Woo! Finally, the action! Or, eh, semi-action. Um.
*****
Jim couldn't believe how much he'd missed solar surfing. He wasn't sure he'd even be
able to remember how, but as soon as he began rising higher and higher, he remembered. He rose
as high as he dared, and then let the rockets shut off. He began his first free-fall in at least a year
and a half. It was wonderful.
The Interstellar Academy was on a highly-populated planet; much of it was cities and
towns or settlements. The academy was in the middle of one of the largest cities on the planet.
Needless to say, it was crowded, and people were always out. Jim was hardly aware of them as
he fell.
Then he noticed them.
"Ohhh, SHIT!" Jim realized that he wasn't in the deserted canyon/quarry that he was so
used to. Jim was about fifty feet from the ground. He opened his solar sail instantly and dropped
to street level before it caught the sun. Women screamed and children laughed as he flew past
them, not much more than a blur. Jim was frantic. He would have to maneuver his way until the
end of the street, when he was sure he would be able to rise again without crashing into a
building or machinery. He leaned toward the center of the street and seemed to be doing fine,
when suddenly a large crane loading cargo dipped into his path.
"WOAH!" cried Jim as he dropped his sail again. The solar surfer dipped and the back
end clanged noisily on the cobblestone street. As soon as Jim passed the crane he opened the sail
again. The solar surfer rose up from the street. Suddenly a small ship flew directly across Jim's
line of flight. Jim turned left rapidly into an alley, and gasped in horror.
He hadn't turned into an alley as he'd thought; he had turned onto Main Street. Main
Street, Jim thought wildly as the solar surfer screamed down the narrow road, reminded him of
the spaceport Crescentia back on Montressor. There were arches spanning across, machinery of
all kinds loading and unloading cargo, merchants, arrivals, departures- which was all well and
good, but made for the most difficult flying that Jim had ever experienced. He dropped under two
arches, swerved around a boom lifting a load of crates, pulled quickly up over another arch with a
group of people walking across, and nose-dived past six stories of buildings, down seventy feet
to street-level. As the buildings and people flashed by, Jim could hear angry shouts, more
terrified screams, and, surprisingly, a few loud cheers and whoops of encouragement. He pulled
up after the last arch on the street, finally certain that he could rise without crashing into the
architecture. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that nobody (particularly himself), had been hurt.
Once clear of the city, Jim checked his watch. He realized that his hour of free time after
lunch was half-over. He quickly closed the sail of his solar surfer and rocketed back toward the
academy.
When he returned, he managed to carry his solar surfer to a spot behind the main hall
where he was fairly certain it would be left alone. He figured that it wasn't against the rules to
have it in his possession. Dr. Doppler had brought it to him, after all.
He returned inside the school and began to walk to his dormitory when a voice called
from behind him, "Ah, James!" Jim stopped, recognizing the voice of his headmaster.
The headmaster, referred to either as 'Sir' or 'Professor Bonhomme', looked to be of the
same species as Captain Amelia, though perhaps with a bit more of John Silver's stocky,
masculine build. He had wide shoulders and stood straight at all times. He had black hair and
thoughtful olive-green eyes. There was an imposing air about him. Jim stopped in the hall and
turned to face him, quickly standing at attention, afraid of what was coming. Could Bonhomme
possibly have found out about. . .? "Sir?"
"James, I need a word with you in my office, if you pleased," said Bonhomme. He
frowned at Jim's horrified expression. "What's the matter, my boy? Oh, don't worry, you've
done nothing wrong!" he added quickly. Jim let out a sigh of relief.
"Right. . . sorry, Professor. Sir. Ah yeah, of course I'll come." He followed Bonhomme
to the office in the architectural center of the school. Once they had entered, Bonhomme told Jim
to wait for just a moment. Jim then noticed Dr. Doppler sitting in the corner reading a thick, old-
looking book. He glanced up at it, noticing Jim.
"Oh, hello, Jim." He snapped the book shut and put it on the table next to him. Jim
noticed a large display of maps next to Doppler's chair. He stared at it, fascinated by the
collection of metal spheres. Most were of varying shades of bronze, somewhat like the map to
Treasure Planet. There were, however, two or three silver ones and a single golden one, slightly
larger than the others. As he looked at the maps, each one marked with a label of what it lead to,
Doppler and Bonhomme talked quietly. One label caught Jim's eye. It was the name of a place
he'd only ever seen in history books.
"Huh," he muttered to himself. "'Earth'."
"James!" called Bonhomme. "James, would you mind coming over here for a moment,
please? You've only got, ah. . ." He pulled out a pocket watch and squinted at it. "-fifteen
minutes."
Jim pulled his gaze away from the collection of maps. "Yes, sir?" He stood up straight
again.
"James, we've all noticed your tendency to. . . remain on your own," said Bonhomme
solemnly. Jim stifled an exasperated sigh. Would they never get off his case about this?
Bonhomme continued, "We're having a new student coming in, just about your age." Jim knew
where this was going. It was all too obvious. "So we were wondering, we as in the other
professors and I, if you would mine sticking around with him for a bit? Showing him what the
Interstellar Academy is all about?"
Jim went through an internal battle right there in Bonhomme's office. It would be the
right thing to do. It would be annoying. He'd be helping out. He'd be giving up his privacy. The
pros and cons were uncountable. Jim shifted his weight on his feet.
"James. . .?" asked Bonhomme, waiting for a response.
"Yeah. Yeah, okay," replied Jim sullenly. He could hardly believe he was agreeing to
play babysitter for some new socially-challenged kid. Then he stopped and sighed, realizing that
he had been that kid less than a year and a half ago.
Doppler gave Jim a thumbs-up behind Bonhomme's back. Bonhomme smiled warmly at
Jim. "Good lad, good lad. I knew we could count on you, James." He turned to Doppler. One of
our top students, you know. Very proud of him."
Doppler smiled. "So I've heard. Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you, Professor
Bonhomme, but I really must make my way back to my family. They're staying at an inn on Main
Street." Jim's eyes bulged. It was unlikely, but. . .
"I understand, Doctor. Thank you for visiting! The students enjoyed your lecture."
Jim's mind was still stuck on the fact that Amelia and the kids were staying on Main
Street. Amelia couldn't possibly have seen him. . . right?
*****
Oooh, I dunno, Jimbo. . . .
*****
Jim couldn't believe how much he'd missed solar surfing. He wasn't sure he'd even be
able to remember how, but as soon as he began rising higher and higher, he remembered. He rose
as high as he dared, and then let the rockets shut off. He began his first free-fall in at least a year
and a half. It was wonderful.
The Interstellar Academy was on a highly-populated planet; much of it was cities and
towns or settlements. The academy was in the middle of one of the largest cities on the planet.
Needless to say, it was crowded, and people were always out. Jim was hardly aware of them as
he fell.
Then he noticed them.
"Ohhh, SHIT!" Jim realized that he wasn't in the deserted canyon/quarry that he was so
used to. Jim was about fifty feet from the ground. He opened his solar sail instantly and dropped
to street level before it caught the sun. Women screamed and children laughed as he flew past
them, not much more than a blur. Jim was frantic. He would have to maneuver his way until the
end of the street, when he was sure he would be able to rise again without crashing into a
building or machinery. He leaned toward the center of the street and seemed to be doing fine,
when suddenly a large crane loading cargo dipped into his path.
"WOAH!" cried Jim as he dropped his sail again. The solar surfer dipped and the back
end clanged noisily on the cobblestone street. As soon as Jim passed the crane he opened the sail
again. The solar surfer rose up from the street. Suddenly a small ship flew directly across Jim's
line of flight. Jim turned left rapidly into an alley, and gasped in horror.
He hadn't turned into an alley as he'd thought; he had turned onto Main Street. Main
Street, Jim thought wildly as the solar surfer screamed down the narrow road, reminded him of
the spaceport Crescentia back on Montressor. There were arches spanning across, machinery of
all kinds loading and unloading cargo, merchants, arrivals, departures- which was all well and
good, but made for the most difficult flying that Jim had ever experienced. He dropped under two
arches, swerved around a boom lifting a load of crates, pulled quickly up over another arch with a
group of people walking across, and nose-dived past six stories of buildings, down seventy feet
to street-level. As the buildings and people flashed by, Jim could hear angry shouts, more
terrified screams, and, surprisingly, a few loud cheers and whoops of encouragement. He pulled
up after the last arch on the street, finally certain that he could rise without crashing into the
architecture. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that nobody (particularly himself), had been hurt.
Once clear of the city, Jim checked his watch. He realized that his hour of free time after
lunch was half-over. He quickly closed the sail of his solar surfer and rocketed back toward the
academy.
When he returned, he managed to carry his solar surfer to a spot behind the main hall
where he was fairly certain it would be left alone. He figured that it wasn't against the rules to
have it in his possession. Dr. Doppler had brought it to him, after all.
He returned inside the school and began to walk to his dormitory when a voice called
from behind him, "Ah, James!" Jim stopped, recognizing the voice of his headmaster.
The headmaster, referred to either as 'Sir' or 'Professor Bonhomme', looked to be of the
same species as Captain Amelia, though perhaps with a bit more of John Silver's stocky,
masculine build. He had wide shoulders and stood straight at all times. He had black hair and
thoughtful olive-green eyes. There was an imposing air about him. Jim stopped in the hall and
turned to face him, quickly standing at attention, afraid of what was coming. Could Bonhomme
possibly have found out about. . .? "Sir?"
"James, I need a word with you in my office, if you pleased," said Bonhomme. He
frowned at Jim's horrified expression. "What's the matter, my boy? Oh, don't worry, you've
done nothing wrong!" he added quickly. Jim let out a sigh of relief.
"Right. . . sorry, Professor. Sir. Ah yeah, of course I'll come." He followed Bonhomme
to the office in the architectural center of the school. Once they had entered, Bonhomme told Jim
to wait for just a moment. Jim then noticed Dr. Doppler sitting in the corner reading a thick, old-
looking book. He glanced up at it, noticing Jim.
"Oh, hello, Jim." He snapped the book shut and put it on the table next to him. Jim
noticed a large display of maps next to Doppler's chair. He stared at it, fascinated by the
collection of metal spheres. Most were of varying shades of bronze, somewhat like the map to
Treasure Planet. There were, however, two or three silver ones and a single golden one, slightly
larger than the others. As he looked at the maps, each one marked with a label of what it lead to,
Doppler and Bonhomme talked quietly. One label caught Jim's eye. It was the name of a place
he'd only ever seen in history books.
"Huh," he muttered to himself. "'Earth'."
"James!" called Bonhomme. "James, would you mind coming over here for a moment,
please? You've only got, ah. . ." He pulled out a pocket watch and squinted at it. "-fifteen
minutes."
Jim pulled his gaze away from the collection of maps. "Yes, sir?" He stood up straight
again.
"James, we've all noticed your tendency to. . . remain on your own," said Bonhomme
solemnly. Jim stifled an exasperated sigh. Would they never get off his case about this?
Bonhomme continued, "We're having a new student coming in, just about your age." Jim knew
where this was going. It was all too obvious. "So we were wondering, we as in the other
professors and I, if you would mine sticking around with him for a bit? Showing him what the
Interstellar Academy is all about?"
Jim went through an internal battle right there in Bonhomme's office. It would be the
right thing to do. It would be annoying. He'd be helping out. He'd be giving up his privacy. The
pros and cons were uncountable. Jim shifted his weight on his feet.
"James. . .?" asked Bonhomme, waiting for a response.
"Yeah. Yeah, okay," replied Jim sullenly. He could hardly believe he was agreeing to
play babysitter for some new socially-challenged kid. Then he stopped and sighed, realizing that
he had been that kid less than a year and a half ago.
Doppler gave Jim a thumbs-up behind Bonhomme's back. Bonhomme smiled warmly at
Jim. "Good lad, good lad. I knew we could count on you, James." He turned to Doppler. One of
our top students, you know. Very proud of him."
Doppler smiled. "So I've heard. Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you, Professor
Bonhomme, but I really must make my way back to my family. They're staying at an inn on Main
Street." Jim's eyes bulged. It was unlikely, but. . .
"I understand, Doctor. Thank you for visiting! The students enjoyed your lecture."
Jim's mind was still stuck on the fact that Amelia and the kids were staying on Main
Street. Amelia couldn't possibly have seen him. . . right?
*****
Oooh, I dunno, Jimbo. . . .