Scene 3: Captain of the Metamo Ark
For the next four weeks, Zach and his mom lived on the Observation Colony on the moon, helping out whenever they can. Each day, Zach took a different job. One day he would try data analysis, the next he would go out and search for rock samples, and still others he would assist in the construction of that mysterious starship that would hopefully have the ability to move Meteos in Meteo Streams around. Then he tried electrical maintenance, front lobby receptionist, being a sales clerk, and more. He found that though each job paid a little differently, those pay increases and decreases didn't necessary compute with the amount of enjoyment he could derive from the job itself. So far, he had yet to find a job that paid highly and that he actually enjoyed…though that was a tall order, anyway.
He found that he could finally go out into the local commissary and buy whatever food or items he wanted without having to rely on his mom all the time, with money he earned himself, instead of limited amount money that his mom had to give him for college. These shopping sessions alone made him realize just how much he really enjoyed certain foods and whether or not it's worth it for him to buy, as he also wanted to save money for other things such as tune-ups for Dosani.
Speaking of Dosani, the scientists allowed Zach to ride the motorbike for his collection jobs, as long as they put a sound muffler on Dosani's engine. Didn't want the noise to inconvenience everyone and/or mess with the geological samples he had to collect. He normally would have been annoyed by this regulation, but since the gravity of the moon was 1/6 that of Geolyte, he was able to beat his previous height record by six times, so he was too thrilled to complain.
His mom was also kept busy, too. She also volunteered for everything from basic cleaning services to gourmet meal chef and even to data collection and analysis. For the first time ever, she and Zach could finally go at different times to buy different foods and items depending on what they wanted.
Given how much Zach still liked riding Dosani and giving it tune-ups, he slowly realized that he was starting to have the most fun in construction and maintenance. In fact, he noticed that every day, more people would show up on shuttles that came from Geolyte, many of them to work on the Meteo starship. He met his old friend Jody Plimmer from elementary school (though she recognized him first, if only faintly) who had recently double majored in engineering and chemistry, and became fast friends with Rick Steeler, a guy who worked on cars all the time back on Geolyte. Together, the three of them worked so well that they ended up becoming an example that all the other workers looked up to.
The scientists had decided that the outer layer of the ship should be made out of Meteo Ore, and Zach found it had something to do with what they called the Sliding System, which would supposedly move incoming Meteos around. But he could never be sure how it worked. As for the name of the ship, the scientists were starting to get tired as to how everything was called Meteo Ore this, Planet Meteo that, so they decided to go for something different. They eventually agreed on Metamo Ark.
Then came the announcement that made Zach work harder than ever.
Professor Glierce walked up to the front of the room and announced, "Okay, now that everyone's here…"
He pressed a few buttons on the computer next to him and sent up a few pictures of the newly-named Metamo Ark and Planet Meteo on the window, which apparently could double as a hologram projector screen.
"As you all know, the Metamo Ark is about 62% complete. Zach Bandrews, Rick Steeler, and Jody Plimmer? Seeing as how you three and your groups have been working so hard to build it, we have come to believe that all of you are qualified to become its crew. The question is, which one of you are most qualified to be the captain?"
That got everyone in the room talking at once. The professor had to call for quiet before he could continue.
"Of course, being the captain will be the most difficult responsibility of all. You will have to give orders to everyone on the ship AND operate the mechanism we are developing to move the Meteos around. In other words, the fate of the ship and its crew will entirely be in your hands. But you will also be able to choose who will be your backups."
Zach raised his hand and asked, "How are you going to choose who's going to be the captain?"
"Glad you asked, Zach. Over the next two to three weeks or so, we'll be monitoring all of you to see whether you have the right character for the job. So work hard, find out everything you can about how to operate the ship, and don't slack off. Very simple."
Jody pointed straight at the other picture, "Professor, you never got to mention Planet…"
"Meteo? Oh yes. We have observed that, oddly enough, it has stopped sending out Meteo Streams as of late. We're not sure why. But our energy levels indicate that its energy levels are increasing, so we are worried that it might try an even stronger attack than before. We really must complete the Metamo Ark before Planet Meteo strikes again!"
So that really got Zach going. Over the four weeks after that, he eagerly helped out with the construction, giving his teammates advice on where to put each Meteo rock for the outer hull, and he worked faster than ever. He frequently met with the scientists to examine the blueprints, see how the Sliding System would work, and brought them down to ensure that they were all building it according to plan. He became so busy that the only time he rode Dosani was to pick up food for his teammates or construction materials for the ship, and he was becoming more concerned about speed and less about trying to jump his highest every day. For the first time in a long, long time…he felt as if his life finally had meaning.
The night before the day the professors were to announce who would become the captain of the Metamo Ark, Zach asked his mom, "...What if they don't pick me?"
She turned to her son, who was lying face-up on the couch after yet another long, tiring day, and replied, "Sweetie, they WILL pick you."
He raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "How do you know THAT?"
"Look, just two months ago, you were a freeloading lazy bum who never picked up his mess, and then you suddenly started working twice as hard as I do. They'd have to be blind to not notice," she replied, almost jokingly.
"Still, Jody and Rick work just as hard, and they seem more…I dunno…responsible?"
His mom knelt down beside him. "Even if you don't get to be the captain, they've still got to pick you for a position in High Command, and those are no less demanding. And even if that doesn't happen, that still doesn't change the fact that you'll be doing something important for all of us. No matter what happens, I just want to let you know, I'll be proud of you, at least."
Zach thought over those last few words before falling asleep.
That didn't stop him from feeling jittery with anticipation the next morning when they all gathered in front of the scientists on the top floor to admire their finally finished starship. He was too nervous for his brain to fully register the fact that Professor Glierce was congratulating them for a job well done.
"And now, the moment you have all been waiting for. We have finally decided who will be the captain of the Metamo Ark! And boy, it was a very difficult choice."
Zach really wished there was a drumroll in the place somewhere.
The professor pulled out a small piece of paper and read, "The Captain of the Metamo Ark will be…"
Never mind; everyone started drumrolling right then and there.
"…
…
…
…ZACH BANDREWS!"
Right when he leaped 6 feet into the air in exultation, Jody and Rick tackled right into him and brought him back down to the ground, hugging him like crazy. All the other workers decided to join in, and soon, it was pretty much a dogpile. It didn't help that dozens of party poppers and thousands of confetti swirls went off and started raining down.
After the confetti died down and the workers finally got off them (with help from Zach's mom), Zach finally noticed that Jody and Rick were hugging him and asked, "Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. I get to be the captain?"
"I know, man!" exclaimed Rick excitedly.
"What? But…but I thought you guys wanted to…"
"True, at first I did…" Jody admitted. "But when you really think about it, it makes sense. There's just something about you that…you know…makes you stand out more than any of us."
Rick asked, "…But we still get to be your co-captains, right?"
"Hey, yeah!" Zach playfully punched them both in the biceps.
His mom was watching the whole time. When they finally calmed down, she finally said, "See? I'm your mother. I know everything."
Zach smiled and replied, "…Well whaddya know."
Right at that very moment, an alarm blared throughout the whole station, sending a red light blinking on and off. "All personnel, to the Metamo Ark! Another Meteo Stream is headed this way!"
Professor Glierce quickly brought up the screens, and it showed a diagram with an analysis of the new stream. Planet Meteo had released a Meteo Stream at least ten times as long and three times as wide as the one before. It was headed straight for Planet Geolyte, and there were only 20 minutes until impact.
"Sorry, Zach. No time for a test run. It's the real deal now. Good luck," announced the professor solemnly.
Zach's head spun. He could barely manage a wave goodbye to his mom before Jody and Rick dragged him to the stairs, running all the way down to the Metamo Ark to take their positions. Before he knew it, they had already arrived at the Commander's Area, a control console set in the huge frontal room with a similar window with holographic diagrams. Jody took the console to the left, while Rick took the one to the right, leaving Zach in the center. As soon as all the workers had taken their positions, Jody shouted over the intercom, "We're ready! Prepare launch sequence Alpha-29 immediately!"
Zach couldn't believe it. Only yesterday, he had dreamed about being at the very console, and now here he was, about to face the Meteo Stream with absolutely no practice at all.
As soon as the loading bar on the screen in front of him filled up, he gripped his intercom device and ordered, "Initiate launch sequence now."
He vaguely remembered someone saying something like "Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it." At the time, he had no idea why they would say such a thing, when he clearly would be ecstatic if his wishes came true.
Now, though? He finally understood.
To be continued…