***Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star or the characters…
Hi everyone! I hope you guys like the story so far! Please review and tell me what you think so I know whether or not to keep writing this or not…
Chapter Five
They arrived in Blue Nexus an hour later. It was muggy with no moisture in the air. "Gene, isn't this place known for its translucent water?" Jim asked, looking over the desolate land. Everything was dry, even the water basins of lakes and rivers. The only water in sight was that of the large fountain in the middle of the town square, where it spewed with water that glimmered like diamonds under the excruciating sun.
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Well where's all the water, Gene?" he asked. "This place is just a town surrounded by desert with white sand."
"Before Gene could reply, Gilliam said, "To correct you: Blue Nexus is know for its underground lakes. They're hidden beneath the town, but can be easily accessed cave in the mountains on the other side of town."
"What's next, oh mighty tour guide?" Gene asked sarcastically, and then walked down the airport terminal.
They walked down the terminal and then entered the town.
Gypsies danced on the streets with symbols in their hands, and venders sold fine diamonds and delicious-smelling food on the corners. Its was totally different from what they were exposed to on Sentinel III. It was a whole other world filled with people they considered to be strange and impoverished.
"They're poor," Melfina pointed out. "But how can they be? They have jewel mines and other ways of getting money."
Suzuka pulled Gene's arm. He turned to her with a strange look on his face. "Gene."
"What is it?" he asked.
"There's no police stations or other ways of law enforcement," she said, letting his arm go. "Everyone's poor and finding ways of getting cash, even though they have things to trade with other planets…"
Gene stepped forward and looked the town over. Gypsies. Peddlers. Pawn shops. Secret water wells. Jewel mines. It all came together to form this one big puzzle.
"It's a bounty zone," he said. "They're criminals."
"Exactly," Suzuka said. "That means we can't let them know we're--well mostly you--are outlaws who just happen to collect bounties."
"We're low on cash and you're saying I can't collect any bounties?" he asked in shock. "You're out of your mind, Suzuka. I don't know about you, but I need to eat."
Jim ignored him and turned his attention to Suzuka. "How about we pawn something? Then maybe they won't be suspicious of us."
She nodded. "But what are we going to pawn?"
"Damn," Aisha said, more to herself than to the others. "Why can't this shine like it's supposed to?"
And one by one, they all turned to Aisha, who was wearing a gold necklace that was just screaming at them to be pawned.
Aisha took notice at their hungry stares and shook her head vigorously. "No!" she shouted, holding the necklace tightly in her hand. "There is no way in hell that I'm going to let you guys pawn my necklace. It's an official Catarl Catarl medallion past down from generation to generation! I can't let you sell it!"
"Aisha," Gene said with a conniving smile on his face. "I bet we could get a lot of money for it."
"I bet you could," she said, and shook her head. "I'm still not giving you my necklace."
"Come on."
"Never."
--
An hour later they were eating in a smoky restaurant and Aisha was one necklace short of having one.
"Hey, don't worry, Aisha," Gene said, sipping a glass of cold beer. "Look at it this way: We have enough money to eat and get a hotel now."
"Only you would think about that," she said, staring at the plate of food before her, It didn't seem that much to her anymore. It was just food to fill her starving appetite, but that necklace was worth more than her life. "But you don't understand, that necklace was very important."
He waved his hand in front of his face. "We'll get you a new one later, okay?"
She sighed and began to eat. "I suppose."
They sat there for a while eating, talking, and then some more eating. When there stomachs felt like they were going to explode because of overeating, the left to find a hotel to stay for the night.
They found a hotel on the far reaches of the town and walked inside.
"May I help you?" the short guy behind the counter asked.
Gene leaned on the counter with his elbow and said, "Yeah I need four rooms for one night."
The guy turned away from them and started to type away on a small computer. "It appears that we only have three that are vacant," he replied, glancing back at them.
"Three?" Gene repeated, and then looked back at everyone else. They nodded as if he asked them a question and then looked back at him. "Sure. We'll take them."
"Follow me," he said, jiggling keys in his right pocket.
They followed behind him as he lead them down a long, dim hallway that was lighted by small wall lamps. They then stopped at the end of the hallway, where the guy opened one of the doors.
"Here you go," he said, handing Gene three sets of keys. "The other rooms are right across the hall. So if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
They nodded in response and he walked away.
Suzuka took one of the key rings from his hand and unlocked one of the doors across the hall. "I want this room," she said, and walked inside. "See you in the morning."
Gene grunted. "Why does she get her own room?"
Jim shrugged. "She called it first."
"whatever," he said with an irritated sigh. "Here, Jim, you and Aisha share this room. And Melfina and I will get the other one."
Jim blushed. "Huh? You can't put me in a room with her, Gene."
Aisha grabbed the key. "Don't worry, Jim. I won't hurt you," she said, and winked. "I promise."
He forced a smile on his face as he scratched his head. "O--okay."
Gene grinned and went to walk inside the room, when he remembered something. He forgot to lock the ship. "Damn it!"
Jim turned. "What is it, Gene?"
He put his hands in his pockets. "I forgot to lock up the ship." He laughed as he dug through his pockets. "Do me a favor and go lock it for me, okay, Jim?"
He took the keys. "Fine."
"Thanks, kid."
--
Jim aimlessly walked down the sidewalk. He could hear loud music that vibrated through his body as if they were impulses from the ground. Though it was a dangerous place for them to be in, he felt safe there. He felt no fear or warning. It was like they were welcomed with open arms. Or at least that's what they hope.
On the way back from locking the ship, he came across a huge stone fountain spewing water up into the heavens above. He stopped in his tracks and stared. He was transfixed by the beauty and the way it made every problem he was having disappear into thin air like water vapor.
As he stared, he noticed a girl with purple hair sitting on the edge of it, looking forward into the waterfall as if she was trying to see straight through it. He felt the urge to walk up to her. So he did.
She noticed him and smiled at him. "Hi," she said in a docile voice. "I'm Hanmyo."
He blushed, feeling the ground beneath him moving in circles. "Hi. I'm Jim."
--
To Be Continued…
Please Review!
Hi everyone! I hope you guys like the story so far! Please review and tell me what you think so I know whether or not to keep writing this or not…
Chapter Five
They arrived in Blue Nexus an hour later. It was muggy with no moisture in the air. "Gene, isn't this place known for its translucent water?" Jim asked, looking over the desolate land. Everything was dry, even the water basins of lakes and rivers. The only water in sight was that of the large fountain in the middle of the town square, where it spewed with water that glimmered like diamonds under the excruciating sun.
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Well where's all the water, Gene?" he asked. "This place is just a town surrounded by desert with white sand."
"Before Gene could reply, Gilliam said, "To correct you: Blue Nexus is know for its underground lakes. They're hidden beneath the town, but can be easily accessed cave in the mountains on the other side of town."
"What's next, oh mighty tour guide?" Gene asked sarcastically, and then walked down the airport terminal.
They walked down the terminal and then entered the town.
Gypsies danced on the streets with symbols in their hands, and venders sold fine diamonds and delicious-smelling food on the corners. Its was totally different from what they were exposed to on Sentinel III. It was a whole other world filled with people they considered to be strange and impoverished.
"They're poor," Melfina pointed out. "But how can they be? They have jewel mines and other ways of getting money."
Suzuka pulled Gene's arm. He turned to her with a strange look on his face. "Gene."
"What is it?" he asked.
"There's no police stations or other ways of law enforcement," she said, letting his arm go. "Everyone's poor and finding ways of getting cash, even though they have things to trade with other planets…"
Gene stepped forward and looked the town over. Gypsies. Peddlers. Pawn shops. Secret water wells. Jewel mines. It all came together to form this one big puzzle.
"It's a bounty zone," he said. "They're criminals."
"Exactly," Suzuka said. "That means we can't let them know we're--well mostly you--are outlaws who just happen to collect bounties."
"We're low on cash and you're saying I can't collect any bounties?" he asked in shock. "You're out of your mind, Suzuka. I don't know about you, but I need to eat."
Jim ignored him and turned his attention to Suzuka. "How about we pawn something? Then maybe they won't be suspicious of us."
She nodded. "But what are we going to pawn?"
"Damn," Aisha said, more to herself than to the others. "Why can't this shine like it's supposed to?"
And one by one, they all turned to Aisha, who was wearing a gold necklace that was just screaming at them to be pawned.
Aisha took notice at their hungry stares and shook her head vigorously. "No!" she shouted, holding the necklace tightly in her hand. "There is no way in hell that I'm going to let you guys pawn my necklace. It's an official Catarl Catarl medallion past down from generation to generation! I can't let you sell it!"
"Aisha," Gene said with a conniving smile on his face. "I bet we could get a lot of money for it."
"I bet you could," she said, and shook her head. "I'm still not giving you my necklace."
"Come on."
"Never."
--
An hour later they were eating in a smoky restaurant and Aisha was one necklace short of having one.
"Hey, don't worry, Aisha," Gene said, sipping a glass of cold beer. "Look at it this way: We have enough money to eat and get a hotel now."
"Only you would think about that," she said, staring at the plate of food before her, It didn't seem that much to her anymore. It was just food to fill her starving appetite, but that necklace was worth more than her life. "But you don't understand, that necklace was very important."
He waved his hand in front of his face. "We'll get you a new one later, okay?"
She sighed and began to eat. "I suppose."
They sat there for a while eating, talking, and then some more eating. When there stomachs felt like they were going to explode because of overeating, the left to find a hotel to stay for the night.
They found a hotel on the far reaches of the town and walked inside.
"May I help you?" the short guy behind the counter asked.
Gene leaned on the counter with his elbow and said, "Yeah I need four rooms for one night."
The guy turned away from them and started to type away on a small computer. "It appears that we only have three that are vacant," he replied, glancing back at them.
"Three?" Gene repeated, and then looked back at everyone else. They nodded as if he asked them a question and then looked back at him. "Sure. We'll take them."
"Follow me," he said, jiggling keys in his right pocket.
They followed behind him as he lead them down a long, dim hallway that was lighted by small wall lamps. They then stopped at the end of the hallway, where the guy opened one of the doors.
"Here you go," he said, handing Gene three sets of keys. "The other rooms are right across the hall. So if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
They nodded in response and he walked away.
Suzuka took one of the key rings from his hand and unlocked one of the doors across the hall. "I want this room," she said, and walked inside. "See you in the morning."
Gene grunted. "Why does she get her own room?"
Jim shrugged. "She called it first."
"whatever," he said with an irritated sigh. "Here, Jim, you and Aisha share this room. And Melfina and I will get the other one."
Jim blushed. "Huh? You can't put me in a room with her, Gene."
Aisha grabbed the key. "Don't worry, Jim. I won't hurt you," she said, and winked. "I promise."
He forced a smile on his face as he scratched his head. "O--okay."
Gene grinned and went to walk inside the room, when he remembered something. He forgot to lock the ship. "Damn it!"
Jim turned. "What is it, Gene?"
He put his hands in his pockets. "I forgot to lock up the ship." He laughed as he dug through his pockets. "Do me a favor and go lock it for me, okay, Jim?"
He took the keys. "Fine."
"Thanks, kid."
--
Jim aimlessly walked down the sidewalk. He could hear loud music that vibrated through his body as if they were impulses from the ground. Though it was a dangerous place for them to be in, he felt safe there. He felt no fear or warning. It was like they were welcomed with open arms. Or at least that's what they hope.
On the way back from locking the ship, he came across a huge stone fountain spewing water up into the heavens above. He stopped in his tracks and stared. He was transfixed by the beauty and the way it made every problem he was having disappear into thin air like water vapor.
As he stared, he noticed a girl with purple hair sitting on the edge of it, looking forward into the waterfall as if she was trying to see straight through it. He felt the urge to walk up to her. So he did.
She noticed him and smiled at him. "Hi," she said in a docile voice. "I'm Hanmyo."
He blushed, feeling the ground beneath him moving in circles. "Hi. I'm Jim."
--
To Be Continued…
Please Review!