Session Unknown: Vacation

Part Three

Lost in Space

            "So this place, its on Venus?" Faye Valentine leaned over the console of the cockpit inside the Cowboy BeBop, attempting to read the smudged words on the travel guide. 

            "Yep," came the short reply from Jet.  He wasn't exactly too thrilled about the trip.  Sure they had the woolong to spare from their last big bounty grab, but he still didn't see the need for a vacation.  He was perfectly content tending to his bonsai trees and relaxing on board the ship.  Who needed this get away?

            The expectant stare from Faye reminded him.  If he hadn't have given in the woman would have complained and dramatized about it until someone threatened to kick her off the ship. Not that it would have done any good.  Jet didn't know how many times Faye had said she'd leave, or had actually taken off, but she always ended up coming back.  Kicking her off wouldn't have done a damn thing.

            Then there was Ed.  It was Ed's idea that they go on this vacation, and eccentric as she may be, somehow the kid was hardly ever wrong about anything.  A whiz on the computers and one of the crew's prime source of information when it came to bounty heads, they had all learned to somewhat respect the odd girl's intentions and opinions.  Not that her opinions were ever simply put or understood off the bat.

            And of course there was the fact that Spike wanted the vacation as well.  The lanky dark green haired shipmate hardly ever complained or asked for time off because he did enough sleeping and lounging about on board to ever think of taking one.  So Jet took it as the man for some reason really felt like he needed to get away from the BeBop for a while without taking the Swordfish II out by himself. 

            All those reasons and the simpler fact that Jet was outnumbered were cause to follow the crew's wishes.  Otherwise the man would find it rather lonely on the ship because Spike, Faye, Ed, and Ein (the Welsh corgi data dog) would all be halfway to Venus by now.

            "Hello, Earth to Jet! Are you even listening to me?"

            Faye's voice cut in on the muscular man's thoughts, her hands set on her hips, red jacket hanging off of her forearms in a pose she took on so frequently. Most of the time it happened when she was prepared to go into one of her tantrums, which was something Jet really wanted to avoid at the moment. Just locking the correct coordinates for this trip was headache enough.

            "Sorry.  It's on Venus, right, but I still haven't gotten the right coordinates.  Now if you don't mind I'd like to get us to the right place.  This is all for your sake Faye so I suggest being a little patient unless you want to end up on Pluto."

            The purple haired woman snorted, crossing her arms. "It wasn't even my idea, it was the kid's, so don't act like this is only for me."

            "Click, click, search a-a-a-a-a-and, Ed found it!" Ed's lithe noodle form wobbled its way into the cockpit, her laptop computer balanced on her head with precarious skill.

            Behind her a sharp bark sounded, signaling the presence of Ein, who wagged his stubby tail, brown eyes focused on Jet and Faye.

            "Faye-Faye, we did it! Coordinates found, click meeee!" The girl twirled, the laptop rocking back and forth on top of her mass of red-orange hair before she took it down and plopped on the floor with it on her lap.

            Faye's green eyes widened and she pushed Jet's shoulder. "Well what are you waiting for, you heard the girl, she found it! Put it in!"

            The muscular man rubbed his shoulder, "Ouch, Faye…cool it, I'm goin'." He craned his neck then realizing he couldn't see the computer screen, he turned to the console and asked Ed to relay it to him instead.

            Somehow he managed to put it in correctly, even with the bizarre way the girl spoke, and then set it on autopilot for the time being.

            "The course is set, who's up for dinner?" He stood from the console, stepping over Ein and edged pass Faye.

            "Does it involve something with protein in it…like meat, maybe?" Spike's voice sounded from the couch as he sat up from his most recent cat nap. Mention of food always interested him, especially when it consisted of more than just instant noodles in a Styrofoam container.

            Raising an eyebrow and following suit of Faye, Jet crossed his arms and grunted. "Halibut- I managed to snag some on our last visit to Earth. It's in the freezer…oh yeah, and some shitake mushrooms too. We still have loads of them."

            Spike seemed pleased with the mention of Halibut- it'd been a long time since he'd had it, but the mushrooms were something he could do without.

            "Double my serving of the fish and call it square- I can't take anymore fungus, it's eating my insides out."

            Jet 'hmph'ed' and walked to the kitchen as Faye draped herself on the second couch, tilting her head back over the couch. The only thing on her mind right now was fine service, expansive crystal waters, a bright sun and good luck at the casinos on Venus. She closed her green eyes and let a faint smile cross her red lips, sighing at the thought.

            "Who's steering?" Spike asked before the woman got much of a chance to drift off to sleep.

            Ed cart-wheeled past with Ein at her feet. "The invisible man, ooooooh, spooky!"

            Taking Ed's peculiar response to mean the BeBop was on auto-pilot, Spike returned the headphones to his ears and lay back on the couch and sardonically replied.

            "Gee…I hope we don't get lost."