A/N:
For those of you wondering what the Coracle is, I'll let you in on a secret. Treasure Planet is based off of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, right? Well, I read the book a while ago and I believe (If my memory chooses to work today) that the Coracle was some kind of boat that Ben had and let Jim use. But, personally, I found the book very hard to understand since it was written a long time ago or something… If I am wrong, then there's no real harm done since this is a rewrite of the movie and some things are changed. Alright, Chapter 11 everyone… oh, and I'm sorry this chapter is so ridiculously long. I wrote the ending first and then the middle and the beginning was longer than I thought it would be… but, whatever.
Disclaimer: I don't own Treasure Planet… sighs It's around 2:00 am… I can't think of anything good…
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"I care more than you think, Sora." He said softly. "I always have…" She looked down at her feet once more. His grip on her shoulders softened and he took her hands in his. He stepped so close he could hear her quiet breathing, so close his face was only inches from hers, yet her eyes were cast down.
"So, what now?" She whispered. "The trust we had was broken. Of course, if there was any trust to begin with." She looked up at him, her deep green eyes shining in the faint light.
Jim rested his forehead against hers and spoke almost inaudibly. "We can rebuild it, that is, if you want to."
"Of course I want to!" She said in a bit louder tone, pulling away a bit. "It's just… Well, I…" Her gaze wandered once again.
"What?"
I don't know what to do. She answered, though not aloud. My mother forced me to be someone she wanted me to be, and then… well, I don't know how to be any other way than this. She sighed before answering. "I… I just don't where to start."
A small smile found its way onto his face as she said this. "Well, you can start by helping us." He said. "Then maybe we'll all have a chance of makin' it off this planet in one piece."
Surprisingly, she laughed. "I suppose…" The smile still remained on her face. Suddenly, she pulled her hands away from his, blushing terribly. "I…" She paused, still smiling slightly. "Your little robot friend is watching us from the bushes."
They both looked over to the left, where B.E.N.'s head was poking up from the leaves. "B.E.N.!" Jim said as the robot dashed away. He chased him for only a few feet before stopping and turning back. Sora was just behind him, shaking her head at the two of them.
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"Now, hang on for a moment." Sora was saying as they got to the opening of a cave, the faint light streaming in past the curtain of vines. "Enlighten me here, how did a longboat end up here? If Flint left it then it would be useless these days."
"Well, um…" B.E.N. stuttered. "A- a few years ago a ship crashed on the other side of the planet. The survivors got this far in a longboat…"
"What happened to these survivors?" Jim asked.
"Uh…" He paused. "You don't wanna know."
"No," Sora said, a smirk on her face. "Now I'm interested. Tell us."
Jim rolled his eyes as B.E.N. spoke. "Traps. In the forest. I won't go into detail."
Sora and Jim exchanged looks as they walked into the cave. The sound of dripping water could be heard throughout the cave as it echoed off the walls. Towards the sides were wooden tables, rotting at the legs. Tools lay upon them, but they were covered in rust. Lying on the ground in the middle was the longboat. But, as she looked it over, Sora doubted more and more that it would ever fly again. The wood seemed intact for the most part, just covered in moss. There were no sails, but then again, there was no sun either. Surprisingly, the engine did not seem rusted.
Though it was a very early model, the outer covering of the engine was still waterproof. As she walked around it, she stopped halfway. Written in messy paint upon the side was 'CORACLE'. She immediately looked at B.E.N. since the writing was almost illiterate.
"What?" He asked. "I can't name it?"
Turning to Jim, she tried to keep a smirk off her face. "Your friend's completely mental, you know that, right?"
Jim smiled at her. "I think I figured it out while ago."
Stifling a laugh, she crouched down to get a better view of the engine. The metal panel slid back with a bit of trouble and made a large clanging noise as it stopped. Her hands worked quickly, pushing and pulling wires out of the way. It was a shadowed mess. Obviously, the previous owner had not kept it in good condition. Almost an hour passed before anyone said anything.
"Okay…" Sora said, her eyes still fixed on all the wires. "There's a small chance that it will run –but there are no sails." She stood up, wiping her hands on her pants. "So, we've got no power."
"But, what about the emergency engines?" Jim said, leaning against one of the tables. "Don't they run on actual fuel?"
"Well," She started. "I suppose that would work… if we had some."
B.E.N. jumped up. "Yah- yah know this is, uh… this is a really good day for me! I just remembered where I saw some!"
A few moments passed and B.E.N. remained silent. "Where?" Jim and the young woman now standing next to him said at the same time.
"Uh…" B.E.N. sighed, walking over to a hatch in the floor. "So much running around today." He opened the hatch and jumped down inside, his voice echoing. "It's getting tiring…"
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"Amazing." Sora commented, leaning over the railing. "Truly amazing." The tunnels must have gone through the entire planet for if one looked to the left or right, the panels, wires, and green glow went on for miles. Even looking down could make your head spin, for it looked as if the drop was a thousand feet or more –and it probably was.
Jim grew nervous with her leaning over the railing. He kept a sturdy hand on her arm while she shook her head at him. The height didn't bother her though, for you can't have a fear of heights if you're the lookout of a mighty ship. B.E.N. was a few feet ahead of them, making a racket as he went down the walkway. "Alrighty, here we are." The robot said, stopping outside a door. This one, surprisingly, was rectangular. He merely pushed a small button near the doorway almost hidden beneath some wires. The silver door slid with a hiss, revealing a room about the size of a broom cupboard. Its walls were bare, and so was the floor –save for around five medium sized jugs filled with a light blue liquid.
Sora stooped down, looking for some kind of label. "Are you sure this'll work?" She said, looking at B.E.N.
"Yep." He answered. "Ole' Flint left 'em here for when he needed them. At least… I think he did. Maybe. Anyway, I don't think he'll need them now, though."
"That's for sure." Jim mumbled, earning a small laugh from Sora.
"Hmm," She said, watching as Morph flew around B.E.N.'s head until he was dizzy. "I think we'll only need two or so to get it running."
"Well," B.E.N. said as he walked back over to the way they'd come in. His head rolled from side to side as Morph still flew around him, chirping happily. "I'll leave you two to do the heavy lifting."
After he left, Sora turned to Jim with a genuine smile on her face. "You know," She said, leaning against the doorframe. "This might actually work…"
"It had better work," He said. "I don't want to be here in the morning with those laser canons working on the ship. Not to mention the fact we'll get the map back."
She rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe you left it there."
"Hey!" Jim said. "It's not my fault Morph changed into the map."
"Wait a second," Her smile turned to a small smirk. "I've been meaning to ask you- what happened to the whole 'I could've helped you, those engines are a lot like the ones in solar surfers' thing?"
"Oh-" He said, growing nervous and rubbing the back of his neck. "About that… well, I tried to, but- Well, I almost-"
"What's wrong?" Sora said, joking at him. "The great Jim Hawkins is afraid he might embarrass himself?" Standing up straighter, she leaned forward with the smirk still on her pale face.
"Ha, Ha," He replied with sarcasm in his voice, moving closer without really realizing he did so. "You're so funny."
It was then that she realized he was standing so close. Her heartbeat grew faster until she could almost hear it. She suddenly became very nervous, unaware that her body moved of its own accord and that she was even closer. His smile had faded and was replaced by a serious look.
"Sora?" He asked quietly.
"Yes?" She said, their faces moving closer every second. They stood so close that if one of them turned they would hit each other's shoulder.
"I- I'm starting to think that…" His words trailed off when he realized he was close enough to actually kiss her.
"What is it?" Her gaze was locked with his. She couldn't look away from those eyes.
"I'm starting to think that I-" He paused. "That I might actually…"
What ever he wanted to say, he seemed unable to say it. There was no more denying it –he was going to kiss her. The question was, would she let him? She always seemed to be stuck in situations where she had to make decisions. Unfortunately, she usually made the wrong one. But, maybe not this time…
Their lips hardly brushed before B.E.N.'s shout echoed of the tunnel walls. "Hey- you guys comin'?" Sora stepped back, hitting the doorframe. Jim did the same, and both of their faces were a crimson color. As she turned away and picked up two of the jugs, she thanked every star in the heavens that B.E.N. had not seen them. He would never let them forget that.
She handed Jim one before heading down the walkway, still blushing. Jim nearly stumbled back from the weight of the fuel. Why the heck were those things so heavy? Sora seemed to have no trouble with it at all. He quickly shifted it and held it tighter as he followed her. She was already back in the cave by the time he got near the hatch.
"What took you so long?" Sora asked, poking her head out of the opening, a smirk on her face. Jim rolled his eyes at her. Women, he thought.
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The Legacy was still and quiet as they arrived. No winds caused her to sway and no breeze lifted her sails. As the Coracle flew closer, the ship began to seem dead and desolate. The longboat stopped shakily, and its passengers were eager to get off. B.E.N.'s foot caught on the railing of the ship as he tried to climb over. He let out a cry as he hit the deck loudly.
"B.E.N.!" Jim whispered sharply.
"Sorry! Sorry!"
They crept along the deck, each listening for some sound indicating they had been discovered. After a moment, they reached the entrance that lead to the inner areas of the ship. "Scroop should be the only one here." Sora whispered as they all made their way down the stairs. "As long as we keep quiet, he shouldn't hear us."
"Alright," Jim said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "I'll go get the map. You two stay here and make sure-"
"Aye, aye, Captain Jimmy." B.E.N. interrupted. "I'll disabled laser canons, Sir!" He finished with a sloppy salute.
"No, wait! B.E.N.!" Jim called out after him. He didn't listen; instead, he just kept going down the hallway, singing.
"…Yo ho, Yo ho, A pirates life for me…"
"Don't worry." Sora said. "I'll watch him. Just to make sure he doesn't become the death of us." Her voice held no sarcasm.
Jim nodded, watching her whack the robot in the back of the head when she caught up to him. "Somehow," He said to Morph. "I don't think that'll be enough."
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"Disable a few laser canons," B.E.N. said to himself as he walked into a small room. "What's the big deal?" Sora followed close behind, a tired look on her face. B.E.N. found a large box on the wall, and was about to open it. "All we gotta do if find that one little wire and-"
Sora sighed loudly as he opened it. At least over a hundred wires lay inside, all different colors and all tangled around the others. B.E.N.'s eyes widened. "Oh mama."
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In the darkness of the longboat bay, Jim pushed back the ropes concealing the map. Morph chirped as he pulled out the golden sphere. "Yes…" He muttered with a smile on his face as he gripped it tighter.
Without warning, red lights on the walls flashed brightly, and a siren blared.
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"Oops!" B.E.N. said. "Bad B.E.N. Okay, fixing…" He quickly put the plug back into the wall, an embarrassed look on his face. The siren stopped as he spoke. "Uh- my bad."
"There's no way Scroop didn't hear that." Sora said worriedly. "I'm going to go find Jim. We should get out of here." Turning, she left the room quickly.
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Morph followed closely behind Jim as he ran down the hallway. "Stupid robot," He muttered as he neared the bottom of the stairs. "He's gonna get us all-" His voice faded as he glanced at the top of the stairs. Scroop stood at the top, his claws clenching and unclenching. "-killed." Jim finished.
"Cabin boy…" He hissed, a menacing look in his yellow eyes.
Jim ran down the hall, faster than before. He could hear Scroop behind him, getting closer with the aid of his six legs. In an effort to slow him down, Jim pushed boxes lining the walls behind him. It didn't help much, for Scroop cleared them easily. At the end of the hallway, Sora steeped out from around the corner.
"Jim, B.E.N. just-" She stopped when she saw who was behind him. He quickly grabbed her by the arm, pulling her aside. They leaned against the wall, whilst Jim tried to catch his breath. Sora kept her mouth shut –and so did Morph. He pulled out his pistol, Sora's ears perking up as she heard it charge. Jim turned back around the corner, only to find Scroop a few feet in front of him.
He made no other move, for suddenly they were all plunged into darkness. Sora stood still as though dead, straining to hear any sound of movement. Come on, B.E.N. The lights returned, but Scroop was gone. Jim turned around quickly, but only Sora stood behind him. Her hand was gripping her gun, but she was reluctant to take it out. Jim continued to look down the hallway, and did not see a dark figure lower itself from the ceiling. Sora narrowed her eyes as a shadow fell over her, yet… it was not coming from it front of her, so…
She spun around quickly, her hair whipping around her face. Scroop loomed over her, but before she could do anything, he struck her in the head quickly. At the same moment her gun clattered to the floor, Morph flew up at his face, turning into a gloved hand and poking him in the eyes. Either from Scroop's yell of pain or the sound of someone falling to the ground, Jim turned around, gun in hand. The mutinous creature above him knocked him down. Scroop's claw swiped at the young man's neck, and he kicked at him in retaliation as his gun lay just out of arm's reach.
Just as he looked over at Sora's motionless form, he noticed some alien noise. Or, rather, there should have been a familiar noise –but it was not there. The Artificial Gravity Generator wasn't running. The low hum of it he had grown accustomed to was gone.
Sure enough, only mere seconds later the artificial gravity lifted, no longer holding anyone down. Though they were now both weightless, Scroop reached for his neck once again. Jim kicked at his chest, sending him towards the ceiling. The wooden hatch above him shattered, sending them both above the deck. Sora opened her eyes, a throbbing pain in her head. She immediately felt a weightlessness about her, and quickly realized B.E.N. had once again made a grave mistake. Everything, including the boxes in the hall, now floated freely. Fear was felt in the reaches of her mind, an unwanted fear that was almost forbidden. Her hands grasped the edge of the opening where the hatch once lay. Once she had a good grasp, she looked up to find Jim and Scroop near the crow's nest.
Jim's hands slid hopelessly on the mast, yet he still could not grab onto anything. Scroop climbed up the wood like a spider on a wall, not stopping for a second. He watched the man crawling up after him, and was soon above the crow's nest. His fingers just barely grabbed the end of the pirate flag as he saw his gun floating next to him. Reaching out one hand to grab it, he struggled to keep a good grip on the flag. "No!" Jim said as his hand hit the edge of the gun, causing it to spin away.
"Oh… yes." Scroop laughed evilly as he began to cut rope connected to the flag. "Do say hello to Mr. Arrow for me." The rope was frayed and almost cut all the way through when Jim pulled himself back to the mast. Scroop's anger broke through as he lunged at the boy.
"Tell him yourself!" Jim shouted as he did the same, kicking the man behind him and grabbing onto the mast once more. He looked behind him and saw Scroop tangled up in the flag, but the flag was now floating freely. Once he had ripped his way out, he let out a cry. The rope had snapped, and there was now no way to get back to the ship.
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B.E.N. floated around four feet above the ground, his frustration growing. "Back you go, you naughty plug!" He said, reaching for the board full of wires. With the plug back in place, he immediately fell to the ground.
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Sora hit the deck quickly, her shoulder taking most of the impact. Groaning, she opened her eyes and got up slowly. Stupid robot, she thought. Looking up towards the crow's nest, she called his name. "Jim? Are you alright?"
She watched him get up, leaning against the side of the crow's nest for support. "Sure, you?" He said as Morph flew near his shoulder, chirping softly.
"Depends on your definition of alright." She replied as she looked to the stairs where B.E.N. came up from below deck.
"Well, that wasn't so hard." He said, covered in multicolored wires.
"No kidding…" She said, rubbing her shoulder. She looked back at Jim, who currently had Morph flying around his head. He did not smile, but had a solemn look that told her he knew things probably weren't going to get any easier.
Moments later, Sora jumped into the longboat with a rare smile upon her face. Jim stepped in also, whilst B.E.N. tripped and fell in. She tried to smile, yet somehow the solemn look on Jim's face made her smile look a bit fake. "Well, at least things can't get worse, right?" His expression did not change as he sat down and started up the engine. His mind was obviously distant.
She sat down next to him, the smile disappearing for a moment. As she placed her hand over his, he looked up with a startled look only to find her grinning once more. Nothing was said, yet a smile also spread across his face. Her ears twitched as she tried to hear what B.E.N. was mumbling. "Sora and Jim," Theirs hands quickly pulled away from one another's. "…sitting in a tree. K-I-S-"
"I may be able to fix a lot of things, like the longboat engine, but if you 'mysteriously' woke up one morning in pieces I don't think I'd be able to help." Sora said with a glare on her face.
Jim smirked at B.E.N. as he shuffled his way to the other end of the longboat. She tried to hold back a laugh at that as she made sure the engine's systems were working properly. "Okay, let's get out of here." She said. The Coracle moved forward and began its descent. Sora sighed, looking out to the sky, her mind racing. She had no idea what was going to happen to them all. Somewhere, there was doubt in her, a doubt that they would make it off the planet.
She was pulled from her thoughts as the engine started shaking, which caused the entire longboat to shake. "What's going on?" B.E.N. asked.
"I-" Sora started, confused beyond belief as she tried everything she could. "I don't know." The longboat wouldn't turn, slow down, or even stop. Its descent grew faster and shakier with every passing second. "The engine's failing…"
The ground was getting closer as B.E.N. spoke again. "Well, can't you do anything?"
She glared at him. "Oh, sure, B.E.N. We're at about a hundred feet, let me just get my tool box."
"Guys, stop!" Jim said in a loud tone. "Now, there has to be something we can-"
He was cut off as a small explosion was heard from the engine and smoke started spewing from inside it. The longboat shook terribly and its passengers held on tightly as the bottom scraped the ground.
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The smoke of the engine filled the air. It would have quickly filled the lungs of any creature and sent them into a fit of coughing –that is, it would have, had anyone been conscious.
Pain, that was the only thing Sora felt as she opened her eyes. She could see above her the endless sky and large clouds of smoke. Lying on her back, she could feel the hard ground beneath her. Just opening her eyes was painful and caused her head to ache worse than ever. Her chest felt tight, and she realized she wasn't breathing. The fall must've knocked the breath from her as she couldn't get any air. There truly is no fear like not being able to get a breath.
Then, she coughed loudly, her shoulders shaking violently. The air was filled with the sound of her short and quick breaths. It hurt to think, to blink, to breathe, and even to turn her head. Propping herself up on her elbow, she could see B.E.N. pull himself out from some bushes.
"Whoa." The robot tripped and fell over. "What a rush."
She shook her head at him –which turned out to be a bad and painful idea. Turning to her right, she saw Jim lying on his side.
Sora swore loudly as she got up, nearly falling from the headache. She took a step and pain shot through her legs, but she didn't care. Jim hadn't moved at all since she saw him.
Getting down on her knees beside him, she grew worried. She couldn't tell if he was alright. "Jim?" She asked in a shaky and terrified voice. At the sound of his name, he turned over, but did not open his eyes. She brushed some of his hair out of his face, and softly placed a hand on his chest. "Jim?" She whispered.
"Yes?" He mumbled, holding a hand to his head and opening his eyes slowly. He tried to sit up, but almost fell back again. "Heh, that didn't go so well, did it? Are you ok?"
"Oh, just brilliant." Sora replied sarcastically. "You scared the heck out of me, Hawkins!"
He only laughed in return. Truthfully, she would have punched him for that… that is, if he wasn't in this sorry state. Instead, she helped him to his feet as B.E.N. went ahead of them. "Are you sure you're alright?" Sora asked.
Jim flashed a smile. "I'm fine, really. Don't-"
"Ah, man!" B.E.N. interrupted as he viewed what was left of the Coracle. The longboat's sides had more or less been scraped of from the landing, nothing else but pieces of wood and chunks of the engine that were strewn across the grass remained. Sora walked over to where B.E.N. stood appalled at what had become of 'his' boat.
"Hey," She said, placing a hand on the robot's shoulder and smiling. "It was a piece of shit to begin with anyway."
To her surprise, Jim burst out laughing, while B.E.N. glared at her.
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The air in the tunnels had grown cold as Jim stepped out of them. He pulled B.E.N. up by the arm, knowing the clumsy robot would need some help. When he looked down Sora smiled up at him. He didn't offer her his hand because he knew she wouldn't accept it. But that was Sora for you; she wanted to do things on her own with no help from anyone… well, unless it was a life or death kind of thing.
"Hey, Doc!" He said, struggling to look away from her rare smile. "Doc, wake up." Jim ran over to his shadowed form. Sora, meanwhile, pulled herself up out of the hole. She stood next to B.E.N., who had a big smile upon his face while Morph zipped around them. Something wasn't right though. Her ears twitched madly, trying to figure out what was wrong. She could sense it, hushed breathing, and the warmth of too many people in the room. It can't be them…
Meanwhile, Jim held up the map to Doppler's sleeping form. "I've got the map." He said with a smile.
The shadowed figure shifted, but it was not Doppler who spoke. "Fine work, Jimbo." A mechanical hand reached out and took the map. "Fine work indeed." John Silver grinned evilly back at him as the rest of the pirates emerged from the shadows.
Jim dashed towards the 'back door' but was stopped when two men grabbed him from behind. Morph bit the tail of one of these men, yet they only cried out and did not let go. B.E.N. had a knife pressed to his neck by another pirate and couldn't move an inch. On the far side of the room, Doppler and Captain Amelia sat, tied at the wrists and gagged. Over by the back entrance, Sora felt helpless. She watched as her friends were captured, but could she really do anything about it? She was no longer on the mutinous crew's side, and therefore carried no trust with them. But, she still racked her mind for some possibility that she could help them.
"Look what we've got on our hands now," One man said, glancing over at her. "A little traitor." She tried to dodge him, but one of his tentacles wrapped around her arm and she couldn't move any farther.
"Let me go!" A few other men walked over, and again she felt that same unwanted fear. She just knew there had to be some way to convince them not to hurt her friends, some way to help them all… Suddenly, it came to her, and she did the one thing she did best. She bluffed.
"I'm still on your side, you imbeciles!" She said in a more defiant tone. Since she had stopped struggling, some of the men looked unsure. It was then she thanked the heavens that these men were uneducated. "The lot of you are so stupid if you think I'd help them."
She tried her best not to gaze at the confused and hurt look in Jim's eyes. One of the men shook his head.
"The girl lies."
She took a deep breath. Think quickly… she told herself. "Don't be daft! The boy needed help getting back to the ship. If he hadn't gone, none of you would've been able to get close to here. Not that the boy has got any aim, but you all aren't very quick either."
The man's grip loosened a bit, and she took this to her advantage. She pulled her arm way quickly, just as Grant stepped up behind her and grabbed her wrist. He whispered quite loudly to her. "What about back there in the forest? You can't pretend that didn't happen."
Once again, the same rebellious and smart attitude returned as she looked him straight in the eye. "Grant, I would've had a gun to your head no matter what side I was on." He glared at her as he let go of her wrist, yet there was still something on his face that told her he didn't believe a word she had said.
Sora glanced over at Jim, with a wicked smirk. Pulling her gun from her belt, she walked over to him. Still, the wicked grin remained as she crouched down, looking at him eye to eye. "Sorry, Jim." Her voice was sarcastic and cold. "But, teenage boys are so gullible, aren't they?" She stood up quickly and walked past him, her hand brushing his face which was set in a glare.
Silver laughed. "You're just like me, Jimbo." He said with a smirk. "Yah hates to lose." A few moments passed as he looked over the map. Try as he might, he could not get it open. After using several instruments from his robotic arm his temper grew short. Unfortunately for Jim, Silver looked over at him just as he shook his head.
"Open it." Silver said angrily, shoving the map into the boy's hands. Jim looked over at Doppler and Amelia. The captain shook her head while Doppler nodded his. But, glancing over at her, he quickly did the same. Silver, too, looked at them for a moment, and then back at Jim. "I'd get busy…" He warned, his arm clicking and being replaced with a gun.
Jim continued to glare at the man as he pressed various buttons on the map, without even looking down. It clicked loudly, and he twisted the top and sides. Once again, it clicked, but louder this time. Green particles of light emerged from the sphere flying up towards the ceiling and forming a smaller replica of the planet. The crew's amazement could be heard clearly, but Sora remained emotionless, as did Jim. The particles flew towards the opening of B.E.N.'s home, whereupon they formed a line leading out into the forest beyond. It was clearly a path, and at the end the loot of a thousand worlds awaited them.
Silver walked over to the opening, his gaze following the green path in the sky. "Oh, by the powers that be would you look!" He said in amazement. His voice faded a bit as he glanced back at his captives. "Tie him up, and leave him with the others until we-"
The path suddenly disappeared and flew back to the map in Jim's hands. He looked at the man with plain defiance in his voice. "If you want the map, you're taking me too."
Sora watched him as he spoke, surprised at him. Smart kid, she thought with the smallest of smiles.
The cyborg's smile faded completely before returning. He then shook his head with a smirk. "We'll take 'em all."
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Sora leaned against the side of the longboat, her mind whirling. She did not pay any mind to the forest that rushed by the pirates and their captives. He hates me for this. Continuing to look absent-mindedly at the foliage, her thoughts drifted. He gave me a second chance and now I blew it. I'm not even sure if I can help them…
The longboat halted to a stop, and the pirates leapt out nimbly, eager to find the treasure. One rather large man stayed behind to keep watch over the Doctor and former captain. The party stayed below the green path of light above their heads. As she looked ahead, she saw Jim and B.E.N. straying a few feet behind Silver. She followed closely, listening to them.
"Yah know, Jimmy," B.E.N. was saying in a nervous tone. "I-I'm starting to see my life flash before my eyes!" His voice grew frantic and crazed. "Was I ever dancing with an android named Lupe?"
"B.E.N.!" Jim said warningly as Morph flew into his pocket in fear. "Quiet. This isn't over yet."
Sora noticed the two were walking pretty slowly, and that most of the men were ahead of them. This she could use to her advantage. Jim heard her voice behind him as he walked. "Hurry it up, Hawkins." He felt her gun pressing into his back, and couldn't help but feel nervous. This time she whispered into his ear. "Please tell me you have a plan."
"What?" He whispered back. "So you- and-" He rolled his eyes. "Why are you woman so confusing?"
She laughed quietly. "That's life. Women are confusing and men are… well, men are just idiots."
"Thanks a lot." He said sarcastically.
Her voice became serious as she spoke. "So, do you have a plan?"
"Um… I'm working on it."
She sighed. "Jim, I don't if I can do anything-"
"I know." He said in a solemn voice.
"I'm not even sure if I can help you all." She finished.
"I know that." Jim continued to walk, trying not to look behind him. "I'll think of something, I promise."
She was about to say something else when Silver shouted to his crew. "We're gettin' close, lads! I smell treasure awaitin'!" Jim tried stepping back, but Silver got him by the collar of his shirt. His sword cut through the green foliage, revealing a barren clearing. Beyond the clearing was a canyon, the sides too straight and perfectly carved to be natural. The place was completely desolate, and this caused the pirates tempers to grow short.
"Where is it?" Some called out.
"I see nothing!" Mr. Onus shouted in frustration. "One big stinking rank of nothing!"
Jim jumped as the map clicked in his hand. It shut, completely refusing to open once more. Silver gave him a questioning look. "What's goin' on, Jimbo?"
"I- I don't know." He said, still struggling with the map. "I can't get it open."
The old woman behind him shoved him to the ground. "We should have never trusted this boy to get us anywhere."
As he hit the ground, he noticed something… some odd shape in the ground under the moss…
"I say we rip his gizzards out, right here, right now!" One man suggested.
Sora was about to argue against the man when a soft green light shone from behind her. She turned quickly, to see Jim had placed the map into a half-sphere shaped hole in the ground. The hole itself sat in a disc of strange and ancient symbols, carved intricately into the hard metal beneath their feet. Green lines shot up out of a few of the symbols, and connected about three feet in the air, forming a tripod. The tip formed into a sphere, and in it were tiny models of solar systems, planets, stars, nebulae…
Lights on the canyon ground caught their eyes. They began on the far side, and quickly moved to the base of the cliff on which they stood. They connected and shot up into the air somewhere around twenty feet above their heads. The green line split at its base, forming a triangle. As the onlookers watched in fascination, they saw before them a remarkable site.
"The Lagoon Nebulae?" Jim asked in wonder. He was not mistaken, for inside the triangle was a bluish purple nebulae, the stars within it shining as if they were alive.
"But, that's… halfway 'cross the galaxy." Silver pointed out.
B.E.N.'s words came back to Jim's mind in an instant. "A big door…" He murmured, taking a closer look at the green sphere. "…opening and closing." He looked across the smaller version of the map, searching for a specific place and smiled as he did so. "Montresser Spaceport." As he touched the small crescent, the view beyond the door changed. They no longer looked upon the nebulae, but at Montresser's spaceport. It shone with a light yellow glow, and pulled at the memories of all who stood there.
"So that's how Flint did it." Jim said in realization. "He used this portal to roam the universe, stealing treasure."
Silver spoke with anger in his voice. "Yes, but where'd he stash it all?" He pushed the young man aside, pressing various different planets on the map. Each one opened a new door in the portal, but none held the treasure in plain view. "Where is that blasted treasure?"
"Treasure," B.E.N. said to himself, pulling at the wires at the back of his head, almost in pain or something. "It's buried- buried in the-"
"Buried in the Centroid of the Mechanism." Jim finished. "What if- what if the whole planet is the mechanism and the treasure is buried in the center of this planet?"
Sora raised an eyebrow at the two men who tried to use their pickaxes to dig into the ground. They quickly struck metal, their tools vibrating madly. "Then how in blazes do we get to it?" Silver said.
"Just," Jim started, walking towards the map. "Open the right door." As he finished, he pressed the miniature version of the planet. The portal changed once again, this time there was an orange glow coming from inside. Jim walked up to it, putting his hand through. It felt like static or some solid form of energy. He stepped all the way through, feeling like he walked through a spider's web. Silver followed him, making sure he didn't get too far ahead of the rest. The crew walked briskly, with Sora and B.E.N. straying off to the side.
Each being on the metal platform stood still, completely spellbound by the breathtaking view before them. "The loot of a thousand worlds…" Said Silver in astonishment. They had found it –Flint's forgotten trove laid spread out across the entity of the core. Mountains of gold coins, jewelry, and trinkets of great worth met their eyes, all sitting upon the core which floated, sustained by the planet's gravity, in a carved out dome. Pillars on the dome hung down, sending streams of energy into large holes in the core. The pirates cheered and shouted, heading off the platform to inspect the riches.
Jim had never seen a greater site in his life. All those stories he had heard about this place returned to his mind. They seemed dull and lifeless compared to the real thing. As he looked across the core, he noticed a ship, half buried in the coins. Gold lay upon the deck too, but Jim saw it more as a means of escape. Meanwhile, B.E.N. had been speaking. "This is all seeming very familiar… but I- I can't remember why…"
"Guys, come on," He said in a regular tone since al the pirates were… preoccupied at the moment. "We're getting out of here and we're not leaving empty handed."
B.E.N. followed obediently at his heels, as did Morph, while Sora smiled at him. I love the way you think, she thought to herself. She didn't follow him immediately, instead, she looked down. The coins underneath her feet shifted strangely as she stood on top of them. Reaching down, she picked up a handful, and watched as they slid through her fingers. Though she hadn't searched for this place as long as Silver had, it still amazed her that it was actually real. It wasn't some bed-time story told to toddlers to give them good dreams, it was here. As she heard her name called, she looked up and ran ahead to where Jim and B.E.N. stood, slipping the two coins remaining in her hand into her pocket. Hey, old habits die hard.
Jim helped B.E.N. up onto the ship, not even trusting the robot to get himself up without falling. "Do you know what's strange?" B.E.N. was saying. "I can't tell you how frustrating this is, Jimmy. 'Cause there's something just nagging at the back of my mind…" As Sora pulled herself up, she had to admit to herself that it felt a bit weird coming onto Flint's ship. It almost felt like trespassing onto a gravesite…
"Ahh!" B.E.N. yelled as he saw what was on the deck, tripping and hitting the wood hard.
"Captain Flint?" Jim murmured, just as Sora stepped onto the deck. Sitting in a high backed chair was a corpse –well, it was more or less just a skeleton. Tattered clothes remained on it, instantly identifying him as a pirate. The shape of its skull and current location could mean no other thing. This was what remained of the legendary captain.
"In the flesh." B.E.N. said, then correcting himself. "Well, except for skin, organs, or anything that- that- that resembles flesh… that's not there."
Sora shook her head, wincing. "That's completely disgusting."
Jim smirked at her expression, walking up to the bones to take a closer look. B.E.N. spoke behind him. "And yet, it's so odd, you know? I remember there was something horrible Flint didn't want anyone else to know. But I- I can't remember what it was."
As Jim looked at the skeleton, he noticed something was held tightly in its fist. It was clearly a copper color, small, and almost round. Jim pried it out of Flint's dead grasp, holding it up to the light. And then, as B.E.N. spoke, everything clicked.
"Oh! A mind's a terrible thing to lose!" He exclaimed.
"B.E.N…" Jim started. "I think I just found your mind."
Sora felt like laughing. So, he really did lose his mind. I thought it was just an excuse.
"Here, hold still." Jim said, putting a hand on the robot's head to make him refrain from moving.
"Jimmy, your hands are very cold back there and-"
As the young man held B.E.N.'s primary memory circuit, the wires in his head leapt out and attached to the piece, almost like they were magnetic. "Whoa!" B.E.N. shouted, his green eyes turning light blue. "H- Hello." He looked around quickly. "Hey, Jimmy, I was just thinking… just thinking…"
The robot jumped into the air, shouting his words a mile a minute. "Yes! All my memories… right up until Flint pulled my memory circuit so I couldn't tell anyone about his booby trap!" Suddenly, a large explosion was heard throughout the core. "Speaking of which…" B.E.N. said, quickly explaining. "Flint didn't want anyone to have his treasure, so he rigged this whole place to blow higher than a kalepsian kite!"
As he spoke, smaller explosions erupted around the walls. Pipe-like structures burst in a fiery cloud. One of the pillars attached to the exterior of the core fell, exploding at the base. Everything trembled and shook when it came down, plunging through the mountains of treasure and into the very center of the core. The force of the impact was hard enough that it caused the ground to crack. Large canyons seemed to open up, fire could be seen at the bottom as piles of fell down inside. So this is what Flint planned… for his treasure to be destroyed –along with the ones who tried to take it. Sora realized. Greedy bastard…
"Run, Jimmy!" B.E.N. said, frantically shaking his arm. "Run for your life!"
Sora saw a determined look come across his face. "You two go back and help the captain and Doc." He said, and ran over to the wheel. There were panels, boards, and screens surrounding it. "If I'm not there in five minutes… leave without me." His face was serious as he lay under the control boards, reaching up and moving around the wires.
He has to be kidding, she thought.
"I am not leaving my bestest buddie!" B.E.N. said, struggling as he tried to pull him by the ankles out from underneath. Jim glared at the robot, the wires in his hand giving off sparks as he did so, -and though Sora hated to admit it even to herself, it creeped her out a bit. "Well, unless… he looks at me like that… Bye, Jim!" And with that said he left, but not without stumbling and tripping across the deck.
Sora, however, stood motionless. The sound of the shouts of the men, the treasure falling into the cracks, and the explosions were mixed together and made her ears ring. He can't be serious. That ship is over a hundred years old, there's no way that it will start! She pulled him back out by the ankle with ease. "I'm not leaving you here even if you do look at me like that."
Jim got up quickly, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Please go. If the captain and Doc need help then you-"
"No." She said, her braids swinging as she shook her head. "I'm going to stay here."
The young man sighed. "Sora, please just do this, okay?"
"No."
"Can't you just-"
"No."
"But, won't you-"
"No, Jim." Her eyes showed she was completely serious.
"Sora, listen to me!" His voice grew loud, and his grip on her shoulders tightened "I don't want you stay here… I don't want you to get hurt because I love you."
"But I-" Her words caught in her throat. What did he say? Shock wasn't even the half of it. "What?"
Even in the orange glow of the fires, she could tell he was blushing. "I- I meant what I said. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you." He had said he meant it, and he truly did. Only knowing her for a little longer than two months didn't seem like enough time to develop feelings such as this. Yet somehow he knew it to be true. There was hardly a moment when he did not think of her. He always wanted to be around her even if she was mad at him. He didn't know everything about her, but he knew he wanted to find out. There was more, so much more yet he didn't have time to think. Another pillar fell, sending a rippling wave of heat across the core. Something hit the hull and the entire ship rocketed to the side.
Jim stood up quickly, looking across the deck. Sora was a few feet away, the same startled look still on her face. He was about to help her up when she got up on her own and stepped back about a foot. Perhaps, he shouldn't have let that slip.
"Sora, just… just go help them, okay?" She remained silent. She tried to say something, but she couldn't. Instead she nodded, her skin paler than usual. Jim glanced back over his shoulder to the core that was now falling apart. When he looked back she was gone, hopefully back to the portal.
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The platform was empty; either the remaining pirates had escaped already or they were all dead. Sora wasn't sure which she wanted. Looking back, she surveyed the damage, knowing the entire planet would be destroyed from the inside out. She thrust her hands into her pockets, aware that they were shaking.
He heart had never beat this fast, and she could hardly breathe. She wasn't sure whether most of the shock was from what he said or the fact a guy had just talked about his feelings. It hardly seemed real. Of course she wanted a friend, but she had hardly though of Jim as anything more than that. Sure, she had kissed him, but that was… that was just being a teenager, wasn't it?
Somewhere, inside, she knew she wanted him to be ok. Yet, it seemed to be more than what a friend would feel. You're being daft, stop thinking about what he said! Somehow, she supposed she didn't feel the same. But, she had never known what love was like, so how could she be sure? This surely wasn't the time nor the place to think about such things, but what about before she met him? Hadn't she thought love was rubbish? She thought it was pointless and a waste of time. How could one live their life the way they wanted to if they were busy fawning over another person? But now it seemed…
A twig snapped loudly outside the portal. Her head jerked in the direction of the noise. No one seemed to be there, not even in the forest beyond the map. Sora could have sworn she saw something, someone. Shaking her head, she stepped through the portal, the colors making her eyes burn.
Cold reptilian eyes watched her as she ran into the forest, trying to catch up with B.E.N. This man knew when she found the rest of them they would come up with their futile plans of escape, but he doubted Sora, herself, would make it to the ship… alive, anyway.
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A/N:
Again, let me apologize for the length… Oh, about the whole, Sora and Jim sitting in a tree thing… my friend read the reviews and forced me to add it in. Heh… Thanks, Running to Stand Still. -But seriously, thanks. It was hilarious :D
And, before I'm bombarded with this: I know Sora convincing the pirates she was still on their side was almost pointless and kind of made it confusing… just trust me, it helps something in the next chapter. So, yeah… By the way, has anyone ever heard the song 'Lonely Nation' by Switchfoot? I keep listening to it when I write. Okay, enough with the randomness…
Defiance. Escape was the only answer. There was no stopping the planet's destruction. All odds were against them as Silver is faced with a choice… and Sora and Grant endure a fight –to the death.