A PAST REMEMBERED
Intrepid crash site
Four hours after the initial crash
Still smoking from the crash, The Intrepid
was in bad shape. James still hung around, answering questions for
his superiors. Also, he had told his son, Fox, to go back home and
wait for him there.
"My, my, my, what a mess," a
voice commented.
James was startled and looked around,
his eyes finally settling on the simian that spoke the words. "What
are you doing here, Sileous?" asked James, barely able to contain his contempt
for the ape.
"You should treat me better, James,"
Sileous said. "I might be able to help you get rid of these components
and put them to good use."
"Good use?" he asked, surprised to
hear such words come out of Sileous' mouth. "The only use you will
put these components is your own use. I highly doubt that is any
"good" use for them. Besides, no one is getting near the ship until
the government decides what to do."
"That might take days," Sileous said.
"By then, the electrical circuits and wiring will be ruined from exposure
to the elements."
"Like they already haven't been ruined
by the initial crash," retorted James.
Sileous and James eyed each other
coolly, neither backing down from one another. James remembered the
first time that they had met; it was during the construction of James'
baby, the Great Fox.
***
5 years earlier
Shipyard, on the grounds of Cornerian Defense Base
Outside Corneria City
James McCloud walked through the skeleton
of what was going to be his ship, the Great Fox. He could only imagine
what it would like after it was completed. "This is where the bridge
will be, the living quarters will be down this hall, and the kitchen, fully
stocked with all sorts of fish, will be here," thought James. "Oh,
I suppose I should put a few vegetables here for Peppy."
He was silently chuckling to himself
as Peppy walked up to James. "What is so funny, James?" asked Peppy.
"Oh nothing really," James said, still
staring off in space. "Just trying to lay out the plans of this ship
in my mind."
"I was doing the same thing," admitted
Peppy. "Like where the bridge is going to be, the sleeping quarters,
and the kitchen fully stocked with all the vegetables it could hold."
"Vegetables?" James asked, taken aback.
"What about me? I need to eat too."
"Oh, I guess I should put some meat
onboard as well," Peppy said, smiling behind his whiskers. "Where
is Pigma? I thought he said he was going to meet us."
"He said that he was going to bring
in the lead scientist of this project," remarked James. "Sil…Sile…bah.
All I know is his last name is Andross."
"Sileous Andross?" answered Peppy.
"Yes, I have heard of him. Brilliant scientist, though prone to fits
of anger when things don't go his way."
"Oh really," mused James. "I
will keep that in mind. All I want is this ship to be stable when
Vixy comes to see it later today."
"When is she coming?" Peppy asked.
He looked down at his wrist watch
and looked. "Actually, anytime," answered James.
At that, Vixy walked in the hanger
where the Great Fox was being built. She looked around at the ship
and silently stood in awe. She had never been so close to a ship
of this size before, even though it was not halfway completed. Standing
next to the fighters of the CDF, was one thing, but an actual star cruiser
was amazing.
James walked down the ramp of the
Great Fox and saw her. "You know Peppy, I like her," he commented.
"She is pretty, intelligent, and I think she is the one."
"Only pretty?" exclaimed Vixy.
"Only pretty? I am much more than pretty, James McCloud."
"I didn't see you there," James lied.
"I was talking about the ship."
"Sure you were," Vixy said, trying
to look indignant. "So, captain, my captain, permission to come aboard?"
"Permission granted," said James,
smiling.
Just when he was about to give the
grand tour of the Great Fox, Pigma stumbled through the hanger doors followed
closely behind was Professor Sileous Andross. Peppy nudged James
in the shoulder. "There is our extinguished guest and the bumbling
court jester," Peppy joked.
"Which one is which?" James asked
Peppy silently, not helping matters. "Professor Andross, what a pleasure
to have your company. I'm certain that Pigma helped guiding you to
this hanger."
Andross rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Only as Pigma can, I assure you," he said. "So, how do you like
my little creation?"
"I really like it. I can almost
envision where everything is going to be," answered James. "Though
I do have a few questions about the finished design of this ship."
After James had finished his sentence,
Andross' eyebrows raised and his ears perked up. "Questions you say,"
Andross said. "What sort of questions did you have for me?"
Again, James answered. "Like
I said, it is the design of the ship, the stabilization of the pectoral
fins, the beak of the ship, and the output velocity of the ship's engines
and the integrity of the ship once it hits maximum speed."
Andross contorted his face in an obvious
display of anger. Peppy sensed right away and came up from behind
his friend. "Remember, what I said," Peppy whispered. "Try
not to make this relationship strained between you and Andross."
James just nodded at Peppy's warning
and continued on down the ramp with Vixy in tow. "Now don't get me
wrong, Professor Andross," he started. "I just want to know that
this ship that you are building for the CDF and myself, especially, will
stand the test of time."
Andross' face lightened up a bit.
"Well yes, of course," he started. "If you come down over here to
the blueprints, I will answer your questions and point out the specs."
James walked over to Andross, while
Vixy went with Peppy to continue the tour of the ship. Vixy caught
Andross' eyes watching her, the look of lust and longing quite evident
on the simian's face. Vixy shuddered and quickened her pace to catch
up with the hare, thankful to be out of the line of sight of the scientist.
"Yes, now Professor Andross," James
said, breaking Andross out of his trance. "The specs for the ship."
"Uh, oh, yes. Look here at the
fins on the side," pointed out Andross. "These are the most beautiful
part of the ship. Holds the body together and the maneuverability
of the ship. All of this is controlled from the bridge of the ship
where you were pointing out should be on top of the ship. Personally,
I think this is a bad position. So wide open for any attack."
"That is why I requested capital ship
shields for this smaller ship," commented James. "Paying particular
attention to the front and engines. This leading me to my next question.
Why the beak of the ship? I thought this was supposed to be another
landing bay into the docking bay of the ship?"
Anger flashed in Andross' eyes.
"Unless you think Mr. Phoenix and his fledgling company can do any better…"
Andross stopped in mid-sentence. "I am sorry. Yes, the plans
have changed and these plans, unfortunately, don't show that new change."
James backed off from any other
questions he had planned. At that moment, Vixy and Peppy had finished
their tour. Andross, never the one to hide his emotions, openly gaped
at the vixen. James noticed this and he was disgusted with this simian's
actions. Vixy saw this as well and looked to James and saw his reaction.
This was the time to make a play on her chosen. Vixy slowed swayed
her hips with her tail following in time. James took his eyes off
of Andross long enough to see what Vixy was doing. He almost melted
on the spot. He heard Andross mumble something under his breathe
and that was the point where James had enough.
"I have no idea what your ideas are,
but she is spoken for simian," he sternly said.
Again, Andross shook himself from
openly goggling at the young vixen. "What are you talking about?"
he asked.
"I see your actions and yearnings
for Vixy," answered James. "Show some constraint, because you certainly
not showing any now."
Andross was fuming for being found
out. He cursed under his breathe. He stormed off. Pigma
was snacking on a sandwich by the door as Andross walked past. "Come.
Drive me to my lab," Andross commanded, turning around as he did.
"I will finish this project with the CDF, but this will be my last.
I don't like being insulted."
Pigma shrugged at the trio of James,
Vixy, and Peppy and followed the professor out. "What was that all
about?" Pigma asked Andross.
"Nothing of your concern," answered
the irate Andross. He stopped and looked at Pigma. "On second
thought, maybe it could be your concern. I will probably not come
back here to oversee this project. How would you like to report back
to me on how the workers progress with the building of this ship?"
"I would consider that an honor,"
answered Pigma, swelling up his already enormous girth with pride.
"I thought you would," said
Andross, smiling. "Also, would you keep an eye at on James for me
as well."
"Why would I want to do that?" Pigma
asked.
"Just make sure that he doesn't
do any drastic changes to my design of the ship," answered Andross.
"Keep this our little secret, won't you my dear Pigma."
The pig only nodded his head as he
started the engines of the personal transport.
***
Present day
Intrepid crash site
"Now let's not start this again," Andross
said, visibly calming down. "All I want to do is to compare the technology
that our scientists in the Lylat system and this new technology that has
seemingly crash landed into our lap. Even you are curious what engine,
weapon, and shield technology these newcomers have brought."
James couldn't argue that point.
Though some of the parts and motherboards strewn about him, he recognized
and some were completely foreign to him. He only nodded in agreement
as he looked around him.
"So where are our guests at this moment?"
Andross asked.
"I believe at the local hospital,"
James surmised. "But I imagine it is quarantined or heavily guarded
right now for any curious onlookers. Something as bright as this
falling ship is certain to bring about local and government curiosity."
"Yes, indeed," Andross said, nodding
his head. "But I would like to talk to them as soon as possible.
New technology is always best discussed right away."
James only shook his head. "He
is always the impatient one. One of these days he is going to go
over the line and I hope I will be there to see it," thought James.
"I heard that your son found the passengers
to this ship, is that correct?" Andross said, breaking in James' thoughts.
"Yes, he did," said James skeptically,
"Why do you point this out to me now?"
"Oh, nothing really. Just thought
he might be able to point out something that the adults might miss," replied
Andross. "The youth seems to put a different point of view on many
of today's problems. Where could I find him?"
James looked about and saw his son
no where to be found. "Quite frankly, I have no idea where he is
at this moment," admitted James. "Though I remember telling him to
go home. He might be there."
Andross mumbled to himself, cursing
his luck. "Well, I can always talk to him later on," speaking to
no one in particular. "I think I will head in the direction of the
local hospital then. I will see you later, James. By the way,
how is your wife, Vixy?"
James braced himself, but in calm
voice said, "She is doing well. Though Fox is quite a pawful these
days. Always curious. I think that is good, but she is always
worrying that he will follow his father's pawsteps."
When James looked up, Andross had
walked over to his transport and was beginning to step inside. "I
will talk to your son later then," Andross said and he sped off in the
direction of the town.
James only shook his head in amazement
but a smile crossed his muzzle. "At least I can hold that simian
off until he digresses to other things. I still don't know what his
thing for Vixy though," thought James. "I hope it won't be too late
before something awful happens."