Clarice heard a loud CLANK! that woke her up immedietly. She thought maybe she over-slept, so she got out of her hammock, but she looked up the holes in the ceiling and noticed it was still night time and everyone was sound asleep. She then rubbed her eyes, cursed under her breath, and laid back down. Soon after was another CLANK! sound. This time she was so mad at being woken up she grabbed her jacket and ran up to the deck. She looked to her left and noticed nobody was there, but as she looked to her right, she noticed a certain Jim Hawkins throwing rocks against the metal part of the ship. This made her furious! She then yelled, "Keep it down will ya!?"
But Jim ignored her.
She twitched her nose then and stomped over to Jim. She grabbed his shoulder and made him turn to face her. She then said, "What's the big idea!?" But soon her anger turned into shock, as she saw tears forming in Jim's eyes. She let go of his shoulder quickly and asked, "What happened to you?" He gave her a cold look though and turned away from her, which of course made Clarice angry again.
She went to face him and said, "Look, you have no choice now. What is wrong?" He still gave her the cold shoulder and said, "Forget it, will ya!?" which shocked her to hear that tone of voice. She shook her head and said, "Look, I consider you a friend, even with the stunt you pulled before when you commented on my arm!" Jim then laughed. "Friend? Friends with a GIRL?!" Clarice then crossed her arms as he continued.
"Friends with someone who choked me early on for making a COMMENT about her arm?!"
Clarice interrupted, "I don't think 'Don't you think you're obsessing over Silver by getting a cyborg arm.' is the right thing to say to someone like me!"
Jim continued, "Friends with someone with a HUGE anger problem?! Someone who is stubborn at times?! Someone who still treats someone like crap even AFTER they saved them!?"
Clarice un-crossed her arms and said, "You're right! Who was I to think that I could be friends with someone who keeps things to themselves. Someone who stole my only friend away from me! You know, I was right about you. I thought maybe I could find a new friend in someone that wasn't bad like Silver's friends, but you're WORSE than them!"
Jim rolled up his sleeves and turned to face her, "Wanna start this right now!?"
Clarice threw her jacket off and transformed her cyborg arm into a sword, "Didn't your mom ever tell you to NEVER hit a lady?!" she yelled.
Jim then smiled, "I wouldn't exactly call this freak a lady!"
Clarice grinded her teeth, "Didn't your DAD ever tell you to choose your fights more carefully?!"
Jim's angered face suddenly looked shocked as he had a flash back of his dad. This one consisted of him trying to reach the cabinet for a cup. When the young boy turned around he saw his father coming his way, and young Jim was happy that his father was going to get him a cup. So he stopped reaching and looked up at his father as he was getting a cup. And when Leland did get the cup, he didn't hand it to his son, he instead went across the floor and poured water in it, sat down, and started eating his dinner.
Suddenly there was a faint sound calling his name...jim....Jim...Jim?
"JIM!!!" Clarice screamed. Jim shook his head and stared at her. He had more tears in his eyes this time and he was frowning. Clarice rose an eyebrow at him. Jim said, "Go ahead, beat me to a grind. See if I care." he then walked away from her. Clarice transformed her sword back into a regular cyborg hand and followed him. This time there was a look of concern in her face. She said, "I take it you're not comfortable talking about 'dads' right?" Jim turned around with a sad and angry look on his face this time. She took a step back, keeping the distance between them. She then rubbed the back of her head as she sighed and said, "I'm really sorry if I hit ya below the belt, Jim." He looked up at her and said, "Don't say it if you don't mean it." he then turned and walked away. Clarice looked down and said quietly, "At least you had a father. I never did." Jim then stopped. He turned around and yelled, "What? Now I'm supposed to feel SORRY for you!?" Clarice looked up and said, "Shut up. I'm not asking for sorrow, but just like you, I never had a father to look up to." Jim then said, "But mine is going to come back, you'll see!" Clarice said, "Good luck to you then! Because mine is NEVER coming back! My dad, PLUS my mother, were killed by a pirate who caused this..." as she pointed to her cyborg arm. "THIS I tell you! Do you think you're the only one in this world without these kind of problems!?" Jim took a step further as he said calmly, "I'm sorry..I..I never knew." Clarice then turned around, sobbing and trying to talk. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be like this. But it's true. I just wish I had someone to talk to about it. Silver always changes the subject." She then leaned against the railing. Jim walked closer to her. He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Wow, I guess we're both in the same situation." She nodded.
He then leaned against the rail next to her. There was an awkward silence between them. Jim sighed as he said, "I know my father is never coming back." Clarice nodded. "We both know that, Jim." He then started crying again. Clarice said, "Look, from what I know, your father is stupid, but right to leave you behind." Jim looked at her, "What!?" Clarice said, "Think about it. Your mother has been practically raising you since you were born, and let me say, she's done a wonderful job!" Jim said, "Thanks, but what about my father?" Clarice continued, "If your father raised you to be like him, you would be an immature jerk just like him. Walking away from the things that are most important in life. And Jim, if you were like that you would be DEAD right now, because I wouldn't tolerate it." Jim looked down the ship. Clarice continued, "I know it may take awhile for you to know, but hey, it's the damn truth. You were probably raised better than me." Jim then looked at her.
She was crying.
He put an arm around her as she was crying some more. He said, "Look, knowing Silver, since he has raised you, I think you turned out all right...for a girl."
Clarice chuckled, "Jim, let me tell you that my prayers will be with your future wife." She then playfully pushed him...but a bit too hard. He landed on his behind on the deck. She then kneeled down and asked, "Jim, was that why you were making loud clanking noises and crying...cause of your dad?" Jim nodded slowly. She then hugged him with her good arm and said, "He'll regret missing those wonderful moments that your mother witnessed. And when he realizes that, he's going to beat himself and go crazy and eventually end up in an insane asylum." Jim laughed a bit. Clarice stopped hugging him and said, "Well it's true! Someday he's going to realize what a jerk he was to leave a great person like you behind!" Jim chuckled and said, "Thank you Clar...thank you." He then leaned over and hugged her.
Clarice coughed and said quietly, "Come on, let's go back down and sleep. It's almost time for everyone to wake up and people will start talking if we don't go down." Jim stopped hugging her and said, "All right." She then stood up and was about to walk, but then turned around and extended her cyborg hand. Jim smiled and took a hold of her hand and stood up with her, but didn't let go of her hand. She smiled warmly and was about to say something when they were interruped by a familiar loud voice.
"What are you two doing up so early!?" Silver questioned.
Both looked at each other and started talking at the same time, but Silver waved his arms and yelled, "Hold it! Now...Jim, since you're already up, why don't you come with me."
Clarice sighed and let go of Jim's hand.
But Jim remembered her screaming at him just several minutes ago.
"Someone who stole my only friend away from me!"
Jim gulped and asked, "Mister Silver?" to with the big cyborg turned around. He then looked at Clarice and back at Silver.
"Can she come?"
Silver then eyed her and said, "It's not my decision to make, it's hers." Silver then smiled warmly at the two. Clarice was about to say something, when Mr. Arrow approached them both. Mr. Arrow said, "Gentlemen, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with Clarice by myself." Jim said, "Aye aye sir!" and Silver looked at Arrow saying, "Make sure she doesn't get into any trouble!"
Mr. Arrow eyed Clarice. She looked up and said, "What did I do, Mr. Arrow?" He then said, "Nothing, but I need to ask you something."
Clarice listened carefully to the words Arrow would regret saying.
"Why are you hanging out with Silver and his crew? Before you know it you'll end up like their pathetic selves and might be thrown in jail soon enough!"
Clarice was shocked! And also very mad at Arrow for saying those words!
"So this is how it's going to be." Clarice said as she looked at Arrow cold in the eyes.
"Just because I hang out with a bunch of scalawags like Silver, you immediately think I'm bad news..am I correct!?"
Arrow was shocked to hear her say that. Never in his mind did he find her bad news. Clarice sighed as she was leaning against the rail of the ship. He took a step closer and noticed she was crying. He then held her shoulder with his hand and said quietly,
"You're not correct Miss Clarice."
She then looked up and wiped her eyes trying to show that she was still a tough woman, but she knew Arrow knew better than that. Arrow continued. "We may not have a lot in common miss, but let me tell you, I grew fond of you since I heard more about you." She shrugged her shoulders to make him let go of her. He said, "Why can't you trust me and tell me what's on your mind?" She wiped her eyes with her shirt, but Arrow pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes with it. She finally said, "Because the only man I've ever trusted was Silver. And I only told Jim cause we shared the same problems, except his parents aren't....aren't..." she then started crying again and sunk her head in Mr. Arrow's chest, hurting her head because it wasn't a soft chest like Silver's, obviously because Mr. Arrow was a rock man. Arrow then put his arms gently around her and held her closer. He patted her lightly and quietly said, "There, there my dear." She then put her arms around his chest and hugged him. She sighed and said quietly, "I'm so sorry."
He then chuckled. "It's okay miss, it's okay." and held her closer.
But suddenly, a heavy wind was felt, and the explosion of the star Pellucid suddenly blew up as Arrow and Clarice hugged each other! The fall caused Arrow to land on top of her, crushing her. He got up quickly, and pulled Clarice up just as Captain Amelia was giving orders, but she was aching. He said, "I'm so sorry!" as she was holding her chest. Amelia, was heard again, calling for Mr. Arrow. He deeply sighed and said, "Promise me you won't wander off, all right?! We need to talk later!" He then turned around and yelled to the crew, "All hands, fasten your lifelines!" Amelia then turned to Arrow and ordered him to secure the sails. Mr. Arrow, before-hand, threw a rope at Clarice and said, "Tie yourself good and tight lass!" he then turned around to the people on the sails, "Secure all sails..break em down, men!"
Clarice ran to where the lines were secured and tied her line up. She then ran and climbed up the sails to help secure them. The pain in her chest was agonizing, but she didn't want this crew to be lost in the supernova! Mr. Arrow looked up at Clarice and yelled, "Are the lines secured?" She then saluted him while Oxy, Birdbrain Mary, and Moron climbed down. Arrow turned to the captain, "All sails secured Captain!". Amelia with a wild look in her eyes said, "Good man, now...release them immediately!" Clarice heard her all right. She then rose an eyebrow and stared down at Arrow who said, "Aye Captain. You heard her men, UNFURL those sails!!". Clarice eyed Silver's crew.
Birdbrain Mary screeched, "WHAT!?"
Oxy looked questionably at the captain, "But we just finished..." and Moron finished for him, "Tying them down!" Then Birdbrain Mary rolled her eyes and yelled, "Make up your bloomin' mind!". Then Mr. Arrow climbed up the rope to open the sails again. He smiled as he saw Clarice hard at work. He looked over and yelled, "Are you doing all right my dear!?" She then smiled broadly and yelled back, "Aye aye sir!" as she saluted again. She then looked down and saw Silver and Jim running across the deck. Silver glanced up at the sails then looked down; but realized that Clarice was up there, and stopped. He then heard the captain giving Jim orders, thinking that he could ignore Jim for a moment, and looked up at Clarice and yelled, "You all right lass?!" She then smiled, still focusing on opening the sails, and said, "Yes Silver!" He then yelled, "Get down here, I don't want to lose you!" And as she unfurled the last line, she got up and started climbing down the ladder, but a loud explosion was heard that vibrated the ship. Clarice closed her eyes and clutched tight, but then heard a loud scream coming from Arrow!
Clarice looked up and shrieked. Arrow had lost grip of the rail and was almost flying, with a rope wrapped around his waist. She then yelled, "Don't worry Arrow! I'm coming!" Quickly...she climbed back up, but to her amazement, Scroop, the spider like alien, was there! She thought maybe Scroop was going to help the first mate. She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes and started climbing down.
Clarice suddenly heard another scream coming from Arrow! She opened her eyes quickly to see Arrow flying farther and farther away from the ship. She shook her head in dis-belief. She didn't breathe or speak for many moments.
When Arrow's screams weren't heard anymore, she looked up at Scroop who was laughing sinister-like! She then jumped up and screamed, "YOU SON OF A WENCH!!!" And transformed her cyborg arm into a sword. Scroop faced her and stared at her for a few moments. He then laughed and quietly said,
"You think a girl like you can take on the likes of me?"
With that she replied,
"Of course not. But I know Silver can..and he will once I tell him!"
She then jumped off the pole, but Scroop swiftly grabbed her shirt with his right claw and held her up. He then took his other claw and held her by the neck. He then frowned and whispered in her ear, "We'll see about that..." and then swiftly climbed down and ran across the desk. He then looked at the life-lines and saw the loose one that held the now deceased Mr. Arrow. He grabbed it, and ran quickly down to the lower deck so fast that no one noticed!
When he arrived, he threw Clarice down. She then held her cyborg sword to his throat and screamed, "Stay back, or I WILL kill you!" But Scroop laughed again and said, "Didn't Silver ever teach you well?" He then took his claws and cut off the wires in her cyborg arm, which made her sword fall back in place like a Swiss army knife. He then took a cloth and gagged her tightly so no one can hear her scream. He then grabbed the rope that secured Mr. Arrow and tied her up with it, against a wide pole. When he was finished, she was screaming and trying to get loose. He then bent down and stared at her, saying
"With the cabin boy here, Silver won't even notice that you're gone, little orphan." And then walked back up on the deck.
As soon as he slammed the doors and locked it, she looked up at the cube holes in the ceiling and heard Dr. Doppler, a canine doctor, scream, "Captain, the last wave..here it comes!" To which Amelia screamed to the crew, "Hold on to your lifelines gents, it's going to be a bumpy ride!"
As the Supernova exploded, the ship flew fast and away from the blast! Silver held Jim against a pole so he would not be hurt, completely forgetting about Clarice, and not realizing that she was tied to a different pole trying to scream for help through her gag. Tears were forming in Clarice's eyes and running down her cheeks like two rivers. The thought that Mr. Arrow was now dead, all because of the damn Scroop, was fixated in her mind. She tried to remember the good times with him, but it made her worse. He was like another father to her and because of him, she wasn't as upset that she didn't have Silver. What made her feel worse was that Mr. Arrow was a grandfather back where he came from on the planet Anitira to two grandkids. One a girl named Susan, and the other a boy named Rupert.
"How are they going to handle that their grandfather is gone?" she thought.
She then had the image of Arrow falling down the black hole in her mind and she shut her eyes tight trying to think of something else, but then she heard Scroop hissing a bit. Very faintly she heard the captain said, "All hands accounted for, Mister Arrow?"
But the crew didn't realize that Arrow was lost in space. Then the captain said again,
"Mister Arrow?"
Clarice then saw Scroop walking towards the captain saying, "I'm afraid...Mister Arrow has been lost." He then turned around.
"His lifelines were not secure..."
Clarice bulged her eyes and tried screaming, but no one could hear her. She knew Jim was in charge of the life-lines. "But it's not his fault!" She thought to herself.
"It was NEVER his fault! It was SCROOP'S FAULT! Oh God, HELP ME PLEASE!!!"
Clarice then could hear Jim yelling saying he checked them all. There was a dead silence. Clarice then heard Amelia say kind words about her first mate.
"Mister Arrow was an..." she then coughed and continued. "...a fine spacer...finer than most of us, could ever hope to be. But he...knew the risks as do we all."
Amelia tried not to cry in front of her crew, and ended saying,
"Resume your posts; we carry on..."
Suddenly Clarice saw the door open and Scroop walking down. She looked up very teary eyed. He held something black in his hand. She then rose an eyebrow and said muffled, "What are you going to--" but before she could finish, she was knocked upside the head and fell unconscious for who knows how long.
Scroop looked down at her and said, "That oughta keep you quiet." and walked back up the deck, as if nothing had ever happened.
But Jim ignored her.
She twitched her nose then and stomped over to Jim. She grabbed his shoulder and made him turn to face her. She then said, "What's the big idea!?" But soon her anger turned into shock, as she saw tears forming in Jim's eyes. She let go of his shoulder quickly and asked, "What happened to you?" He gave her a cold look though and turned away from her, which of course made Clarice angry again.
She went to face him and said, "Look, you have no choice now. What is wrong?" He still gave her the cold shoulder and said, "Forget it, will ya!?" which shocked her to hear that tone of voice. She shook her head and said, "Look, I consider you a friend, even with the stunt you pulled before when you commented on my arm!" Jim then laughed. "Friend? Friends with a GIRL?!" Clarice then crossed her arms as he continued.
"Friends with someone who choked me early on for making a COMMENT about her arm?!"
Clarice interrupted, "I don't think 'Don't you think you're obsessing over Silver by getting a cyborg arm.' is the right thing to say to someone like me!"
Jim continued, "Friends with someone with a HUGE anger problem?! Someone who is stubborn at times?! Someone who still treats someone like crap even AFTER they saved them!?"
Clarice un-crossed her arms and said, "You're right! Who was I to think that I could be friends with someone who keeps things to themselves. Someone who stole my only friend away from me! You know, I was right about you. I thought maybe I could find a new friend in someone that wasn't bad like Silver's friends, but you're WORSE than them!"
Jim rolled up his sleeves and turned to face her, "Wanna start this right now!?"
Clarice threw her jacket off and transformed her cyborg arm into a sword, "Didn't your mom ever tell you to NEVER hit a lady?!" she yelled.
Jim then smiled, "I wouldn't exactly call this freak a lady!"
Clarice grinded her teeth, "Didn't your DAD ever tell you to choose your fights more carefully?!"
Jim's angered face suddenly looked shocked as he had a flash back of his dad. This one consisted of him trying to reach the cabinet for a cup. When the young boy turned around he saw his father coming his way, and young Jim was happy that his father was going to get him a cup. So he stopped reaching and looked up at his father as he was getting a cup. And when Leland did get the cup, he didn't hand it to his son, he instead went across the floor and poured water in it, sat down, and started eating his dinner.
Suddenly there was a faint sound calling his name...jim....Jim...Jim?
"JIM!!!" Clarice screamed. Jim shook his head and stared at her. He had more tears in his eyes this time and he was frowning. Clarice rose an eyebrow at him. Jim said, "Go ahead, beat me to a grind. See if I care." he then walked away from her. Clarice transformed her sword back into a regular cyborg hand and followed him. This time there was a look of concern in her face. She said, "I take it you're not comfortable talking about 'dads' right?" Jim turned around with a sad and angry look on his face this time. She took a step back, keeping the distance between them. She then rubbed the back of her head as she sighed and said, "I'm really sorry if I hit ya below the belt, Jim." He looked up at her and said, "Don't say it if you don't mean it." he then turned and walked away. Clarice looked down and said quietly, "At least you had a father. I never did." Jim then stopped. He turned around and yelled, "What? Now I'm supposed to feel SORRY for you!?" Clarice looked up and said, "Shut up. I'm not asking for sorrow, but just like you, I never had a father to look up to." Jim then said, "But mine is going to come back, you'll see!" Clarice said, "Good luck to you then! Because mine is NEVER coming back! My dad, PLUS my mother, were killed by a pirate who caused this..." as she pointed to her cyborg arm. "THIS I tell you! Do you think you're the only one in this world without these kind of problems!?" Jim took a step further as he said calmly, "I'm sorry..I..I never knew." Clarice then turned around, sobbing and trying to talk. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be like this. But it's true. I just wish I had someone to talk to about it. Silver always changes the subject." She then leaned against the railing. Jim walked closer to her. He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Wow, I guess we're both in the same situation." She nodded.
He then leaned against the rail next to her. There was an awkward silence between them. Jim sighed as he said, "I know my father is never coming back." Clarice nodded. "We both know that, Jim." He then started crying again. Clarice said, "Look, from what I know, your father is stupid, but right to leave you behind." Jim looked at her, "What!?" Clarice said, "Think about it. Your mother has been practically raising you since you were born, and let me say, she's done a wonderful job!" Jim said, "Thanks, but what about my father?" Clarice continued, "If your father raised you to be like him, you would be an immature jerk just like him. Walking away from the things that are most important in life. And Jim, if you were like that you would be DEAD right now, because I wouldn't tolerate it." Jim looked down the ship. Clarice continued, "I know it may take awhile for you to know, but hey, it's the damn truth. You were probably raised better than me." Jim then looked at her.
She was crying.
He put an arm around her as she was crying some more. He said, "Look, knowing Silver, since he has raised you, I think you turned out all right...for a girl."
Clarice chuckled, "Jim, let me tell you that my prayers will be with your future wife." She then playfully pushed him...but a bit too hard. He landed on his behind on the deck. She then kneeled down and asked, "Jim, was that why you were making loud clanking noises and crying...cause of your dad?" Jim nodded slowly. She then hugged him with her good arm and said, "He'll regret missing those wonderful moments that your mother witnessed. And when he realizes that, he's going to beat himself and go crazy and eventually end up in an insane asylum." Jim laughed a bit. Clarice stopped hugging him and said, "Well it's true! Someday he's going to realize what a jerk he was to leave a great person like you behind!" Jim chuckled and said, "Thank you Clar...thank you." He then leaned over and hugged her.
Clarice coughed and said quietly, "Come on, let's go back down and sleep. It's almost time for everyone to wake up and people will start talking if we don't go down." Jim stopped hugging her and said, "All right." She then stood up and was about to walk, but then turned around and extended her cyborg hand. Jim smiled and took a hold of her hand and stood up with her, but didn't let go of her hand. She smiled warmly and was about to say something when they were interruped by a familiar loud voice.
"What are you two doing up so early!?" Silver questioned.
Both looked at each other and started talking at the same time, but Silver waved his arms and yelled, "Hold it! Now...Jim, since you're already up, why don't you come with me."
Clarice sighed and let go of Jim's hand.
But Jim remembered her screaming at him just several minutes ago.
"Someone who stole my only friend away from me!"
Jim gulped and asked, "Mister Silver?" to with the big cyborg turned around. He then looked at Clarice and back at Silver.
"Can she come?"
Silver then eyed her and said, "It's not my decision to make, it's hers." Silver then smiled warmly at the two. Clarice was about to say something, when Mr. Arrow approached them both. Mr. Arrow said, "Gentlemen, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with Clarice by myself." Jim said, "Aye aye sir!" and Silver looked at Arrow saying, "Make sure she doesn't get into any trouble!"
Mr. Arrow eyed Clarice. She looked up and said, "What did I do, Mr. Arrow?" He then said, "Nothing, but I need to ask you something."
Clarice listened carefully to the words Arrow would regret saying.
"Why are you hanging out with Silver and his crew? Before you know it you'll end up like their pathetic selves and might be thrown in jail soon enough!"
Clarice was shocked! And also very mad at Arrow for saying those words!
"So this is how it's going to be." Clarice said as she looked at Arrow cold in the eyes.
"Just because I hang out with a bunch of scalawags like Silver, you immediately think I'm bad news..am I correct!?"
Arrow was shocked to hear her say that. Never in his mind did he find her bad news. Clarice sighed as she was leaning against the rail of the ship. He took a step closer and noticed she was crying. He then held her shoulder with his hand and said quietly,
"You're not correct Miss Clarice."
She then looked up and wiped her eyes trying to show that she was still a tough woman, but she knew Arrow knew better than that. Arrow continued. "We may not have a lot in common miss, but let me tell you, I grew fond of you since I heard more about you." She shrugged her shoulders to make him let go of her. He said, "Why can't you trust me and tell me what's on your mind?" She wiped her eyes with her shirt, but Arrow pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes with it. She finally said, "Because the only man I've ever trusted was Silver. And I only told Jim cause we shared the same problems, except his parents aren't....aren't..." she then started crying again and sunk her head in Mr. Arrow's chest, hurting her head because it wasn't a soft chest like Silver's, obviously because Mr. Arrow was a rock man. Arrow then put his arms gently around her and held her closer. He patted her lightly and quietly said, "There, there my dear." She then put her arms around his chest and hugged him. She sighed and said quietly, "I'm so sorry."
He then chuckled. "It's okay miss, it's okay." and held her closer.
But suddenly, a heavy wind was felt, and the explosion of the star Pellucid suddenly blew up as Arrow and Clarice hugged each other! The fall caused Arrow to land on top of her, crushing her. He got up quickly, and pulled Clarice up just as Captain Amelia was giving orders, but she was aching. He said, "I'm so sorry!" as she was holding her chest. Amelia, was heard again, calling for Mr. Arrow. He deeply sighed and said, "Promise me you won't wander off, all right?! We need to talk later!" He then turned around and yelled to the crew, "All hands, fasten your lifelines!" Amelia then turned to Arrow and ordered him to secure the sails. Mr. Arrow, before-hand, threw a rope at Clarice and said, "Tie yourself good and tight lass!" he then turned around to the people on the sails, "Secure all sails..break em down, men!"
Clarice ran to where the lines were secured and tied her line up. She then ran and climbed up the sails to help secure them. The pain in her chest was agonizing, but she didn't want this crew to be lost in the supernova! Mr. Arrow looked up at Clarice and yelled, "Are the lines secured?" She then saluted him while Oxy, Birdbrain Mary, and Moron climbed down. Arrow turned to the captain, "All sails secured Captain!". Amelia with a wild look in her eyes said, "Good man, now...release them immediately!" Clarice heard her all right. She then rose an eyebrow and stared down at Arrow who said, "Aye Captain. You heard her men, UNFURL those sails!!". Clarice eyed Silver's crew.
Birdbrain Mary screeched, "WHAT!?"
Oxy looked questionably at the captain, "But we just finished..." and Moron finished for him, "Tying them down!" Then Birdbrain Mary rolled her eyes and yelled, "Make up your bloomin' mind!". Then Mr. Arrow climbed up the rope to open the sails again. He smiled as he saw Clarice hard at work. He looked over and yelled, "Are you doing all right my dear!?" She then smiled broadly and yelled back, "Aye aye sir!" as she saluted again. She then looked down and saw Silver and Jim running across the deck. Silver glanced up at the sails then looked down; but realized that Clarice was up there, and stopped. He then heard the captain giving Jim orders, thinking that he could ignore Jim for a moment, and looked up at Clarice and yelled, "You all right lass?!" She then smiled, still focusing on opening the sails, and said, "Yes Silver!" He then yelled, "Get down here, I don't want to lose you!" And as she unfurled the last line, she got up and started climbing down the ladder, but a loud explosion was heard that vibrated the ship. Clarice closed her eyes and clutched tight, but then heard a loud scream coming from Arrow!
Clarice looked up and shrieked. Arrow had lost grip of the rail and was almost flying, with a rope wrapped around his waist. She then yelled, "Don't worry Arrow! I'm coming!" Quickly...she climbed back up, but to her amazement, Scroop, the spider like alien, was there! She thought maybe Scroop was going to help the first mate. She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes and started climbing down.
Clarice suddenly heard another scream coming from Arrow! She opened her eyes quickly to see Arrow flying farther and farther away from the ship. She shook her head in dis-belief. She didn't breathe or speak for many moments.
When Arrow's screams weren't heard anymore, she looked up at Scroop who was laughing sinister-like! She then jumped up and screamed, "YOU SON OF A WENCH!!!" And transformed her cyborg arm into a sword. Scroop faced her and stared at her for a few moments. He then laughed and quietly said,
"You think a girl like you can take on the likes of me?"
With that she replied,
"Of course not. But I know Silver can..and he will once I tell him!"
She then jumped off the pole, but Scroop swiftly grabbed her shirt with his right claw and held her up. He then took his other claw and held her by the neck. He then frowned and whispered in her ear, "We'll see about that..." and then swiftly climbed down and ran across the desk. He then looked at the life-lines and saw the loose one that held the now deceased Mr. Arrow. He grabbed it, and ran quickly down to the lower deck so fast that no one noticed!
When he arrived, he threw Clarice down. She then held her cyborg sword to his throat and screamed, "Stay back, or I WILL kill you!" But Scroop laughed again and said, "Didn't Silver ever teach you well?" He then took his claws and cut off the wires in her cyborg arm, which made her sword fall back in place like a Swiss army knife. He then took a cloth and gagged her tightly so no one can hear her scream. He then grabbed the rope that secured Mr. Arrow and tied her up with it, against a wide pole. When he was finished, she was screaming and trying to get loose. He then bent down and stared at her, saying
"With the cabin boy here, Silver won't even notice that you're gone, little orphan." And then walked back up on the deck.
As soon as he slammed the doors and locked it, she looked up at the cube holes in the ceiling and heard Dr. Doppler, a canine doctor, scream, "Captain, the last wave..here it comes!" To which Amelia screamed to the crew, "Hold on to your lifelines gents, it's going to be a bumpy ride!"
As the Supernova exploded, the ship flew fast and away from the blast! Silver held Jim against a pole so he would not be hurt, completely forgetting about Clarice, and not realizing that she was tied to a different pole trying to scream for help through her gag. Tears were forming in Clarice's eyes and running down her cheeks like two rivers. The thought that Mr. Arrow was now dead, all because of the damn Scroop, was fixated in her mind. She tried to remember the good times with him, but it made her worse. He was like another father to her and because of him, she wasn't as upset that she didn't have Silver. What made her feel worse was that Mr. Arrow was a grandfather back where he came from on the planet Anitira to two grandkids. One a girl named Susan, and the other a boy named Rupert.
"How are they going to handle that their grandfather is gone?" she thought.
She then had the image of Arrow falling down the black hole in her mind and she shut her eyes tight trying to think of something else, but then she heard Scroop hissing a bit. Very faintly she heard the captain said, "All hands accounted for, Mister Arrow?"
But the crew didn't realize that Arrow was lost in space. Then the captain said again,
"Mister Arrow?"
Clarice then saw Scroop walking towards the captain saying, "I'm afraid...Mister Arrow has been lost." He then turned around.
"His lifelines were not secure..."
Clarice bulged her eyes and tried screaming, but no one could hear her. She knew Jim was in charge of the life-lines. "But it's not his fault!" She thought to herself.
"It was NEVER his fault! It was SCROOP'S FAULT! Oh God, HELP ME PLEASE!!!"
Clarice then could hear Jim yelling saying he checked them all. There was a dead silence. Clarice then heard Amelia say kind words about her first mate.
"Mister Arrow was an..." she then coughed and continued. "...a fine spacer...finer than most of us, could ever hope to be. But he...knew the risks as do we all."
Amelia tried not to cry in front of her crew, and ended saying,
"Resume your posts; we carry on..."
Suddenly Clarice saw the door open and Scroop walking down. She looked up very teary eyed. He held something black in his hand. She then rose an eyebrow and said muffled, "What are you going to--" but before she could finish, she was knocked upside the head and fell unconscious for who knows how long.
Scroop looked down at her and said, "That oughta keep you quiet." and walked back up the deck, as if nothing had ever happened.