Now that I have your attention, let's get straight to the good stuff. Shall we?
PROMISED LAND
"Gene!" most of the others shouted. Jim and Melfina ran to him and embraced him.
Gene smiled but did not hug them back.
Saiyo checked his pulse. "Thought I had a heart attack…" he said quietly.
Aisha and Suzuka stood, smiling, thankful that their little fivesome was finally reunited.
Ron reached into his pocket. Amazingly, Harry's brain was still in one piece.
As Jim and Melfina continued to hold Gene, his smile faded. He raised his arms to push them away. As they stepped back, Gene saw the confused look on their faces.
"What's wrong?" Jim asked him. "And how in the heck did you learn to fly?"
Ark stepped forward and places his hands on Jim's shoulders. "The question of the day," he said. "I'm sure we are all ready to learn about this planet."
Gene levitated slowly out. "Follow me," he said. "There's someone I'd like you all to meet."
Eldred pushed to the front of the crowd, intense. "April," he said, almost ready to cry. He crouched and leapt clear of the ramp opening in one swift bound. He landed on the side of the ship, which was dented and slashed badly. He looked to the three figures standing in the clearing on his left. Sliding down the ship, he felt his heartbeat grow faster. He leapt to the ground and sprinted toward the woman. He slowed as he approached her, stopping a meter in front of her.
"April," he breathed, smiling, a single tear rolling down his cheek. With arms wide open, he moved further toward her. He stopped. Something was holding him back. It felt like he was hugging the hull of a ship, some unseen barrier between him and his true love.
April looked away.
Eldred fell back, so confused that he lost his balance and took a knee. Brow wrinkled, he looked her in the eyes, his own eyes watering. "Why?" he whispered. He wiped one of his eyes and put his other knee to the ground.
She was obviously saddened but still said nothing.
Eldred leaned over and put his head in his hands.
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked up at April, hoping it was her. He turned around to see Aisha there. In the background, Ark was on the ship, using magic to lift the weaker people out of the room. Leilong, Suzuka, Nataka, and Charlie were walking swiftly but hadn't made it more than halfway yet. The others waited at the side of the ship until they could move on as a group. Eldred looked up into Aisha's eyes, then at her hand on his shoulder.
He stood, a head taller than anyone else there, including Gene. He looked over at the disfigured, silver-haired man in a Kei uniform.
"Let's wait until we are all present," the man said. "We have all the time in the universe here." He pointed at the sun.
It had stopped moving.
"Where are the things that were chasing us?" Eldred asked.
Treno Lunn smiled. "'Things'?" he mocked. "The creatures chasing you are not 'things'. They are the protectors of the universe, the single greatest force in the history of being."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Aisha demanded.
"They are the descendants of the race that created the Galactic Leyline," Gene said. "Their ancestors fled the planet we know as the 'Grave of the Dragon' and landed here." He paused, smiling evilly. "They are the reason that April, Melfina, Harry, Ark, Hadul, Urt, and myself even exist."
"Then my theories were correct!" Ark stated as he landed beside Eldred. "How do you know all this is actually true?"
"Because it is," Lunn stated impatiently.
Four of the others stepped up now. The rest were nearby, making their way closer to the group.
"Shall we?" Lunn asked. He turned and walked down the path toward the volcano. Gene and April followed him obediently. Everyone else followed doubtfully.
"Where are we going?" Eldred demanded, running forward into Lunn's way.
"To the second phase of the Galactic Leyline," Lunn said. "To the most important moment in history." He looked back at Gene.
Eldred was pushed aside by an unseen force. He motioned as if he was ready to charge the Kei pirate, but could not move toward him. He gave up, letting his arms fall to his side. His feet touched the ground once more and he followed Leilong's footsteps in the middle of the troupe, defeated.
Another tear hit the ground.
Treno Lunn, Gene Starwind, April Khan, Leilong, Eldred, Aisha Clan-Clan, Ron MacDougall with his brother Harry's memory board, Leo, Jim Hawking carrying Gilliam's capsule, Twilight Suzuka, Ark Manaf, Saiyo Wong, Nataka, Valeria, Charlie, Duuz, and Hideki Oda paced on toward the unknown.
Ron stared intensely at the back of Lunn's head. Gene Starwind's shooting hand had just taken a back seat in Ron MacDougall's plans of revenge.
Saiyo ran forward to Lunn's side. "Hello, sir," he said. "I tried getting to you, but we got sidetracked a little."
Lunn smiled lopsidedly, due to the scar tissue on the right of his mouth. "Don't worry about it, Mister Wong," he said. "I assume that your orange-haired friend back there is the one you were bringing to me. Correct?"
Saiyo nodded. "You still have a use for him?" he asked.
"Not likely," Lunn replied, glancing over to Saiyo. "He isn't part of the prophecy as it was written…" he paused, lauging evilly. "…But then again, neither was I. None of us or those who played their parts before us were mentioned in the documents I have uncovered, save Gene Starwind and April Khan."
"They were mentioned by name?" Saiyo asked.
"No," Lunn responded, "by face."
Gene stepped forward. "What do you actually know about what I'm supposed to do?" he asked Lunn.
"Enough," Lunn replied. "Enough."
"What am I supposed to do, then?" Gene asked.
"It will all come together soon," Lunn replied. "Very soon, you will hold the powers you were destined to hold."
Saiyo stepped in front of Lunn and began walking backward. "I still get paid, right?" he asked. "I broght Ark just like I said I would."
"Don't worry about it," Lunn said. "You did your job well and you will be rewarded well."
Toward the middle of the procession, Jim Hawking walked, following in Leo's footseteps.
"What do you think will happen?" Gilliam asked, perched on Jim's shoulder.
"I don't know," Jim said, "and I don't like how it's starting." He picked Gilliam up off of his shoulder. "There's something different about Gene," he said to Gilliam, held out in front of him. "You think that ugly Kei guy in the white suit brainwashed him and that April person?"
Suzuka, walking behind Jim, put it into perspective rather plainly. "There are things that even Gene Starwind would sell his soul for," she said, "and we are about to find out what those things are."
"You guys sound so depressing," Leo said. "The way I see it is this – we are part of the single most elite group of adventurers in history, and we're about to not only witness but take part in something that's greater than all of us."
"You think?" Jim asked.
Leo bowed his head. "I don't know, really," he said. "Hoping's the best I can do right now so that's what I'm doing."
"A wise philosophy," Gilliam said.
"I believe that you must consider the worst scenario and prepare yourself," Suzuka said, "even if you sincerely do have high hopes."
"Another wise philosophy," Gilliam said.
"I just say 'Don't expect anything, do your best, and don't get killed,'" Jim said to his friends, "and that's the wisest philosophy so far."
"Well said," Gilliam responded. "My philosophy is 'Make backups of your memory so that it doesn't matter when you do get destroyed.'"
"I'd call that wise," Leo said, "but we can't all do that!"
Ron MacDougall, walking ahead of Leo, was oblivious to the conversation behind him. He stared still at Lunn, grinding his teeth and clenching his fists.
"Where'd all the bad guys go?" Aisha asked loudly. "Did you guys kill 'em or did they run away screaming?"
"They left," Lunn called back in reply, "neither running nor screaming."
Aisha wrinkled her brow. "Huh?"
"Here's one of them now," Lunn said. The group stopped.
Lunn stepped forward to where the red creature was standing sentry. "I am Treno Lunn," he said. "These two are Gene Starwind and April Khan, children of prophecy," he pointed to them individually. "The rest are their friends." He faced the behemoth again. "We would like to speak with your chieftain about the powers housed within this planet."
The sentry nodded and motioned for them to follow him into the forest.
"What shall we call you?" Lunn asked.
"I am known as Hrocch-tlarrh," the guard bellowed. The sound of his voice was like two large rocks being scraped against each other, "the second watch sentry of the Lurrkbor gate and the nephew of Emperor Grbak-tletch. You can call me 'Rock' if you like. It's easier for otherworlders to say."
"What should we call your uncle when we meet him?" Lunn asked.
"Your highness," Rock replied, telekinetically lifting a great rock from the soft Earth at his feet. A stairway was revealed in the ground. Another creature looked up at them from the bottom. "Marrh glinn sstrochhil klandrror mocha gleekko, Linnshtor-tlamm," Rock bellowed. As the other guard made his way out, Rock gestured for them to clear his way.
'Linnshtor' walked near to the path where Rock had been standing, but focused on the boulder levitating above Rock's head. Rock made his way down the stairs, followed by the others. Ron took up the rear, not very pleased at all. As he disappeared into the dark stairwell, the boulder settled where it had once been.
Linnshtor sat down on top of it.
OUTLAW STAR
Rock lit the long dark hallway for them. "Uncle is not pleased with you," he said. "Reportedly, five of you have injured or killed our civilians."
"What will happen to them?" Gene asked. Lunn gave him a sideways glance, and not a very nice one.
"Nothing," Rock replied, "if you can convince him that you are all part of the prophecy."
"How much do you know about the prophecy?" Lunn asked Rock silently.
"There is much that I know and much that I do not," Rock replied. "The origin of mana shall provide the chosen ones with enough power to heal all planets and grant infinite knowledge to all who enter."
"What about power?" Lunn asked.
"The only ones with true power are the Drrigonnzarrh, the descendants of the human-born Drrigonnzarrh, and the one called Melfina," Rock replied.
"What do you mean 'true power'?" Lunn asked.
"Mana manipulation," Rock responded, gesturing to the light emanating from his palm.
"What will happen when we perform the ritual?" Lunn asked.
"Mana will be restored to other planets," Rock replied.
"No," Lunn said impatiently. "What will happen to all of us?"
"That is knowledge I do not have," Rock said. "All I know is that the children of prophecy, your 'Gene' and 'April', will briefly be given mana powers unlike any experienced before. As for the spectators… nothing has been clearly defined in our religious documents."
Lunn grew quiet and fell back some.
Rock stopped. "We have arrived," he said. The wall parted like drapes and revealed a brightly lit, well decorated throne room, all in shades of red, orange, and yellow. A large, pale Drrigonnzarrh in a dark red robe was pacing near the throne.
"Uncle," Rock called.
Emperor Grbak turned to his nephew as the group piled in through the entrance of the large room. "No need to speak this 'English' for their sake!" Grbak yelled. "Ouolk lik djarrkla romdrragh glie?"
"Uncle," Rock said again. "They are the children of our long-awaited prophecy." He pointed to Gene and April. "We should respectfully speak English in their presence!"
Grbak's eyes widened. He lamely trotted to Gene. "He is the one!"
Gene waved up at the immense Emperor. "Nice to meetcha," he said.
Lunn stepped between Grbak and Gene. "Your majesty," he began, "I am Treno Lunn, the orchestrator of this event. Might I just say that it has been a lifelong goal of mine to meet the leader of the race that brought our religious icon into being. You're like a God to me. I have so many questions for you."
"Questions that I most likely cannot answer," Grbak said. "I am most likely the oldest being in the universe, but I am still not as old as the Galactic Leyline. I was born after your 'religious icon' was. That was centuries ago by your reckoning, back when my father ruled. Back when Humans were first discovering colonization of non-Earth satellites, back when the Sylgrians only saw 'Ether streams' as a destructive force in the far reaches of their colonies, back when 'Saurians', 'Intellibots', and 'Constructs' were just a glint in a madman's eye. Yes, indeed, I am old, but not old enough to fully understand what will happen today." He turned and walked away. "The 'Leyline' as you call it was designed thousands of your years ago, before even my grandfather was born. Back then, there was mana everywhere, and every Drrigonnzarrh could manipulate it in fashions long since forgotten. We knew everything back then. All of the 'Leyline' knowledge was lost when my great-grandfather died. My father just barely got together enough of his grandfather's notes to create your 'Icon' and the DNA of the first key to the Leyline and send them away, but he didn't really understand what he was doing. I have spent my whole life delving deeper into prophecies and rituals, but I grow old." He sat down in his throne. "I will die soon," he said. "I have used the mana to prolong my life for a very long time, but the next generation of Drrigonnzarrh are much weaker and will most definitely live much shorter lives. My son has already died. My brother had two children: Hrocch and his sister Luindaali. Soon, Hrocch will take over the throne."
Rock bowed his head. "Uncle…" he said.
Grbak smiled. "I am not sad!" he said happily. "I am very pleased that the children of prophecy have come to me during my rule, and while my heir is old enough to witness it as well." He smiled more widely. "Your timing could not have been better."
Lunn made his way to the throne. Gene, April, and Rock followed him. "We shall begin soon," Lunn said. Where is the Leyline now?"
The rest of the group spread around the room, some looking at the items on the wall, most of them focusing on Lunn and the others. Ron leaned against the warm wall near the doorway.
"Below you," Rock answered Lunn. "The center of this small planet houses an incredible force of mana. One year ago, the mana grew dark and those who approached it could describe the experience as if a hand was groping around inside their heads."
"That's the feelin' alright!" Aisha shouted from across the room. "I wanted to rip my ears off!"
Grbak ignored her as he began speaking. "We knew what it was," he said. "We knew the Leyline had returned. We knew to wait for the children of prophecy. It's rather peculiar that the two events would occur so near each other. Am I also to assume that you were all present when the Mistress of the Leyline opened the doors?"
"Not all of us," Gene replied, "but most of us were, yes. Melfina over there is your 'Mistress'."
"Fascinating," Grbak said. "Very fascinating!" He leaned forward. "Then the ship that some of you arrived on… that's the one that my father designed and sent away with the child?"
"It is," Leilong said. "The XGP as Hazanko and Gwen Khan called it. It's the Outlaw Star."
"Brilliant!" Grbak squealed. "It's necessary to reach the planet's core!"
"How's that?" Eldred asked from nearby.
"It's how we got in the first time," Suzuka told him. "Without Melfina and the Outlaw Star, we'd never make it to the core."
"But how do we get that deep into the planet?" Eldred asked her. She didn't have an answer. He stuck out his tongue.
"It's actually kind of simple," Grbak said. "My nephew will show you. Hrocch, take them back to their ship."
Ron cracked his knuckles, staring at Lunn.
OUTLAW STAR
"Into the volcano?" Leilong shouted at Rock. "Are you mad? Even the XGP can't do that! Even if it could, we'd all burn alive!"
They were standing in the clearing where the Outlaw Star had landed and fallen. Melfina and Leo were having a conversation about why Leo wasn't present when the Shangri-La entered the Leyline. Eldred stared at April, standing a few paces from Gene and Lunn out in the middle of the field. Leilong and Rock stood further from Gene than April, together in the field. Aisha sat behind Eldred, watching him watch April. Jim stood up with Gilliam in his hand and walked toward Leilong.
The ship creaked and groaned as Gene lifted it with his newfound telekinesis and set it upright. Slashes and dents were all over it. Gene frowned and stared intently at it. "The metal might be resistant to the lava," he said. "But we would have to do something about these dents."
"No we wouldn't," April said. "We can just part the lava in front of us like Rock did at the throne room door."
Gene shook his head. "It still wouldn't be safe," he said. "What if we find that the closer we are to the Leyline itself, the weaker our powers get?"
Rock stepped forward and shook his head, then placed a hand on Gene's shoulder. "The closer to the center of the planet you get, the stronger you shall become," he said. "Our men, despite the headaches they received, grew very strong in our lower passages, even after the Leyline returned."
Gene frowned. "I don't know," he said. "I want to be absolutely certain that we're all safe."
April got in his face, smiling and brushing his bangs back. "So thoughtful," she said. "You do love your friends, don't you?"
Gene looked toward the group, all sitting together talking. Melfina smiled at something Leo said. Aisha closed her eyes, holding her knees to her chest and setting her chin on them. He couldn't see Suzuka very clearly. She was laying in the grass with her eyes shut. The others were so happy and carefree despite the situation, except for Eldred, purposefully looking away, and Ron, obviously angered by something. Jim, Lunn, and Leilong were talking now. Jim was pointing to the ship. Rock, the newest addition to their ensemble, walked toward Jim and Leilong, looking up at the ship. Gene looked at April, smiling.
"Yeah," he said. "They're the best friends I could ask for, even if some of them want me dead." He smiled.
April wrinkled her brow and pursed her lips. "Ooh," she said, "sarcasm. One of the many, many things that make me glad that I'm the woman of the prophecy and you're the man."
Gene's smile turned into a devilish grin. He looked away, his smile fading again. "What about our kid?" he asked, frowning as she put her arms around his waist. "And the city in ruin?"
"Well," April said, glancing away, "Lunn said that we don't really know what those pictures mean. The boy on the tapestry might not be ours. Maybe he wasn't the one to destroy the city. Maybe –" she paused, leaning to look Gene in the eye "– he just finished defeating the person who destroyed the city."
"Maybe the city won't be destroyed if we don't unlock the Leyline," Gene said. "Maybe we can still change the other tapestry."
"Second thoughts?" April asked him, smiling. "Whatever we do, those things will come true. They are prophecy, so we might as well live with it."
Gene nodded. He heard footsteps in the grass beside him. As he turned to see who it was, he saw two other things stand out. Melfina, crying, had her face buried in Leo's shoulder. Eldred held his head as Aisha rubbed his shoulders and then leaned over to place her cheek on his back, hugging him.
"Your young friend tells me that the ship should be ready to go if the two of you have decided to shield it from the lava," Lunn said as Gene turned to him. April held on to Gene, letting her chin rest on his shoulder. Lunn smiled his lopsided smile. "It's good to see the two of you bonding," he said. "I was afraid that you weren't enjoying your important roles in history." He patted Gene on the shoulder and made his way toward the ship. "Let's go!" he called to the others, waving them toward the ship.
Gene stared at Melfina as Leo helped her to her feet. He glanced over at Leo just as Leo was looking his way. Leo saw Gene's blank stare and put his arm around Melfina, leading her to the ship.
Leilong and Jim passed Gene and April. April smiled once more at Gene then followed the group up the now-extended ramp. Rock stopped next to Gene.
"Your Constructs are not well," he said. "Are you certain that the Mistress of the Leyline is fit to play her part once again."
"I've never been certain of anything in my life," Gene said without turning toward the immense Drrigonnzarrh. He walked away, his hands in his pockets, his face turned toward the ground.
Rock looked around the clearing and jogged up the ramp, which began to close behind him.
OUTLAW STAR
Gene Starwind settled into his old seat in the cockpit of the Outlaw Star. Melfina slid into the tank behind him. The two of them made a point not to look at each other. Jim Hawking buckled into the front-most seat. April Khan and Treno Lunn also found their seats and fastened into them. Rock stood still on the vertical cockpit floor, held in place by a spell. Gilliam II flashed to life above Jim's head.
"All passengers are safely seated," Gilliam said. "We are prepared for departure."
"Let's go, then," Gene said. "Get the engines started."
"Aye, captain," Gilliam said. After a pause he spoke again. "It's good to have you back sir."
Gene did not smile or respond, his eyes were shut.
"All engines green," Melfina said, and without much enthusiasm.
"Let's do this," Gene said, opening his eyes.
The ship took off and was quickly propelled to the volcano. It stopped there for a second, then dove down inside, never once touching the lava itself.
Grbak stood at the mouth of the cave, watching the ship quickly disappear.
He turned and left.
OUTLAW STAR
"It is leading me in just like before," Melfina reported. "Adjusting course."
Gene watched as the lava turned into an engulfing, black cloud. There were sirens briefly in everyone's ears, but they found the path quickly and dove deeper into the sphere. After awhile, Gene, Jim, and Melfina began to see differences from their previous encounter with the Leyline.
"Is it brighter in here all of a sudden?" Jim asked. "I thought there were only black clouds in the Leyline."
"It is different now," Melfina said. "I cannot see our destination. I don't know if it is taking us to the same place as before."
The clouds were now white, and growing brighter by the second.
Gene squinted.
Jim turned his head. "That's kinda bright, doncha think?" he shouted, the questioned aimed at whatever forced had made it so bright.
Soon there was so much pure light that they could not see each other, could not bear to open their eyes.
"Where are we?" Gene demanded.
"I don't know," Melfina called back. "It's not telling me anything."
"We hafta be somewhere!" Gene yelled. "Are we still moving?!? How are we gonna know when we get to where we're going if all this light is blinding us?"
They shielded their eyes with their arms or hands as the light grew even more intense.
"Where are we?!?" Gene yelled.
The light lessened. Gene opened his eyes.
"What the?!?"
Outside the ship, everything was black.
"We have stopped moving," Melfina reported. "Our horizontal landing gear is down. We are parked on something solid."
"But what?" Jim asked. "All I see is black!"
"Let's go out and see," Gene said, unbuckling. "Why don't you let everyone know that we are here, Gilliam?"
"Certainly," Gilliam said.
April stood and put her hand on Gene's shoulder. He put his on hers and held it. A light began to grow as they touched. They pulled their hands away. The light disappeared.
Lunn smiled. "It is time," he said. "Once we have all left the ship, we can begin."
Gene stared at his hand. His heart was pounding. He closed his eyes and swallowed… hard.
OUTLAW STAR
"The ramp doesn't lead anywhere!" Eldred shouted. "What are we supposed to do when we get to the end? Sprinkle fairy dust and think happy thoughts?"
"We're parked on somethin'," Charlie said, pushing to the front and walking down the ramp. "Let's find out what."
Everyone watched as he made his way to the bottom and stepped off. His foot found a solid fall.
Jim walked down the ramp. "What I think is weirder than the darkness is the fact that we can still see you," he said. "You're lit but nothing around you is."
"And I cain't see what I'm standin' on!" Charlie cried out, now crouched and moving his hand along the floor. "I cain't really feel it, either!"
Jim cautiously placed a foot into the void. He jumped up and down, not making a sound. "It's like thick air or something!" he shouted. "I can't feel it there, but it still stops me when I fall on it!"
Everyone else made their way out into the blackness.
Gene held back reluctantly.
Ron held back as well, remaining in front of Gene. "If you don't want to follow through with this…" he started.
Gene held up a hand and walked down the ramp past Ron. Ron opened his mouth to speak to Gene again but couldn't. He was afraid of something. He looked at Lunn and shook his head, following Gene to where the others stood. For a moment, they stood together at the edge of the ramp. Ron stepped down and backed away, watching Gene.
Gene stepped off and began walking toward where the others stood.
Ron grew wide-eyed and gasped. "Gene," he said. Gene turned to look at him and instantly saw what Ron saw. The blackness was disappearing from around Gene's footfalls. A picture of stars replaced the darkness, spreading far and wide. Ether streams, nebulas, star systems, comets, planets, colonies… all came into view. Everyone stepped closer together as the ship itself disappeared as well. The room was very quickly replaced with a virtual map to the stars.. only something was very different.
"There's Earth!" Jim said, "and Mars!"
"And Sylgri," Charlie stated.
"Oracia Three," Valeria mumbled.
"Sentinel!" Jim pointed to the planet where he was born.
"Blue Heaven," Suzuka said, pointing to the colony. She drew her finger away from it. "And there's the Heiphongs," she said.
"I grew up there," April said.
"Liang Kei," Lunn said, pointing to the red planet he lived on.
"The Grave of the Dragon!" Aisha said pointing. "Planet Ctarl!"
"Falador," Ark said, pointing to his native planet, "and there's Tenrei!"
"That is Corbon," Nataka said. "That is where I was built, by the Corbonite mechanics there."
"Drrigonn," Rock said. "I wonder how far from it we really are, now…"
Saiyo pointed. "Hey, Gene!" he said. "Remember Hecatoncheires Prison?" He pointed to the prison.
"And there's that planet where we found all that dragonite!" Aisha yelled.
"Symka Five," Jim said quietly. "Bad memories…"
"Okay, okay!" Eldred shouted. "There's a bunch of planets we recognize and a whole lot more we don't! Why are they all together like this?"
Gene and April looked at each other. The scene from the tapestry.
Lunn cackled. "Perfect," he said. "You two undoubtedly know what to do."
April offered her hand to Gene. Gene accepted it. The light that puled from their bodies wa brilliant but small in size. April moved closer and hugged Gene, holding him tight. The light grew more and more. Gene and April left the ground and began slowly spinning. Flashes of light shot from their bodies to Ark, the Rock, then Melfina, then to the planet Drrigonn above their heads. Slowly, beams of light connected the pair to every inhabited planet or geo-colony, and to all of their friends as well.
"What's going on?" Jim asked, waving his hand in the beam of light.
Ark left the ground and began moving, circling Gene and April as they spun. Some of the planets began moving as Rock, then Melfina, then Jim and the others were brought into the air and began moving also. Lunn laughed evilly. "This is amazing!" he shouted. "Participation!"
Half of them spun clockwise, half counterclockwise, weaving around Gene and April like a maypole. The planets moved around in much more intricate patterns, circling each other in a rhythmic pattern. Everything became bright, pulsing with intense light.
OUTLAW STAR
"What is this?" Fred Lou asked himself as he waved through the glowing air around him. He looked over to his bodyguards who had the same aura. One of them poked the other to see if it was real. Even Fred's houseplants were glowing in the small Earth office. He wrinkled his brow.
OUTLAW STAR
"Hey, um… Mikey," Swanzo said, scratching his shell. "Do you feel okay? You're practically glowing!"
The human mechanic looked down at himself and brushed away at the glow. "What the?!?" he shouted, standing up straight. "I don't like this at all!"
Swanzo looked at his own hand. He was glowing too. "What do you think it is?"
OUTLAW STAR
Clyde was polishing a glass.
"Hey!" Iris said to him. "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?" Clyde asked.
"The glass is glowing!" she said. "How'd you –" She stood up quickly. "You're glowing!" she shouted.
The glass dropped and shattered.
"So are you," Clyde said.
OUTLAW STAR
Sitting at his throne, Grbak closed his eyes. He stuck his clawed hand into the air, watching it glow through one half-slit eye. His hand fell. His breathing slowed… then stopped.
Outside in the jungle, everything glowed. Linnshtor still sat on the boulder, resting, oblivious to the events around him.
The jungle was unbearably bright now in some places, pulsing with an extreme energy unlike anything witnessed by man.
Then…
It stopped.
OUTLAW STAR
"That's it?" Eldred said. "A merry-go-round and then 'poof'? I wanted to see some explosions or lightning bolts or something!"
Everyone stood still in the darkness at the end of the Outlaw Star's ramp. The ceremony was over just as quickly as it was begun.
"What about the infinite knowledge and power?!?" Lunn shouted.
"Would you just shut the hell up!?!" Ron screamed at him. "I can't put up with you any longer! I don't care if you have Gene and April to protect you! You killed my father and Gene's, and for that, you die!" He raised his Caster-hand and pointed it at Lunn, ready to fire. As his hand began to glow, a look of fear manifested on Lunn's face.
"You're… the MacDougall child?" Lunn said. "I thought that we took care of you long ago!"
Ron's hand whipped to the side as a bullet hit it. The Caster spell missed its target and disappeared into the blackness.
Saiyo Wong stood with his pistol out. "Not until I get paid, MacDougall!"
Ron, angered, loaded another shell into his hand and aimed it at Saiyo. Gene Starwind, pacing toward him, stepped into his way. "Killed my father?" he said. "Lunn killed my father?"
Ron put his hand down. "He employed my father to hunt you down as a child," he said. "He killed my father aboard the El Dorado and gunned down your father's ship, trying to get to you."
So it WAS the El Dorado all along… Gene thought. Just not MacDougall…
Gene looked at Lunn. Lunn put up his hands in protest. "Listen," he pleaded. "I can explain!"
Behind Gene, Eldred snatched Saiyo's pistol.
Gene walked further toward Lunn. "You've been playing my emotions all this time when really it was you who killed my father?"
Eldred stepped up to walk beside Gene. He aimed the pistol. "You weren't the only one he used," he said. "YOU TOOK APRIL FROM ME!" he yelled. "Do you know how it FEELS to be so completely in love with someone who gives it all away for some stupid prophecy?"
April stepped up beside Lunn. "Eldred," she protested. "Don't be so mad. Just because I fell in love with Gene, that doesn't mean I don't still love you too."
"That doesn't change what he did," Eldred said coldly. "If it wasn't for him, I would still be the only man in your life." He raised the barrel of the pistol and pulled the trigger.
Lunn saw the bullet, aimed straight at his chest, and did the only thing he could think. He pulled April in front of him. The bullet pierced straight through her heart. She fell to the floor.
Leilong jumped but Suzuka held him back. Ark ran to April's side and held the wound. Gene raised his hand, pointed at Lunn.
A pause.
Gene and Ark looked at each other. "My powers are gone," they both said. They looked at April, taking her last gasps of air, her lungs filling with blood.
Eldred kneeled beside her. Neither of them said a word; they simply stared into each other's eyes.
"Allow me to finish this," Ron said. In a flash, Lunn was hit from the side with a powerful Caster spell. Eldred and Ark shielded their eyes at the intensity of it, but were blasted back as Lunn's body was stretched and contorted in the red energy. His body was sucked into a small purple ball, his screams echoing in the darkness the only thing left of him.
Ron fell to his knee.
"Number… four," Gene said. "How did you find one of them?"
Ron stood, smiling. "There's this lady on the Hot Springs Planet Tenrei who will do anything for a mortal who beats her at table tennis," he said.
Ark frowned. "Everybody but me…" he said.
Eldred crawled to April's side. She had stopped breathing. He looked at the others. "I did this," he whispered. He closed his eyes, letting the tears come freely. He lifted her up and carried her up the ship's ramp.
Ron reached into his pocket to be sure that Harry was still intact. He looked from the memory board to Gene. "You think I should tell him what he really is?" he asked Gene.
"What is he?" Gene asked.
Ron smiled, pocketing the board and following Eldred up the ramp.
Saiyo kicked the ramp as he made his way up it as well. "No money for me," he grumbled. Ark and Nataka caught up with him.
"At least you have friends, sir," Nataka said.
"What good are friends if you can't afford to do shit with them?" Saiyo said. "I don't even have a friggin' ship anymore!"
Rock, the silent sentry, walked up the ramp with Leilong, Charlie, Duuz, Hideki, and Valeria in his wake.
Leo took his arm from around Melfina and gestured toward Gene with his head. He left and walked up the ramp.
Melfina walked up to Gene. They faced each other and gazed into each other's eyes. Melfina fell forward into his arms, smiling. Gene held her close, swinging her around.
"Those two…" Gilliam said.
Jim, Aisha, and Suzuka walked up the ramp.
"Don't you just think that's precious, Suzu?" Aisha said.
"Yes," Suzuka replied, "but stop calling me 'Suzu'!"
"What about you, kid?" she asked Jim.
"I'm not a kid!" Jim asserted. "But yeah, they are kinda cute together."
"Yeah," Aisha said. She ruffled Jim's hair.
"Stop doing that, would ya?" Jim shouted, pushing his hair back down.
As they reached the top of the ramp, they saw Eldred sitting in a chair with April in his lap, held close to him.
There goes MY good mood, Jim thought, bowing his head.
Eldred kissed April on the forehead, tears flowing from his cheeks.
OUTLAW STAR
A week later, the Outlaw Star was finally ship-shape again. The Drrigonnzarrh, male, female, young, and old, had all lent a hand to repair the metal that their army had slashed. Saiyo's ship, however, wasn't that lucky,
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Gene called down the ramp to Emperor Rock. "There's always room for friends on our ship!"
Rock smiled. "No thank you," he said. "Plus, now that the mana has left our planet, we must build farther from the volcanoes. I have my work cut out for me. At least the mana won't disrupt the ships anymore. We will finally be safe on the surface."
Gene smiled. "I'll make sure to visit later on down the road," he said. "I'll see you when your above-ground dwellings are up and in use!"
"I will see you then, Gene Starwind," Rock said, waving.
"Bye," Gene called.
Eldred walked past Rock and made his way up the ramp. "Later, your highness," he said.
"Finished saying your goodbyes?" Rock asked him.
Eldred nodded, smiling. "I think that things are good," he said. "I'm never finished saying goodbye, though. You've gotta keep everyone you care about right here –" he pointed to his head "– even if you can't be with them again."
"What will you do?" Rock asked.
"I think that if I was sad the rest of my life, April would want to beat me up," he said. "She wanted her friends to be happy, I'm sure."
"So you choose to be happy," Rock said, nodding. "A simple choice."
"I've always chosen to be happy," Eldred said. "You've gotta live each moment for the moment. The past can't be forgotten, but you shouldn't worry about mistakes you may or may not have made in the past. You can't defy the future, but you also shouldn't worry about it either. If you're happy in the here and now and choose to live that way, the future can't be that bad! I thrive on mistakes. As a computer, it's important that I grow as a person. Sometimes I feel like I don't fit in, but in the end, none of that matters. All I need to be happy is me and nothing else can stop that."
"Wise words," Rock said. "Those emotions and decisions are very… human." He turned in his deep red clack and it whipped around him in the wind.
"Rock?" Eldred called. Rock stopped. "What will happen to me when I die?"
"Can you die?" Rock asked over his shoulder.
"I'm not gonna make backup copies of my mind," Eldred said. "If my memory board is destroyed, that's it for me."
Rock thought about it briefly. "What happens when you are gone is up to you," he said. "I believe that all sentient… beings… return to the force that the Leyline leads to."
"That's where April is?" Eldred asked.
"In theory."
Eldred nodded. "Thanks," he said.
Rock smiled and waved.
"I'll be back," Eldred said. "You know that, right?"
"I do," Rock said, disappearing into the jungle.
The ramp closed.
OUTLAW STAR
"Wave goodbye to the keepers of the universe," Gene said. The cockpit of the Outlaw Star was finally manned by our five heroes once again. Jim, Melfina, Suzuka, Aisha, and Gene looked down at the planet of Drrigonnzarrh for one last time before setting off slowly into space, toward Calim.
"Where do you think the Leyline is now?" Melfina asked.
"Everywhere," Gene said. "Every one of us is a gate now. Everyone is."
"You really think so?" Jim asked.
"I hope so," Gene answered. "It'd suck if we had to go through all this a third time."
Jim smiled.
"Where do you think everyone else will go?" Suzuka asked.
"I'm stayin' with you guys," Eldred said, appearing from the door between Aisha and Melfina.
"Really?" Aisha asked sarcastically. "And why's that?"
Eldred smiled and ran his hand through her hair.
"No way!" Aisha cried.
Eldred laughed.
Gilliam blinked to life. "Just to let you all know," he said. "Charlie went berserk again just now and Leilong and Duuz had to hold him steady while Nataka sedated him."
"I hope that guy ends up alright," Aisha said. "He's not really all that bad a person."
"Duuz will go easy on him, I'm sure," Eldred said. "He owes him one."
"So, Valeria, Duuz, Charlie, and Hideki will return to Oracia," Jim said. "Ark's probably gonna return to Tenrei."
"Yeah," Eldred said. "He was just telling Leilong and Saiyo about that place and it sounds like they'll be visiting it for awhile." He smiled, looking at Aisha. "I can't blame 'em, really…"
Aisha turned to face his smiling face, obviously angry with him. He stuck out his tongue. She smiled and squinted at him, shaking her head. "You're mean," she said.
"Yeah," he said quietly, looking away. "I'm a bad boy."
She grabbed his shirt collar and stood up. "Prove it!" she said, pulling him out of the room.
Jim sat in the front of the room with his arms crossed, very unpleasant. "Can we leave already?" he asked.
Gene smiled. "When are you gonna grow up, young Master Hawking?" he said.
Jim jumped up, standing in his seat, facing Gene. "Hey, I'm just as mature as anyone on this ship!" he said. "I'm just sick and tired of being the only one around without sex on his mind twenty-four-seven! I'm sick of everyone else screwin' around like that when they know how much I don't like it." He plopped back down in his seat.
"We've just gotta get you a girl," Gene said.
Jim closed his eyes and put his chin in his hand. "Yeah…" he whispered. "That'd be nice…"
Gene laughed.
"What about Ron?" Suzuka asked. "Where do you think he'll end up?"
"Once he gets Harry back to normal," Gene said, "he'll probably get back to his old self." He turned. "Nataka, by the way, is going to Blue Heaven. It would appear that the guy that designed Saiyo's ship is none other than our friend Swanzo and he isn't getting any of the royalties."
"Oh, yeah?" Jim said. "You think that'll repay our debt?"
Gene's eyes widened as he sat forward. "I hadn't even thought of that!" he said. "Swanzo's gonna owe us after he finds out!"
Jim threw his fist into the air. "Yeah!" he shouted. "Now there's only Fred to repay, and it looks like we're gonna need a few more repairs soon."
Gene fell forward dispiritedly. "Oh yeah…" he said and punched the console. "Why don't things ever work out in my favor?"
"You're alive, aren't you?" Suzuka asked. "That's something to be happy about."
"I guess…" Gene said.
"All engine systems are green," Melfina said merrily. "We can depart now."
"Everybody ready?" Gene asked, still sulking.
"Well…" Gilliam started. "Aisha and Eldred are not yet buckled in and I really do not think it would be proper to interrupt them."
Gene's eyes grew wide. "Jeez!!!" he said emphatically. "This guy works faster than me!"
"What makes you think it was his choice?" Suzuka interjected wryly.
"Oh yeah…" Gene said.
"Can we go now?" Jim asked.
"Yeah," Gene said. "Let's do it!"
The Outlaw Star disappeared into the distance.
THE
END
(OR IS IT?)
So, what did you think? I know there weren't nearly enough bad guys, but I think I did a fairly good job mixing everything up. I feel bad for killing April off… It's not fair. I kinda did it so that Gene and Mel ended up together and Aisha ended up with Eldred. You don't think that Eldred disrespected April by moving in so fast with Aisha, do you? Well… I don't!
Anyway, there's plenty of questions left unanswered and I think I even opened up some MORE loose ends. There's plenty to work with if I ever decide to start writing again!
I think this is like the LONGEST O. S. fic now, isn't it? I hope you all like it! I know that even I found a few things to laugh at when I went to reread it. What really gets me every time though is Jayce's death… you hardly knew the guy but you really felt bad for him, too…
Anyway, I guess I should pull an Episode 26 and include an epilogue… which should have SOMEONE smiling…
ONE YEAR LATER
Eldred tapped his fingers in the maternity ward waiting room in San Francisco, waiting for word on the universe's newest hero. He leaned back in his chair, pulling all of his thoughts together. So many things had happened in the past year…
Ron got Harry back together and told him what really happened, then Harry disappeared one night and Ron's been out looking for him ever since.
Hadul passed away just a few weeks after Ark returned to Tenrei, but Saiyo and Leilong live on Mount Nantai together now, all animosity aside. Urt and Ark hooked up too. They live on Mount Nyotai, sans the beautiful hotsprings entourage that Urt once lived with.
Nataka now lives and works in Blue Heavan with Swanzo and Mikey. Their business is one of the most used rental-ship businesses in Security Forces territory. Dozens of Nataka-type Intellibots were made by hand and employed by businessmen all over the cosmos.
Charlie was sent free from his brief imprisonment, as one of the appeals proved that there was not nearly enough hard evidence to convict him of any of the attacks. Duuz himself went on the record to say that "Charlie may not have been the Sylgrian who attacked me." He also denies any involvement with the disappearance of the crucial bits of evidence.
Hideki returned to Japan to help his parents with the harvest. While there, he realized how important being with family really was and decided to stay.
Valeria and Duuz are good friends again, now that Duuz is appreciating others once more. Just goes to show you that politeness and courtesy can go a hell of a long way toward happiness.
There was a joint wedding on planet Tenrei. Everyone was there to wish the two happy couples good luck. Aisha convinced Eldred to honeymoon on Tenrei as well, just to see how much "heat" he could stand. Gene and Melfina wouldn't tell anyone where they were going to spend their honeymoon. But between you and me, there's this abandoned barn near this lake on Sentinel III…
And now the baby…
Eldred impatiently looked to the door. C'mon already…
He stood up and paced back and forth.
Footsteps…
Eldred looked to the door.
"It's a boy," Gene said. "He's got red hair, just like his father. You wanna come look?"
"I don't have time," Eldred answered. "I'm supposed to be meeting Aisha and a client for dinner. I came here because Aisha told me that Jim thinks you might find this job important."
"What's up?" Gene asked. "The pirates, the MacDougalls?"
"No," Eldred said. "Just some lady." He stepped forward, reaching for something in his pocket. "Jim seemed to think that the woman's name would be important to you."
"Her name?" Gene asked. "Who is she?"
"The name they gave me was 'Rachel Sweet'," Eldred said, looking at a scribble on a piece of paper. "Why's that name so important?"
Gene was spellbound.
Eldred waved his hand in front of Gene's face, bringing him back to reality. "Who is she?" he asked.
Gene smiled. "She's Hot Ice," he said. He turned and returned to Melfina's room.
"Hot ice?" Eldred said to himself. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!?"
LATER
(Now if that doesn't leave this open for a continuing plot, I don't know what else would.)
http://www.geocities.com/fantasyguy50/nataka.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/fantasyguy50/eldred.jpg
for pictures (drawn by yours truly) of two of the characters. I have Lunn drawn… he'll be uploaded soon.
