Turning Blues to Black
by Now With More Fiber
Chapter 4: Woke Up In the Middle
Of A Dream
*****
Repairs on the Bebop had taken longer
than expected. Three days had passed before the ship could lift off, and another
two before it was capable of passing through a jump gate unharmed. Jet had reluctantly
called in a small repair crew after realizing how severely his injury (and Faye's
lack of mechanical knowledge) was impeding his progress.
The repairmen charged a hefty fee, but had labored tirelessly, and their work
was as good as their word. Even the plates of the ship's outer hull were melded
seamlessly back together.
Perhaps the most unexpected part of the situation was Faye's determination to
assist with the repairs, despite her inexperience. When the crew needed extra
hands, she carried or lifted or pulled or pushed as she could. When they needed
another tool, she brought it up the ladder or down the side of the ship. When
there was no need for help, she studiously watched their working hands, and
learned.
When she couldn't watch, she walked. Back and forth, back and forth, before
the windows of the bridge, kneading her fingers or fidgeting with her hair.
Jet saw her more than once, pacing, as he limped by with his toolbox in tow.
Without fail, she would hear his footsteps and turn quickly towards him, asking,
"Is there anything I can do?"
She's either come down with a case of charitability, or she's stir crazy,
Jet thought. Maybe both. Well, I'm desperate to get off this damned red rock
too. Just wait a bit longer, Faye.
On the evening of the fifth day, the head crewman presented Jet with a lengthy
itemized bill, gladly received his payment in cash, tapped his fingers to his
hardhat, smiled, and walked back to his transport ship. The emptiness of the
Bebop's safe did little to dampen Jet's sense of relief. After all, what
use is paper and credit when you're stranded?
"Thanks for the hard work," he said as the last man passed through
the hatch door.
One or two of the mechanics had surreptitiously let their eyes roam one last
time over Faye as they departed.
"And thank you for your business, sir. It was a pleasure working with you."
The fellow shot him a quick wink. "And it was a pleasure having your lovely
wife assist us."
Jet's mouth fell open. "Wha--! Hey, wait! No, she's not--" but the
door had already closed.
"Idiot." Faye glared right through the sealed hatch door, looking
like she had eaten a lemon.
Jet merely blinked at her.
Seeing his expression, she stifled a giggle and turned away. After a pause,
she stretched her arms into the air and breathed, "free at last, free at
last..." Looking back over her shoulder, she asked Jet, "so... where
to now?"
He put his hand to his chin. "Maybe we should just head towards Venus outside
the gates. You know, take it easy for a while. Things can calm down a bit...
it'll give us time to rest... time to think."
Faye sighed. "No offense, Jet, but that's the last thing I need."
*****
The Bebop pressed its way through hyperspace, starlight bending and streaking
in its wake. Inside its living room, the whine and hum of the dual engines was
muted to a soft hiss.
Faye sat on the yellow couch at the center of the room, rubbing the bridge of
her nose with her thumb and forefinger. She looked up wearily as Jet entered
from the bridge.
"Well, that's it... we're set," he said from the top of the short
stairs.
"Set for where?" she mumbled.
Jet descended the stairs and walked over towards the short refrigerator, turning
away from Faye. "Earth," he replied.
There was an uncomfortable silence. "I thought you said we were going to
Venus." She turned her head towards him, only to see his back as he pushed
the refrigerator away from the wall.
"I changed my mind," he answered gruffly. "There aren't any worthwhile
bounties out right now, so we might as well wait out the dry spell."
"On that meteorite-ridden wreck of a planet?"
Jet bristled. "Look, we're not--" He stopped, took a deep breath,
and lowered his voice. "Faye..." he began, "I understand why
you wouldn't want to go to back to Earth right now. But I promise you... I promise
we're not going back to where we were before. Opposite end of the planet, in
fact."
When he stood and turned around, Faye noticed that he held in his right hand
a large bottle of whiskey, about three-quarters full. She eyed it, and him,
with unmasked apprehension. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said, unscrewing the top from the whiskey bottle, "I'm
finally going to go check out something I've always wanted to see." He
placed the bottle on the table and walked towards the kitchen. Returning with
one short glass in each hand, he asked, "did you ever read Tom Sawyer
or Huckleberry Finn in school?"
"It wasn't exactly required reading in Singapore," Faye answered cautiously.
"Why do you ask?"
Jet smiled as if he were holding a secret behind his eyes. "Just curious."
He poured two fingers of whiskey in one glass, two fingers in the other, and
pushed one towards Faye.
She stared down at it for a moment, then raised her eyes to meet his.
"So. What now?"
"Now," he said, "we
drink." Jet held his glass aloft. The ceiling lamp's light pierced through
the amber whiskey and played in soft golden tones across his face. "To
friends, gone but not forgotten."
Faye brought her glass towards his. The soft clink rang through the silent
room.
"Gone, but not forgotten," she whispered in response.
To be continued in Chapter 5
NOTES:
* Yes, I know it's technically "phase differential space", not "hyperspace",
but whatever. The former is a mouthful. -_-
* Yup, that's the bottle of whiskey Spike mentioned in "Wild Horses".
I imagine Jet felt that this would be an appropriate time to use it.
