Back again.
Complications, Boy Hunting, and Decisions
"When you first came to us, you wanted us to pass judgment upon your soul. We pass that judgment now", said a prosecutor with disgust. Five of them looked down upon him with looks of disgrace and hatred.
"No, it wasn't me, I was set up. It was the Shadows, they took my form and-", he pleaded.
"Silence!" the chief prosecutor boomed. The boy fell silent.
"Will the accused and his party rise", the only female judge asked. The boy and six others behind him stood up.
"We have reached a verdict. The evidence points to the accused as being guilty as charged. We have no further comments", the lead juror announced.
"Then, your punishment will be the harshest our world will allow", the chief judge said. The boy jumped.
"No", a raven haired girl said under her breath.
"For the offense of treason and the assassination of a world leader, we sentence you to exile."
The boy jumped again. There was some chatter among the audience.
"You have three hours to leave our planet. Use this time to say your goodbyes and collect any belongings you have left. Court adjourned, case closed."
People began to stand and leave. The boy remained in the spot he was left standing in. Suddenly it felt as if the courtroom lost all of the oxygen it had held for the last three hours. The boy started to suffocate. The world around him started to spin.
T.J. jumped out of his sleep and onto the steel floor of the lab. He had had the nightmare again. The same one that haunted him ever since he left that world. He was gasping for air, he had been holding his breath in his sleep again. After he finished his gasping, he started crying. He let it all out. He had held it in for two years. His room responded by opening the steel vortex window and letting the sound of the surf and the strong wind in. He slowly started to calm down.
"Thanks, AMANDA", he said.
"Yes, sir", she simply replied.
T.J. made his way to the console he left running before he went to bed the night before. It was flashing green and grey. He pushed a button and the screen started to show statistics.
"Smash Carrier critical systems fully operational. Minor and combat systems need maintenance" said AMANDA. He looked at the data on screen. It looked something like this:
Smash Carrier Life Support Systems
Oxygen Converters…Operational
Water Molecule Separators….Operational
Temperature Stabilizers…Operational
Artificial Solar Generators….Operational
Smash Carrier Offensive Systems
Flux Cannons...…Operational
Power Cannons...…..Operational
Plasma Vortex Mortars...…..In Need of Repair
Main Battle Batteries...…Maintenance Suggested
S.A.M. Batteries…...….Operational
Antimatter Assault Field Cannons...…Operational
Subspace Cannon...…..Operational
Black Hole Generator…...Not Found
Smash Carrier Defensive Systems
Shields…...Operational
Force Fields...…..Operational
Cloaking Generator…...Operational
Smash Carrier Transportation Systems
Engines...…..Full Repair Needed
Navigation...….Operational
Smash Carrier Miscellaneous Systems
All...…Operational
T.J. groaned in aggravation. It would take weeks to correct all of those problems. He rubbed his eyes.
"What are the tidal conditions of the coast", he asked.
"Buoy readings suggest some unusual swells for this time of day*. Water currents normal. Temperature: 65.8 degrees Fahrenheit."
"Good, get a sub ready, I'm going under."
In Sovia's Basement…
"SOVIA, DO YOU THINK YOU CAN TURN THAT THING OFF FOR A SECOND!" Tootie screamed over the sound of the grinder. Sovia looked up from behind her work table. She removed the object she was smoothing out with the machine and the noise ceased. She pushed a button and the grinding wheel started to slow down*. Tootie lowered her hands from her ears.
"What's up Toots", Sovia greeted, removing the goggles from her face.
"Just thought I'd stop by and say hey", Tootie said unsteadily.
"Timmy told you he was going with T.J. and you want to go, but your judgment is getting the better of you, so you're tied between love and intuition", Sovia said for her.
"You can read me like an open book", Tootie replied, "I don't know what to do, I want to go, but…"
"Just follow your heart, you can't go wrong", Sovia said, brushing off the pendant she was working on.
"I'll try to listen, but you know me", Tootie said. Sovia smiled. She tossed her the chunk of metal she was holding. Tootie caught it. It was in the shape of Timmy, just as Sovia promised she would make for her. She smiled at the steel charm. Her mind was made up. She looked at Sovia, who was now using a cutting torch to cut some more steel from a scorched panel of one of T.J.'s failed armor tests. Tootie looked at her pendant. She left to go tell Timmy.
Somewhere under the ocean…
"Man, AMANDA should have said this place could have used a good dusting too", T.J. said, running his finger along one of the hand rails. He made his way to the cryogenic chambers.
"There you are", he said, releasing the only captive creature in the bay.
Meanwhile…
"Sovia, have you seen T.J., he's not home and I can't find him at his usual hangouts*", Timmy asked through the small radio.
"No, I've been busy with a little project. I haven't had much time to do much of anything", she replied. She checked her blueprints again.
"Nuts", she said. She detached the part she had just placed on the wrong joint and reheated the end of it.
"If you see him, let me know", Timmy said.
"Alright", Sovia said, not really paying attention anymore. The project was starting to tick her off. If T.J. was there he could have told her how to do the advanced things.
"Speaking of him, when was the last time I saw him?" she mused to herself.
She looked at her watch.
"He's dead", she said after discovering it was nine in the morning. She threw her goggles on the table and quickly left the basement.
"Fortune, hold my calls", Sovia called to her younger sister*.
"Got it, Boss", her sister replied making a mental note in her head. She continued the Sudoku puzzle she was working on. She rubbed her eyes in frustration and folded her book. She looked up in time to see Sovia storming out. Being the nosy ten-year-old she was, she snuck out after her elder sister.
"Ooooh, T.J. must be having his funeral today. Or Sovia planned a murder", Fortune said slyly as she hid behind various bushes and trees, easily tailing her sister.
"Who does he think he is? He knows he has to check in with me before seven every morning", Sovia said to herself as she walked to the edge of the cliff. She peered over the edge and gulped. Heights freaked her out. She hesitantly grabbed a bungee cord that hung over the edge. She strapped on the harness. She took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she stepped over the edge. Only when she felt herself being pulled back up by the elastic did she open her eyes again. Sovia started to hyperventilate. She looked around for the mouth of the cave. Fortunately, it was right behind her and she swung her way in.
"She actually did it", Fortune said in amazement. She watched as Sovia swung herself into the cave. She smirked daringly. She strapped on another harness and flew over the side. The force of the jump flung her easily inside the cave. She unstrapped herself in midair. To her misfortune, she landed on her sister's head.
"Ahh! Ow! Fortune!" she yelled as she processed what happened. Fortune was on her feet and cowering as soon as she recovered. She took her sister's scoldings as if she were about to get grounded for year. It broke her heart when Sovia yelled at her.
"S-S-Sovia, I'm sorry", Fortune sniffed. Sovia dropped her anger and sighed.
"You're a real pain, did you know that", she said. Fortune looked up at her sibling. Sovia had turned around and was scanning her hand on the palm reader.
"You're not mad at me?" Fortune whimpered. Sovia looked back with a bright smile.
"No, I can't hit you, I'd hurt my hand on your hard head", Sovia laughed. Fortune smiled and skipped into the laboratory. The lights were already on.
"Hello Sovia. Hello Fortune", AMANDA greeted when they walked into the giant lobby.
"Heya, AMANDA", Fortune replied. Sovia collapsed into a chair and took a deep breath.
"Where's T.J.?"
"I'm sorry to say that T.J. has requested that I keep that information classified for the time being", AMANDA said.
"Perfect", Sovia groaned.
"AMANDA, can I go to the research station", asked Fortune energetically.
"Why yes, you can", the AI replied.
"Yay!" Fortune cheered and skipped out of the room. The hydraulic sound of doors opening and closing was heard as she made her way through the lab.
"AMANDA, ready the plasma torches. There's more that needs to be fixed than what was on the monitor", T.J. said as he walked in. Sovia's head shot at him. He stopped when he spotted her. He quickly put the equipment he was carrying down behind him, he didn't want to give Sovia anything to hit him with. She stormed up to him and put her arms around him.
"Uh, Sovia, are you alright?" he asked uneasily.
"Yeah, I'm not going to hurt you this time, I know you're busy and stressed out, so, I'm going to give you a break", she replied. She let him go and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.
"Chao", said something behind T.J. Sovia peered behind her sweetheart. There were some small boxes floating. They landed and a small creature flew up from behind them.
"Aaahh!" Sovia screeched. The creature jumped in surprise and hid behind T.J.'s shoulder.
"What is that thing", she asked, backing up slightly. T.J. looked over his shoulder at the frightened thing.
"This is Max*. He's a Chao from a planet called Mobius Prime. I saved him from a bunch of carnivores. We've been best buddies ever since", T.J. explained, coaxing the Chao from behind his shoulder. The yellow and blue Chao flew toward Sovia. His fingerless hand was placed over his mouth. Max examined her with curiosity. After a few seconds, he held out his hand.
"Chao", he said with delight.
"He's glad to meet you, shake his hand", T.J. said. Sovia shakily shook the little one's hand. He flew higher in delight and landed on her shoulder.
"He likes you", T.J. said. She looked at Max, he was smiling happily.
"Hey, Timmy, I found T.J., he's at the lab", Sovia said into her S.T.U.C.
There was no reply. Instead, there was a flashing sound behind them.
"We've made up our minds", Timmy said, with Tootie right behind him.
No comments.
Facts: 5
1. T.J. placed buoys in the harbor and coastal areas so he could get readings around where his ship is located. He has also placed weather balloons in the surrounding areas for launching conditions.
2. Sovia enjoys metal working, it is something she is good at and finds it entertaining.
3. These hangouts include the peak above the lab, the library, and the beach.
4. I gave Sovia a sister to add to the drama of the story. She will become more important throughout the story. I will also have the families more involved.
5. I changed the Chao's name and color after realizing it would be better if he were more normal.