A Voice in the Dark
By: Anime Angel ^0^
"LEMME GO!" Jim screamed. He struggled as best he could against the plastic bonds that held his arms together, but nothing seemed to be working.
Jim had woken up in a large room. He figured he had been out at least an hour or so, judging by the large lump on his head. As far as he could tell, he was alone. The room was small and dark, having no windows and one exit. It was completely empty, and reminded Jim of a storage hold on the Outlaw Star.
"I SAID LET ME OUT!" Jim sighed in exhaustion as his cry echoed throughout the room. It was no use, he knew, but the boy figured that there was no harm in trying.
"DAMN YOU ALL!"
Jim sat up straighter at the sound of the voices outside. They sounded familiar, especially the loud cursing one, but there was too much of an echo to tell if they were his friends or not.
His questions were soon answered. The door in front of him slid open. Light flooded the room and blinded Jim for a moment, but he could make out the shadows of three men. As his eyes adjusted, he realized that one of the men was Gene.
With a rough push, the red-haired outlaw stumbled into the room and landed conveniently next to his younger partner.
"Weeelll hello there Jim-boy!" Gene said cheerfully, putting himself in a sitting position. His arms and legs were bound with plastic also. Good ol Aniki, Jim thought as he wearily smiled at his partner. The door slid shut once again, leaving the two in the dark.
"Where are Suzuka and Aisha?" Jim enquired. He scanned Gene for injuries, but the only bruise his reckless partner seemed to have was one around his eye. "And would you mind telling me what happened?"
"Well, you see, we were sorta met with a welcoming party. Only, 'stead of presents, they gave me this." He pointed to the swollen eye. "Not to mention that they knocked us all out with tranquilizers." He chuckled. "Aisha was probably givin' them such a hard time that they had to put her in her own cell!"
Jim sighed. "HOW can you be laughing at a time like this, you ...aw never mind." There was no point in starting an argument. "Ya know, someday you're gonna get us all killed."
"Hey you're the one who wanted to be my partner, remember? Ya don't like it--"
"Yeah yeah....then LEAVE," Jim finished. "So have you seen Mel?" Jim's voice was quieter this time as he looked into Gene's eyes. "Do you think she's all right?"
"Yeah yeah! Mel's a grown girl. I'm sure she's juuuuuuust fine."
"Yeah, I know. But still....you were supposed to save her. Now all the good we're doing is decorating this room!"
"Oh come on! This fits perfectly into my plans. Ya see Jim, I got em right where I wannem. And when they next come back...POW!"
"What do you mean 'POW'?" Jim was starting to get annoyed at his partner.
"I'll...think of something..."
"Yah, sure ya will."
"Hey! I come up with better ideas than you, my boy!"
"Hell NO!"
"Hell yeah--" Gene's words were cut off as the door slid open once again.
"You two, get up," a gruff voice ordered. The man it belonged to stepped further into the room.
"I would get up....only these bonds you see are tying me TOGETHER!"
"Oh you think you're smart, donchya? Well we see who's smart after the boss gets done with you two." With the wave of a hand, two larger men entered the now crowded storage area. One man helped Gene to his feet and pushed him into the hall, while the other picked Jim up and slung him over his shoulders.
"Hey!" Jim yelled indignantly. "I am capable of walking you know!" His captor only laughed, and continued onward. Soon Jim began to relax his tense muscles.
The hall, Jim noticed, was much like that of a starship. Could they be in one? From his upside-down position, Jim could see his partner perfectly. Funny, Jim thought, he seems to know where we are... Jim's thoughts snapped back to reality as they reached the end of the hall. The place was all too familiar to him, but how he didn't know. As the group entered the room in front of them, Jim was greeted with something he never expected; they were in the control-room of the Outlaw Star. At least, it was a bridge that resembled the Outlaw Star's. Soon, a reality thought began to dawn on Jim. His eyes slowly shifted to the back of the room. There, just as she would have been in their ship, was Melfina.
*****
No! What are they doing here? Melfina watched with dread as Jim and Gene were dragged into the control-room. She noticed how surprised Jim looked when he finally locked eyes with her. Melfina lowered her head. Did he hate her? After all, it was her fault that they were all there, trapped. Wasn't it?
"M...Mel?"
Melfina looked up at the sound of Jim's small voice. She noticed Cant, silently watching, and a knot began to form in her stomach. She recalled what the man had said: 'We have a little surprise for you...' No, Melfina thought. They wouldn't do what she was thinking, would they?
"See, we brought your friends, my dear." Cant slowly made his way over to the two. He eyed Gene suspiciously. "This one looks like a rough character, eh Nisan?"
The scientist merely chuckled. "Yes yes. A rough one..." Melfina wasn't sure, but it almost seemed as if the scientist, Nisan, was laughing at Mr. Cant.
"And the boy..." Cant slowly made his way again, past the silent Gene, to Jim. He bent over, staring into the boy's sky blue eyes. "So this is the one that gave my bounty hunter so much trouble!" He began to laugh, and Melfina felt herself growing angry. "The man must have been a weak fighter, to be troubled by a little runt like this boy!" Melfina's face grew warm again, but this time with anger.
"At least he wasn't some fat ass like you!" Jim retorted, his face red.
"Why you little..." Cant's face was red again. He straightened up, and to her surprise he looked straight at Melfina. "I told you I had a little surprise," he sneered. "Well here it is." With that said Cant kicked Jim as hard as he could in the ribs. There was a sickening snap as the boy doubled over in pain.
"NO!" Melfina yelled from inside the glass. Her words seemed to echo throughout the room. This can't be happening! Not again! "Stop it!" It was as if that night was repeating over again.
"HEY!" Gene piped up. He struggled against his captor, and the plastic bonds that held him. "You mess with him, you mess with me ya hear?!" Cant merely laughed at his attempt of a threat.
"And what are you going to do?" With a snap of his fingers, Gene was also kicked in the side. "May I remind you that I have you captured. It isn't the other way around."
"Yeah, well it won't be like that for long you bastard," Gene muttered, sitting back up.
Ignoring Gene's insults, Cant turned back to Melfina. "You see, girl, if you don't do EXACTLY what I tell you, your friends here will have to be punished....starting with the boy."
"N...no!" Melfina shook her head. She wasn't going to do this. She wouldn't let this man access her mind. She had promised herself never to run the ship for anyone but Gene.
"Don't listen Mel."
Melfina looked back out at the small boy.
"Don't listen," he repeated. "Mel if you do what he says--" His words were cut off with another sharp kick in the stomach.
"HEY NOW PORKY!" Cant whirled around at Gene's insult. The outlaw's eyes seemed to glow with anger. "Don't go doin' none of that!" With one swift movement, Gene swung his legs under the man who was holding him. He jumped to his feet, and surprisingly he didn't fall over the bonds.
"GET HIM!" Cant screamed, his puffy cheeks now almost a bright shade of purple. "GET HIM AND KILL HIM!"
"I don't think so FATTY!" Gene pulled his legs apart, snapping the apparently already cut bonds.
"How...how..."
"Easy. You see your guards aren't the brightest men in the world, even if they ARE trained professionals." Gene pulled apart the bonds holding his arms together, only to reveal that he had a knife. "They forgot to check me for weapons," he said smugly.
"YOU IDIOTS!" Cant roared. He noticed his men, who were not going after the outlaw. "I TOLD YOU TO KILL HIM!"
"R...right boss!" The men moved toward Gene quickly, pulling out their guns. "D..don't move...." one of them stammered.
"Afraid of me, eh?" Gene swung his knife toward them, and they backed away in fear. "HA! Where did you get these--AH!"
"Gene!" Melfina tried to say something as the tranquilized outlaw fell to the floor.
"You bastards!" Jim screamed. "NO ANIKI!"
"Heh...fell for the same thing twice I see. You aren't as smart as you thought you were, huh Gene Starwind." Cant turned to Melfina, the purple in his cheeks dying down to a low pink. "Now. You WILL start the ship for me, darling..."
"No! I promised I wouldn't!" She shook her head again. No, you have to! If you don't they will kill Gene and Jim...even Aisha and Suzuka! But I promised...I promised myself, and I promised Gene! All of them! I can't-- Her thoughts were interrupted with a sharp grunt form Jim. "Please..." she pleaded. If she could have cried then, she would have. But no tears came. "Please no...no you don't understand! I..I promised Hilda...and Gene!" If she started the ship, if she navigated, it would go against everything she had been taught. 'Never break you promises!' Gene had told her jokingly one time. Unknown to him, however, she had taken it seriously. He had been keeping his promise to her, and she was sure that he would always keep it. So then how could she break her promise?
"I'm getting impatient. I have plenty of your friend, it wouldn't matter if I killed this one off now, WOULD IT?!" Cant motioned to one of his men, who picked the still bound Jim off of the floor. "Now...I am going to count to ten, and push the button. If this ship doesn't start..." He made a sick snapping sound. "...then I really doubt the kid will live to see his next birthday." The man holding Jim placed a large hand around the boy's neck. "Now then....shall we start? One....two.....three....."
Melfina was bewildered. Surely if she broke this promise to save Jim's life, they wouldn't blame her! But then she remembered their faces when Gene had told her so happily never to break promises. They had all trusted her so much...
"Eight......" Cant was drawing out the counting, Melfina knew, but it wouldn't help. She was just so confused. "N...in...e!"
No...what would she do? Think Melfina THINK!
"TEN!" Cant pushed down on the keys as hard as he could...and waited.
NO I HAVE TO START THE SHIP! Melfina's mind screamed. I have to now! But she couldn't: her mind was too distracted. She wasn't concentrating.
"I....told you...to START....THE DAMN...SHIP!" Cant screamed. "That's IT! KILL THE BOY NOW! You're gonna pay, girl, YOU HEAR ME!?"
"NO!" Melfina screamed. She had used that words so many times that week, but this time there was meaning. "I won't LET YOU!" As the Cant's gooney prepared to end Jim's life, the ship's lights went dark.
"What the hell?!"
"You won't kill him, I won't let you!" Melfina repeated. Without any warning whatsoever, the twin Gilliam began to shriek. (AN: okay okay....this is sorta STUPID!but hey....is it enjoyable? )
"There....there......is.....is....something....something......." the twin Gilliam stuttered. "Wrong......wrong....." The computer's words died slowly, ending finally with a small 'click'.
"What is going on!?" The scientist didn't respond to Cant's question.
"I WANT YOU TO ALL GO AWAY!" Melfina screamed. She couldn't control herself, and so the ship was reacting along with her emotions. "Just leave us alone! ALL OF YOU!" Suddenly, bolts of electricity shot up from the various control panels around the room. Mr. Cant, she noticed, was unfortunate enough to have his hand still on the board.
"DAMMIT!" he screamed as his arm twisted and turned in the shock. He fell to the floor in a heap, unconscious. Nisan, the scientist, got up quickly.
"Forget about those two!" he yelled, for once finishing the sentence. "If THAT GIRL gets too angry, THIS THING WILL GO DOWN!" At once the men began to exit. Jim was dropped to the floor, and Cant was left lying, unconsciously, next to the now burning panel.
"Mel! We have to get out of here!" At the sound of Jim's strangled voice, Melfina snapped to attention. What had she done? She realized, in horror, that in her anger she was destroying the ship, along with the lives still aboard.
"MELFINA!" Jim screamed. The fire was spreading throughout the ship, coming dangerously close to both Gene and his younger partner.
"I'm coming!" Melfina slowly forced her mind to concentrate, and soon she was back out in the air, fully dressed once again. Unfortunately she had both the sleeping Gene, and the immobile Jim to carry out.
"QUICK! Hand me something to cut these with! GENE'S KNIFE!" Jim yelled. Melfina searched frantically around the boy.
"Where is it?" She moved her hand around desperately near the fallen outlaw. "Oh no...IT HAS TO BE HERE!"
"Quick!" Jim yelled. "Get Gene outside!"
"No! There are too many halls I have to go through! I won't get back in time!" An immense feeling of depression and dread began to slowly engulf Melfina's mind, just like the fire was about to engulf her friends. She had tried to save her them, but now she was killing them all. Aisha and Suzuka would slowly die of smoke inhalation, and Jim and Gene would die with her, burning to death like some horrible sacrifice. "No...Jim...I'm so sorry..."
"What do you mean Mel? NO! You can't give up!" Melfina slowly sunk to the floor. "Listen Mel!" Jim pleaded frantically. "You can do it! I know you can! You just have to try...!"
Melfina looked down at the young boy in front of her. The fire behind them reflected orange in his bright blue eyes. Slowly, without a word, she began get up.
"YES YES!" Jim cried. "Hurry Mel, PLEASE!"
"What....what do you want me to do?"
"Take Gene, and go find Suzuka and Aisha! THEY HAVE TO BE AWAKE! I'm sure of it!"
"Jim NO! You'll DIE!" But, without any further instructions from the young boy, she lifted Gene off the burning floor, and made her way through the flames, just as he had told her to do. She rushed through the door in a wisp of smoke, and breathed deeply. The hall was still untouched by the flames, and the smoke, so she headed down the long corridor.
"Melfina? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"
Melfina whirled around at the sound of Aisha's voice, nearly dropping Gene on the floor. "AISHA! SUZUKA! The ship is burning, YOU HAVE TO HELP JIM!"
"Where is he?!" Aisha yelled, looking in all directions. Her ears twitched, picking up the sound of the fire. "I hear the fire, but no Jim!"
"I'll show you!" Melfina shrieked. She transferred the sleeping Gene over to Suzuka.
"Don't worry you two, I'll wait out here," the assassin said, leaning Gene against a wall.
As quickly as she could, Melfina lead the Ctarl Ctarl down the main corridor, all the way to the main room. When the doors flew open, the two were greeted with the bright orange flames. The fire was bigger now, and Melfina gasped. She couldn't see Jim at all.
To be continued...
*ACK! I didst not like that chapter....but I will let yall decide on it. If you have a very strong opinion, please REVIEW! Oh dear...on to write the next!