Pirates of Infinite Space
a Treasure Planet fan fiction
by Lord Akiyama
Disclaimer: With the exception of Clarice, Black Sam Roberts and Peter Reynolds, all characters are more than likely the property of Disney. The character of Clarice is the property of Long Meg Silver and is used with permission (Thanks Meg - XD)
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Chapter 8 - Arrival
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Three Years Earlier...
Ever since he came on board the Legacy, Jim had the feeling that his appearance was not welcome. Especially in the eyes of a red-haired girl, who looked no older than he did and was always seen with Silver. Neither Jim nor the girl, whom Silver referred to as Clarice, never got along right from the start. That was when she slammed him against a wall and transformed her cybernetic left hand into a sword. It took Silver's appearance to separate the two.
The evening was not going very well. Jim was given the assignment of cleaning the deck, which he hadn't done in a week Silver felt. Jim was giving his attention to Mr. Mop when appeared from the galley. She said she needed some fresh air. Jim felt otherwise. Thus another verbal battle between the two ensued. Whether he knew it or not, Jim was beginning to touch a subject that shouldn't have been brought about to begin with.
"Whatever you are doing to attract Mr. Silver's attention, just stop doing it. It will do everyone a good favor if you do."
"What is it about you and Silver any way? If I didn't know any better, it looks to me like you have a crush on him."
Anger began to fill in Clarice's eyes, but she did not let it get the better of her. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut, cabin boy."
"Oh, was that offense?" Jim asked in a mocking tone. "Gee, I'm sorry. Maybe you should just run to Silver and tell him the cabin boy is being mean to you."
"I'm warning you. You going to regret it."
"Don't you think you're obsessing over Silver by getting a cyborg arm?"
Jim didn't know it, but he hit a nerve. The mention of any possibility of how she acquired her cybernetic left arm was too painful of a memory for Clarice. Tears began to form in her eyes as she narrowed her eyes into a hateful look. Before he knew it, Jim was grabbed by the collar and slammed against a pole. Clarice did this using her left arm. She was pressing him hard against the pole that at times he was gasping for air.
"How dare you say that?!" she whispered. The rage in her voice and her eyes made it clear to Jim that he shouldn't have said something like that. "Do you think I wanted to lose my left arm just to I can have a cybernetic one like Silver? Is that what you think? Maybe I should just lose my left eye and then my left leg. Would that satisfy you? Huh?! ANSWER ME!!!"
"Clarice!" Both youngsters turned their heads to Silver. The ship's cook emerged from the galley after hearing all the ruckus from upon the deck. He gave Clarice the look that told her, 'Put 'im down t'is instant!' Clarice did so, not removing her eyes from Silver. Silver then turned his attention to Jim.
"Now I don't care if ye cleaned t'is deck already, it doesn't look spotless. Make sure it is by tha time I return." With that, Silver dragged Clarice down into the galley. They didn't stop walking until they reached the very back of the kitchen where not a single sole, not even Morph, could hear them.
"And what were ye tryin' ta do back t'ere?" he said with a stern, though silent voice. "Are ye outta yer mind?"
"You've never yelled at me like this whenever I angry with someone talking down to me like I'm some child," she said back, just as stern. "Now all of a sudden you're protecting this cabin boy who is as clueless as..."
"It's not like I wanted tha boy in tha first place," he said, trying to remain calm as he argued with the one person who would never back down against him. "Tha captain gave 'im ta me and I am ta watch 'im til we get our hands on Flint's trove. I'm not gonna blow tha entire mutiny just because I disobeyed a direct order."
"These past few months, it looks as though you're not minding his company. Like that time when you put your coat over him as slept after finishing his chores."
"I piled all them dishes on 'im and yet he cleaned all of them regardless. Ye did tha same when ye were but a lass yerself."
"Looks to me like he growing on you."
"Is t'is what all t'is is about? A ye jealous because I'm stuck wit watchin' o'er tha boy so that he he don't trip 'imself?"
"Don't you like me any more?" The question hit hard. He could see in her eyes that she was afraid. Afraid of losing the only person she had ever known. The one man she had always looked to whenever she need comfort. There had to be someone to say something without breaking her heart.
"Of course I like ye, Clarice," Silver said, trying to comfort the young girl. He even stroked her short hair with his left hand. "I like ye alot. But yer gonna hafta learn that I'm not gonna be t'ere fer ye. I can't always take ye wit me wherever I may go. And t'ere may come a time when you'll never see me again. And when that times comes, yer gonna hafta be on yer own. Ye hafta watch yer own two feet. But rest assure one t'in. Yer not some innocent, weak bonnie like so many women. Yer not even a woman. Yer a pirate! Just like ol Long John Silver 'imself!"
The words of the very man she had looked upon as a father for as long as she could remember filled her. Right into her heart. Tears began to drop from her eyes, one at a time. She smiled before she flung herself onto him and cried. Her eyes cushioned up against the shirt covering his chest. The sudden embrace caught the pirate off guard, but he knew it was coming. He was very fond of her, right from the beginning. He knew he was going to have to let her go. He returned the embrace, almost crying himself.
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"PLANET HO!!!"
Clarice awoke to that famous call. She quickly looked about before sitting up to outstretch her arms. She hopped down from her bunk and noticed that Captain Amelia appeared to be on the deck already. Clarice shook her head with a grin on her face and joined the others, or perhaps that prick's crew, on the deck to see Maladar.
Maladar was not a large planet. It was a very tiny planet. Very easy to skip off any radars or maps. There was still wonder as to how a great pirate like Flint could miss such a planet like Maladar. Legend spoke of treasure that would easily match that of the great pirate captain. Some claimed that it was a treasure planet in its own right. What ever the legend, many know that those who dared travel to Maladar seeking gold never returned.
"Remind me Professor," Roberts spoke, "what were some of those legendary failures of Maladar like. The account of those so-called survivors, I believe."
"Well," Reynolds began to mumble, "those survivors claimed that Maladar had riches as far as the eye could see. Mountains upon mountains of gold coins, jewels, and diamonds that not even the biggest ship in the galaxy could retain such treasures."
"I guess we have a chance to see whether those stories are true, eh Captain," Roberts said to Amelia. "Almost slipped my mind, but I wish to remind you that whatever we find you, your crew, and Professor Reynolds will retain twenty percent."
Amelia gave a glance of confusion and disbelief to her captor. "Wait a minute, you're willing to part with twenty percent of what you find? Are you not a pirate? A pirate takes everything!"
"I have such dislike for labels like 'pirate' or 'con' or whatever people give me. I'm a gentleman, Captain, and since this is your ship and it is with Professor Reynolds' map, I must respectfully pay my dues. Twenty percent sounds right, don't you think?"
Amelia just shook her head as she joined Clarice near the cabins. Clarice did not look to pleased. "I have a bad feeling about this, Captain," the red-haired girl said.
"Me too," Amelia agreed. "That Black Sam Roberts is an odd fellow. I find it hard to believe that he is trying his best to act like a gentleman. I get the feeling that he's hiding something."
"Roberts is a prick, no matter he does in the open or in private. But it's not him that I was referring to."
"What do you mean?"
"This whole adventure. Something's not right. I just can't seem to place a hand upon it. I get the feeling that going to this planet was a big mistake. I also have this feeling that we're being watched."
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to be continued...
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R/R - I really wanna hear what y'all think.