Note: For the sake of this story, Treasure Planet took place on Earth, not in space. And all the characters from the movie were human, not alien.


Jim Hawkins turned eighteen a week after he graduated from the Interstellar Academy. He spent the day alone. He often spent his days alone. Being accepted into the Interstellar Academy was a huge honor and only the best sailors were accepted. Stiff-shirted, stuffed-pants sailors who looked down at Jim.

After finding Treasure Island and saving the crew of the RLS Legacy, his Captain, Amelia, recommended him to the Academy and he was accepted almost immediately. Evidently, Captain Amelia had a lot of pull with the Academy. At first, Jim was thrilled at the chance to start over. He had just been a naïve fifteen-year-old boy who thought everything would be different. Maybe he would make his mom proud of him again.

And perhaps, if he was successful enough, his dad would even come back.

But for the last three years all Jim could think about was John Silver. Just before they returned home, Jim let John Silver go and Silver gave him an offer to go with him and live the life of a pirate. Jim had turned him down for the chance to start a new, respectable life. Now, he wished he had taken him up on his offer. In his life, Silver was the only man who came close to being a father to him. His dad had been there for a short while when Jim was a kid, but he spent most days at sea. One day he just never came back.

But in the last three years Jim hasn't heard a word from Silver. He couldn't help thinking he was more like his dad than he thought. Sure, Silver had been there for him while they were sailing and even gave up his treasure to save Jim's life. But, just like his dad, he left and Jim was now alone.

No one to spend his birthday with.

Of course he could have seen his mom and Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia. But, if he had to endure one more conversation that started with "Congratulations on graduating from the Interstellar Academy; what are you going to do now?", he'd scream.

He no longer cared about anyone's approval. Why should he? It was his life, not theirs. If he wanted to be a pirate instead of a sailor in the Navy, then he will be. He didn't need Silver. He could do this on his own. He's spent the last three years on his own, why change things now?

Jim walked over to his balcony and leaned against the railing. From there he could see the London docks and the sea. The docks were crowded with majestic looking merchant and naval ships. Though it was night, Jim could make out the white sails and colorful flags. Each colored flag meant something and he knew all the meanings. He knew it all. Jim graduated at the top of his class at the Academy and with his ranking he could walk onto any one of those ships and join the crew with no trouble. By this time tomorrow he could be sailing with the royal navy as much more than just a cabin boy.

Jim brought his almost forgotten cigarette to his lips and breathed in the smoke. The sound of the waves matched the beat of his heart and he knew he had to get back on a ship. Nothing else in the world knew his heart like the sea.

When a loud knock sounded on his apartment door, Jim considered ignoring it. Anyone coming to the door at ten o'clock at night couldn't possibly have anything to say that he wanted to hear. But, after the second knock, he figured: what the hell?

Jim took one last drag from his cigarette, then flicked it over his balcony railing before crossing his apartment and swinging open the door. A young messenger boy was standing in the hallway; he looked relieved to see Jim.

"I have a letter for Mr. Hawkins," the boy said, holding out an envelope.

Jim snatched it out of his hand. "It's Jim," he corrected. He pulled some money out of his pocket and stuffed it into the boy's hand before closing the door. One of the perks to graduating from the Academy is the obscene amount of money he received to get him started.

Jim sat down on couch and looked at the envelope. It had his name scrawled over the front, but that was all. On the back was a black wax seal imprinted with an X. There was no indication of who it was from. Jim frowned as he broke the seal and opened the envelope. Inside were two pieces of folded parchment paper. He unfolded the larger one first. A crooked smile slowly invaded his lips when he realized it was a map. A large red X was encircled on the east coast of America and beside it were coordinates. Jim set down the map and unfolded the smaller sheet of paper.

Jimbo,
I heard you graduated from the Academy. Didn't I tell you you have the makin's of greatness in you? I suppose now you'll be off to serve king and country in the royal navy. The Captain would be proud. But, if I know you, you want more. There is a ship set to depart from the London docks the day after your birthday which, if I'm not mistaken, is the day you'll get this. (Happy birthday, kid.)The ship will be under the command of Governor Ratcliffe. Give him the map; he's expecting you. On the map I've marked a place in the new world where there is said to be more gold than the king himself possesses. I'm confident on this journey you will find the treasure who've been yearning for. Take the helm and chart your own course.

The letter wasn't signed, but Jim knew it was from Silver. He refolded the letter and glanced down at the map. Would Silver be waiting for him in the new world? He had to be. He wouldn't pass up that much gold, not after losing Flint's Trove. If he got on this ship tomorrow and sailed to the new world to find this treasure Silver wrote about, then perhaps he'd find Silver, as well. Even though Silver left him and didn't contact him in three before tonight, Jim still couldn't help feeling the smallest inkling of hope that perhaps he'd see him again.