Chapter 5
Spike heard running feet nearing him. He squinted against the glare of the sun to identify the person who was now bending over him. It was that deranged priest.
"Well, now. What happened here?" the priest asked.
Spike tried to get up, but was stopped by an unconscious Vash who was sprawled on top of him.
"Get this idiot off me." Spike growled. Nicholas helped roll Vash off. Both Spike and the priest noticed that the red leather coat was smoking slightly.
"What the hell did you do to him?" Nicholas asked, making sure the charred Vash was still alive.
"Nothing." Spike said, producing the electro-stunner. "Just a stunner. It shouldn't have done all that to him."
"Electric?" Nicholas asked, startled.
"Um, yeah." Spike said, confused.
Nicholas pointed to Vash's left arm, the one Spike had stunned. "No wonder you crisped the poor guy. He's got a metal arm."
"What?!"
"Yeah. The electricity that's usually dulled by flesh was fully transferred by the metal in his arm. He's also got little metal bits all over his body from old wounds, then the buckles on his clothing, right down to his earring and sunglasses." Nicholas peered at Spike over the rims of his glasses. "You really gave it to 'im."
"Hey, now," Spike said defensively, "I gave the guy a chance to give up."
"Would YOU have given up?" the priest asked pointedly.
Spike just grumbled.
"So what are you going to do with him?" Nicholas asked, sitting beside Spike.
"You know, for someone who claims to be this guy's friend, you don't seem too concerned that he's lying unconscious face down in the dust, smoking." Spike said irritably.
"Eh," the priest shrugged, "he'll live. He always does."
He offered a cigarette and Spike accepted it grudgingly.
"Anyway, my backup should be showing up any time now." Spike mumbled.
"Backup?"
"Yeah." Spike said, just as he caught the sound of engines approaching from above. "Late as always."
The speck in the sky grew swiftly into the Beebop. It lowered onto the ground, sending up waves of dust. The engines cut off.
"Sweet mother of God." Nicholas whispered, the cigarette falling from his lips.
"Hey, now," Spike laughed, "what kind of language is that for a priest to use?"
The Beebop's hatch opened and Jet ran out, gun drawn. He stopped when he saw Spike and Nicholas sitting on the ground beside the unconscious Vash.
"Hey, Spike, that the guy?" Jet asked, putting away his gun and walking over.
"Yeah, fried and bagged - no thanks to you." Spike said pointedly letting out a puff of smoke.
Jet just ignored him, opting instead to check out Vash.
"So just how much is he worth?" Jet asked.
"Oh, just a measly 60 billion." Spike said off-handedly.
"Uh huh. I thought you said he -" Jet stopped cold. "how much?"
"You heard me."
"No," Jet said, eyes wide, "No, I don't think I did."
Spike puffed, "You did."
"No," Jet walked over and put his hands on Spike's shoulders. "See, I coulda sworn you just said 60 BILLION."
Spike just nodded. Jet just stared.
"Um, excuse me."
Spike and Jet looked over to Nicholas, who was still gaping at the Beebop.
"You neglected to tell me, Mr. Spiegel, that you have a working space ship."
"MY ship ISN'T working." Spike said angrily. "That's how I ended up on this stupid planet in the first place."
Nicholas turned to him, astounded. "You mean you aren't even from this PLANET?!"
Spike and Jet just looked at each other.
"I can't believe you have working models of the old technology! That's amazing!" Nicholas ran over to touch the ship's hull.
"Hey, now wait a minute!" Jet shouted, "She's not THAT old!"
"So, you two are from space?" Nicholas asked.
"Um, along with the rest of the human race." Spike said. "Are you saying you people have no ships?"
"All we have is lost technology from when we crashed here some 130 years ago. None of it works now except the plants."
"Jet," Spike whispered, leaning in, "do you have any idea what he's talking about?"
"Not a clue." Jet shrugged. "Anyway, Spike, we should get that bounty secured in the ship before he wakes up."
Spike and Jet each slung one of Vash's arms over their shoulders and started dragging him to the Beebop.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Nicholas shouted, following them. "You're gonna take Vash into space?"
"Sorry, priest, but that's the only legit way for us to get our bounty." Jet said over his shoulder.
"Well, in that case, count me in!" Nicholas said, grabbing his huge cross punisher.
"You mean you want to come?" Spike asked.
"Into space? Why not!" Nicholas laughed. "Besides, I gotta help the needle-noggin bust outta jail after you guys have gotten your money."
Spike and Jet shrugged at each other.
"Whatever." Spike said. "As long as we get our 60 billion, you can do whatever the hell you want. Just keep him far away from me."
They walked up the ramp and the Beebop's hatch closed behind them.
Spike heard running feet nearing him. He squinted against the glare of the sun to identify the person who was now bending over him. It was that deranged priest.
"Well, now. What happened here?" the priest asked.
Spike tried to get up, but was stopped by an unconscious Vash who was sprawled on top of him.
"Get this idiot off me." Spike growled. Nicholas helped roll Vash off. Both Spike and the priest noticed that the red leather coat was smoking slightly.
"What the hell did you do to him?" Nicholas asked, making sure the charred Vash was still alive.
"Nothing." Spike said, producing the electro-stunner. "Just a stunner. It shouldn't have done all that to him."
"Electric?" Nicholas asked, startled.
"Um, yeah." Spike said, confused.
Nicholas pointed to Vash's left arm, the one Spike had stunned. "No wonder you crisped the poor guy. He's got a metal arm."
"What?!"
"Yeah. The electricity that's usually dulled by flesh was fully transferred by the metal in his arm. He's also got little metal bits all over his body from old wounds, then the buckles on his clothing, right down to his earring and sunglasses." Nicholas peered at Spike over the rims of his glasses. "You really gave it to 'im."
"Hey, now," Spike said defensively, "I gave the guy a chance to give up."
"Would YOU have given up?" the priest asked pointedly.
Spike just grumbled.
"So what are you going to do with him?" Nicholas asked, sitting beside Spike.
"You know, for someone who claims to be this guy's friend, you don't seem too concerned that he's lying unconscious face down in the dust, smoking." Spike said irritably.
"Eh," the priest shrugged, "he'll live. He always does."
He offered a cigarette and Spike accepted it grudgingly.
"Anyway, my backup should be showing up any time now." Spike mumbled.
"Backup?"
"Yeah." Spike said, just as he caught the sound of engines approaching from above. "Late as always."
The speck in the sky grew swiftly into the Beebop. It lowered onto the ground, sending up waves of dust. The engines cut off.
"Sweet mother of God." Nicholas whispered, the cigarette falling from his lips.
"Hey, now," Spike laughed, "what kind of language is that for a priest to use?"
The Beebop's hatch opened and Jet ran out, gun drawn. He stopped when he saw Spike and Nicholas sitting on the ground beside the unconscious Vash.
"Hey, Spike, that the guy?" Jet asked, putting away his gun and walking over.
"Yeah, fried and bagged - no thanks to you." Spike said pointedly letting out a puff of smoke.
Jet just ignored him, opting instead to check out Vash.
"So just how much is he worth?" Jet asked.
"Oh, just a measly 60 billion." Spike said off-handedly.
"Uh huh. I thought you said he -" Jet stopped cold. "how much?"
"You heard me."
"No," Jet said, eyes wide, "No, I don't think I did."
Spike puffed, "You did."
"No," Jet walked over and put his hands on Spike's shoulders. "See, I coulda sworn you just said 60 BILLION."
Spike just nodded. Jet just stared.
"Um, excuse me."
Spike and Jet looked over to Nicholas, who was still gaping at the Beebop.
"You neglected to tell me, Mr. Spiegel, that you have a working space ship."
"MY ship ISN'T working." Spike said angrily. "That's how I ended up on this stupid planet in the first place."
Nicholas turned to him, astounded. "You mean you aren't even from this PLANET?!"
Spike and Jet just looked at each other.
"I can't believe you have working models of the old technology! That's amazing!" Nicholas ran over to touch the ship's hull.
"Hey, now wait a minute!" Jet shouted, "She's not THAT old!"
"So, you two are from space?" Nicholas asked.
"Um, along with the rest of the human race." Spike said. "Are you saying you people have no ships?"
"All we have is lost technology from when we crashed here some 130 years ago. None of it works now except the plants."
"Jet," Spike whispered, leaning in, "do you have any idea what he's talking about?"
"Not a clue." Jet shrugged. "Anyway, Spike, we should get that bounty secured in the ship before he wakes up."
Spike and Jet each slung one of Vash's arms over their shoulders and started dragging him to the Beebop.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Nicholas shouted, following them. "You're gonna take Vash into space?"
"Sorry, priest, but that's the only legit way for us to get our bounty." Jet said over his shoulder.
"Well, in that case, count me in!" Nicholas said, grabbing his huge cross punisher.
"You mean you want to come?" Spike asked.
"Into space? Why not!" Nicholas laughed. "Besides, I gotta help the needle-noggin bust outta jail after you guys have gotten your money."
Spike and Jet shrugged at each other.
"Whatever." Spike said. "As long as we get our 60 billion, you can do whatever the hell you want. Just keep him far away from me."
They walked up the ramp and the Beebop's hatch closed behind them.