This is pretty much it. I'm debating on whether to put in the epilogue in or not. Let me know and I'll think about it.

We all jumped out of the portal to the outer area of the planet, trying to catch our breaths. My left arm was still sore so I still had my hand pressing on the main muscle. I still couldn't believe Dad sacrificed his obsession.

"Dad, you gave up all-" I started.

"It's just a lifelong obsession, son. I'll get over it," he replied.

"Aloha, Jimmy and Gale!" BEN yelled as the Legacy appeared before our heads. "Hurry people! We got exactly two minutes and thirty-four seconds till planet's destruction!"

The ship had a run in with the cliff and screams came from the inside of the ship. I could guess it was the crew that escaped. We all hoisted ourselves up Jim and Dad headed toward the stairs while I stayed close on deck.

"Captain," Dad mentioned while still on the steps, "you dropped from the heavens in the nick of-"

"Save your claptrap for the judge, Silver," Amelia snapped, "or your son will come with you." I didn't know whether to be mad or scared by time she mentioned me. All that was left was confusion on the subject.

I just went over to the area near the laser cannon and waited to get off this heaping inferno, but then I heard something break and looked up to see part of the mast fall over towards me. I rolled over to dodge it, but it hurt my arm in doing so. Better the arm than my whole body. I looked back to see the cannon crushed by the impact.

"Missile tail demobilized, Captain!" BEN announced. "Thrusters only at 30% of capacity!"

"30%?" Doppler repeated. "That means we're... we'll never clear the planet's explosion in time."

"Well, there's got to be some way!" I yelled. I looked at Jim as he leaned over the ship and looked at the portal. Then he looked at the remains of the cannons. "What are you thinking?"

"We gotta turn around," he said.

"What?" Amelia demanded as Jim jumped down onto the deck, and ran to the cannon.

"There's a portal back there. It can get us out of here."

"Pardon me, Jim, but didn't that portal open onto a raging inferno?!" Doppler asked with panic and disarray in his voice.

"Yes, but I'm gonna change that. I'm gonna open a different door." Jim pulled out a flat piece of metal from the cannon and brought it toward an engine part.

"Listen to the boy!" Dad yelled and hurried over to Jim. I joined them as Dad was welding the engine to the metal.

"One minute, twenty-nine seconds till planet's destruction!" BEN, again, announced. I helped bring the created board to the side of the ship. Jim hopped on and turned over to us.

"Okay. Now, no matter what happens, keep the ship heading straight for that portal," he ordered. I grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him toward me.

"You better not die on me, Jim. You're the only friend I made in ten years," I said as I let him go at the last part.

"Fifty-eight seconds!" BEN yelled.

"I'll try not to," and with that, Jim was off.

"Well you heard 'im!" I yelled towards Doppler.

"Get this blasted heap turned 'round!" Dad finished.

Doppler listened and I got up to the edge of the bowsprit and watched Jim as close as possible. He was moving through the unpredictable wreckage with ease and I just couldn't help but wonder how he does it. By the time he was half way, the thruster of the board gave out, by what I saw, and he started to fall into a chasm. As we neared, Jim didn't show any sign of him coming back up. Was he still alive? Did he get caught in a fire blast or something? The more I thought, the more I believed he was dead. However, by the time we came over the chasm, I saw him coming up. He bypassed the ship and pressed the hologram and, without a second to spare, we just barely made it through.

"Wow! Yeah!" Jim screamed as he flew around the ship.

"Jim! Down here!" I yelled, getting his attention and gave him the highest five I've ever given in my life, jumping up to reach him and still keeping balance on the narrow piece of wood.

Jim made it down to the deck and let the board fall into space. A waste if you ask me, but it's his work. I climbed on the rigging and waited for everyone else to congratulate him. By the time BEN gave him a hug and pulled away, I jumped down and got Jim by the neck.

"Now that was intense!" I complimented. Jim was just trying to get out of my grip.

"Alright! Could you let go of me?" he pleaded. I did so, just to humor him.

I just had to smile. "At least you followed my order."

"Order? Wait, where's your dad?" I looked around and noticed he wasn't nearby, then it hit me.

"Longboats," I mumbled.

We made it down to the longboat bay to find my dad trying to escape. He was moving as fast as he could to untie the ropes. "Morphy, we gotta make tracks," he whispered as we rounded the corner. He still didn't notice us.

"You never quit, do you?" Jim asked, startling Dad a bit.

"Ah! Jimbo, Wind! Ha ha! I was merely checking to make sure our last longboat was safe and secure." Dad tied the rope so loose that it looked like it would snap any minute.

Jim went over and fixed it, replacing the faulty one. "That should do it."

"I taught ya too well. Now, if you don't mind, we'd just as soon avoid prison. Little Morphy here, he's a free spirit. Being in a cage, it'd break his heart." Jim sighed and looked at me. I gave him a nod and pulled the lever for the hatch while Jim undid the ropes. Dad smiled at our choice. "What say you ship out with us lad? Hawkins, Hollow, and Silver's. Full of ourselves and no ties to anyone." Morph turned into a hat and landed on Jim's head as Dad made the offer.

Jim took the shape shifter and tickled him, making him revert to his normal form. "You know, when I got on this boat, I would've taken you up on that offer in a second... But, uh, I met this old cyborg and his son and they taught me that I could chart my own course," Jim answered. "That's what I'm gonna do."

"And what do you see off that bow of yours?"

"A future."

"Why, look at ya, glowin' like a solar fire. You're somethin' special, Jim. You're gonna rattle the stars, ya are." Jim lunged at my father and hugged him. Dad returned it and I couldn't help but let a tear out from my eye. "Got a bit of grease in this cyborg eye of mine," he said, turning away and rubbing his eye. "Well, Wind, ya ready?"

"Not this time, Dad," I answered.

He turned suddenly in surprise. "Say wha now?"

"I've payed what I can with you. Now I want to see how much I can pay on my own."

"Are you sure, lad?"

"As sure as I am having my mother's blood."

"Well, in that case. Did you fix that gizmo I gave you?"

I pulled out the metal sphere from my jacket. "It's close, but I think you gave me a dud, cause one piece is missin'."

Dad then gave me a piece of metal with some kind of chip on one side. "That should fit in there."

Then I heard someone crying and looked behind me to see Morph turning into a puddle of water in Jim's hands. "Oh, hey, Morph, It's okay. We'll still see you around," Jim assured.

"See you around," Morph repeated and then licked Jim on the cheek and floated over to Dad.

"Morphy, I got a job for ya," Dad said. "I need you to keep an eye on this here pup, Jimbo. Will ya do me that little favor?" Morph saluted him, cuddled and went over beside Jim's head. "Oh, and two more things," Dad called as he jumped in the longboat and lowered. He reached in his pocket and threw some gold at Jim. "This is for your dear mother, to rebuild that inn of hers. And Wind," he then threw the scarf I left behind at me and I caught it. "You need something from me to keep me in you memories, 'ey?"

"Stay out of trouble, ya old scalawag," Jim said.

"Why, Jimbo, lad, when have I ever done otherwise?" Dad's boat then sped off and I heard him laugh as he departed.

I got the chip and placed it in the empty slot in the sphere and pushed it in. "Gale, I'm happy for ya," Dad came up as a holographic image from the sphere. "I'm glad you finally made your own choice and wanted to start you own adventures. Piracy probably isn't the thing for you, so I say you should be an explorer. They get to see the Etherium yet not be suspected of anything. I left a little surprise in ya scarf to help get ya started. I love you, son. Never forget that."

As the messaged ended, I noticed my vision was blurred by tears. I tried to wipe them off, but a few escaped.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, trying to sound as tough as usual. "I'm mostly wondering what he meant by the surprise." As I placed the sphere in my pocket, I got my scarf and started to open it. I stopped myself as I noticed something reflecting light from inside. He gave me enough gold to get a ship and a crew together. "Talk about a price."