Chapter three
A week later, I sat at the table with my ankle propped up on a foot stool. I was so bored, even my muscles were bored!
Mel bustled about, trying to get supper ready.
"Mel, can I help you with something?"
"No, that's all right, Jim. I'm almost done, anyway."
I grabbed my crutches and slipped out of my chair.
Mel stepped in front of me and teased in her best mom voice. "And where are you going, young man?"
I laughed and said "I just want to see if Gene needs me to do something for him, like, retrieve small parts for him, or something."
Mel stepped aside and went back to her work. "Be my guest."
* * *
Gene was working on his car. "Drat, why didn't I grab that spark plug?"
I looked to my right and gladly grabbed the part.
"Here you are!" I cheerfully handed it to him.
"Thanks." Then he bumped his head on the hood when he realized who it was. "Jim? Aren't you supposed to be inside resting?!"
"Aw, Gene! Can't a guy help out every once in a while, even if he has a broken joint?"
Gene shrugged. "I guess...did Mel need any help?"
It was my turn to shrug. "No, she said she was almost done."
"Okay, I guess you can help. I need that wrench over there."
I happily retrieved the tool and handed it to him.
"Oh, hey, Jim."
"Yeah, aniki?"
".Let's go back and see if Mel is ready."
We were walking back when he 'fessed up. "About the treasure."
"What about?"
"There's no such thing."
My jaw dropped open. "But what about the rumors I heard?"
Gene looked at me. "Did one of the guys have a beard and the other had a tattoo?"
"Yeah."
"I kinda paid those guys to talk like that in front of your car while you were working on it."
I clapped my hands and before I could tell him "I knew it!! You WERE planning something!" The door opened and there was a shout of "Surprise!!"
I froze in my tracks. "Uh, Gene.what's this about?"
Gene grinned from ear to ear. "We got a job, Jim. A good one."
I cleaned out my ears. "Wha??"
"Some rich guy offered to pay us a lot if we could find his long-lost daughter."
"Where?"
"Somewhere in this system."
My face lit up like a Christmas tree. "That means we're only a short ride away from home."
Gene frowned and said, "In the far reaches of this system, that is."
My jaw dropped. "Now, that's more than several days' travel!"
"And this guy says his daughter could be anywhere!"
I sat down to the wonderful dinner that Mel put before us and rested my head on my hands. "Man."
Gene sat next to me and said. "But he did say he would pay us a lot, even if his daughter's dead, he wants to find out what became of her. Either way, we're gonna get a big boost in our reputation, and our whong supply!"
"Gene, what're we gonna do when it comes time for my cast to come off? I'm gonna need physical therapy, y'know!"
"Yeah, I know. I contacted the old man last week and told him what had happened. He said he knew a great doc in the place where he thinks his daughter is hiding, and he offered to pay for everything!"
I just sighed. For some reason, I had a bad feeling about it.
* * *
The next day, we all valiantly entered our ship, the Outlaw Star. You see, this was the XGP, the ship that my father helped to build.
Gilliam, our ship's computer, scooted to Gene. "Gene, the ship scan is complete. Ready for liftoff anytime."
"Great. Thanks, Gilliam! We'll launch as soon as possible."
"You're welcome, Gene." He scooted off.
Right behind me, Aisha was acting like she had to pee her pants. I turned to face her. "What's up, Aisha? Why are you acting like that?"
"Right now, I'm so excited that I can hardly contain it! Once again, I get to show the universe just how strong we Ctarl-Ctarl are!" She threw back her head and laughed her usual maniacal laughter. Suzuka was right next to her and told her to calm down. "I'm going to make sure you never drink coffee again!"
"Try me, Suzu!" Suzuka really hates it when Aisha calls her "Suzu".
I readjusted my crutches and we moved forward.
* * *
Once we were in the cockpit, Gene made sure the seat was properly positioned for me to prop up my injured ankle. Melfina, however, was in a tank because she's our ship's main computer besides Gilliam. Once we were positioned, Mel started the countdown.
"Hey Jim, you sure you're all right?" Gene asked.
"Yeah, aniki," I replied "You sure did a great job with this attachment!"
"10.9.8.7.6."
The boosters started up. It was such a violent tremor that I winced.
I turned and saw that Gene looked concerned. He obviously saw me wince. "5.4.3.2." "No turning back now, aniki."
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Jim."
"1.0!"
The ship took off. It was much worse when we penetrated the atmosphere. My ankle hurt so much that I actually cried out in pain. When we cleared the atmosphere, Gene said, "Hey Jim, why don't you go rest in the crew's quarters for a bit?"
"You sure, aniki?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. It sure was no party, riding through the atmosphere."
I slowly got up. "If you insist.thanks, aniki!"
I went to the crew's quarters and prepared myself for a nice, LONG nap!
A week later, I sat at the table with my ankle propped up on a foot stool. I was so bored, even my muscles were bored!
Mel bustled about, trying to get supper ready.
"Mel, can I help you with something?"
"No, that's all right, Jim. I'm almost done, anyway."
I grabbed my crutches and slipped out of my chair.
Mel stepped in front of me and teased in her best mom voice. "And where are you going, young man?"
I laughed and said "I just want to see if Gene needs me to do something for him, like, retrieve small parts for him, or something."
Mel stepped aside and went back to her work. "Be my guest."
* * *
Gene was working on his car. "Drat, why didn't I grab that spark plug?"
I looked to my right and gladly grabbed the part.
"Here you are!" I cheerfully handed it to him.
"Thanks." Then he bumped his head on the hood when he realized who it was. "Jim? Aren't you supposed to be inside resting?!"
"Aw, Gene! Can't a guy help out every once in a while, even if he has a broken joint?"
Gene shrugged. "I guess...did Mel need any help?"
It was my turn to shrug. "No, she said she was almost done."
"Okay, I guess you can help. I need that wrench over there."
I happily retrieved the tool and handed it to him.
"Oh, hey, Jim."
"Yeah, aniki?"
".Let's go back and see if Mel is ready."
We were walking back when he 'fessed up. "About the treasure."
"What about?"
"There's no such thing."
My jaw dropped open. "But what about the rumors I heard?"
Gene looked at me. "Did one of the guys have a beard and the other had a tattoo?"
"Yeah."
"I kinda paid those guys to talk like that in front of your car while you were working on it."
I clapped my hands and before I could tell him "I knew it!! You WERE planning something!" The door opened and there was a shout of "Surprise!!"
I froze in my tracks. "Uh, Gene.what's this about?"
Gene grinned from ear to ear. "We got a job, Jim. A good one."
I cleaned out my ears. "Wha??"
"Some rich guy offered to pay us a lot if we could find his long-lost daughter."
"Where?"
"Somewhere in this system."
My face lit up like a Christmas tree. "That means we're only a short ride away from home."
Gene frowned and said, "In the far reaches of this system, that is."
My jaw dropped. "Now, that's more than several days' travel!"
"And this guy says his daughter could be anywhere!"
I sat down to the wonderful dinner that Mel put before us and rested my head on my hands. "Man."
Gene sat next to me and said. "But he did say he would pay us a lot, even if his daughter's dead, he wants to find out what became of her. Either way, we're gonna get a big boost in our reputation, and our whong supply!"
"Gene, what're we gonna do when it comes time for my cast to come off? I'm gonna need physical therapy, y'know!"
"Yeah, I know. I contacted the old man last week and told him what had happened. He said he knew a great doc in the place where he thinks his daughter is hiding, and he offered to pay for everything!"
I just sighed. For some reason, I had a bad feeling about it.
* * *
The next day, we all valiantly entered our ship, the Outlaw Star. You see, this was the XGP, the ship that my father helped to build.
Gilliam, our ship's computer, scooted to Gene. "Gene, the ship scan is complete. Ready for liftoff anytime."
"Great. Thanks, Gilliam! We'll launch as soon as possible."
"You're welcome, Gene." He scooted off.
Right behind me, Aisha was acting like she had to pee her pants. I turned to face her. "What's up, Aisha? Why are you acting like that?"
"Right now, I'm so excited that I can hardly contain it! Once again, I get to show the universe just how strong we Ctarl-Ctarl are!" She threw back her head and laughed her usual maniacal laughter. Suzuka was right next to her and told her to calm down. "I'm going to make sure you never drink coffee again!"
"Try me, Suzu!" Suzuka really hates it when Aisha calls her "Suzu".
I readjusted my crutches and we moved forward.
* * *
Once we were in the cockpit, Gene made sure the seat was properly positioned for me to prop up my injured ankle. Melfina, however, was in a tank because she's our ship's main computer besides Gilliam. Once we were positioned, Mel started the countdown.
"Hey Jim, you sure you're all right?" Gene asked.
"Yeah, aniki," I replied "You sure did a great job with this attachment!"
"10.9.8.7.6."
The boosters started up. It was such a violent tremor that I winced.
I turned and saw that Gene looked concerned. He obviously saw me wince. "5.4.3.2." "No turning back now, aniki."
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Jim."
"1.0!"
The ship took off. It was much worse when we penetrated the atmosphere. My ankle hurt so much that I actually cried out in pain. When we cleared the atmosphere, Gene said, "Hey Jim, why don't you go rest in the crew's quarters for a bit?"
"You sure, aniki?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. It sure was no party, riding through the atmosphere."
I slowly got up. "If you insist.thanks, aniki!"
I went to the crew's quarters and prepared myself for a nice, LONG nap!