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Chapter 7

Ali handed another tray of food out to a frazzled-looking Sarah, who hurried to dish it out to customers. Grabbing another list of orders, she started pulling the needed ingredients out of the fridge. As her hands worked almost reflexively, she let out a sigh.

She hated busy days like this. There were always a few customers who just had to be difficult. Today's worst case was old Mrs. Dunwoody; Ali could hear her shrill, demanding voice even over the noise of the kitchen. Between customers like her and the extra pressure to work fast, tempers were short among all the staff.

Sadly, they needed days like this. The Benbow had lately fallen on hard times, and money was scarce. One of their waitresses had quit only a week ago, and Sarah had had to take over her shifts. Ali worried about Sarah, and did what she could to make things easier for the woman.

Unpleasant or no, days like this get the bills paid faster. The doors swung open, and Ali looked up to see Jim striding in.

"Hey Ali, I really need a break. Can you cover for me while I go surfing? I won't be gone long, I promise."

"Jim, I don't think I can really—"

"Thanks!" He dashed out the back door, letting it swing shut behind him.

Ali bit back a growl of frustration. She hated when he just ran out like that. And did he have to do it on a day like this? She had quite enough to manage without handling Jim's duties as well. We're both eighteen now. So why am I the only one acting like it?

She turned to another of the cooks, a slender man who was using three of his six arms on pans full of sauces. "Would you mind helping me watch my stove? Just enough to let me know if I need to get back to it?" she pleaded. "I need to do a little extra work right now."

He grunted his assent, and she thanked him before walking into the dining room. Thank goodness she was on good terms with the kitchen employees. Pasting a smile onto her face, she started clearing tables, carrying the dishes to the kitchen sink. She washed plates and utensils—the job Jim was supposed to be doing—with quick, efficient strokes, and checked the food she was cooking after each load was clean. A temporary lull in business allowed her to finish the food and get more tables cleared. Once each table was empty, she took a damp rag to the tabletop, wiping off stray bits of food.

It was during this activity that she moved within earshot of Dr. Delbert Doppler. The canine man was sitting by the window, his usual order in front of him. He spotted her and smiled.

"Hello Ali. How are you?"

"Not bad. Pretty busy day today, but…" Ali shrugged her shoulders as if to say, what can you do? "How are you doing?"

"I'm well, thank you." Delbert answered. As he lifted a spoonful of food to his mouth, a little amphibian girl peeked over the table. Ali watched as he awkwardly attempted to shoo her away, and giggled when the girl snatched the food out of his spoon with a snap of her tongue.

"Oh, they're so adorable at that age!" Sarah cooed, watching the girl skip away.

"Oh yes, deplorable…ah, adorable, hmm," Delbert replied, grimacing. "Speaking of which, how's Jim doing?"

"Much better," Sarah said. "I know he had some rough spots earlier this year, but I really think he's starting to turn a corner."

It was at that moment that Jim kept his promise. He arrived at the front door, back only a few minutes after his departure. The problem? He brought friends.

Sarah dropped the dishes she was holding at the sight of Jim standing between two robo-cops. "Jim!"

"Ooh, wrong turn," Delbert muttered.

"Ok, thanks for the lift guys." Jim brushed one of the cops' hands off his shoulder, trying to play it cool.

The cop grabbed him again. "Not so fast."

"We apprehended your son operating a solar vehicle in a restricted area," the other cop told Sarah in its mechanical voice. "Moving violation 9-0-4, section fifteen, paragraph…um…"

"Six?" Jim offered.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"Jim!" Sarah said angrily.

"As you are aware, ma'am, this constitutes a violation of his probation."

"Yes, yes. No, I understand," said Sarah nervously. "But, um, could we just…"

"Pardon me," Delbert cut in. He came to stand in front of the cops. "Officers, if I might interject here. I am the noted astrophysicist Dr. Delbert Doppler; perhaps you've heard of me." The only response was a blank stare. "No? Uh, I have a clipping…"

"Are you the boy's father?" one cop interrupted.

"Oh, no. No, no," Sarah said quickly. "He's just an old friend of the family."

"Back off, sir!" The cops snarled as one, abruptly snapping forward into Delbert's face.

"Thank you, Delbert, I will take it from here," Sarah hinted. Delbert took the hint and moved away.

"Due to repeated violations of statute 15C, we have impounded his vehicle," the cop continued. "Any more slip-ups will result in a one-way ticket to juvenile hall."

"Kiddie hoosegow," the other cop said.

"The slammo."

"Thank you officers," Sarah replied. "It won't happen again." Her last words were directed right at Jim.

"We see his type all the time, ma'am," one cop stated.

"Wrong choices," the other said.

"Dead-enders."

"Losers."

Ali saw Jim's expression go dark and scowled. She wanted to snap right back at the officers, but she knew that could only end badly.

"You take care now." The cop tipped his hat with abrupt pleasantness.

"Let's motor." The two turned and wheeled out as though nothing had happened, shutting the door behind them.

The dining room was completely silent. Ali turned to find every customer gaping at Jim and Sarah. Figuring she was also in the customers' line of sight, she shot them a pointed glare. They saw her glare and quickly went back to their conversations.

Ali grabbed a broom and started sweeping up the broken plates on the floor, seeing Sarah and Jim talk but unable to hear them. Jim was placing dirty dishes into a plastic bin, refusing to look at his mother. Ali edged slowly into hearing range.

"Jim, I just don't want to see you throw away your entire future," Sarah said, a pleading note in her voice.

"Yeah, what future?" Jim said bitterly, backing into the kitchen door and slipping inside.

Ali dumped the shards of porcelain into the trash, glancing over at Sarah. The woman looked like she might cry, if she weren't too tired for it. Sadness flashed through Ali, and she turned to follow Jim.

Her friend was standing in front of the sink, holding the bin of dirty dishes. He set it down and let his arms drop to his sides, glaring at the bin's contents.

Ali stepped into his line of sight. "Those cops really need to work on their standup routine, huh?" she said, forcing a smile.

Jim only grunted, eyes still on the bin. Ali let her smile drop and turned to her cutting board. A soft tune slipped from her lips, slow and melancholy in keeping with her mood.

"Can you just stop with the music for two seconds?" Jim snapped.

Ali froze. Jim had never said that to her before. Not seriously, at least. She lowered her head, feeling stung. "Okay," she murmured.

Jim glanced at her and felt guilt prick him. He hadn't meant to sound so harsh. He was just angry. He didn't say anything more, though, just turned on the faucet and started on the dishes.

Ali worked in silence for the rest of the day, speaking only to inform Sarah when she had orders ready. She knew to take Jim's words with a grain of salt when he was upset, but his comment lingered like a thorn under her skin. As she finished the last order of the day, she saw him slip out the back door. She waited a minute to collect herself and then followed after him. She knew exactly where she'd find him.

ooOoo

Jim sat on the inn's lower roof, next to a skylight, tossing pebbles and watching them bounce to the ground. His stormy expression matched the clouds overhead.

A noise made him turn to his left. "What are you doing here?"

Ali walked forward and sat down next to him. "I wanted a view of the sky, and some company while I looked at it."

Jim raised a skeptical eyebrow but didn't reply. The two of them sat side by side, not saying a word. After a minute Ali broke the silence.

"Jim," she hesitated, wondering how to word this right. "I know things have been hard for you lately." And it was true. Most everyone in town knew that Jim's father had walked out on him and his mother. When he first got in trouble with the police, they were quick to label him as a problem child. Even the teachers at the high school saw him as a lost cause, regarding him with false pity when he did badly in class but making no effort to help. It was enough to make Ali want to slap them.

"I know it's been hard for you," Ali continued. "And I know you're trying to find some escape. But the way you've been doing it…it's awful hard on your mom."

As if on cue, Delbert and Sarah's voices sounded through the skylight. "I really don't know how you manage it, Sarah. Trying to run a business while raising a felon like…felon…fellow…fellow like Jim."

"Managing? I'm at the end of my rope." Sarah replied wearily.

Jim frowned and looked at his shoes. "Yeah, I know. She's disappointed in me."

"You know that's not what I meant. She loves you, Jim. She loves you, and she wants the best for you."

"Right, because I'm really likely to get the best."

Ali's temper flared. She got up and moved to stand right in front of Jim. "You know what? I'm trying to be kind about this, but obviously that's not working. So here it is. You skip out on work all the time, leaving me to pick up the slack even if it's more than I can handle. You're distant and insensitive with your mom, even though what she needs most right now is support. You get in trouble with the cops by pulling stunts that could as easily be done in legal spaces. All in all, you're disrespecting the work that your mom and I put into keeping the inn running, and all the effort your mom has put into giving you a decent chance in life. And it's not right!"

Ali had been glaring at him, as what was left of her day's patience cracked in a surge of frustration. Now, though, she deflated. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Jim." She stepped back a few paces. "You weren't always like this."

Jim finally raised his head and looked at her, his expression holding something like guilt. "I don't mean to hurt anyone. I just—"

He stopped as a screeching sound filled the air. Ali looked up and gasped when a ship flew right past them, barely missing the roof and spewing smoke. To her right, Jim gaped, wondering if he was seeing right. The ship crashed onto the end of the dock, metal squealing and parts breaking at the impact.

Jim slid off the roof and ran down the dock, Ali hot on his heels. When he reached the ship, he knocked hard on the window, asking in a shout if whoever was inside was all right. Ali peered over his shoulder, trying to get a look inside.

Both teenagers stumbled back when a clawed hand hit the window. The window burst open in a rush of smoke, and an old man all but fell out, coughing and wheezing. He wore a black cloak and sailor's cap, and held a small chest protectively.

The man stood and wrapped the cloak tighter around his body. With one hand he grabbed Jim by the shirt, pulling him closer. "He's a'comin. Can you hear 'im? Those gears and gyros clicking and whirling like the devil himself?" With every word he stretched his neck further out of his shell, then released Jim in another round of coughs.

"Uh…hit your head there pretty hard, didn't you?" Jim said in confusion.

"He's after me chest," the man continued, cradling said object close. "That fiendish cyborg and his band of cutthroats." He hoisted the chest onto one shoulder. "But they'll have to pry it from old Billy Bones' cold, dead fingers 'afore I…" More coughs racked him, so violent it sounded like he was choking. Ali's eyes widened, and she and Jim rushed to help him up. Ali supported the side on which he held the chest, while Jim got the man's other arm around his shoulders. "Thank ye to ye, lad, and ye too, miss," the man rasped.

"Mom's gonna love this," Jim said, voice thick with sarcasm.

Ali groaned. After all that had happened earlier, this would be the chokecherry on top of Ms. Sarah's day.

The three started the awkward trek up to the inn, and the sky decided it was the perfect time to start raining, releasing a heavy downpour. Within moments they were drenched. As they neared the entrance, Ali lamented the fact that her hands were full. It would make getting inside that much harder. Luckily—or maybe not so luckily—Delbert solved that problem, opening the door just as they reached it.

Sarah released a thunderous gasp. "James Pleiades Hawkins!"

"Mom, he's hurt…bad!" Jim replied in explanation. As he and Ali moved inside, the old man collapsed to the floor. At his request, Jim pushed the chest closer to him. The man opened the chest with a quick press of buttons and lifted out a small, round bundle. He handed Jim the bundle and pulled him in close again. Ali leaned forward to hear his words.

"The cyborg! Beware…the cyborg!" The man whispered. A last breath rattled out of him, and he sank to the floor, no longer moving. Ali bent closer and checked his pulse. There was nothing.

"Oh…" Sarah breathed. Ali stared at the body in horror, but a moment later, a bright light made her spin around. The light was coming from outside, growing brighter every moment as another ship appeared. But this one wasn't crashing. It landed neatly outside the inn, engines whirring.

Jim snuck to the window, opening the shutters just a crack and peering outside. Whatever he saw made his face flare with fear. "Quick, we gotta go!" He pulled Ali and his mom toward the stairs. As they moved, Ali saw something fall from Sarah's neck and land at the foot of the staircase. She turned around and snatched it up before dashing up the stairs.

Laser fire blasted through the door, barely missing Delbert. "I believe I am with Jim on this one!" He shouted, hurrying after them.

As they ran, Ali detected the smell of smoke wafting up the stairs. Her breath caught in her throat. They've set the place on fire!

Ali wasn't sure where they were going, but Delbert seemed to have an idea. He threw open a large window, leaning precariously over the sill. His next words weren't what she expected. "Delilah! Stay! Don't move!" An odd grunting noise issued from outside.

Delbert helped a panicking Sarah onto the windowsill. "Don't worry Sarah, I'm an expert in the laws of physical science. On the count of three: one…"

"Three!" Jim pushed the two out before Delbert could finish. He then grabbed Ali's arm, intending to jump out with her. To his surprise, Ali gripped his own arm and got behind him.

I am not leaving anyone behind this time! Ali thought fiercely. She propelled Jim out the window first before following after him.

The group of four landed in Delbert's buggy, which was sadly not designed to fit four people. Ali ended up sprawled over Jim and Sarah's laps, clinging to the side of the vehicle for dear life as they sped away. Jim wrapped an arm around Ali's waist to secure her.

Sarah looked back at the inn she had worked in her entire life, watching as flames engulfed it. After a minute, she slumped against the seat of the buggy, her expression one of shock and despair. Ali looked helplessly at Jim, who only stared back, as lost as she was.

Then she looked at the bundle in Jim's hand. "What is that?" She asked, gesturing to the object. Jim untied the string, and the fabric fell away to reveal a metal sphere.

The two teenagers stared at the sphere. It was made of a bronze-like material, and was engraved with interlocking lines and circles. Neither of them had ever seen anything like it.

Afraid that they were being followed, Ali kept her guard up for the rest of the ride. Her worries went unfounded, though, as they reached Delbert's home without trouble.

As it turned out, Delbert's home was actually a mansion, complete with an observatory on one end. As the group walked through the place, Ali whispered a question to Delbert. He gave her a brief set of directions, and she slipped away from the others. Once she found the kitchen, she brewed a quick batch of tea, settling the kettle and several teacups on a tray.

She found the others in the observatory. Sarah was sitting by the fireplace, slumped in an armchair. Ali set the tray down and turned to Delbert. "Any word about the inn?"

Delbert shook his head sadly. "I just spoke with the constabulary. Those blaggard pirates have fled without a trace." He knelt at Sarah's side. "I'm sorry, Sarah. I'm afraid the old Benbow Inn has burned to the ground."

Ali felt the air leave her lungs, the news slamming into her like a physical weight. Another home gone up in flames. First it was her childhood home, and now it was the Benbow. Was every place she stayed in destined to go up in flames?

As she watched Jim place a blanket around his mother's shoulders, the hurt hit her again. Ali had lived at the inn for six years, but Jim had lived there his entire life. And Sarah…

The inn had essentially been an heirloom in Sarah's family. Sarah had inherited it, and had worked her fingers to the bone to keep it afloat. It had been her livelihood, her life's work, and her home. Now all of that was gone.

"Certainly a lot of trouble over that odd little sphere," Delbert noted, glancing at the table it was balanced on. He continued to make observations, apparently trying to distract Sarah from her current circumstances. Jim wandered over and picked up the sphere, studying the pattern more closely. Ali walked toward him, inwardly agreeing with Delbert. Why all the fuss over the thing?

As she reached Jim's side, he started fiddling with the sphere, pressing down on the circles like they were buttons. Eventually one of them clicked inwards, making all the circles retreat inwards with a hiss. Jim's eyes widened, and he twisted one section of the sphere, lining up the circles in a different pattern. Ali spotted another section and reached out, twisting it with her right hand.

In the meanwhile, Delbert was still talking. "It could take years to unlock its secrets—hey!" Jim completed a fourth twist, and green light shot out of the sphere, forming a glowing grid that filled the entire observatory. Sparks of light came together, becoming planets, nebulas, stars, and more. Ali turned her head in all directions, trying to take it all in.

"It's a map!" Delbert gasped. "Wait, wait, wait, this is us! The planet Montressor!" He brushed the image with one finger, and a flash of light made them all start. The surrounding map started spinning, moving like a ship on a pre-planned course. "That's the Magellanic Cloud! Whoops!" Delbert dodged out of the way of a small moon. "And there's the Coral Galaxy!"

He continued to name various places, some of which Ali had never heard of. Ali herself dodged left and right to avoid various images, awed at the detail around her. Jim, on the other hand, just stood in one spot, looking bemused as a galaxy hit him in the chest and reformed behind him.

"Wait, what's this, what's this?" Delbert asked in wonderment. Ali turned to see what had him so excited, and saw a planet with two rings circling it. "Why, it's, its…"

"Treasure Planet," Jim finished. Ali's jaw dropped. How many times had her father told her the story of the pirate Captain Flint, with his hoard of treasure on a forgotten planet?

"No!" Delbert said in disbelief.

"That's Treasure Planet!" Jim repeated, sounding more excited than he had in months.

"Flint's trove? The loot of a thousand worlds?" Delbert babbled. "Do you know what this means?"

"It means all that treasure is only a boat ride away!"

"Whoever brings it back would hold an eternal place atop the pantheon of explorers!" Delbert exclaimed triumphantly. "He'd be able to experience…" at that moment the green light flashed back into the sphere, and Delbert's voice went up an octave. "Oooh what just happened?"

"Mom, this is it," Jim said. "This is the answer to all our problems!"

"Jim, there is absolutely no way—"

"Don't you remember? All those stories?"

"That's all they were! Stories!"

"Ms. Sarah," Ali cut in. "Stories don't just come out of nowhere. My father told me over and over about Treasure Planet. With all the treasure there, we could rebuild the inn a hundred times over."

"This…this is just…" Sarah sputtered. "Delbert? Would you please explain how ridiculous this is?"

"It's totally preposterous! Traversing the entire galaxy alone." Sarah crossed her arms and smiled in satisfaction. "That's why I'm going with you."

"Delbert!" Sarah cried in dismay.

Delbert grabbed a bag and started running around the room, muttering plans and throwing items into the bag as though he was going to leave that night.

"You're not serious," Sarah protested.

Delbert slid down an enormous stack of books, bag still in hand. "All my life I've been waiting for an opportunity like this, and now here it is, screaming, 'Go Delbert! Go Delbert!'" He did a little happy dance that made Ali snicker.

"Okay, okay, you're both grounded," exclaimed Sarah, glaring at Delbert and Jim in turn. Delbert clasped his hands behind his back, scuffing his shoe on the floor like a scolded child.

"Mom, look," said Jim, making them all turn to look at him. "I know that I keep messing everything up, and I know…that I let you down. But this is my chance to make it up to you! I'm gonna set things right."

"Sarah?" Delbert interjected. "If I may." He took her aside and spoke to her in hushed tones.

Finally Sarah turned to face her son again. "Jim, I don't want to lose you."

Jim clasped his mother's hand in both of his. "Mom…you won't. I'll make you proud."

Ali studied Jim from where she stood. Her friend's face was open and sincere, and his voice was steady with resolve. He really wanted to make things right. A bit of hope stirred in her chest. Maybe this was the turning point for Jim. And maybe…she smiled as the hope grew stronger. Maybe we can really pull this off.

Her gaze strayed back to Sarah, who had a tentative but loving smile on her face as she looked at Jim. With a start, Ali remembered the object she had grabbed earlier. She slipped one hand into the pocket of her dress and stepped forward. "Um, Ms. Sarah?" Sarah, Jim and Delbert all turned to look at her. She blushed, but kept moving until she was face to face with Sarah. She brought her hand out of her pocket, curled around something small. "You dropped this when we were at the inn." She uncurled her hand and extended it to Sarah. "I figured I should give it back."

Sarah stared at the familiar object in front of her. It was a small oval locket, attached to a simple chain. She carefully took it from Ali. When she opened it, a hologram shot out, flashing through several images of a younger Jim.

She closed the locket and looked at Ali. For several seconds, the two of them shared a very meaningful look. Then Sarah stepped forward and hugged Ali. "Thank you, Ali." She whispered. "Just call me Sarah from now on, ok?"

Ali smiled. "Ok."

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