,' i thought suddenly, leaning up against the wall next to a window revealing the Montressor Spaceport. "That's all they were! Stories!" "With that treasure, we could rebuild the Benbow a hundred times over!" Jim argued. "This is just... Delbert, tell him how ridiculous this is," Mrs. Hawkins pleaded. "It's totally preposterous, traversing the entire galaxy alone," Mrs. Hawkins crossed her arms, and a smug looked appeared on her face. "That's why I'm going with you." What happened next highly amused me, hopefully it will amuse you as well. Mrs. Hawkins' eyes widened, and she shouted, "Delbert!" Jim's face lit up like a neon sign. Dr. Doppler was running around, babbling on about financing a journey, hiring a Captain and a crew. I nearly laughed, in spite of myself. Nearly. Then... "Go Delbert! Go Delbert! Go Del-" "OK, OK, you're BOTH grounded!" Mrs. Hawkins started to rub the back of her neck. "Mom," Jim started. He said some, in my opinion, mushy stuff about how he had messed up(he is SUCH a suck-up!), and that this was his chance to make it up to her. I crossed my arms, and adjusted my position against the wall. "Sarah?" Dr. Doppler motioned for Mrs. Hawkins to join him off to the side, and they started whispering. 'About Jim,' I figured. I moved from the window to a desk, and sat on it, resting my feet on the chair. Finally, Mrs. Hawkins turned back around to face her son. "Jim," she said softly, "I just don't want to lose you." Jim took his mothers hand. "Mom... you won't. I'll make you proud."
Aww, family moment...seems like the right moment to intrude! ( H-E-A-R-T-L-E-S-S! I'm telling you! HEARTLESS!)
Meanwhile, curiosity took over me again. I had pulled a rather large, rather dusty volume off of Dr. Doppler's bookshelf. I opened it and a plume of dust shot straight up my nose. "ACHOO! ACHOO! AAAACHOOOOO!" My eyes watered, and I sniffled a bit. "Oh, dear, I forgot you were here, Kay!" I put the book back on the shelf. "Oh, that's fine. I'm forgotten all the time. Always left out and behind," I said, voice dripping in sarcasm, perching on the desk once more. "Delbert!" Mrs. Hawkins hissed, drawing the good Doctor aside. Jim tossed the map from hand to hand, studying it. "Kay..." Mrs. Hawkins stated cautiously. "Yes..." I said in an equal amount of sarcasm, but only to mock Mrs. Hawkins. "We've decided," Mrs. Hawkins said, grabbing Dr. Doppler's arm so he wouldn't try to inch away anymore than he already had, "that you'll go on this... EXPEDITION with Jim and Dr. Doppler." "WHAT?" Jim and I shouted in unison (Looking back, we seemed to do that a lot.) I was so shocked, amazed, and startled I knocked over a jar of pencils and pens in my haste to get off the desk. The jar shattered on the floor, but I paid it no mind. Of course I wanted to go, who wouldn't, but I couldn't make it LOOK like that. Jim and I started objecting at once. "Oh, I couldn't, I have places to go!" I said. "Mom! What... How... WHY?!" Jim stuttered. This continued for a few more minutes, one thing led to another, and Jim and I started arguing with each other. I changed my strategy. "Why shouldn't I go?" I demanded, rounding on Jim. "Because you're you! A girl!" "Oh, so that's how we're going to play it? OK, lemme tell you what I think of you! You are so full of yourself! You think the entire world revolves around you! And don't get me STARTED on your attitude! You wouldn't believe how easy it was for me to figure you out, and I just met you yesterday!" "They're a little too much alike, don't you think?" Dr. Doppler commented. "TELL me about it," Mrs. Hawkins said, a slight smile playing on her lips. "It'll be good for Jim to have someone around his age that stands up to him. Just make sure they don't kill each other." "Yea, that, that'd, that'd be good," Dr. Doppler agreed. "Alright, alright, ALRIGHT!" Mrs. Hawkins thundered, breaking up our fight almost immediately. "First," she pointed to me. "Kay, you're going with Jim and Dr. Doppler, and I don't want to hear a cross word about it." "But Mo-om-" "And you, young man, are going to treat her with as much respect as you would me or Delbert." "Then not much," I muttered. "Now, I know I'm wasting my breath telling you two to behave, but-" Jim had heard my comment. "Hey, what's THAT supposed to mean?" he demanded. "Why don't you use your brain and figure it out!" I countered. "I'm surprised you even HAVE a brain left, the way your father smacks you around!" I was speechless. I could not BELIEVE Jim would sink that low just to insult me. Once Mrs. Hawkins got over her initial shock, she reacted with a loud "JIM!" but I was already heading for the door. "Kay? Kay?! Where are you going?" "Somewhere away from that arrogant, immature, loser, IDIOT!" It wasn't exactly the best put sentence, but it still had immense affect. As I stomped towards the door so I could hideout in another room in the house, my purple bandana came loose from its belt loop, and floated lazily to the floor.
I couldn't believe Jim! In a matter of seconds, he became even more heartless than me!

Jim's P.O.V.

"JIM!" my mom shouted. It was then I actually realized what I had said. "Oh, no... this isn't good," I thought. Kay started to storm out, and my mother started after her. "Kay? Kay?! Where are you going?" Kay whirled around, and the look on her face, I had to admit, scared me a bit. It showed a mixture of emotions; anger, frustration, hurt and was that... yes, it was, sadness. She answered, "Somewhere away from that arrogant, immature, loser, IDIOT!" I blinked as Kay turned and was gone with a flick of her dirty blonde hair. Mom picked up Kay's bandana, and held it in her hands. "I don't suppose I should go after her... She'll have to cool off on her own... Jim, I don't know WHAT you're going to do," she said sorrowfully. "What I'M going to do?" I asked, sarcastically. "Yes, what YOU'RE going to do. This is one mess I'm not getting you out of. YOU'RE the one who's going to be staying on a ship with her for a few months, not me." "But-" "Now, Jim, er, calm down," Dr. Doppler interjected. "You can worry about your problems later-" "MY problems?!" "-for soon, my boy, we'll be off to the Spaceport."

I couldn't believe Mrs. Hawkins had forced me into this. Here I was, sharing a seat with JIM (Dr. Doppler's suit was too big for anyone to share a seat with), a person I despised in equality to my father, watching, through the transportation vehicles window, Montressor shrinks and the Spaceport enlarged. I moved as close to the window - and as far away from Jim - as I could. Today, my bandana was bright orange. Jim had moved as far to the edge of the seat as possible. The two of us hadn't spoken since we had left Montressor, and before that, I only spoke to him when I absolutely had to, which wasn't often. He, in turn, seemed to avoid me as well, which suited me perfectly. Finally, the transport landed, and the three of us exited, first Jim, then me, and last Dr. Doppler. "Well, kids, this should be an excellent opportunity to get to know one another! You know what they say, familiarity breeds, erm, well, contempt, but in OUR case-" "Look," Jim interrupted, "let's just find the shop, alright?" "Yea, I'm already 'familiar' enough with you two already," I said, lifting my small bag higher up on my shoulder. I started walking to the nearest set of docks, Jim not far behind. "Whatever made me agree to supervising them, I'll never know," Dr. Doppler muttered. I came upon a fuzzy little alien holding a ladder, a robot standing precariously at the top of it, and decided to ask for directions. I remembered from Doc's ramblings that the ship was tied up at Dock 233. "Hey, HEY!" I called, stopping. "I need to ask you guys something," I said. "Sure thing, honey," said the alien. The robot looked down at me expectantly. "Anything for a pretty lady," Fuzzy continued. I made a face in disgust. "Alright, alright, you guys, just tell us where Dock 233 is," Jim said, coming up from behind. "Sheesh, man, alright, calm down. We were trying to help your girfriend," Fuzz Ball said. "Second port on your right," said the robot. "You can't miss it," finished the alien. "Hey, thanks and she isn't my girlfriend or friend at that matter. She's all yours if you want her," Jim said, giving them a little wave and starting in that direction. Dr. Doppler was carrying on behind me. "It's the suit, isn't it..." I fell in step beside Jim. "What was that for?" I demanded. "What was WHAT for? I just helped you out!" Jim returned. "I was doing fine myself and FYI I'd rather be with those guys than you anytime," I said, speeding up angrily. Jim opened his mouth to reply, but Dr. Doppler laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't bother, Jim. It is impossible for men to understand women and the way they think." "I HEARD THAT!" I yelled from ahead. ( Why can't Jim ever butt out?) Jim and Dr. Doppler caught up to me just as you reached Dock 233. I stopped. "Whoa," I said, looking up at the tethered ship. "Ah, here it is: the R.L.S. Legacy!" Dr. Doppler said proudly.

"THAT is cool," I breathed, spinning around slowly while I was looking up at the ship and walking. Jim did pretty much the same thing, minus the spinning, and Dr. Doppler just walked toward the ship. He had seen it before, naturally, since he had hired it. I followed Jim up the boarding ramp, the good Doctor clanking behind us. Suddenly, I ran into Jim, who had run into something else. And this something started, erm, FARTING at him. I looked past Jim and saw a pink alien with an assortment of what looked to be tubes and horns all over the place. I couldn't help but to burst into laughter, leaning against the side of the ship so I wouldn't fall down. The messed up hair, the look of astonishment, and the farting noises... it was too much. I sobered up, however, as Dr. Doppler started to reply in the same dialect. I watched in keen interest as the alien responded, and his anger at Jim having run into him seemed to have vanished. "I'm fluent in Flatchula, Jim. Took two years of it in high school." "Flatchula? Cool," Jim said, smoothing back his hair. "Vain and arrogant... I didn't know those two characteristics could possibly be put together in the male species... Huh... You learn something new everyday," I said plainly. "I never knew girls were so stubborn and annoying... Huh... you learn something new everyday," Jim mocked, following me. I climbed up three stairs to a higher part of the top deck, standing next to Dr. Doppler. The alien beside him reminded me of a boulder. He was large, grey, and, well, looked like a rock with a face, arms, and legs. "I'm not the Caption," he was telling the Doc. "The Captain's aloft." He gestured up with his hand, and the three of us looked where he was pointing. We saw a flash of blue, and then the Captain stood before us. She resembled a cat as much as Dr. Doppler resembled a dog, and in mid-thigh high boots, and a long blue Captain's overcoat, she looked extremely authoritative. "Mr. Arrow, I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern and as usual, it's... spot on. Can you get nothing wrong?" the Captain complimented. "You flatter me, Captain," Mr. Arrow replied. She turned her head, and saw Dr. Doppler. Or rather, his outfit. "Ah, Dr. Doppler, I presume." "Uh, um, yes, I-" The Captain rapped on his helmet. "Hello? Can you hear me?" I allowed a small smile as Dr. Doppler said, "Yes I can! Stop that banging!" and tried, unsuccessfully, to pull his helmet off. "If I may, Doctor, this-" the Captain grabbed the red mounted button, "-works so much better when it's right-way up," she turned it around, "and plugged in." She yanked the plug out, spun the Doc around, and plugged the cord in. There was a shock ("Ooh!"), and the Doc was front ways again. "Lovely. There you go!" He reached around, and grabbed the plug. "If you don't mind, I can manage my own plugging!" The Captain grabbed the Doctor's hand, and started shaking it. "I'm Captain Amelia, late of a few run-ins with the Prozan Armada. Nasty business, but I won't bore you with my scars. You've met my first officer, Mr. Arrow. Sterling, tough, dependable, honest, brave and true." "Please, Captain," Arrow said modestly. "Oh, shut up, Arrow. You know I don't mean a word of it." Jim and I looked at each other, and then, realizing what you were doing,both looked away. The Doctor cleared his throat. "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt this... lovely banter, but may I introduce to you Kay Pridgen, and Jim Hawkins. Jim, you see, is the boy who found the treasure-" Captain Amelia suddenly took hold of Dr. Doppler's mouth, and clamped down on the fleshy part of his cheek. "Doctor, please," I winced, and looked around the Captain and Doctor. A LARGE member of the crew, with a red face, growled at us, and continued moving barrels with its four arms, along with two other, smaller, weird looking aliens. "I'd like a word with you in my stateroom."

Captain Amelia locked her door. "Doctor," she began, walking slowly towards him and her desk. "To muse, and blabber, about a treasure map, in front of this particular crew, demonstrates a level of ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic. And I mean that in a very caring way." I, leaning up against the locked door with your arms crossed, snorted with laughter. "Imbecilic, did you say? Foolishness! I've got-" "May I see the map, please?" Jim and the Doc looked at each other for a moment. "Oh, just give it to her!" I sighed. Jim glared at me, and then Dr. Doppler gestured for Jim to hand it over. "Here," he said, pulling it out of his jacket pocket and tossing it to the Captain. The Captain nimbly caught the orb, and studied it for a second or two. "Fascinating..." she murmured. Then, she strode to cabinet, and threw open the doors. "Mr. Hawkins," Captain Amelia began, putting the map in a tiny box. "In the future, you are to refer to me as Captain, or Ma'am. Is that clear?" Jim rolled his eyes. "Eck..." "Mr. Hawkins?" "Yes, Ma'am." "The same goes for you, Miss Pridgen." I looked up, and mockingly saluted at her. "Miss Pridgen," the Captain said, rather testily. "Aye Aye Captain." "That'll do. Gentlemen - and lady -" Jim snorted, and I glared at him. "This must be kept under lock and key when not in use. And Doctor, again, with the greatest possible respect,zip your howling screamer." Captain Amelia sat down at her desk, and started moving her compass across a map. "Captain," Dr. Doppler managed, "I assure you, I-" "Let me make this as... monosyllabic as possible," the Captain interrupted. "I... don't much care for this crew you hired. They're, eh, how did I describe them, Arrow? I said something rather good this morning before coffee." "A ludicrous parcel of driveling gallutes, Ma'am," Arrow answered. Captain Amelia nodded. "There you go, poetry." The Doctor slammed his hands down on her desk, and said angrily, "Now, see HERE-" "Doctor, I'd love to chat, tea, cake, the whole shebang but, I have a ship to launch, and you've got your outfit to buff up. Mr. Arrow, please escort these two neophytes and they're unfortunate companion down to the galley straightaway. Young Hawkins will be working for our cook, Mr. Silver." "Wa- Oh, WHAT? The COOK?" The Captain went on as though he hadn't spoken. "After that, it would be greatly appreciated if you would introduce Miss Pridgen to her shipmate and overseer, Mr. Scroop, because, as of now, she is part of the rigging crew. Off you go."
I thought I was an unfortunate companion! Why do I have to have a BABY-SITTER! I can get into trouble with or without one!
My mood, already bitter and sour, made a turn for the worse as I made my way down to the galley. If it's one thing I hated, it was complaining. And boy, was I getting an earful from the Doc and Jim. "That woman, that... FELINE!" Dr. Doppler started. "Who does she think is working for whom?" "It's my map, and she's got me bussin' tables." Dr. Doppler shook his head. "Looks like we're both having women troubles, Jim." "I'll not tolerate a cross word about our Captain! There's no finer officer in this, or any galaxy," Mr. Arrow boomed. "Quit complainin', you two. A little work would do you both some good, especially you," I said, thumping Jim's forehead. "Look who's talkin'," Jim muttered irritably. I had been waiting for this all day, and Jim had just provided the perfect outlet for me to express myself. I whirled around, the gleam of battle bright in your crystal clear blue eyes. "Look, JIM, I am SO sick of your cocky, immature attitude! I SEVERELY doubt you've EVER done a full day's work in your entire, miserable life. WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Now Jim advanced on me. "No, you know what? I think the question is what's YOUR problem?! You've been raggin' on me ever since we've met! What have I ever done to you?!" By this time, he had backed me into a table, and the two of us were so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body. I realized I was slightly shorter than him, short enough that I had to look up to glare into his face... or to look into his eyes. 'He has really nice... blue eyes...' I found myself thinking. Suddenly, a cough interrupted my thoughts, and Jim and I blinked. 'Oh my God... What was THAT? What was I thinking?' i looked around me as I tried to step away from Jim, jamming my hip into the table I was pressed up against. Dr. Doppler, Mr. Arrow, and a new figure were all staring at Jim and I. "Er, Mr. Hawkins, this is the cook, Mr. Silver. Mr. Silver, by order of the Captain, young Hawkins is to be left here, in your charge." Silver spit out the mouthful of stew he had been sampling. "Beggin' your pardon, Sir, but-" "See to it the new Cabin Boy's kept busy." Arrow grabbed my arm, and started to haul me up that stairs, Dr. Doppler marching behind you. And I kept my eyes glued to my boots the entire way, like they were the most interesting things I had ever seen.

At the top of the galley steps, Arrow let go of my arm, and motioned for me to follow in his wake. Arrow stopped below the main mast. He looked up, and shouted, "Mr. Scroop!" After a few moments, something very big, very red, and VERY ugly seemed to fall from the sails. "Yesss, Mr. Arrow?" said an alien, apparently Scroop. "Miss Pridgen has been assigned to the rigging crew," Arrow answered. "By Captain's orders, you are to oversee her responsibilities and duties. Make sure your trainee doesn't stray into any trouble." While Arrow had been speaking, I was taking in the look of my boss, and, quite frankly, I didn't like it. Scroop, who looked like a bright red crab on spider legs, wore a black hat with stringy grey hair underneath it. He also wore a black vest. His bright, orange-yellow eyes were bug-like as well. "It will be my..." Scroop looked at me with a smirk, "pleasure." A bell sounded above my head. "We're about to get underway. Would you like to observe the launch, Doctor?" "Would I?!" Dr. Doppler answered. "Does an active galactic nucleus have superluminal jets?" A blank and solemn stare from Mr. Arrow made the Doc say, "I'll follow you." Arrow nodded his head to Scroop and I. "Good day." As the two walked off, Scroop turned his attention to me. "Ssso, missy, you've got a first name?" This was all asked in such a sweet manner it made my stomach turn. "Kay," I answered. Suddenly, the sweet demeanor changed as The Ugly Bugling loomed down into my face. "Well, Kay," Scroop spat, "it looks to me like I've got a little helper for our long voyage. All I need for you to do is every little thing that pops into my head, whenever I tell you to do it." "Yea, in your dreams, bug-brain," I said, turning my face away so I wouldn't have to smell Scroop's rancid breath. Almost immediately, I felt my head snap forward, and a very sharp point at my throat. "Understand?" Scroop hissed. Suddenly, "Ve are all clear, Captain!" For that split second Scroop was distracted, I walked off, laughing inwardly at my cunning. "Bug-brain," I chuckled. I jogged, dodging random crewmembers on my way, towards the bow of the ship, where the steering and controls were. In mid-jog, though, I started to drift up into the air. I had made it to the stairs before the steering end of the ship, so I was able to hear the Captain say, "Mr. Snuff, engage artificial gravity!" The alien who had been speaking Flatchula earlier made several more of the farting noises, and a sudden line of lilac, violet, and white flashed across the deck. I landed with the ease and grace, just as a lady - or of someone who had fallen off a solar surfer many times - should. The ship floated up higher, and I rushed up the steps. "South by southwest, Mr. Turnbuckle, heading 2-1-0-0," Captain Amelia ordered. "Aye, Cap'n," a many-tentacled alien said. "2-1-0-0." As the ship drifted even higher, I clambered up the nearest set of shrouds, and braced myself for take-off. Well, guess we should get this party started.

Jim's P.O.V.

Using one hand to hang on to the ropes, I leaned out as far as I could, letting the wind rush into my face as the ship took off. The ship entered a school of 'Orcus Galacticuses'. "Whoa!" I breathed, eyes widening in awe. My beauty-admiring moment came to an end, though, when I heard a loud splatter. I turned my head, and looked up, and laughed out loud. There was the Doc, completely covered in green ooze from one of the animals he had been trying to photograph. It was the funniest thing I had seen in a while. Now that the ship had passed through the school, I leaned back against the ropes, my hands in my pockets. That scene in the galley entered my mind again. I couldn't seem to stop thinking about it, and because of this, I couldn't stop thinking about Kay. I didn't WANT to think about Kay at all. She was annoying, she was stubborn, she was a know-it-all, an all-out thorn in my side and yet there was just something about her. But that something was something I didn't want to think about at all. So, when Silver said, "Jimbo! I've got two new friends I'd like you to meet," I was glad for the distraction, and looked around expectantly. "Say hello to Mr. Mop, and Mrs. Bucket." With one flash of arm, Silver tossed me a bucket and mop, and I deftly caught them. "Yippee," I said. It was going to be a long trip.

I suddenly found myself being hauled off the shrouds rather abruptly. Scroop leered in at me, his breath fouler than ever. I expected the ugly alien crewmember to say something about my sidling off earlier, but no, all he said was, "You got some chores to do." Maybe the sting of me outsmarting him hadn't completely faded. As I followed behind Scroop, I passed Jim, who was mopping the deck and muttering to himself under his breath. Three more crewmembers were whispering with each other over towards the left side of the ship. Suddenly, one tapped another, and all turned smartly around. "What're you looking at, weirdo?" At first, I thought they were talking to me, but then I realized the crewmembers were looking past me, at Jim. "Yea, weirdo!" I made a face as what I thought was a human head climbed off its body, and the eyes and mouth of a fourth alien appeared on what I thought had been the chest. I turned as Scroop advanced on Jim. "Cabin boysss should learn to mind their own businesss," Scroop hissed. Jim looked defiant, and promptly responded with, "Why? You got something to hide, Bright Eyes?" Scroop suddenly lashed out, grabbing Jim and lifting him up. "Maybe your earsss don't work ssso well," Scroop said. Jim moved his head to one side. "Yea... too bad my nose works just fine." "Why, you impudent little-" Scroop made a noise - something between a cough and a yell, I suspected - and slammed Jim up against the mast he had been working under. Crewmembers appeared from nowhere, shoving you forward and shouting, "Brawl! Brawl!" Scroop spread his free claw, and pointed the sharper side at Jim's throat, much in the same manner he had threatened me earlier. "Any last wordsss, Cabin Boy?" Jim, squirm all he might, couldn't get loose. "Now, if I despised Jim, I LOATHED Scroop, and I'd rather see him made a fool than Jim killed over something so stupid. So, I did the first thing I could think of; I grabbed Jim's bucket of sudsy water, and, shouting, "Leave him alone!", I lobbed it at Scroop. My aim was true, and the bucket splashed down on Scroop's head. In an instant, Jim dropped to the deck, and Scroop wailed. There was a general intake of breath among the crewmembers as Scroop wiped soap away from his now red-rimmed eyes. "You..." he growled. "Me..." I stoutly replied. Jim, still sitting on the ground, looked up at me. Suddenly, a clamp, well, clamped down on Scroop's forearm. There was the galley chef you had briefly met earlier, his mechanical hand replaced by the clamp. "Mr. Scroop?" he asked, biting into a purp. "You ever see what happens to a fresh purp when you squeeze real HARD?" The clamp tightened, and Scroop screeched in pain. "What's all this?" came a strong voice. Arrow came slowly down the stairs, a stern look on his face. "You know the rules!" he thundered. "There'll be no brawling on this ship!" He leaned in at Scroop. "Do I make myself clear, Mr. Scroop?" Scroop's mouth curled in distaste, and it looked as if he was going to come up with a smart comeback when a faint, red light washed over him. I followed the barely-noticeable glow back to its source: the Cyborg cook, Silver! But before I could ponder this further, Scroop replied, "Transparently."
I felt very... CONFUSED...
The crowd dispersed, and Scroop forced me to march ahead of him, leaving Jim to a loud 'talking out' from Silver. Finally, I came to a halt at the front of the ship, and there I, rather reluctantly, listened to orders. "First, young missy, you're going to untangle these ropes." Scroop told me, gesturing to a large pile of knots behind him. "Then, you do know what a Sailor's Knot it, don't you, or are you really as thickheaded as you look?" "I wasn't born yesterday," I replied sourly. "Your second chore is to tie the lifelines into their posts. There need to be 17." "What sort of knot should I use?" I asked innocently. Other than a foul scowl as he continued talking, Scroop gave no indication he had heard me speak. "Then the Captain wants the steerage deck scrubbed. All the supplies you'll need for that are in the storage room," Scroop finished. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do." And with that, he slithered off. I snorted. "Yea, what work?" I muttered to myself. So, with a heavy sigh, I sat with my back against the side of the ship, and pulled the pile of ropes towards me. It was rough going, at first. The ropes were round and thick, and the knots were tight. After the first hour, my fingertips were red and numb, and I was only halfway done. But now I had the hang of it, and it only took me half an hour more to finish. Now you carefully gathered up the separate coils and carried them down to the mast with their posts. It took you another half hour to use the Sailor's Knot to attach all the lifelines. First, I would tie the ropes to the post. Then, I tied the other end of the ropes around my waist. Lastly, I backed up as far as the rope would allow, and then pulled as hard as I could, just to make sure each knot was going to hold. When I finished testing, I coiled the ropes back up. I wanted to make sure Scroop couldn't find a single thing wrong with my work. Two down, one to go, and that's when I realized I had no idea where the supply room was. I groaned. "Why me? Why me, why me, why me, why me, why me?" I complained, clunking in my boots down three stairs to the main deck. A flow of aliens poured forth from the galley at that moment, and I managed to call one aside. Turnbuckle, the Captain had called him. I decided a polite manner would be the best way to go about the problem. "Um, excuse me, but, could you tell me where the supply room is?" I asked sweetly. Turnbuckle sighed, rolled his eyes, and answered as though I was four, using his tentacles to illustrate. "Up there, over there, first door on your left." "Thank-" The gray alien strode off. "-you," I ended flatly. Shaking my head, my ponytail swaying back and forth, I started off in the direction the alien had indicated.
Well, at least I didn't give Scroop the satisfaction of having to ask HIM where the supply room was...
"Oh, that's nice," I said sarcastically, chuckling dryly and running my fingers through your bangs. The door in front of me was clearly marked 'Supply'. No wonder Turnbuckle had looked so... PEEVED when I had asked about it. I opened the door, and something small, bright pink, and floating popped up into my face. "Auuggh!" I shouted, startled. I reeled backwards, and fell, hard, on my butt. After a moment's breath or two, I sat up. There, poking its head out from behind the supply door, was a little, pink, floating blob. It made a purring sound, and came fully into view. It was holding beneath it a bottle of liquid soap. I sighed, standing up. "Well, there's only on other person on this ship cleanin' the deck. Looks like your stuck with JIM," I told the floating creature. It purred again, and followed me into the room. I reached up, and pulled a cloth apron off one of the shelves. "I feel sorry for you, y'know," I went on, pulling the apron over my head and letting the straps dangle down. Pinkie purred a third time, and it brought a smile to my face. I reached out, and used one finger to pet him. It shivered in delight under my touch. I laughed, and bent over, grabbing a bucket that already had a scrub brush in it. A voice floated down the hallway. "Morph?" "I take it you're Morph?" I asked, putting a hand on my hip. Morph nodded, still holding the bottle of soap. "Morph, where's that so- Oh, YOU'RE here," he finished. I sighed, giving Morph one final pet, as he handed Jim the soap. "You know, for someone who nearly got his throat slit today, you're not being very nice to the person who saved your life," I said calmly. Without waiting for a reply, I walked towards the door, pulled the bottle of soap out of Jim's hands, and left.( He is so IGNORANT! I should have never saved his ungrateful neck!)

The sky was growing dark when I stepped up from the galley, where I had filled my bucket. I sighed, marching towards the steerage deck. It was getting late, I was tired and cold, and had missed supper. I sat the bucket down, and kneeled beside it. I pulled some bobby pins out of my pocket (I always keep them handy for lock picking, oh, and for my hair) and pinned my bangs up to keep them out of your way. With another reluctant sigh, I pulled the scrub brush out of the warm, soapy water, and began my work. I labored long and hard, and I was finally done an hour or two after nightfall. The steerage deck might not be very big, but it was extremely dirty, as though it hadn't been cleaned after the Legacy's last voyage. Which, I realized, it probably hadn't. But, by the time I was done with it, it was spotless. I sat back with a tired, satisfied smile. I picked up my brush and bucket, ready to fall asleep on my feet, which felt like bricks of lead, by the way. I dumped the bucket of cold, dirty water over the ship's side, and started walking back towards the supply room to put the cleaning implements away. This time, the supply room was empty, and I had no distractions while putting everything back in its proper place. I was out of there and headed for the hammocks in a jiff. It was pretty late by the time I was finally able to go to sleep for the night. I descended into the sleeping quarters. I heard the ship creak above me as one of the night sentries walked across the deck. I pulled the bobby pins out of my hair, along with the orange bandana. Next, I pulled my hair out of it's ponytail. It was easy to find a hammock; there were several empty, one for me, five or six for the night watch aliens. I crashed on one, and rolled over to face the wall with a yawn. Within seconds, I was asleep.

Jim's P.O.V.

I turned my head as someone's silhouette caught my eye. Even though I didn't see a ponytail, I was positive the person was Kay. She was the only other human form on the ship. Ahh, yes. There was the telltale bandana equipped ponytail. She dropped onto her hammock, and rolled over. She yawned, which made me yawn. I turned over, off my side and onto my back, crossing my arms behind my head. I started replaying the conversation I had had with my Cyborg overseer in my head for the umpteenth time... I had been mopping the deck still, and Morph had been playing around, just having fun. I sighed, and leaned on my mop. "Well, this has been a fun day, huh? Making new friends... like that spider psycho," I added, wriggling my fingers. Morph turned into Scroop, and hissed, "Spider psycho, spider psycho!" I laughed. "A little uglier," I decreed. Morph Scroop's eyes got real big, and started flashing different colors. I laughed again, and said, "Pretty close." "Well," Silver said, coming up from the galley. I quickly went back to mopping, and Morph turned back into his regular self. "Thank heavens for little miligers. Up here for an hour and the deck's still in one piece." Silver dumped some trash overboard, and Morph dived after something of his interest. "Looks like you have your friend, whatsername, Kay, to thank for your life, eh?" I had kept mopping. "She's NOT my friend." Silver decided to change the subject. "Didn't your pop ever teach you to pick your fights a bit more carefully?" the Cyborg had asked curiously. I glared in the other direction. "Your father not the teaching sort?" Silver guessed. "No," I answered vehemently. "He was more the 'taking-off-and-never-coming-back' sort." I leaned on the side of the ship, and Silver had joined me. "Oh... sorry lad," Silver apologized. "Hey, no big deal. I'm doing just fine," I replied. "Is that so?" Silver mused. "Well, since the Captain's put you in my charge, like it or not, I'll be poundin' a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep you out of trouble!" Silver poked at your forehead, and I waved him away. "What?" I said, confused. "From now on, I'm not lettin' you outta my sight!" "You can't-" "You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch your BUM without my say-so!" Silver pounded his fist down to emphasize his point. "Don't do me any favors!" I shouted. Silver draped one arm around my shoulders, and patted my chest with the robotic other. "Oh, you can be sure of that, my lad. You can be sure of that!" I sighed in frustrations, and rolled over to face the wall. Why couldn't people ever leave you alone?!(Maybe because your an ANNOYING LITTLE SH...oh,wait, not my point of view.)

The next few weeks went on like my first day. Silver and Scroop seemed to coordinate our chores, much to my displeasure. If I peeled carrots, Jim peeled potatoes. If I was learning (without help) how to tie up or let out sails, Jim was being taught the Sailor's Knot. If I was prying barnacles off one side of the ship, Jim was working on the other. And the deck? It was so clean I could eat a BUFFET off of it. I scrubbed it one day, Jim the next. It was almost always late when I finally got to go to sleep, and boy, was I tired when I finally found my hammock. But sometimes - today, for example - I finished my chores early, and for an hour or two, I was free to roam around the ship, or just sit and gaze out at the stars. I had even found my own little nook on the ship, too. When I climbed up the mast at the stern of the ship, and to the top of the sail, I could sit on the crosswood with my back to the mast and my feet hanging down. When I sat there, it was like I was above in a world of my creation. And no one could blame me! Why, I was on a ship en route to TREASURE PLANET, surrounded by the stars, with the wind blowing in my face and through my hair. As dusk was falling, I climbed up to 'My Spot', and took a seat. It was going to be a good night for stargazing. There were no clouds in the sky, and only a puff of breeze every now and then, just enough to tantalize and freshen the senses. "Perfect," I sighed contently. But it wasn't for long. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light, and the ship lurched suddenly and violently to one side. Taken by surprise, I let loose a scream of terror no one on board would've thought me, of all people, were capable of making. I was falling from the top of the mast to the deck below, and it was a long way down.
Oh My God, I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!
I was falling fast. If I didn't THINK fast, I was going to be the flattest space pancake anyone ever saw. So, when I finally got my bearings about halfway down, I flung myself at the mast. My cheek connected with the mast, and the force of impact would have pushed me back into the air if I hadn't miraculously managed to latch onto a dangling rope. I didn't know how it had gotten there, but I was hugely thankful for the jerk that stopped my descent about four feet from the deck. My body hung limp, and I exhaled deeply in relief. But now was no time to moan about rope burns. i wanted to find out what had nearly made me spatula meat. I dropped onto the deck, and ran past the stairs just as Silver and Jim were coming up from below deck. I just kept running up to the Captain's Deck; I didn't have time to argue with anyone at the moment. I slid to a stop beside the Captain, just barely hitting the side of the ship with my hips. The flyaways that had been in my face moments before were blasted back, and my lime green bandana nearly slid off my head. "The star Pellucid!" Dr. Doppler gasped. I could suddenly feel Jim's presence behind me. I glanced up at him, and then back out at the star, shaking off the strange, uncomfortable shiver that had just run up and down my spine. "It's gone... SUPERNOVA!" Captain Amelia dashed off. "Evasive actions, Mr. Turnbuckle!" she shouted. "Aye, Captain!" Turnbuckle shouted in return, spinning the wheel sharply and rapidly to one side. The ship rocketed away from the star. "All hands, fasten your lifelines!" Arrow shouted. Jim and I turned, running madly for the mast. I tied the rope around my waist, and pulled the knot on the mast tight. "Lifeline secure!" Apparently, the ship wasn't going fast enough to flee the star because suddenly, pieces of burning star came flying through the sails. "Mr. Arrow!" the Captain cried. "Secure those sails!" "Secure all sails!" Arrow echoed. "Bring them down, men!" Despite the situation, I gave a sigh of disgust. Men were lazy, arrogant slobs, and I was definitely none of that (Well, maybe just a TAD arrogant )! I had a job to do, though, so I climbed up the shrouds, and started pulling on a rope with three other crew members on three other ropes to close one of the larger sails. Once that was done, I leaped through the air to another crossmast to close another one. A large, fat alien crewmember sat at the laser cannon, blasting the larger pieces of star that threatened the ship. Now all the sails above were closed, and I hastily went back down to the deck. I wanted to go back up by the Captain and hear what was going on. As soon as my boots hit the deck, though, something... more pressing came up. A gigantic piece of star was rolling towards the ship! Any minute now, the ship was going to shatter against the flowing mass - taking everyone on board with it!
Oh My God, I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die! Again!
Then, the star piece began rolling in reverse. It was going backwards! "Captain... the star!" said the little, green, multi-eyed alien stationed in the crow's nest. I looked up at where the Doctor and Captain were standing. "It's evolving into a-" Doppler gasped. "-a black hole!" "We're bein' pulled in!" Turnbuckle shouted. He was thrown suddenly and violently from the ship's wheel. "Oh, no you don't!" Captain Amelia cried, taking the wheel and struggling to steady it. The ship hurdled at a great speed towards the hole. Suddenly, a great wave of what appeared to be burning heat bubbled up from the hole. It tilted the ship on one side. "BLAST these waves, they're reclusively erratic!" you heard the Captain say. The Doctor replied, "No, Captain, they're not erratic at all! In fact, there'll be one more in precisely 47.2 seconds, followed by the biggest magella of them all!" You looked to the Captain. "Brilliant, Doctor!" she exclaimed. "We'll ride that last magella out of here!" "All sails secured, Captain!" Arrow shouted. "Good man! Now, RELEASE them immediately!" said the Captain excitedly. A befuddled Arrow replied, "Aye, Captain," and then shouted at the crew, "You heard her, men! Unfurl those sails!" There were numerous complaints, but the rest of the rigging crew and I scuttled up into the sails. I chanced a glance downward, and saw Jim tightening all the lifelines. I dropped down to a lower piece of crosswood, and along with Scroop and Arrow, started pulling open the sail. The second wave came; as it was, I had been leaning a bit too far to the left, and when the wave hit, I toppled that way. Thankfully, the lifelines were fastened on the side of the mast opposite the way I had fallen, so the rope hung over the crosswood, suspending me in midair. I wrapped my fingers around the rope above me so I could hang vertically. I looked down. "Whew... that would've been the second time today," I murmured. And then, suddenly, it was. I was falling.
Oh My God, I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die! ( For the third time that day! That's gotta be a record or something!)
I landed facedown on the deck not too far below. Since the sail I had fallen from wasn't that high up, I was injury-free, give or take a few bruises and scrapes. I groaned, and then felt something lick the side of your face. I lifted my head, and laid eyes on Morph. I got to my knees, and then heaved my sore body into a standing position. "Hey, Morph," I said softly. Then - "Captain! The last wave! Here it comes!" "Hold on to your lifelines, ladies and gents, it's going to be a bumpy ride!" the Captain called. I groped for my lifeline, but looked down to find all the rope that was left was around my waist was a short piece that hung down from the knot. Darkness started to envelop the ship, so I grabbed the first lifeline I found that had some slack in it, and wrapped it around my fist once. With my left hand, I cradled Morph, and held him to me. He was a blow-away hazard, after all. By now, all was silent, except for the rumblings of the collapsed star. Then, there was a loud boom, and a bright flash of light. Hot air filled the sails, and then the ship's booster engines kicked in, blasting the ship out of the hole. My hand slid back a couple of inches; I could just feel the rope burn. But suddenly, things were calm again. There was no yellow, immense heat, only cool blue sky. I opened my eyes. It took a moment, but I started to grin wildly. I held Morph up in front of my face in both of my palms. "Morph, we're ALIVE!" I exclaimed. All Morph did was turn to jelly in my hands. The Captain strode easily up the stairs to the Captain's deck, stopping halfway up. "Well, I must, uh, congratulate you, Mr. Silver. It seems your Cabin Boy did a bang-up job with those lifelines." Jim and Silver started pushing each other about playfully. "All hands accounted for, Mr. Arrow?" the Captain continued. When he didn't respond, I looked around. Arrow was always prompt with his replies to the Captain. "Mr. Arrow?" the Captain called again. "Scroop's infamous hissing reached my ears. I turned, and saw everyone clearing a way for him, who was making a slow bust steady beeline for the Captain. "I'm afraid Mr. Arrow has been lost," Scroop hissed, handing Captain Amelia Arrow's all-too-familiar hat. I put my hands to my mouth to mask my inaudible gasp, my eyes wide. "His lifeline was not secured," Scroop added. The Captain, along with me and every other crew member, turned to look at Jim. "No, I checked 'em all!" Jim defended, running to where the lifelines were tied. I pushed my way through to the front to see what was happening. One stake was bare. "I-I did! I checked them all... they were secure..." Jim said unbelievingly. He faced the Captain. "I swear!" The Captain narrowed her eyes. "Mr. Arrow was..." She cleared her throat, "... a fine Spacer. Finer than most of us could ever hope to be." I bowed my head in respect. "But he knew the risks, as so we all," she finished. "Resume your posts... we carry on," she ordered. Captain Amelia went to her quarters. Jim turned, and ran.
Aww, poor Jim... ( ... Did I just say what I think I did?) Wait... my rope 'broke'... Arrow's dead... that can't be a coincidence... ( MmHm... yea, that's sounds more like me!)
It was my turn to stand watch that night, but I didn't do a very good job. I was too busy mulling the day's events over in my head. I had untied the remaining rope, and was now studying it carefully. But I just couldn't get over the fact THAT I FELT SORRY FOR JIM. ME, of all people, pitied him! Inwardly, a war was waging. Should I tell him, or should I, being stubborn as I am, just walk past him, sitting in the shrouds, for the seventh time? It goes without saying my better half won. With a deep breath, I swallowed my pride, and walked slowly towards Jim. I opened my mouth, but Jim spoke first, and my meek greeting died on my lips. "What do YOU want?" Jim sounded tired, angry, frustrated, and sad, all at the same time. "I want to tell you that I don't think what happened t-today... what happened today, I don't think it was your fault." All Jim did to reply was arch an eyebrow. He really wasn't going to make this easy, was he? I cleared my throat. I didn't have any experience helping out someone I loathed with my entire being. In fact, I couldn't really remember a time when I had gone out of my way to help anyone. I had a 'They Get What They Give' policy and since the world didn't give a lot, they didn't get a lot. 'Well, there's a first time for everything,' I suppose. But, at the moment, I was having second thoughts on whether I really, truly hated Jim or not. I continued on with what I had been saying. "I don't think Arrow's death was an accident. I think someone cut his lifeline." "Oh, really now. How do you figure?" Jim asked, his voice dry and sarcastic. I produced the rope I had been clutching behind my back on open palm towards him. "Because I'm pretty sure whoever did Arrow in tried to kill me, too," I answered. Everything was silent for a moment or two, and then I heard Jim sigh. Uh oh. "It always has to be about you, doesn't it?" he asked quietly. I was extremely taken aback. This was definitely not the reaction I had expected. It's not like I expected the kid to be giddy or anything, but... "What? No! I-" "I have some news for you, Kay," Jim went on quietly. "The universe DOESN'T revolve around you. Sometimes stuff happens to other people, and, whether you like it or not, you have nothing to do with it." I clenched my empty fist, and slowly withdrew my other hand. My pride reared its head like a lion, and my temper flared. "This is what I get for trying to help someone like Jim," I muttered. "And to think," I said aloud, "I felt SORRY for you! I-I... I'm so STUPID!" I flung the rope at him. "There! Take a look for yourself!" I shouted, turning on my heel and moving stormily towards the sleeping quarters, all feelings of pity and thoughts of non-hatred buried. I clumped down the stairs, and woke up Silver rather roughly, my shift being done with. He mumbled a few words, and rolled over slightly to squint at you. "You're up," I said sourly. I went to my hammock, and kicked off my boots. I flopped down, and faced the wall. "You might want to talk to your Cabin Boy. He won't listen to me," I said, closing my eyes. The Cyborg looked over his shoulder curiously at my back, shook his head with a slight smile, and ascended to the deck.
I try to help that JERK, and this is the thanks I get?! ARGH, I'll get him yet! (What a lovely thought to have before falling asleep!)

Jim's P.O.V.

At the very last possible moment, my arm shot out, and deftly caught the short piece of rope. I watched Kay stomp below deck, and I shook my head in frustration, starting to practice my knots on the rope. I looked down at it with a sigh. Why me? How come nothing ever went right for me? Why couldn't I ever do anything right, just once? And then, to make matters worse, Silver came along. "It wasn't your fault ya know," he said, lighting his pipe. I sighed again. These people... Kay and Silver... they just didn't get it. It WAS my fault. I hadn't checked the lifelines thoroughly enough. I could still see that look in Captain Amelia's eyes clearly in my mind. "Why, half the crew would be spinnin' in that black abyss-" "Look, don't you people get it?!" I demanded angrily. I had thrown Kay's rope over the side of the ship, and dropped down from the shrouds. What I, and probably Silver, didn't notice was that Morph, who had come out of nowhere, dived after it. "I screwed up!" I continued. "I thought that for two seconds, MAYBE I could do something right, but... AAGH!" I half shuffled, half stomped over to a mast, and leaned against it. "I just..." I ran both hands through my hair, and sighed. "Just forget it. Forget it." I rubbed my eyes, a habit of mine. Silver reached out, grabbed my shoulder, and pulled me around. "Now. You listen to me, JAMES Hawkins. You got the makin's of GREATNESS in ya! But ya gotta take the helm, and charge your own course! Stick to it, no matter the squalls! And when the time comes ya get to really test the cut o' your sails, and show what you're made of... Well, I hope I'm there, catching some of the light comin' off ya that day." The Cyborg looked down at me, almost in a fatherly way. Or, at least, what I imagined was. I was amazed, now, to find water in my eyes. I dropped my head into his stomach, trying with all my might to hold back the tears. Silver patted my back at first, but it soon became an all-out hug. "There there, Jimbo, it's alright! It's alright," he said comfortingly. Soon, though, he coughed, and the two of us separated. "Er, now Jim, I'd best be gettin' about my watch... And you'd best get some shuteye," he said, pushing me towards the stairs. I looked back over my shoulder, and allowed him to see a small smile. Silver waved, and I started down the stairs.

Jim's P.O.V.
Night turned to morning, and it was almost time to get up for the day. Many were still sleeping below decks. I had the misfortune of sleeping beneath Snuff. One of his tentacles dropped down, and farted right in my ear, waking me from my sleep. "U-uh, ugh!" I groaned, trying to push the tentacles out of my way. The end result was me rolling out of my hammock, onto the floor. Something in my sleep-deprived mind told me there was no way I could doze off now, so I reached for my boots. The first one went on fine, but the second on hopped once away from me when I reached for it. The boot turned as if to look at me, and then hip, hop, hopped behind a chest. I rubbed my face tiredly. "Morph?" I asked. I exhaled loudly, and started slowly walking towards the chest, tucking my shirt in on the way. As I was passing Kay's hammock, I happened to glance at her. She was laying curled up, hands together under her head. With her hair down like that, she looked calm, almost peaceful. She actually looked sort of pretty. I shook my head clear. That was the lack of sleep talking. I dropped on my knees, and peered behind the chest. "Morph, knock it off, it's too early for this," I said. And then, WHAM! I was kicked from behind. "OWW!" I whirled around. "Hey! Morph!" The boot stuck its tongue out at me, and then Morph appeared, giggling. He hovered over a pile of someone's things, pulled out my boot, and started to float in circles with it. "Hey, come back here!" "Come back here!" he mocked. He flew up the stairs with it. I lifted an empty hammock, and followed. Up on deck, Morph flew to the middle, lower section. I jumped-pulled my boot away from Morph in midair, and landed on my stomach. I rested my chin in the crook of my arm, and looked at Morph hovering in front of me. Morph suddenly turned into some sort of large, orange fish, and spat water right into my face. "THAT'S IT, you little squid!" I exclaimed. I had landed on a raised wooden grate on the deck with square holes in it, and Morph started popping out of them, shaped like my head. Each head was saying, "You little squid! You little squid!" I started trying to hit them with my boot. And them Morph stopped coming up. I looked down through the holes, and saw the galley. So, I started down the galley stairs, pulling on my boot. But something was inside of it. I pulled out a piece of rope, and examined it while shoving my foot inside of the boot. I walked down into the galley, looking around for a place Morph could hide. I finally laid eyes on the barrel of purps, which I knew to be more than half empty. Still holding the piece of rope, I looked inside. One of the 'purps' was looking at me with one eye open. "HA! Busted!" I shouted, diving into the barrel. I grabbed Morph, and he oozed through my fingers. I grabbed at him again, and started tickling him, making him giggle until the harsh sounds of hushed, angry whispers reached my ears. "-we're sick of all this waitin'!" said the small, female crewmember. I cupped Morph in my hand to keep him quiet, and kept listening. The red-faced alien said something deeply that I couldn't understand. "Ve are vanting to move!" said the fat alien who worked the laser cannon. "We don't move 'til we got the treasure in hand!" That voice... that was Silver! I watched the unfolding scene through a decorative hole in the barrel. My stomach was tying into a tighter and tighter knot. "I sssay we kill 'em all now..." Scroop hissed suddenly. Silver grabbed his snout. "I say what's decided I say!" Silver growled. "Disobey my orders again like that stunt you pulled with Mr. Arrow, and so help me, you'll be JOININ' him!" Silver lifted Arrow off of him many legs, and threw him against the barrel, causing it to shake violently. 'Wait,' I thought, holding up the rope. I had just realized... it wasn't just a piece of rope. It was Kay's rope! This time I looked closer at it. One end looked like the normal end of a rope; the other, well, ended. It didn't looked frayed, or worn. It just... stopped. 'She was right... someone - Scroop - tried to kill her!' I thought. I looked back through the hole. "Ssstrong talk... but I know otherwissse..." said Scroop. His claw slowly descended into the barrel, groping around for a piece of fruit. I picked up a purp, and held it up for him to grab. "You got somethin' to say, Scroop?" Silver asked suspiciously. "It's that boy..." A look surprise came over Silver's face. "Me thinks you have a..." Scroop stuck the tip of this claw into the purple fruit, "soft spot fer him..." I leaned forward, wanting to know how Silver would respond. My heat was pounding in my throat. Some of the crew members started muttering; a lot of them sounded like they agreed with Scroop. "Now... nark me, the lot of yea!" he exploded. "I care about one thing and one thing only: Flint's trove! You'd think I'd risk it all for the sake of some nose-wipin' little whelp?!" I was dumbstruck. "What was it now? Oh... 'You've got the makin's of greatness in ye'!" Scroop mocked. "Shut yer yap!" Silver retaliated. "I calls it up to that kid to keep him off our scent! But I ain't gone soft-" "PLANET HO!" The crew members went from threatening to cheering in a heartbeat, and they stampeded up to the deck. I was crushed. I had trusted Silver. He had actually listened to me, taught me how to do things I hadn't done before - like a real father. I climbed out of the barrel, and sort-of stumbled into a table. I rubbed my face, and then realized someone would find it suspicious that I wasn't on deck with the rest of the crew. I took a couple of long, sprint-like steps towards and up the stairs, and then stopped dead. Silver stood at the very top of the stairs. "Jimbo..." he said, as though he were pleasantly surprised to find me there. "Playin' games, are we?" he asked, coming all the way down the stairs and forcing me to retreat. "Yea... you replied, reaching behind me. I found something on the tabletop that had a point. "Yea, we're playin' games." (Since when is his P.O.V. First? HMPH!)

I was awakened by the shout of "PLANET HO!" In a matter of minutes, my boots were on my feet, my hair was done and I came up from below decks putting on the finishing touch, a bright blue bandana. I edged my way to the side of the ship, and there I got my first look at the famed Treasure Planet. It looked much grander than the map had portrayed. It rested on an angle amidst gray clouds and odd rock formations that I assumed orbited around the planet. And then there was a sound. A very loud, sharp, whistling sound. At that same moment, just out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jim sprint into the Captain's stateroom, and slam the door shut. Silver was standing in the middle of the deck, his hand replaced by a sword. "Change in plan, lads! We move now!" The crew around me cheered, and started rushing about the ship. "Throw out our colors, Mr. Onus," Silver ordered. "Me pleasure, Captain," Onus replied gleefully from the crow's nest. The Interstellar flag came down, and then it all made sense as a large, black, billowing Pirate flag rose behind Silver. "Oh NO..." I whispered. The red-faced alien broke down the door to the arms room, and emerged with all four hands full of weapons. "Alright. I definitely think I should be going now..." I said to myself. I turned, and started to run towards the Captain's quarters. Just before I reached the stairs, I was blocked. By Scroop. His right claw was spread particularly wide. "I shall take great pleasure in killing you... again!" Scroop said, chuckling dryly. "Over my dead body!" I spat, pun totally intended.(Not really,blonde moment) "Let's hope so," Scroop said. He lunged at me, making that raspy throat sound again. I dove under Scroop's many legs, and onto the stairs. In an instant, I was on my feet and running like mad towards Captain Amelia's room. It wasn't a long run, and within seconds, I was banging on the door with my fist. "Jim! Open the door, NOW!" I shouted at the top of my voice. Suddenly, Scroop was there, snarling. He went for me again, but I ducked. I hit the door some more. "Jim, I swear, if you don't open this door I'm going to KILL you!" Scroop came at me again, and I ducked again. There was a loud CRACK! and I looked up to find Scroop's claw had gotten stuck in the wooden door. By now, I was crouched down so low that I was sitting on the deck with my back against the door, knees to my chest, Scroop was over me trying to pull his claw out of the door, and I was still banging backwards on the door. I had a few seconds, but not many. The rest of the pirates were coming up the stairs. I pounded the door a couple more times. "Jim, if you don't open this door right this instant, and Scroop kills me, I'll come back and haunt you for the rest of your God-forsaken li-" Just then, several things happened in rapid succession. Scroop pulled his claw free from the door. The rest of the pirate crew and Silver crowded around me and Scroop, grinning maliciously. And then, the last thing that could have happened at that moment did. The door opened, and someone pulled me into the room I had been trying so desperately to enter. The door slammed shut again before any of the pirates could even think about moving.
Where's that lowlife JAMES...
I looked up at the Doctor, who had pulled me in, from where I sat on the floor. I pointed at the door. "WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?" I fairly shrieked. "Well, Jim didn't want to let you in. Seemed to think you were a pirate yourself," Doppler explained. "No," I said impatiently, standing up. "I mean with the pira - WHAT?" I scrambled up from the floor. I glared at Jim. "You thought I was a pirate?! HOW STUPID DO YOU GET?!" I shouted. "Heh-hem!" the Captain said, gathering all of our attentions. She tossed a gun towards the Doc. "Doctor, you familiar with these?" Doppler caught the gun, and held it as though it were something disgusting. "Oh, I've seen, uh, well, I've read-" The gun suddenly went off, hitting and shattering Captain Amelia's globe. "Uh, no. No, no, I'm not." Everyone rolled their eyes. "Oh, give me that!" I said, snatching the gun away from the Doctor. "Can you even USE that?" Jim asked sarcastically. I aimed the weapon at Jim's head. "Care to find out, Hawkins?" I asked in complete seriousness. "Enough!" the Captain demanded. She gave Doppler and herself the last two guns in her cabinet, and then took out the map. The back of the door began to glow orange. 'The pirates must be trying to melt the lock!' I realized as I stuck the gun in my belt. "Mr. Hawkins. Defend this with your life!" Captain Amelia tossed it to Jim, but before he could catch it, Morph grabbed it, and started floating around with it in his mouth. "Morph! Gimme that!" Jim said, ripping the map out of Morph's mouth. The back of the door began to grow hotter. "Now what?" I asked, almost frantically. The Captain thought for a moment. "Through the floor," she said suddenly. "Right below this room is a hallway that leads to where the life sloops are kept. If we can shoot a hole in the floor, we can drop into the lower level," she explained while powering up her gun. I cocked mine as well, as did Dr. Doppler. "Uh, Doc, maybe should let them handle this," Jim said, using his hand to block the Doctor's gun. "One, two, three!" the Captain commanded. On three, both of us shot at the floor. The plan worked; a small hole was burned into the floor. "It's a good thing we're all so thin," the Doctor said. I rolled my eyes. "You first, Doctor," Amelia said. "Yes, of course," he replied, sitting on the edge of the hole and sliding down. The Captain looked at me, and without hesitation, I just jumped down. I didn't stick around to find out who came down third. I ran past the Doctor, and shouted at him, "MOVE!" The Captain and Jim caught up soon enough. It seemed like forever, but I finally reached the lifeboat room, with at least three aliens on my trail. And, of course, the Doc tripped coming down the stairs. Captain Amelia grabbed the collar of his red overcoat and yanked him out of the way. "Thank you!" he gasped as Captain Amelia shut the door. She shot at the lock with her gun, slightly melting the lock from the inside. "To the longboats quickly!" she called. Me, the Doctor, Jim, and Morph leaped into the boat, while the Captain opened the escape door. The door below me slowly began to open. A shower of sparks diverted my attention to the door. The pirates were melting through it, as was to be expected. Jim suddenly dove past me, OUT of the boat. "Jim, what're you - MORPH! NOT THE MAP!" I shouted, realizing Jim was after Morph, who had the map in his mouth again. Using the side of the boat to launch myself, I went after Jim. At that same moment, the aliens broke down the door. Luckily for me, they chose to advance on the boat by means of the other walkway. They fired at the Doctor and Captain Amelia, and they fired back. And then the pirates were, out of nowhere, falling through the bottom of the ship. Then, just as suddenly, the door began to close. "NO!" I gasped, eyes widening. "Morph! Here, Morph!" Jim shouted, spinning 'round and 'round, trying to grab Morph. I shook my head clear, trying to focus on the task at hand. "Morph!" I called sweetly. "Morph!" Silver called, showing up suddenly at the other end of the walkway. I threw my deepest, darkest, dirtiest glare at him. "Morph, c'mere!" "Morph! Morph! Morph, bring it here!" Jim said with a big smile plastered on his face. "Morphie, come here! Morphie!" I called. "Come to your dad!" wheedled Silver. Morph began turning to look at Jim and I, and Silver. I could tell he was confused and not wanting to pick one person over another. "Morph...!" I said slowly. "Morph... Morph... MORPH!" Jim said, his voice growing steadily louder and more demanding. "Come on!" Silver said. "Morphie!" Morph dived down into a coil of rope, map still in his mouth. Even with his apparently injured leg, Silver crawled towards the rope. He had almost gotten there when Jim reached into the coil and pulled out the map. The two of them stared each other down for a minute before Jim turned and ran. As soon as his back was turned, Silver had a gun aimed at his back. I was just as quick, though, and had my gun trained on him in a heartbeat. "Let's go!" Jim shouted. He grabbed my upper left arm, spun me around, and started pulling me towards the boat. I looked over my shoulder, and, oddly enough, saw Silver lowering his weapon. When I got to the edge of the walkway, he pushed me off just as Amelia shouted, "Now!" The cables holding the sloop were shot out, and the boat dropped. Jim jumped after me. I free-fell for a moment, and as the ship caught on the door, I landed in it in a dip between seats. Jim, however, barely managed to catch the side. "JIM!" I shouted, pushing myself against the wind to the side of the boat. I clamped onto Jim's wrists, and he held onto mine. Pulling hard, I yanked him aboard. I pulled so hard, in fact, that when I pulled Jim aboard, I fell backwards, and Jim landed on top of me. The two of us remained like that for a few seconds, looking at each other. Then I blinked, and pushed up on his chest. "Get off me!" Amelia opened the sail, and it filled, stopping the boat from dropping any further. "Perimeters met," the Captain said, pushing a series of buttons as she spoke, "hydraulics engaged!" She pulled a lever, and the lifeboat rocketed forward.
I saved Jim's life again?! *mutters* He SO owes me...
All seemed to be going well. It had appeared I had gotten away without a scratch. It was all too good to be true. "Captain! Laserball at 12:00!" Doppler shouted, pointing. Indeed, there it was, spiraling in our direction. The Captain immediately tried to turn the longboat, and she did, but not fast enough. The laserball smashed into the back end of the boat. The sail, engine... most of the important mechanical parts were destroyed. The sloop started falling fast and almost uncontrollably towards the planet. Me, and everyone else in the lifeboat, fell into a grove of strange-looking trees. They looked like engorged mushrooms. Captain Amelia pulled hard on the rudder. It, like everything else, didn't work. "Look out!" I shouted throwing my arms up in front of my face just as the battered boat went through one of the trees, When the sloop smashed through the other side of the tree, it came dangerously close to the ground. The pointed front end of the longboat snagged on the ground, tipping it up and flipping in over. The boat slid forward for another ten feet, and then finally came to a halt. Then, together, after a moment's breath or two, Jim and I lifted what remained of the boat up off of everyone. I put a hand to the back of my head. There was a bit of swelling, but no blood that I could fell. "Oh my goodness," Dr. Doppler panted, standing and brushing himself off. "That was more fun than I ever want to have again!" The Captain let out a dry chuckle. "That's not one of my... Gossamer landings." And then, before my very eyes, the Captain wrapped her arm over her stomach and dropped to her knees. "Captain!" Doppler exclaimed, kneeling down beside her. Jim and I helped her to her feet. "Oh, don't fuss," she objected. She wobbled a bit. "Slight bruising, that's all. Cup of tea, and I'll be right as rain," she said, brushing her hair back and straightening her blue coat. I started rubbing my shoulder. She looked at the doctor and said, "Mr. Hawkins?" You stopped mid-shoulder rub, looking at her. She squinted, and then turned so she actually was looking at Jim. "The map, if you please." Jim immediately pulled the map from his pocket, and sighed in relief, holding it out in his palm. Suddenly, the golden orb started to rise. About six inches in the air, panels started coming off and swirling around an inner core. The map then turned into a pink, hysterical Morph. "Morph?" said an unbelieving Jim. "Morph! Where's the map?!" Jim demanded loudly. Morph turned into a miniature map and coil of rope, and showed the map inside the rope. "Are you SERIOUS? It's back on the SHIP?!" Jim yelled, using very big hand gestures. As Jim started going for Morph, I added my piece. "Note to self: never let Jim save our skins. He can't do it right." "Hey, don't you get started, this isn't my fault!" yelled Jim, rounding on me. "Oh, and whose fault is it, the map's. I suppose?" I retorted smartly. "STIFLE that banter, and get low," ordered the Captain, interrupting your argument. A faint thrumming noise reached my ears, and I looked up into the sky to see the second escape sloop flying towards what appeared to be the smoking wreckage of what used to be the mechanical parts of our escape craft. Me, Jim, Captain Amelia, Dr. Doppler, and Morph ducked behind the splintered half of the longboat. "We've got company." Rifle in hand, Captain Amelia looked over the top of our pitiful defense. "We need a more defensible position." She handed a gun to Jim. "Mr. Hawkins... Miss Pridgen... Scout ahead." Jim looked at the gun for a moment, and then tucked it in the waistband of his pants. "But, shouldn't I stay here and-" "You'll do what you're told, young lady," the Captain overruled. Even injured, she had the air of a leader. Both me and Jim sighed, knowing there was no arguing about it, at least, with her. "Aye, Captain," came two, simultaneous answers.
MAN! Why am I always getting stuck with him?! And why do we keep saying the same things at the same time? DO YOU KNOW HOW ANNOYING THAT IS?!

Jim and I walked in silence for a while, me behind him. Morph gurgled and drifted happily between the two of us. Our little group came upon a gigantic root - or, at least, I thought it was a root - that dipped down into a deep, dark grove. "Follow me," Jim said, sliding down the root without a second thought. "Those have GOT to be the scariest words in the English language: Follow Jim," I said to myself. I sat on the root, drew my knees to my chest, and slid down. At the bottom, I climbed off, and leisurely began to walk after Jim. "What are we looking for, exactly?" I asked. I turned, and started walking backwards. "All I see are really, REALLY weird plants," I added, poking something green and tube-shaped. I turned back around, and jumped. Jim was standing right there. "What're you-" He clamped his hand down over my mouth. "Will you SHUT UP!" he hissed. I noticed he had his gun ready to fire in his other hand. After a moment or two of Jim looking around, he took his hand off my mouth, and started to slowly approach a different cluster of tube plants. I rubbed my jaw, took out my own gun, and caught up to Jim. We looked at each other, nodded, and started to look down into the plants. Moving in front of Jim a bit, I put my hand out. When I was just about to spread the plants apart, two large glowing eyes shot up into my face, and a shout came from whoever (Or whatever) owned the eyes. Jim shouted, and I screamed, and the thing pushed us both onto our backs, on the ground. I was pretty sure my hand had come up and smacked Jim's face. Cool. The creature sort-of knelt down, and put one hand on Jim's shoulder, and the other on mine. But it wasn't a creature at all. It was a robot. A bronze, rusty, whacko, hunk-of-junk robot. "Oh, this is FANTASTIC!" the robot exclaimed. Jim and I turned our heads to look at each other, and I rolled my eyes. "Two carbon-based life forms come to rescue me at last!" The robot let my shoulders go, and I grabbed my gun, uncocked it, and stood, watching with full interest as the robot focused on Jim. He kept trying to reach for his gun, but the robot kept interfering. "I just wanna hug ya, and squeeze ya, and hold ya close to me," said the robot, doing all those things. I, by the way, found this hilarious. "Alright," Jim said, prying the robot off of him. "OK," he said as the robot bounced back. Jim tried pulling the robot off of him again. "Will you just LET GO of me?!" Morph and I stood off to the side, laughing silently at Jims predicament. "Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry," the robot said, backing off a bit. It slung its arm around Jim's shoulder. "It's just I-I-I've been MAROONED for so long... I mean, solitude's fine, don't get me wrong, but for heaven's sake, after a hundred years, YOU GO A LITTLE NUTS! Eh heh heh heh..." the robot explained. Jim gave the robot a look, and the robot gulped, backing up a bit. The robot extended its arm. "My name is... uh..." The robot clutched his head. Morph turned into a mini form of the robot. The top of the head opened, and a little yellow cuckoo bird popped out. I snickered, and tapped Morph to change him back to his pink self just as the robot shouted, "B.E.N.! Of course, I'm B.E.N. Bio-Electronic Navigator... oops!" B.E.N. finished as a circular door opened on his front. "And you are..." he asked as Jim bent to pick up his gun. "Jim," he answered shortly. "Oh, what a pleasure meet you, Jimmy," B.E.N. replied, shaking Jim's hand with both of his own. "It's JIM," said Jim firmly, finally picking up his gun. "And that's Kay," Jim added, pointing at me. B.E.N. looked at me, and came over, shaking my hand roughly. "Nice to meet you, Kaylene," B.E.N. said, saying each syllable of my full name separately. "Wait... KAYLENE?" I heard Jim say unbelievably. I sighed. I hated that name. "KAY," I said testily. Jim, pushing past B.E.N. slightly, came towards me. "Your name's KAYLENE?" he asked again. "Yes, JAMES, we've established that," I answered. "ANYWAY," B.E.N. interupted. "Look, we're really in a hurry, Ok? We've gotta find a place to hide, and there's pirates chasing us-" B.E.N. interrupted me by shouting, "Ooh, pirates! Don't get me started on pirates, don't get me started on them." Jim grabbed the sleeve of my shirt. "Let's go," he muttered in my ear as he walked past, pulling me with him. "Right behind-" "I remember Captain Flint. This guy had SUCH a temper." "Wait, wait," Jim said. "You knew Captain Flint?" said the two of us in unison. "I think he suffered from mood swings, personally." B.E.N. said, sitting down on a rock and crossing one leg over the other. "I'm not a therapist in any way, but I- You let me know when I'm rambling!" Realization dawned on Jim. "But that means, oh, wait, but then you've got to know about the treasure?" he asked eagerly. "Treasure..." B.E.N. said thoughtfully. "Yea, Flint's Trove, ya know..." "The Loot of a Thousand Worlds?" I added helpfully. Morph turned into a little gold-filled treasure chest. "Well, it's, well... it's all a little fuzzy..." B.E.N. took a deep breath. "Wait... I r-r-r-remember... I do, I- Treasure! Lots of treasure! Buried in the centroid-centroid-centroid of the mechanism!" Jim and I looked at each other, and I mouthed 'Crazy'. "And there was this big door, opening and closing, opening and closing." The door on B.E.N.'s chest opened and closed, and there were triangles in his eyes. "And Captain Flint wanted to make sure nobody could ever get to his treasure so I helped him-" Sparks began shooting out of B.E.N.'s head. "INACCESSIBLE!" "B.E.N.?" Jim asked. "Reboot!" "B.E.N.!" Jim exclaimed. "Reboot! REBOOT!" "B.E.N.!" Jim shouted. He looked at me. "What do we do!"I grabbed Jim's sleeve, and pulled him back behind me. "Move," I said. "REBOOT!" I pulled back, and smacked B.E.N. as hard as I could. Jim winced visibly. "And you are?" B.E.N. asked suddenly, apparently completely normal again. "Wait, wait, wait! What about the treasure? Jim asked in frustration. "I want to say Larry," B.E.N. said thoughtfully. "Th-the centroid of the mechanism, er..." Jim added, almost frantically. "I'm sorry, my-my-my memory isn't what it used to be. I-I-I've lost my mind, I've lost my mind!" B.E.N. said in a sing-song voice. "You haven't found it, have you?" B.E.N. asked, shoving Jim up against a tree and patting him down. "My missing piece?" "Uh..." Jim stuttered. "My primary memory circuit?" He let Jim go, and pushed me up against the tree, and started patting me down as well. Jim grabbed my wrist, and pulled me towards him. "Look, B.E.N., we REALLY need to find a place to hide, OK? So we're just going to be, ya know... moving on," Jim said, starting to walk away. Since he was still gripping my wrist, and I couldn't seem to yank it loose, I had to follow. "Oh, uh, so, well then, I guess, uh, this is good bye, huh?" Jim just kept walking, dragging me behind him. "I-I'm sorry I'm so dysfunctional..." B.E.N. said sorrowfully, dropping down to roll on his folded ankles and his bent knees. Jim finally let me go, and I turned around. Surprisingly, so did Jim. "So, uh... go ahead, and uh, I do understand. I do." B.E.N. looked as though he were about to cry, if he could. "Bye bye..." B.E.N. started to slowly roll away, head hanging low. Jim looked at Morph, and then me. I shrugged my shoulders. Jim looked down at the ground, and sighed. "Look, if you're going to come along, you're going to have to STOP TALKING." B.E.N. quickly unfolded from his pitiful state, and sprung around. "Huzzah! Ah ha ha ha! Oh, this is fantastic!" B.E.N. shouted, running and jumping into Jim's arms. "Me and my best buddies going out and looking for a-" B.E.N. stopped raving when he noted Jim's expression, which was a dark, unmistakable scowl. "Uh... mmhm... Being quiet." B.E.N. started hugging Jim's head. "And you have to stop touching me!" Jim added. "Touchin' and talkin'... My two big no-nos..." B.E.N. muttered. B.E.N. started to come towards me, arms outstretched. "Gah!" I exclaimed, jumping behind Jim and gripping his upper arms to use him as a shield. "OK, now I think we should head-" B.E.N. latched onto Jim's wrist. "Listen, before we go out on our big 'search', um..." B.E.N. crossed his legs and hobbled towards a wall of large tube plants. "...would you mind if we made a quick pitstop at my place? Kind of urgent," he said, pulling aside the plants. He revealed, a way away, something - I couldn't tell whether it was a building or a large plant - sitting atop a large pile of even larger mossedover boulders. "B.E.N..." Jim said, as though is awe. "I think you just solved our problem!"
I didn't know robots COULD go mental... Well, I guess you learn something new everyday...
The walk to B.E.N.'s home took a bit longer than I had thought. It was farther away than it had looked, and by the time we had retrieved the Doc and the injured Captain, the sun, moon, star, whatever gave light to this planet, was setting. "Ah, pardon the mess, people. You'd think in a hundred years I would've dusted a little more often, but, ya know, when you're batchin' it..." B.E.N. threw a chess board off to the side, and balled and held a large pair of pink polka-dotted bloomers behind his back, "...you tend to, uh, let things go." B.E.N. watched Dr. doppler carrying Captain Amelia into the building. "Aw, isn't that sweet? I find old-fashioned romance so touching, don't you?" I put my hands in my pockets, and started looking around the inside of B.E.N.'s home, plainly ignoring the question. "How 'bout drinks for the happy couple?" B.E.N. said, pulling out a tray. On the tray were two things turned into cups. One cup had a sickly green liquid from which bubbles were rising. The other was filled with an oily black substance. There was a wrench in it, for stirring purposes, I supposed. "Oh, uh, ooh. Uh, no," Dr. Doppler answered, pulling off his red overcoat. "We don't drink, and, uh, we're not a couple." I sat by the entrance hole, my knees drawn to my chest, and I let my gun dangle from my fingertips. "Look at these markings! They're identical to the ones on the map! I suppose these are the hieroglyphics remnants of an ancient culture," Doppler remarked. "Mr. Hawkins," I heard the Captain say. "Miss Pridgen... stop ANYONE who tries to approach!" She moaned in pain, and the Doctor laid her back onto his rolled coat. "Yes, yes. Now you listen to me. Stop giving orders for a few milliseconds, and lie still," he ordered. "Very forceful, Doctor. Go on... say something else," Captain Amelia said with a small smile. The Doctor smiled down at her; I rolled my eyes. B.E.N. clambered up onto the rim of the entrance. Suddenly, B.E.N. started jumping up and down. He shouted, "Hey, look! There's some more of your buddies! HEY FELLAS! WE'RE OVER HERE, FELLAS!" I glanced over the rim, and saw five aliens - the Head, the Body, Turnbuckle, Fatty, and the annoying female pirate with the gold hoop earrings - with their fins trained on me and B.E.N.'s home. "Oh! Uhh! Ooh! Ohh!" B.E.N. exclaimed, dodging the lasers. My gun was immediately at-the-ready, and as Jim yanked B.E.N. out of the way, I began firing back. And suddenly, just as I was three shots into my second round, a familiar voice reached my ears. "Stop wastin' your fire!" Silver shouted. All firing ceased. Jim and I glanced at each other, and peeked down below. "Hello up there! Jimbo?" A tiny,, frayed, white scrap of cloth was being waved around by Silver. "If it's alright with the Captain, I'd like a short word with ya. No tricks! Just a little palaver!" Jim lowered his gun a bit. "Come to bargain for the map, doubtless. Pestilential- Ugh!" "Captain," Doppler said sternly, pushing her back a bit. "That means... that he thinks we still have it..." Jim realized. And before anyone could talk a grain of sense into him, Jim hopped over the rim, and started at a casual pace down to meet Silver, who was using his cybernetic arms as a crutch. I sighed, rubbing my eyes. "Idiot." They met about halfway. By both of their body language, I could tell that Silver was trying to act all friendly, and Jim wasn't taking any of his lies. And then, Jim's shoulders relaxed. 'Uh oh,' I thought, leaning forward on my knees. My trigger finger twitched as Silver put his arm around Jim. Jim's shoulders suddenly tensed up. He started walking around Silver, gesturing with his arms and hands. "That treasure is owed to me, by tunder!" I then heard Silver shout. "Well try to find it without my map, by tunder!" Jim replied, just as loudly. They exchanged a few more words in normal tones, and then, "I'll use the ship's cannons to blast ya all to Kingdom Come!" Silver turned away, said something, and looked over his shoulder. "NOW!" His voice echoed, and a pink dot - Morph - dived behind Jim. Silver started to limp away. I raised my gun up, in case any funny business was going to be pulled. And then... disaster struck. Light flashed off my gun directly into the face of Fatty below. "She's gonna shoot!" he shouted. Turnbuckle reacted, raising one of his own guns. He aimed, and fired - at me! (OK, now, saying the laser GRAZED would be too gentle, but RIPPED is way too harsh... Hmm...) The laser-bullet tore through my right arm, the one holding my gun (Good compromise, don't you think?). The force of the impact, plus the added amount of shock, caused me to fall onto my back, my knees still bent. I gasped through clenched teeth, and squeezed my eyes shut. Moving slowly, I draped my forearm over my stomach, and clamped my left hand down on the deep gash that was halfway between my shoulder and elbow. "Kay!" I heard someone - Jim - exclaim. The voice seemed far away, and it was, because Jim was still outside of the structure. I could feel blood dribble out from between my fingers. The sticky substance trickled down my arm, and dripped off my elbow. I opened my eyes slowly, very slowly. I found Dr. Doppler to be kneeling at my injured right. Jim then appeared on my left. I turned my head slightly as he exclaimed in distress, "They shot her!" I managed to chuckle, but my dry throat made it sound more raspy than anything else. "Thank you, Captain Obvious," I whispered hoarsely. "Jim, tear her sleeve in two strips," said Dr. Doppler, pulling my hand away from my wound. I could hear Jim ripping my sleeve, and then saw him hand the flutters of cloth over me to the Doc. The first one he tied tightly above the gash, probably to slow the circulation a bit. The second he tied a bit looser around the injury itself. Then the Doctor got up, and hurried behind me somewhere. Jim stepped over me and kneeled back down untucking his shirt a bit. He started wiping the blood off my arms and hand. "I can't believe they actually SHOT you," he said darkly, spreadiing your fingers. "Yea, well... ugh..." I could feel beads of sweat on my forehead. "They're pirates," I answered. There was a rustling noise behind me, and then I heard Dr. Doppler say, "Alright, Jim, now, uh, bring it over here." Before I knew it, Jim was picking me up. The room started to spin, and I let my head loll against his shoulder. I noted the expression on Jim's face. "What're you so smug about?" I asked suspiciously. "Now we're even," he said. "I saved your life, you saved mine. We're square." I shook my head. "Nope. One, I saved your life twice. Second," I shifted slightly, releasing some of the pressure on my arm. "Second, there's no chance I'm going to die, so this doesn't count." Jim didn't answer. Instead, he just set me back down onto the floor. Once the room stopped acting like it was on a spin cycle, I could tell I was lying next to Captain Amelia on some coarse material, probably sailcloth. I looked over at the captain, and said, "'Ello, marm." She seemed to ignore the fact that I didn't call her Ma'am or Captain. "How's your arm?" she asked worriedly. "Uh..." How WAS my arm? Well, it was all tingly, like it had fallen asleep, but I was pretty sure that was from lack of circulation. In fact, if my arm wasn't so tingly, I thought, it would probably hurt a lot. "Fine," I lied. There was another ripping sound, and then Jim emerged from the shadows, another piece of cloth in his hands. He knelt next to me. "Lean up," he ordered. "Look at us, Miss Pridgen. Two fine women, forced by injury to do a man's bidding," Amelia commented drily. Me, in no mood to argue, did as Jim told me. Jim, lifting my arm by my wrist, set it in the cloth, and tied toe ends together at the base of my neck to form a sling. "Alright," Jim said, standing. I sat back once more. "Oh, what a world, what a world!" I half-moaned, half-giggled in reply to the Captain. "Stop talking, you two, and get rested," Dr. Doppler commanded. Me and the captain gave each other a look. "What a world, indeed," the Captain said finally as we both settled down.(Why does everyone want me dead?)

Jim's P.O.V.

After Kay and Captain Amelia fell asleep, whether it be fitful or peaceful, there really wasn't anything to do other than think. Think about how I was going to get the map back. Think about the ship's laser cannons. Think about how the pirate scum had SHOT Kay, and about how Doc and I had NO IDEA what was wrong with the Captain. I sighed in frustration, leaning against a wall with my hands in my pockets. Every way I looked at it, me and everybody else - Kay, Dr. Doppler, Captain Amelia, Morph, B.E.N. - were ultimately, for lack of a better word, screw... Dr. Doppler sighed,interupting my thoughts; I looked over at him. "Check Kay's wound," Dr. Doppler said. I looked over at the two sleeping figures. As it turned out, the Captain had woken up, and the Doc was assisting her. "If the bleeding's stopped," Dr. Doppler started, "take the tourniquet off." I kneeled down next to Kay. Blood had started to come through the cloth around her gash, so I untied it as gently as I could. I also noticed the bleeding had stopped, so I took off the other strip as well. Kay was lying on her left side, so I was unable to use her already torn sleeve to make a new bandage. 'Alright...' I thought. I untucked my shirt, and started tearing the front hem off. Once I had gotten a long enough strip, I tied it around the wound. The gash itself wasn't as deep as what we had thought, so I knew it would heal quicker. Kay turned, and now she was lying on her back, head turned towards me, eyes closed, uninjured arm resting over her stomach. Finishing the knot, I carefully set her arm back down. She sighed in her sleep, and something stirred inside of me, in the pit of my stomach. Whatever it was, it propelled me to reach forward, and brush several strands of flyaway hair from her face. Kay's eyes flickered, and slowly opened. Her left hand reached up, and caught mine. "What're you doing, Jim?" she asked quietly. I felt my face grow hot, and I jerked my hand away. "N-nothing," I stammered, standing up and walking away stiffly. She sat up, and hand to her temple, and then an odd look came across her face, and she glanced down at her arm, her bandage. "Jim, what happened to your shirt?" She glanced back down at her arm. "Did you-""Nothing," I interrupted, looking away. She watched me curiously, but, thankfully, didn't say anything else about the matter.

I looked down at my arm, and fingered the knot around my wound. A thought crossed my mind and was gone in an instant: 'That was nice.' What kind of thinking was THAT? Jim was a scoundrel, a delinquet, a... a... he was JIM, for heaven's sake! Thankfully, the Captain's delirious ramblings interrupted my train wreck of thoughts. "Gentleman..." She gasped for air. "And lady... We must stay together, and... and..." Amelia sighed as if every word caused her pain. "And what? WHAT?! We must stay together and what?!" the Doc shouted frantically. Captain Amelia opened her eyes. "Doctor," she said. "You have wonderful eyes." I leaned over her, concerned. The doctor exclaimed, "She's lost her mind!" while waving his spectacles around. "Well, you gotta help her!" Jim said. I adjusted my body, sitting cross-legged. "Dang it, Jim, I'm an astronomer, not a doctor!" he hastily replied, shaking his finger. "I mean, I am a doctor, but I'm not THAT kind of doctor. I have a doctorate, but it's not the same thing, you can't help people with a doctorate, you just sit here and you're useless!" Dr. Doppler finished, confusing himself totally by this time. Jim came up behind him and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It's OK, Doc. It's alright," he said. B.E.N., who had been unusually quiet as of late, was saying, "Yea, Doc! Jimmy knows exactly how to get out of this. It's just, Jimmy has this knowledge of things," while backing away with Jim towards the entrance. B.E.N. leaned over, and said something to Jim. Meanwhile, I pulled myself into a standing position, and slowly started towards them so I couldn't help but overhear'. "Without the map, we're dead," Jim was saying. "If we try to leave, we're dead. If we say here-" "We're dead!" Morph interrupted. "We're dead, we're dead, we're dead!" Jim sighed, and Morph purred sadly. "Not very optimistic tonight, Jim," I said softly. He turned. "What're you doing up? You should be-" "Resting, I know," I finished. "Don't worry, I'm fine. The cut's not that deep," I said. "But the pirates... you were..." He then gave me a curious look. "I looked under the bandage," I explained. "Uch..." Jim muttered, rolling his eyes. "Well, I think that Jimmy and Kaylene could use a little 'quiet time'." He chuckled dryly. "So, I'll just slip out the BACK DOOR," he added loudly. Jim shifted his gaze from me to over my shoulder. "Back door?" B.E.N. was half-hidden by shadows. "Oh yea," B.E.N. said, starting to roll a large metal ball over in the back of the room. Jim rushed to help, and I followed to observe. "I get this delightful breeze through here..." The ball opened, and the three of us peered down into the light. A continuous blast of air shot up into my face. "...which I think is important, because ventilation among friends-" "Whoa!" Jim and I breathed. "What is all this stuff?" I asked. "You mean the miles and miles of machinery that run through the entire course of the inside of this planet?" Jim and I looked at each other, eyebrows arched. "Not a clue!" I threw up my good arm. "Hey, Doc, Doc! I think I found a way out of here!" I faced him. "Wait, YOU found?" I said in disbelief. "No, no, Jim, wait! The captain ordered us to stay-" "I'll be back!" Jim proclaimed, jumping down into the hole. B.E.N. leapt over the side as well, shouting, "CANNONBALL!" "Wait, wait, wait, I'm coming too!" I yelled, bounding over the side, last but not least.
(I know what your thinking, isn't her arm messed up? I'm tougher than I look.)
Jim and I argued the entire time we were following B.E.N. to an exit he said he knew of. "Go back, Kay," Jim ordered, his voice unusually calm and steely cool. "Make me," I replied in an elementary manner. "Besides, you need me, or you'll get yourself killed." Following behind Jim and B.E.N., with Morph bobbing next to my ear, I saw his fists clench at his sides. "Remind me," he said, through clenched teeth, "HOW did you save my life TWICE, again?" I ticked them off on my fingers. "One, I saved you from getting your throat slit by Scroop, THANK you very much, and two, I yanked your sorry self back into the longboat during that BRILLIANT getaway we made." Jim had no answer to that, so we continued on in silence. "Alright, people, we're here!" B.E.N. announced suddenly, pointing. I looked up to see a small indentation in the ceiling. It would look like a dome from the outside. Jim walked past B.E.N., and climbed up the short ladder, I was right behind. Jim pushed the lid open, and Jim,me, and Morph looked over the edge. I bit my lip at what I saw. The group of us had found our way out of B.E.N.'s home alright; right outside of the pirate camp! "Great," I muttered. B.E.N. suddenly popped up, causing me to nearly lose my footing on my metal ladder rung. "So what's the plan?" B.E.N. said. In the quiet, it sounded as though he was shouting. "Ssh!" I hissed. "B.E.N., quiet!" Jim whispered, closing B.E.N.'s trap for him. I turned to see if anyone in the camp had awakened. After a few moments, it appeared no one had. "OK, here it is," Jim whispered, still holding B.E.N.'s mouth closed. I turned to listen. "We sneak back to the Legacy, disable the laser cannons," Jim started. The rest dawned on me. "And bring back the map!" I finished. "Exactly," Jim nodded. All the while, B.E.N. was mmhm-ing. Now he said, "That's a good plan, I like that plan." His voice was muffled on the account that Jim was still holding his mouth shut. "The only thing is I'm wondering... how do we get there?" "Good question," I added. "On that," Jim said quietly, pointing. "Ooh..." Morph purred.

The ride back to the Legacy on the lifeboat the four of us stole back from the pirates' camp seemed to take hours. Jim glared darkly at the bottom of the boat. B.E.N., probably to relieve some of the tension, babbled on continuously about absolutely nothing. Morph drifted black and forth between Jim and I, not wanting to hurt one or the other's feelings, mewing piteously. I sat at the bow, squinting in the darkness at the Legacy as it loomed up before us. Jim and B.E.N. went over the side first, B.E.N. falling in the process. "B.E.N., ssh!" Jim hissed. "Sorry, sorry, sorry." I clambered over last. It was terribly difficult with only one arm. I, rather grudgingly, had to accept help from Jim to keep from warning anyone aboard of our presence. We all crept toward the steps that led below decks. We all quickly descended, Jim and I keeping our backs to the wall. "OK, I'll get the map. You wait here-" Me and B.E.N. both objected in different ways. "Roger, Jimmy. I'll neutralize laser cannons, SIR!" B.E.N. said, saluting and collapsing and rolling down the hallway. "B.E.N.! B.E.N.!"Jim whisper-shouted. "What, I can't help?" I burst out as quietly as I could. "But your arm-" "I know about MY arm, but I told you, it's FINE! I CAN DO SOMETING!" Jim sighed, rubbing his eyes. He started quietly down the left hallway. "You want to do something?" Jim asked, stopping for just a moment. "Keep watch." He then walked into the shadows, leaving me raging mad. I started to pace back and forth at the foot of the stairs, muttering. "Keep watch, keep watch! The nerve, the GALL of him!" I fumed, twisting the end of my hair. And suddenly, an alarm started to blare, scaring me half to death. With a glance down each hallway our comrades had gone, I looked up the stairs, and stopped. Scroop, stringy hair, golden eyes, claws and all, stood there. "What a surprissse," he hissed maliciously. Vaguely, I could hear Jim barreling towards me from the left, saying, "That stupid robot's gonna get us all..." He stopped beside me, and seemed to become rooted to the spot. "...killed." "Cabin Boy," said Scroop, almost gleefully, spreading a claw. "Run!" I shouted, and we both turned, sprinting madly to the right. I ended up running in front of Jim, and, without looking back, I could hear him knocking things over behind me. Scroop, having extra legs, caught up quickly, though. SPLAT!" I chanced a look behind you, and saw white funk all over Scroop's face. As he began to wipe it off, I saw that the white stuff was actually Morph. I faced forward again, and saw a doorway that could pass as a temporary hiding spot. I ducked in, and grabbed Jim's shirt as he ran by, pulling him in and pushing him against the wall next to me. Putting a finger to my lips, I pulled out my gun, and powered up. Jim did the same. "1... 2... 3!" I counted breathlessly. Jim and I jumped out back-to-back. I didn't see anything, but by the way I felt Jim tense up behind me, I could safely assume he did. But, as I turned to face the same direction, everything went dark. After a suspenseful second or two, the faint pink backup lights came on. Scroop wasn't anywhere to be found. To be safe, I looked the other way again, but no, he wasn't there either. A pipe rattled, and then I heard a squeak that sounded rather familiar. "Morph?" I murmured, turning to face where the noise had come from. The next scene unfolded very quickly. I saw Morph hovering inches away from Scroop's face. Scroop seemed to be hanging from the ceiling. Morph screeched, turned into a hand, and used his index and middle fingers to poke Scroop's eyes before shooting back into the pipe. I grabbed Jim's shoulder, who had just now noticed the commotion, and pushed him onto the floor just as Scroop lashed out. The blow hit me instead, connecting with the side of my head and lifting me off my feet and into the wall. I slid down onto the floor, groaning. After a minute or two of heavy breathing, I sat up, and took in what was happening as soon as I stopped seeing four of everything. Scroop had jumped Jim, and now the lad was using all his strength to keep the ominous claw away from his own throat. A quick look around didn't produce my gun, but I laid eyes on Jim's, which had skittered some ways away from him. But as I dived for it, I started going up instead of down. There was a crashing sound, and I craned my neck to see Scroop breaking through the wooden grate, and I soon found myself, Jim, and the remaining gun weren't far behind. The grate was in the middle of the deck, which meant there wasn't anything to latch on to until we started passing up the mast. Scroop and I managed to clamp onto a loose rope, but Jim continued to pass on by. Looking up from underneath Scroop, I saw him reach out at Jim, only succeeding in knocking him high and faster away from the ship. I clenched my teeth. "Come on, Jim!" Finally, I exhaled as Jim clamped down on the black pirate flag. And then I saw the gun, just as it began to pass Jim by. "Jim!" I shouted. Scroop looked down at me, and snarled. "The gun!" was all I was able to call out before Scroop came towards me, claw extended. I slid around to the other side of the mast, holding on as best I could. When Scroop would come around, I would slide the opposite way, away from him. When Scroop tried to cut me off, I'd move away again. This game went on for a minute or two, and then I got distracted. "No!" Jim exclaimed. I looked up, and at the exact moment, Scroop's legs came around the mast and into my stomach. "Oof!" I was knocked off the mast. "Kay!" I heard Jim shout. I would have shot out into outer space if not for the shrouds I landed in. Thinking quickly, I slipped my arm into and around the ropes, and held on for dear life. I could see a spot of blood through the makeshift bandages (I had lost Jim's sling long ago). "Do say hello to Mr. Arrow..." I sudenly heard Scroop say. I looked up quickly, and saw Scroop using his claw to cut the one rope that tethered the flag to the mast. "Ooh, Jim..." I muttered warningly to myself. After what seemed life forever to me, the spectator, Jim finally used the flag to pull himself down to the mast. I let out a sigh of relief. Scroop yelled out in anger, and lunged for Jim. Jim, in turn, jumped off the mast onto Scroop, pushing him into the flag. "Tell him yourself!" Jim shouted, somersaulting and latching onto the mast again. The strain on the already Scroop-weakened rope made it snap. Scroop, after cutting himself a hole to put his head through, saw he was drifting out into space. "Aaahhhh!" His cries faded into space, as did he. Finally, he was gone. I sighed again. And then, at last, the gravity returned. Jim fell onto the deck with a grunt, and I followed suit, landing on Jim's back. He grunted again. I exhaled. "Sorry," I moaned, rolling off of him and onto my back on the deck, rubbing my chest, just below my neck. "Yea..." he said, nodding. "Fine." I laid there for a minute, regaining my breath after it had been knocked out of me, and then sat up suddenly, crying out and clutching my injured arm as a sharp, stabbing pain shot through it. "You alright?" asked Jim, scrambling up. I swallowed, and nodded. "Yea. You?" Jim nodded as well. "Yea." He let out a dry chuckle. "I told you you shouldn't have come," he said, smiling wryly. "Shut up," I said with equal teasing sarcasm, pushing his shoulder. A pipe next to Jim began to rattle, and suddenly a floating black blob popped out of it. It coughed several times, and the soot fell away to reveal a floating pink blob. "Morph?" Jim and I asked. Morph purred. "Laser cannons disconnected, Captain Jimmy, sir!" Jim and I looked at each other and then down at the main deck. There was B.E.N., covered in wires that were setting off showers of sparks. Smoke was rising above him. "Gee," B.E.N. went on, "that wasn't so tough."I looked over at Jim as me and he stood. "Did you get the map?" I asked. Instead of answering me, Jim took the bronze orb from his pocket and held it out for me to see.
Wow... We're actually getting along... (Psh, yea... see how long THAT lasts...)

Jim's P.O.V.

The journey back to Treasure Planet was definitely a lot less tense than the ride from. There still wasn't a lot of talking, but the atmosphere wasn't a strained one. The four of us snuck safely back through the sleeping pirate camp, and back down into the tunnel that led to B.E.N.'s home. It had been agreed on before that they would travel that way, for safety purposes. Kay was ahead of me, and B.E.N. and Morph were behind. Kay clutched the injury on her arm again, wordless. "Are you alright?" I asked. She sighed. "For the seventh time, YES, Jim, I'm fine." At that moment, our group reached the entrance. I found there was a ladder leading up to the 'Back Door' we had earlier found.. Kay started up first, somehow managing to do so single-handedly, and me and B.E.N. followed, Morph floating in between. The hole at the top was still open, so all that had to be done was to climb out of it. After I climbed out, Kay ushered me towards the Captain and Dr. Doppler. B.E.N. was having issues climbing the ladder. "I'll help him," she said, waving me on. I tossed up the map, caught it again, and rushed to the huddled form on the floor. "Doc, Doc! Wake up!" I said. "I got the map!" I heard B.E.N. shout and fall behind me. "B.E.N.!" Kay hissed. Then, the unthinkable happened. A hand reached for the map, but it wasn't Dr. Doppler's. It was the hand of the Cyborg cook, Silver. "Fine work, Jimbo. Fine work indeed," he said smugly. I looked to my right. THERE was Dr. Doppler and the Captain, in the hands of two crew members, their hands bound the mouths gagged. Five more crew members surrounded me, shouting things like, "Thanks for showin' us the way in, boy!" I heard a scream behind me. "Kay!" I shouted. She yelled something back, but I couldn't hear over Silver's orders to, "Get the girl!" I ran towards an opening, but that opening closed real quickly. I managed to fight off my attackers the first couple of times they tried to grab me (Morph even but the tail of one!), but soon the pirates had me in hand, and, no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't get free. "What's this sorry stack of metal?" I heard the loud, little, female pirate exclaim. "NOT THE FACE!" B.E.N. shouted. "You're just like me, Jimbo," Silver said smugly, tossing and catching the map. He leered in at me as I strained to get free. "You hate to lose." He chuckled, and started TRYING to open the map. First, he tried pulling it open with his hands. Then, he tried to open it by using his three spider-like claws. Lastly, he tried to pry it open using the clamp, muttering to himself. Watching him, I smirked slightly, shaking my head. He thrust the map towards me. "Open it," he commanded. The crew members dropped my arms, and Silver pushed the map into my hands. I glanced down at it, but that's all I did. Silver frowned, and I glared right back. Then, he gestured behind his back. There was some muffled scuffling over his shoulder, and then loud shouts of, "Lemme go!" and "Put me DOWN!" And thus, Kay was brought forward, carried so that her feet were'nt touching the floor. Her arms were pinned to her sides, and she was being held captive by the headless torso alien. Silver's arm clicked, and suddenly his gun was touching Kay's temple. She started kicking and squirming harder than ever. "I'd get busy-" Silver powered up the gun, "-or your girlfriend's going to have a second hole in her head." Kay definitely had something to say about THAT. "Whoa! Wait just a minute! I am NOT his girlfriend! Just who-" "One," Silver began counting. Suddenly, she turned her attention to me. "Don't you DARE show him that map, James Pleonese Hawkins, do you hear me?!" she said, her voice wavering just slightly. "Gag the stupid girl!" Silver ordered. I turned my face from Silver and looked straight at Kay as they covered her mouth. And I saw something there. It wasn't fear, or self-pity, or anything even close to that. Truth was what I saw. Even with a gun touching her head, ready to fire, she really, honest-to-goodness, did not want me to give the pirates the map. Which made me even more determined to do what I was about to do.

"Two..." Silver said in a quiet, threatening voice. I pushed two buttons, spun a few hemispheres, and opened the map. Once more, the green beads of light zoomed upwards, forming a glowing depiction of Treasure Planet amidst awed and excited murmurs from the crew. "Oh, the powers that be, would you look?" Silver whispered.

And then, it changed. Treasure Planet blew apart, like sand in a desert, and formed a green line that shot forth from B.E.N.'s home, and turned sharply left. Silver followed, leaning out of the entrance hole, straining to see where it led. Then he began to chuckle, rather evilly. I, meanwhile, had stopped struggling, and just hung limply in the alien's arms, gazing at nothing in particular on the floor. I didn't dare look at Jim, even though I knew he was looking at me, for fear that if I did, I would either start crying because he had saved me from getting shot, or lash out angrily because he had given the pirates the map. Silver suddenly said, "Tie 'em up, and leave 'em with the other 'til we - What?!" The green line suddenly disintegrated, and shot back into the map, which then clicked closed. "You want the map, you're taking me-" Jim glanced at me, "-us, too." My arm had been throbbing dully for the last five minutes or so, but I chose to ignore it, and strained my ears to hear the Cyborg's response. Silver looked from me, to his crew, to Captain Amelia and the Doc, and lastly, at Jim, who glared right back. First he growled, and then shook his head while chuckling again. "We'll take 'em all." Some cheering, some groaning, the crew swarmed towards the entrance, and the torso alien dropped me on the ground. "Ow..." I muttered on my knees, palms against the floor of B.E.N.'s home. "Are you alright?" Jim asked, taking hold of me by my uninjured arm and under my other arm,helping me to my feet. "I'd be better if you hadn't given the pirates the map," I countered coldly, pulling away from him and starting for the entrance, egged on by the gun-toting Silver behind me. The Captain and Doc had already been 'escorted' outside. Jim fell in step beside me, and I could hear Silver's thudding steps behind me. Jim sighed, exasperated. "Kay, I'm not going to argue about this with you. I saved your life back there, and you know it." He leaped over the side, and turned to face me. Jim being outside, on slightly lower ground, we were now eye level. "The score's two to one. I'm catching up." He helped me over the side. "I'm still up by one," I retorted, marching ahead. Reaching the sloop, I was unceremoniously ushered into it, and pushed to the head of the boat, as was Jim. Silver sat in the very front and off we went.

The boat rocketed forward, following the glowing green line provided by the map. Jim and I were crowded together at the bow with Silver. Looking behind me, I saw the line fading as we passed over it. Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler's gags had both been removed, but they were still bound together in the back of the sloop. "Turn around," Turnbuckle growled wrapping a tentacle around the top of my head and snapping it forward again. My neck cracked painfully. "Ow..." I whispered to myself, rubbing the back of it. "Hey, what's this?" Jim said, bending forward to pick something white off the bottom of the boat. I looked over my shoulder, and my heart leaped up into my throat. "It's mine!" I gasped, reaching for it. Jim, however, was quick to react, and held it out of my reach. "Give it back!" I whispered fiercely, glancing forward, and then reaching for it again. I needed that back. It was the only thing I had of her. It was, per say, my weakness. "Hey, easy now, calm down!" Jim said, clearly enjoying my torment. Using one hand he held both of mine down, while reading the back. Angel...?" I heard him mutter questioningly to himself. I tried reaching for it again, but my hands didn't go far. Jim flipped the photo over, and the familiar picture of my smiling mother was revealed, slightly tattered and dog-eared from the journey and simply by how old the photo was. Jim's eyes flitted over it, taking in everything. I growled. Jim held the picture in front of my face. "Who's this?" I purposely looked past the photo at him. "My mother. Give it back!" He looked at the picture again. "She's beautiful," Jim said in what was apparently a deeply philosophical moment. I pulled my hands free of Jim's and snatched it back, putting it into my pocket as quickly as I could. "You don't have to rub it in," I said darkly, turning my back to him. "I didn't...!" He sighed and fell silent. That was how the rest of the sloop ride went, the thick, icy silence between the two of us,only broken by B.E.N.'s nervous humming.
I guess my mother is a sore subject... (Well, why wouldn't it be?)
The sloop reached a thick wall of tube plants, allowing it to go no further. The glowing line, however, pierced right through them. Silver ordered the boat to be stopped, and he jumped down out of the boat. Grabbing my shirt, he lifted me down as well. He glanced at my bandaged arm. "Oh... you're bleeding," he murmured, lifting my arm to inspect it. "Don't touch me," I snarled, pulling my arm away at the same time Jim said, "Leave her alone!" Silver smirked and turned away, chuckling. Silver's crew all piled out of the boat as well, except for the fat alien who had worked the laser cannon on the Legacy, who was staying to guard Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler, who weren't coming along. B.E.N. fell face forward out of the boat with a yell. Several alarmed bird-like creatures flew out of the tall plants, chirping wildly. Silver turned to glare as I helped B.E.N. up. "I'm OK, I'm OK," he muttered, brushing himself off. He stepped between Jim and I. "Guys, I-I don't know about you, but I'm starting to see my life PASS in front of my eyes!" he said, waving his arms around. "At least, I think it's my life... WAS I EVER DANCING WITH AN ANDRIOD NAMED LUPE?!" I gritted my teeth together tensely. "B.E.N.! Ssh!" Jim whispered, trying to calm him. He caught my eye. "This isn't over yet." I arched a brow, wondering what exactly he was planning. We weren't exactly in the best of situations, here. Silver marched ahead to the plants in a swaggering, confident manner. I glanced up at our trail. The orange light zipping along the green line started moving faster and faster. "We're gettin' close, lads!" Silver announced. "I smell TREASURE a-waitin'!" The gun on his cybernetic arm was switched to a large cutlass as he pointed to the wall of plants. Laughing, he grabbed Jim's shirt and started pulling him behind him. "Jim!" I shouted over the cheering din, reaching for his arm. He waved me off. In three, neat swipes of his blade, Silver cut down the plants, and revealed nothing but a cliff with a sheer drop at its end. The glowing line stopped right at the very edge. The cliff overlooked an immense valley, but, other than the scenery, there was nothing even close to an expanse treasure. "Where is it?!" Turnbuckle growled. "I see nothing!" Onus squawked. "One great, big, stinking rank of nothing!" I felt the insufferable urge to kick him off the ledge. Only B.E.N. clinging to my arm stopped me. The map suddenly closed, and the green line disappeared. Jim frantically tried to open it again. "What's goin' on, Jimbo?" Silver asked. "I don't know! I can't get it open!" he grunted. "We should have NEVER followed this BOY!" the tiny female pirate yelled, jumping up and kicking him between his shoulder blades, knocking him to the ground. He was dangerously close to the edge. "Leave him alone!" I shouted, to her and everyone else. "It's not his fault!" I knelt next to him to help him to his feet. "I'd suggest," Silver said threateningly, "you get that gizmo goin' again, and fast!" Jim sighed next to me, rubbing his head. I caught something out of the corner of my eye, at the top of Jim's right hand. The pirates were making gruesome threats behind the two of us, but I tuned them out. Narrowing my eyes, I reached forward, and brushed moss away from the steel indentation in the ground. "I need to borrow this," I said to Jim, pulling the map out of his hand. "What-Hey !" he said indignantly. Finding the markings on the bronze sphere that matched the lines in the hole, I thrust the map into it. Perfect fit. Yellow-green light shot out from the map, to the edges of the cliff and back, filling in lines that coincided with the markings on the map and the inside of B.E.N.'s home. A green glowing sphere, a good deal larger than the map, began to rise up out of the ground to standing level. I stood, and pulled Jim up as well, who was staring in awe at what I had done. I reached out to touch the sphere, but Jim caught my hand, stopping me. I looked up; from the walls on the other side of the valley, six glowing lines raced towards the small cliff. They all met at the base, and I saw the most beautiful place in space I thought I'd ever seen. "Oh, have mercy," Silver exhaled. "The Lagoon Nebula?" Jim asked, just as dumbfounded. I glanced at him. "But that's... halfway 'cross the galaxy!" Silver said, making a few quick calculations in his head. "A big door..." Jim muttered. "Opening... and closing..." I finished, glancing over my shoulder at B.E.N. He stood motionless, rusty jaw hanging so low I thought it might unhinge. Jim reached into the sphere, and touched the nearest symbol. Light flickered, and a new location appeared. He did it again. "Let's see..." he murmured. "Kinapis..." I followed his finger as he moved it across the map. I knew what - or rather, where - he was trying to find. A slow smile spread across his face. "Montressor Spaceport." He touched the tiny moon symbol. Light flickered across the triangle again, and the bright, white, moon-shaped port appeared. "No way... Let me try..." I said, slowly pushing his arm down. I studied the map for a minute, names of planets and places floating through my head, before I found what I was looking for, on the complete other side of the map. Warily, I reached into the sphere. There was a tiny tickling feeling on my skin, but other than that, I felt nothing. My middle finger touched the small symbol - a filled circle inside of a thin, outer one - and it lit up yellow. The light flickered, and the triangle revealed a small, blue and green planet, a bright ring of white clouds around it. "Earth." I grinned. "That's where I was born," I told Jim. "An entire universe away from where you were." The word 'fate' shoved itself into my reminiscing. "This is how Flint must have don't it," I said excitedly, abruptly changing the subject before anyone could comment on my temporary moment of non-aggression. Jim nodded after staring at me for a moment. "Right. He must've used this portal to roam the universe, stealing treasure!" he agreed. Silver shoved us out of the way, into Jim's shoulder. He instinctively caught me and I instinctively stood straight and stepped away from him. "But where'd he stash it all?" Silver shouted, impatient. I glared at him, nursing a sore cheekbone. "Where's... that... blasted... TREASURE?!" Silver growled, pushing random symbols to emphasize his words. "Treasure... treasure...!" B.E.N. muttered, clutching his head again. "B.E.N.?" I said cautiously, praying he wasn't about to overload again. That was the last thing anybody needed. He started grabbing at the yellow, blue, and red wires poking out in the back of his head. "B.E.N., stop!" I shouted, running to him and trying to pull his hands away. "It's... buried in the-" "The centroid of the mechanism!" Jim finished. "B.E.N., just calm down, OK?" I whispered to him. "What if the whole planet IS the mechanism!" Jim slowly began to realize. "And the treasure is..." "Buried in the center of this planet!" Jim and I finished together. There was a moment of silence, and then the pirates began to start trying to dig and pick their way through the steel. "Morons. You're all morons..." I muttered, rubbing my eyes with my fingertips. "And how in blue blazes are we supposed to get there?" Silver shouted, lashing out at Jim and pushing several more symbols in rapid succession. Jim pushed him aside. "Just... open the right door..." I looked over his shoulder, and watched him touch the symbol that looked identical, if only smaller, to Treasure Planet. Light flickered across the portal, and then settled. Jim stepped forward, and reaching his arm into the portal. The picture became fuzzy, and then Jim stepped all the way through. Silver followed almost immediately, reaching forward to hold Jim's shoulder. "Come on, B.E.N.," I whispered, linking arms with the robot and walking forward confidently. B.E.N., however, was cowering and quivering and whimpering. "You're a robot, what are you afraid of?" I asked him with a small smile. B.E.N. straightened up a little, and I stepped through the portal. Closing my eyes, the filmy covering washed over me, front to back. It was like stepping through silk, if something like that was possible. I stood there for a minute, not daring to open my eyes. B.E.N. pulled on my sleeve. Heaving on great big sigh of anticipation, I slowly lifted my lids. Upon doing so, I was left completely speechless. Left to right stood Silver, Jim, B.E.N., then me. The assorted pirate crew swarmed around behind us. "The Loot of a thousand Worlds..." Silver muttered. Mounds and piles and mountains of gold, silver, and precious jewels filled the immense, steel walled cavern. The orb on which everything rested revolved like a small planet itself, powered by the guns above that shot energy into holes on the orb's surface. The pirates ran willy-nilly forward, yelling gleefully, and dancing, and bathing themselves in the glory that was Flint's Trove. Silver haltingly walked forward, away from our group, apparently unbelieving of what he was seeing. I took a step forward, hands out slightly from my body as if I was trying to keep my balance. "This is absolutely... incredible!" I said softly. I turned. "I didn't really think we would find it, but..." I smiled widely, sincerely. "This is all seeming... very... familiar..." B.E.N. murmured. "But I-I can't remember WHY..." Jim tapped B.E.N.'s shoulder, startling him out of his reverie. Walking past me, he said, "Come on, let's go. We're getting out of here, and we're not leaving empty-handed."

Jim's P.O.V.

Morph settled lazily on my shoulder as I led the way to my objective: a large, wooden ship - Flint's ship, unless I missed my guess - still loaded with the treasure from his final haul. Weaving in and out of large chests and halls of gold, my boots kept sinking slightly in the treasure, as if it were sand. "You know what, Jimmy?" Kay asked, just as I caught myself before falling after tripping on the corner of a slightly rotted leather-bound strongbox. "What?" I answered. I had reached the ship. "I have to give you some credit, here," she replied as I jumped up, grabbing the side of the ship and pulling myself over. "Half an hour ago, I wouldn't have thought you were intelligent enough to figure the map and the portal out." I turned around, brow arched. She jumped up, and I caught her good arm, and pulled her into the boat. "Was... that just a compliment from the cheerless Kay Pridgen?" I teased as we turned to face each other. "Just say 'thank you' and don't get used to it," she replied frostily. Before I could reply, I was interrupted by B.E.N. We both leaned over the side to pull him up. "Do you know what's strange?" I grunted; B.E.N. was heavier than I thought he would be. Maybe that's because Kay could only help with one arm. "What?" she asked. "I can't tell you guys how frustrating it is 'cause there's something just... it's NAGGING at the back of my mind." "I thought you didn't have a mind, B.E.N.," I replied, pulling one final time. "Well, you know- AAGH!" If B.E.N. were human, you could've called that a shriek. He fell with a clatter on the deck as I turned to look where he had been. Kay's jaw dropped. "Captain FLINT?" I said unbelieving. "In the flesh!" B.E.N. replied. "Well, s-sort of, except for skin, organs, or anything that-that-that resembles flesh. That's not there." Kay tapped the back of his head to quiet him. "Hmm. I suppose he married his treasure, right to the very end," she said quietly. I glanced at her as I approached the massive, perfectly preserved, four-eyed alien skeleton. B.E.N. continued rambling as he had before soon enough, however, as if he hadn't ever discovered the skeleton. "And yet, it-it's so odd... I remember there was something HORRIBLE Flint didn't want anyone else to know, bit I-I just can't seem to remember what it was..." B.E.N. launched himself at Kay, wrapping his arms around her neck and began simulating crying into her shoulder. I laughed. "Oh, a mind is a terrible thing to lose!" She tried to push him off. "B-B.E.N.!" she tried to say over him. I stepped up onto the pile of treasure Flint's 'throne' was sitting on. Something clutched in his hand (or what used to be his hand) was glinting dully. Pulling the brittle bones away, three fingers shattering as I did so, I started to grin. B.E.N., I think I just found your mind!" I said. "Oh thank..." Kay muttered. "B.E.N., get-" "Hold still!" I ordered. "OK!" he said, snuggling into Kay's neck. I smirked as she rolled her eyes. "Aah! Jimmy, your hands are very, very cold!" I held up the small, bronze piece towards the back of B.E.N.'s head. As soon as it shot into place, B.E.N. stood up straight so suddenly Kay stumbled backwards against the other side of the ship. "Whoa!" Green light faded to blue rapidly in his eyes, and then they opened clearly once more. "Hello!" Kay stepped forward. "B.E.N.?" she asked. "You know, uh, I was just thinking... think... It's all flooding back! All my memories!" He ran towards Kay, picked her up, and swung her around. "B.E.N.! Stop it!" I laughed again. He dropped her back on the deck, and she stumbled backwards again. He held up a finger. "Right up until the point when Flint pulled my memory circuits so I could never tell anybody about his BOOBY TRAP!" My eyes widened. "WHAT?!" Kay shrieked. Just then, right overhead, there was a loud booming, crashing, banging sound. I looked up, and part of the ceiling of the cavern was in the middle of erupting into large red and black explosions. I got a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Speaking of which..."

"Flint wanted to make sure that nobody could ever steal his treasure, so he rigged this whole planet to blow higher than a Kalepsian kite!" B.E.N. shouted over the immense noise the explosions were making. "Somehow, that seems like a bad thing..." I said faintly. After a series of explosions, one of the impressive energy-shooting guns suspended on the ceiling came loose, and fell towards the treasure-covered orb. Watching it, it seemed to move in slow motion, but finally it punctured the ground, through the treasure. Five jagged cracks quickly shot away from the gun, and treasure started falling into the cracks. I gasped, hands to my mouth. The explosions also threw the guns off balance, so instead of shooting into the holes like they were supposed to, they started hitting the treasure as the orb circled, putting more gaps into its surface. Pirates started running like mad towards the exit. "Run Jimmy!" B.E.N. shouted, pulling on Jim and I's arms. "Run for your life, Kaylene!" Jim turned to face B.E.N. and I. "You two go back and help the Captain and Doc. If I'm not there in five minutes, LEAVE WITHOUT ME!" He ran and slid underneath the control panel. B.E.N. and I followed him. B.E.N. grabbed Jim's legs and tried to pull him out. "I am NOT leaving my buddy Jimmy!" he yelled over the explosions. When he pulled Jim out, Jim glared at him, two wires flickering in his hands. B.E.N. gulped. "Unless... he looks at me... like that. BYE JIM!" B.E.N. yelled. He tried to pull me along, but I told him to just go on. "Someone's got to keep him from getting killed, right?" I told B.E.N. as I lowered him over the side of the ship. When I turned, Jim was glaring at me as well. I just stood up straight, and saluted. "I'll take care of the sails to the best of my ability, Captain James!" I leaned close to him. "I'm not afraid of you." Without waiting for him to reply, I scurried up the shrouds. It was a bit difficult, as they were disgustingly dry-rotted, but I made it to the first sail and started opening it as wide as it would go. I didn't know what good it would do. All the sails had giant gaping holes in them. But I was most certainly NOT going to leave Jim here to fend on his own. From this high up, I could observe the whole cavern. Most of the pirates had deserted by now; the guns were breaking the orb apart faster and faster by the minute. Silver, however, remained, trying hopelessly to salvage his treasure. I heard screaming to my other side. Whipping my head around, I watched in horror as Turnbuckle and the one-eyed slobbering alien fell prey to one of the wide cracks the crashing energy guns had created. I closed my eyes, and then turned to the task at hand. I just crossed to the next mast, and began opening those sails. Then, from below, I heard the ship begin to sputter. With one final cough, the ship came to life in such a way it almost knocked me off the mast. "YES!" I cheered. "We are so OUT of here!" Jim yelled from below. The sails were almost all open. There was just one more, at the top of the mast I was currently standing on. As Jim started guiding the ship towards the portal, I began to climb. Upon reaching the final sail and opening it, I realized the ship was just drifting. Looking down, my breath caught in my throat as you saw Silver had climbed aboard. "Oh no..." my keen eyes saw everything as it unfolded. Jim pulled a wide cutlass from the nearest pile of treasure, and pointed it at Silver. I began to climb down; there was no way Jim could, or even would, take Silver on his own. Then, just as suddenly as Silver had climbed around, one of the purple energy beams connected with the side of the ship, jarring it so roughly Jim and Silver were thrown from the deck, and I was thrown from the top of the mast. As I fell through the air, I could see Jim fall into the glowing crevices on the starboard side of the ship. "JIM!" I screamed, just before my back and head collided with the steel on the other side of the crack. Dazed, I couldn't maintain my position on the slanted surface, and began to roll toward the edge. I, as well fell into the gap, but my hands managed to find a small piece of steel jutting out from the wall. To my dismay, I saw it was slowly being retracted into the wall. Soon, I'd have nothing left to hold on to. "Kay!" Looking over my shoulder, I saw Jim had found a similar handhold at my left knee. "Jim! Oh, thank the heavens, you're alright!" I exhaled. "Look out!" he shouted. My grip disappeared into the wall, and, screaming, I fell a ways down. I managed to catch myself again, however, on an even smaller piece of steel, just below Jim's right foot. "Reach for me!" Silver was shouting, stretching his normal hand to Jim's outreached one. With his robotic arm, he had a death grip on Flint's ship. "I can't!" Jim shouted. His hold now disappeared into the wall, and he fell only slightly before he caught another. My head was now at his wait. I looked at him to make sure he wasn't hurt, and then frantically realized my hold was just about to disappear. A quick look below told me all I needed to know. There was nothing else I could grab onto. I was done for. "JIM!" I shrieked, just as the piece of steel pulled out from under my hands. I screamed as I started to fall, but somehow - miraculously - Jim managed to grab my left arm with his hand. "Hold onto me!" he ordered. Nodding, numb with respite, I wrapped my free arm around his waist, and then released his hand and wrapped the other around the front of him, hands clasping at his other side. "Don't look down... Don't look down..." I muttered to myself, pressing my face into Jim's side. I could tell he was struggling to hang onto the wall with my added weight, and I knew without even looking his grip was growing smaller and smaller. There was a moment of calm and stillness then, and I knew it had finally been sucked completely into the wall. Just as Jim and I began to fall, Silver caught Jim's arm, and swung the both of us up onto the platform. I rolled onto my back, tears of relief pricking at the back of my eyes. Jim lay panting next to me. "We... even?" he asked. I nodded rapidly, smiling slightly. "Yea," I replied. There were several loud cracking sounds, and when Jim and I turned around, we both watched in utter dismay as Flint's ship - gold and all – blew to smithereens.
"Come on, you two," Silver said, pulling Jim and I both up by the scruffs of our necks. "We gotta go!" Leaping from platform to falling platform, Silver, Jim and I all hurdled through portal back onto the mossy cliff. "Silver!" Jim gasped. "You gave up?" Silver waved his hand. "Just a lifelong obsession, Jim. I'll get over it." There was a familiar sound of rocket boosters overhead. "Aloha, everybody!"B.E.N. shouted from aboard the Legacy. A wave of relief washed over me. B.E.N. waved from the Captain's Deck. "Hurry, people. We got exactly two minutes and thirty-four seconds 'til PLANET'S DESTRUCTION!" As soon as we got aboard, I gave B.E.N. the biggest hug I could have ever given anybody. "B.E.N., I could kiss you!" I said, almost giddy. "Take us out of here, Metal Man!" Captain Amelia ordered. "Aye, Captain!" Silver and Jim started climbing the stairs towards the Captain, B.E.N., the Doctor, and me. "Captain," Silver started, "you dropped from the heavens in the nick of-" "Save your claptrap for the judge, Silver!" she cut him off frostily. "Eh heh heh, eh heh..." I caught Jim's eye and smiled, shaking my head. "DUCK!" B.E.N. yelled suddenly. A piece of planet blasted through the uppermost sail, bringing it down. It would've have been that bad if it hadn't landed on one of the largest rocket boosters on the ship. "No!' I yelled, vaulting over the side of the Captain's Deck toward it. "Missile tail demobilized, Captain. Thrusters at only 30% of capacity!" B.E.N. shouted out, crunching numbers on his internal computer, which he had synched with the Legacy's. "30%?" The Doctor did a few quick calculations of his own in his head. "That means we're... We'll never clear the planet's explosion in time!' I slid to a stop next to the wreckage. There had to be a way to salvage it! Jim suddenly appeared next to me, the same thoughtful expression on his face. Then his eyes widened, and he kneeled down. "We've gotta turn around!" he said suddenly. I looked down at him like he was mad. (with the way he was talking, he must have been!) "What?" the Captain and I exclaimed simultaneously. "There's a portal back there. It can get us out of here!' Jim explained. "Are you INSANE?" I yelled at him, getting down on my knees as well. He looked at me, but didn't say anything. "Pardon me, Jim, but doesn't that portal open onto a RAGING INFERNO?!" the Doc replied. "Exactly..." I trailed off, watching what he was trying to do. It all suddenly dawned on me what he was trying to do. "Yes," Jim started, pulling a flat piece of metal off of the smoking ruin, "but I'm gonna change that!" "This might work..." I murmured, sliding the end of the rocket booster toward him. "I'm gonna open a different door!" Together, Jim and I lifted the booster onto the wide end of the metal. "How are we going to connect this?" I asked. "I-I don't know!' Jim replied, pulling a piece of rope from nowhere. "One minute, twenty-nine seconds 'til planet's destruction!" B.E.N. yelled. "What do you need, Jim?" Silver asked, bending over our quick project. "Just some way to attach this!' Silver's hand disappeared, and a blowtorch appeared in its place. "Alright, stand back. Stand back, now!' he ordered. With a shower of blue sparks, the booster was connected. Silver and I lifted one side onto the ledge of the ship, Jim the other. "Is there anything you DON'T have in there?" I asked Silver, eyebrow arched. He just chuckled and grinned at me. Jim leaped up onto the makeshift solar surfer. It was right then that it hit me that he was actually planning on riding the thing to save everyone's lives. The thought made me a little woozy. He secured his footing. "OK. Now, no matter what happens, keep the ship heading straight for that portal," he told Silver. Silver nodded firmly, and, wheezing, made a beeline for the Captain's Deck once more, glancing at me as he passed. Jim and I gazed at each other for a silent moment, and then I threw my arms around his neck fiercely, surprisingly near tears. "Don't you dare die on me, Jim," I whispered. He hugged me back just as tightly. "I promise," he replied. "FIFTY-EIGHT SECONDS!" B.E.N. shouted. I pulled away, wiping tears from my eyes with the back of my hand. "Go." He pressed down on the pedal with the heel of his boot, and with a blast of yellow, rocketed off the ship. I leaned over the edge, watching his every move. "Well, you hear him!" Silver shouted. "Get this blasted heap turned 'round!" I looked over my shoulder to hear the Captain's reply. "Doctor, head us back to the portal." With a smile, I faced back towards the portal again, watching Jim barely miss the pieces of the planet's steel surface rising from the ground. I thought my nails might splinter from the force I was gripping the wooden edge of the ship. The ship swung around to follow in Jim's wake, but soon enough I had to squint to see him, not just from the massive amounts of planet surface lifting off the ground, but from how far ahead he was getting. "This might work..." I repeated. "Please work..." Several times the booster's engine spluttered out, but every time Jim pressed down on the pedal, and it fired up once more. "Come on, Jim..." I muttered, hands now clasped together. The ship was having a hard time of it, naturally, being considerably larger than a rocket-propelled piece of singed metal. The Captain and the Doc were squabbling, but Dr. Doppler finally silenced her with a loud, forcefull, "WILL YOU JUST LET ME DRIVE!" B.E.N.'s fingers were typing so fast they were almost a blur. "TWENTY-FIVE SECONDS!" Morph sidled up against my cheek, quivering with fright and anxiety. "It's OK, he'll make it..." I said. I wasn't sure if it was more to comfort Morph or myself. The ship scraped along a large steel piece so roughly I was knocked off my feet, and I bounced against the deck. I scrambled up as fast as I could, and put all my weight against the side of the ship. Squinting, I saw the motor on the booster die, and Jim stomp down on it. It didn't light back up. "No!" I gasped. Morph squeaked shrilly. Jim pounded on it several more times, but the surfer was heading down. It disappeared from view into a wide, yellow and orange-lit crevice. "JIM!" I screamed. "SEVENTEEN SECONDS!" I bent forwards to peer down into the gap as the ship passed over it. Jim was hurdling up from below, instead of splashing down in the lava as I had expected, and shot forward. The ship was dangerously close to passing through the portal before Jim could change its destination. "Seven... Six.. Five... Four..." Jim managed to pull in front of the ship, and he stretched his arm into the flowing green sphere. "Three... TWO!" Light flickered across the portal and the explosions changed to a deep, serene blue. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. The ship burst through the portal just behind Jim. As soon as the ship was completely through, a massive explosion followed, propelling fire and debris through the portal, which then wavered and died out, presumably destroyed by the entire planet blowing up. Cheering along with everyone else on deck, I cupped Morph into my hands and threw him into the air, where he proceeded to turn into a bunch of streamers, confetti, and tiny red rockets. "Didn't I say the lad had greatness in him?!" Silver yelled as Jim circled the ship. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia in a tight embrace, and I smiled a little to myself. Grinding along the ledge of the ship he had taken off of, Jim finally landed on deck, the surfer flitting away into space, forgotten. Smiling and laughing, and very nearly crying again, I ran to him, hugging him again. "You're alright, you're safe! I was so worried..." I pulled back to made sure Jim was actually alright, that he wasn't bleeding or burned. I sniffed, and, satisfied, looked back up to his face, hands resting just below his shoulders. "That has to be one of the most amazing, magnificent, fantastic-" Jim cut me off by pulling me close to him and giving me one of the most planet-shattering kisses I had ever been given. So it was the only one I had ever been given. Nothing would ever be able to top it, I decided, kissing him back. He suddenly began to laugh, and he picked me up and spun me around, my forehead, resting his. As he set me back onto my feet. Morph zoomed up to the two of us, and took turns licking each of our faces, causing both of us to laugh. Almost shyly, Jim very nonchalantly took my hand as Captain Amelia and the Doc approached. "Unorthodox... but ludicrously effective. Id be proud to recommend you, Mr. Hawkins, and you as well, Miss Pridgen, to the Interstellar Academy. They could use a few good Spacers such as yourselves," Captain Amelia said. "Just wait until your mother hears about this!" Dr. Doppler exclaimed. "OF course, we may downplay the life-threatening parts..." I laughed as Jim agreed. "Jimmy..." B.E.N. started. "Kaylene... that was... UNFORGETTABLE!" I smiled as I let B.E.N. sidle between Jim and I. "I know you don't like touching," B.E.N. started saying to Jim, "but get ready for a hug, big guy, 'cause I gotta hug ya!" B.E.N. announced, wrapping his arms around Jim's torso and laughing. Jim kind of stood there, stiff as a board for a minute, and then he hugged B.E.N. back, laughing as well. "Hey, you hugged me back..." B.E.N. said, sounding as though he was starting to get the sniffles. "Oh, I promised myself I wouldn't cry... WAH HAHA HA HA!" B.E.N. started simulating crying again. Jim pat his back to comfort him. I shook my head ruefully. When B.E.N. finally released him, Jim came up to me. "I'll be right back, OK?" he whispered in my ear. I was slightly taken aback. "Sure, but why...?" Without answering, he passed me and headed below decks. I furrowed my brows, but decided to wait a few minutes before following him. Nearly silent, I crept down the wooden stairs into the belly of the ship. Voices drifted towards me from the longboat storage hold. Voices belonging to Silver and Jim. I poked my head into the room, and saw Silver and Jim kneeling around the boat's mooring point. I slipped into the room, and stood with my back against a thick wooden pillar, listening and observing. "Heh heh heh..." Silver chuckled. "I taught you too well." With a groan, he stood with Jim. Jim gave him a look that clearly said he wasn't going to be talked into changing his mind with compliments, whatever Silver expected Jim's mind to change about. Silver leaned towards him. "If you don't mind, we'd just as soon avoid prison, Little Morphie here, he's a free spirit. Being in a cage... it'd break his heart." Silver curled his cyborg fingers around Morph, and Morph chirped to illustrate his point. So that was it. Silver wanted to make an escape. "With a small smile, and just a moment's hesitation, Jim pulled the lever that opened the door at the bottom of the ship. I sighed approvingly; most people would consider it the wrong thing to do. I didn't quite understand it myself, but it felt... right. Besides, what did 'most people' know anyway? They hadn't been along for this trip. Jim knelt, and untied the boat. Silver patten his shoulder. "What say you ship out with us, lad?" I took a sharp breath of air, clutching the side of the column. Morph turned briefly in my direction, but then changed into a black hat, dropping himself on Jim's head. "Ship out with us!" he repeated. "You and me, Hawkins and Silver. Full of ourselves, and no ties to anyone!" I bit my lip. No ties? "You know," Jim replied, taking Morph off of his head and stroking his back to change him into his normal form. "When I got on this boat, I would've taken you up on that offer in a second." I listened carefully. "But, uh... I met this old Cyborg... and this crazy girl... and they taught me that I could chart my own course. That's what I'm going to do." I exhaled softly, relieved he wasn't going to leave. "And what do you see... off that bow of yours?" Silver asked quietly. "A future," Jim answered, looking up from Morph to face him. Silver laughed. "Why, look at ya. Glowing like a solar fire. You're something special, Jim. You're going to rattle the stars, you are." The two of them hugged, and for a moment, I could've sworn Silver was Jim's real father all along. It was all very touching and emotional. Silver cleared his throat, and the two separated. "Got a bit of grease in this cyborg eye of mine." He turned away to wipe his eyes, and Jim brushed away tears of his own, thought made no show of hiding it. Morph began crying, and turning into a blue puddle of water. Jim caught most of him. "Oh, hey Morph. I'll see ya around, OK?" Morph sniffed. "See ya around." He chirped, and licked Jim's cheek. My eyes watered up as well. I didn't know what was going on; I hadn't ever cried before, and now this was the fourth time today. Morph floated back to Silver, and settled disconsolately on Silver's knuckle. Silver held him up eye level. "Morphie," he said seriously. "I got a job for ya. I need ya to keep an eye on this... here pup, and his friend hiding in the back there." I started, and as Jim turned around, I stepped out from behind the pillar, cheeks red. Head bowed, I slowly walked to meet Jim and Silver in the walkway. Jim just smiled and shook his head. "Will ya do me that little favor?" Morph stood up tall and saluted, rubbed against Silver's cheek, and then, purring happily, drifted over to Jim and I. He settled down on top of my head. Silver climbed into the boat, and it began to lower. "Oh, and one more thing!" he exclaimed, reaching into the large pocket of his black coat. "This is for your dear mother!" he said, tossing a handful of treasure up to Jim, who caught it deftly. "To rebuild that inn of hers!" He smiled up at the two of us. "Stay out of trouble, ya old scalawag," Jim told him. "Why, Jimbo, lad!" Silver laughed. "When have I ever done otherwise?" The cords released the sloop, and laughing and waving his hat, he flew off into the fiery sky. Jim settled his right arm around my shoulders, and I rested my head against his shoulder. "You know this is going to take a lot of work, right?" I asked. Jim chuckled. "Oh yea." I sighed to myself, lips turned up at the corners. Nothing like an exploding planet to bring people together.
When the Legacy docked at the Montressor Spaceport, it took over half an hour to unload everything, assist the Captain with making appointments for repairs and such, and delivering the captured pirates to the proper authorities, all the while pretending I had no idea how Silver had managed to escape the ship with the remaining longboat. "Wait for me, wait for me!" I shouted over the normal loud buzz of the docks. Coming down the loading ramp, I tripped into Jim's back. "Watch where you're going, there," he teased. I glared up at him. He took my hand. "Come on. I think I see Mom." Waving in and out of the crowd, I saw the he was following a yellow, blue riboned bonnet. Finally catching up to it, he laid a hand on his mother's shoulder. She turned, and he immediately enveloped her in a monster of a hug. Surprised as she was, Mrs. Hawkins hugged him back all the same. He pulled away, and Mrs. Hawkins saw for the first time my arm in a sling. She gasped. "Kay, darling, what happened?" she asked frantically. I could imagine it now. 'Oh, nothing Mrs. Hawkins. It's just when we were fighting some gun-toting pirates who mutinied against the Legacy, I got shot.' Instead, I smiled graciously. "It was a bit silly, actually. When we got to the planet, I was so unused to walking on land I fell down and hurt my arm." I heard Jim exhale next to me, and I winked at him. I extended my left hand to shake her hand. She smiled, and pulled me into a hug, and I became the surprised one. Jim laughed at my face, and to spite him I hugged her in return. Morph zoomed up between our faces then, and rubbed against Mrs. Hawkins' cheek. She laughed, and that allowed time for me to step back. Jim let his arm rest loosely around my shoulders, and when Mrs. Hawkins looked away from Morph, she gasped, and put a hand to her mouth. Then she hugged both of us at the same time. "This is wonderful!" she said. "I'm starting to have second thoughts," I joked. Jim's mother took both our hands, and started to lead the two of us through the crowd. "I've booked the return taxi. Now, I want to know EVERYTHING...

Jim's P.O.V.

It took ten months flat to rebuild the Benbow. Without everyone pitching in, it would have taken much, much longer. And, thanks to the gold Silver had given us, not only was the inn returned to its former glory, it was that a thousandfold. It was now three stories instead of two, much bigger, and a gazebo and pond could be found just a quick walk down the dirt road. Kay's arm had healed completely, with only a pale white scar to tell the tale of what had happened. With the Captain's glowing recommendation and praise, Kay and I applied to the Interstellar Academy the moment we had landed back on Montressor. Only now had the two of us been called before the Board of Representatives to discuss our academic future. It hadn't taken very long, both of us had been nearly accepted on the spot. At this very moment, the two of us were strolling up the walk with a police escort. The lights were on in the Benbow, and muffled voices and music could be heard inside celebrating the inn's reopening. It felt strange that this time it was honorable to be with the police, and not as a delinquent. "I don't want to go in," Kay said suddenly behind me. I turned. "Why not?" I asked, confused. Even if the two of us weren't fighting as much anymore, she hadn't lost any of her will. Usually she was the first to jump into things, dragging me in with her, willing or not. A frown appeared on her face, and a tiny wrinkle of worry appeared between her two eyebrows. She plucked at the uniform she was wearing. "I look completely idiotic, for one," she said. I took both her hands in mine. "There's nothing to be nervous about. You looked beautiful." It was no lie. Just like me, she had cut her hair. Instead of one long ponytail, her straight dirty blonde hair rested on her shoulders, and her bangs were swept to one side of her face. She practically glowed in the twilight in the cream-colored Interstellar Academy uniform; the fitted jacket with gold trim, the pleated skirt, white nylons, and cream-colored knee-high heeled boots. Cream colored bandana (she had begged them to let her wea her signature trade mark) She looked straight at me, eyes defiant. "I'm not nervous," she said. Smiling, I pulled her into an embrace. "You look just like your mom," I whispered in her ear. That was no lie either. Except for her eyes, Kay looked almost identical to the woman in the picture now framed in her room upstairs. She stiffened, then looked up at me, eyes dubious. "Liar." She took a deep breath, and straightened her jacket. "I'm about as ready as I'll ever be," she said. I smiled. "Alright." The robot officers opened the door, and everyone inside grew silent. Kay and I stood in the doorway, waiting. Then, the whole inn burst into cheers, and Kay broke into a relieved smile. I had been wearing one the whole time. Each of us shook one of the officers' hands while the other saluted. Morph turned into a medal and pinned himself onto my chest while Kay knelt down to allow the frog-like children to place a wreath of white flowers on her head like a crown. She had become very close to those children and others staying at the inn during the past months. I glanced at Mom, who was beaming her approval. Then I looked to the baby-burdened Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia. Each bowed their heads in respect. Mrs. Dunwitty began to play five different instruments with her tentacles, and each sound blended together to made a very catchy song. Several of the inn's occupants lined up in the center of the room, men on one side, women on the other, holding pink and white flowers over their heads in their hands. I bowed to my mother, who curtsied in return. Taking her arm, I danced with her between the two rows of adults, and we both laughed. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Dr. Doppler dancing with Mrs. Dr. Delbert Doppler.(Captain Amelia) As my mother whirled away, I heard a familiar laugh to my left. Turning my head, I saw Kay taking turns dancing with the frog alien children and B.E.N. Not seriously, of course. I bowed to her. "May I have this dance?" I asked formally. She laughed, and shook her head. "I can't dance to save my life," she replied. "Oh, come on!" I said. "This kids are already dancing with each other, and B.E.N. can dance by himself. I've seen him do it. Let's go." I took her arm and led her to the line. She very grudgingly followed. "Jim..." she said warningly. "Just do what I do," I said. She wasn't half bad, when it was all over. She was actually very good, very light on her feet. "You don't give yourself enough credit," I told her. She laughed as she was twirled away by Dr. Doppler. After dancing with Captain Amelia, I took a position at the window, behind Mom. Gazing out the window, I watched as the clouds swirled together and seemed to form Silver. A star even shone through where his right cyborg eye would have been. Kay came up behind me, and put her hand on my back. "Do you-" "Yea," she replied with a small smile. "I see it too." She stood up on her toes, and kissed me. "I wouldn't worry about him," she said softly. "I get the strange feeling we'll see him again someday." I looked at her. "You think so?" She smiled. "I know so." She took a hold of my arm, and started to lead me back towards the floor. "Come on, Cabin Boy. I want to dance some more." I laughed. "So," I asked, spinning her out. "Are you sorry you let me take the credit?" I asked with a teasing smile. Her brows furrowed, as if she were trying to remember exactly what she had said. I remembered it perfectly: She had leaned over my shoulder as I had unwrapped the map for the first time. "Well, Jim," she had said, leaning back in the seat of Dr. Doppler's carriage, "I'll let you take the credit for this one." Kay brightened, and smiled up at me. "Not on your life," she laughed. Smiling, I pulled her close to me. It was good to be home.