Chapter 10 – "Captain, the Star!"
Dolphy was just about to climb down from the next to relieve her from work when something blasted her back into it. The night flared into a crimson sky, and Morph screeched and dove into her shirt, where he felt he was safe. "What the Devil-," she cursed to herself, looking out into the Etherium. She saw a large star, the one she was sketching in her book, turn bright red, then send off a heat wave in which made sweat trickle down her back. "Captain, the star!" she cried out as loud as she could and the boy below her relayed the message. Captain Amelia came running out of her cabin, still in uniform.
"All crew fasten your life lines!" Cray called out with his booming voice. Everyone came down, from their posts to tie their lines good and tight to the ship.
"Abrasive action, Mr. Fint!" Amelia called out, running down the hull of the ship, barking other orders as shockwave after shockwave of orders came from her mouth. Dolphy was climbing down the ladder when a shockwave went by and knocked her off the mast. She screamed falling down, but, a warm touch caught her, and she saw Jim hold her tight.
"Come on!" he said.
"Mr. Cray, secure those sails!" she said at the helm, watching the screens for the next wave. Cray yelled out the orders, while Jim and Dolphy ran up front to tie down the forward sail. Boulders flew past below and over them, some of them small enough to fling past their ears in annoyance. A large boulder, one that dwarfed the ship came rolling their way, and the ship's cannon's couldn't destroy it, no matter how hard or fast he shot them. Jim went over to Dolphy and held her head to his chest, in a vain attempt to protect her. But as it had for his trip on the Legacy, the boulder pulled away. Jim and Dolphy watched as it flew back towards the black hole.
"Move!" Jim hissed, pulling Dolphy back to the ship, where he ran to the mast and waited for her.
"Mr. Hawkins! Make sure all life-lines are secured good and tight!" Amelia ordered.
"Aye-aye, Captain!" he answered running over and pulling on each one tightly, "life lines secured, Captain!" he yelled back.
"Very Good!" she answered. Her eyes went back to the screens before her. Jim ran back to Dolphy and touched her shoulder gently for there was fear in her eyes. "All students to the mast and hold on tight! It is going to be a bumpy ride!" Amelia cried out as she ran from the computer screens and grabbed the helm. Jim pulled Dolphy against the mast and pushed his body tight against her, and held on tightly to the mast.
As they fell down to the swirling mass, they got lower and lower, and Jim began to doubt that they would make it. Last time they would already be cheering for survival by now. Something in his gut told him to say what he wanted to say for a while now. As they tumbled down, he brought her mouth close to her ear, and whispered the words.
Dolphy thought the same thing too and turned to face him.
"I love you!" they both said in unison. A sudden burst of light brought Dolphy together with Jim's chest and he gripped her in a tight embrace. The entire world seemed better and brighter now. The ship's sails collected the blast of light and exploded away. The captain drove the ship with ease to a safe part of the Etherium where everyone shouted and cheered for their being alive.
All except Jim and Dolphy, that is.
The two humans on board were tight in each other's arms, both happy that the truth is out. They both pulled back to look at each other's eyes and both of them bent down with their foreheads together. Jim chuckled and soon Dolphy followed suit.
"You are the one," he whispered, and gently kissed her lips.
"Is everyone here," Amelia's voice rung out through the cheering crowd. They all settled down, Jim and Dolphy broke apart, but he kept one arm around her waist. "Mr. Cray?" she asked. No one answered. "Mr. Cray? Mr. Dest?" Mr. Dest was the cook, and a brilliant one at that. Amelia thought of him as a good man, and had been happy to be in his company when Doppler wasn't around. Cray came in, holding the handkerchief that Dest had always worn.
"Our cook," he said, handing it to Amelia, "is lost." All eyes drifted to Jim, and he stiffened, "His life line was not secured."
"WHAT!" he yelled. "Not again," he whispered, before checking them all again. Surely enough, one was missing. "I checked them, I know I did. Captain…" Her eyes glared gently at him, and Jim could feel something inside of himself crush to nothing. "But…" he didn't say anymore, except run into his rooms, slamming the door. Dolphy glanced over to Carren and Vivian, who looked sad, but, they had small smiles pulling at their lips and their eyes were mocking. Carren was looking at her. She glared harshly at him, and then followed Jim into the rooms.
"Jim, let me in," she said when she found it was locked.
No answer.
"Please, Jim," she said again.
No answer.
With a sigh, Dolphy dug into her shirt and gently pulled out Morph. "Can you pick the lock?" she whispered. He chirped and dug his face into the lock. The soft clicks of the bolt reached Dolphy's ears, and when Morph came out and rested on her shoulder, she opened the door, and found Jim lying balled in a corner, her knees to his face, and he was crying. Dolphy looked at him and sighed slightly. "Jim…" he didn't answer, but continued to cry into his knees. "It wasn't your fault," she said, walking to his bed.
"Dolphy…" he said, not bringing his face up. She put her hand on his shoulder. He continued to cry.
"Jim," she said. She pulled him to the edge of the bed and tightly wrapped her arms around his chest, "it is alright. It's alright. I'm here for you." He continued to let tears come down his face, but, Jim closed his eyes, forcing the last of his tears to come out. He turned around to face her, and she put two warm hands on his cheeks and looked deep into his eyes. "It is ok. It wasn't you fault." He sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. She placed her hand around his neck. She kissed his forehead.
"Thank you," he whispered. She smiled.
"You're welcome," she answered. "You are very welcome, Jim. I am always here for you."