Chapter 17: "The Last Light"
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"Are they ready to go?" Milly asked as the ramp rose up on the Bebop. Vash had finally joined them outside after nearly twenty minutes.
"You two need to leave town," Vash replied as though he'd never heard Milly's question.
"Leave? Why?" Meryl demanded.
He looked down on her. "It's not going to be safe here for any human being when this happens," he evenly replied. "I'll meet you outside of town ... when it's over." His eyes left her and settled on the running generator not far away from them.
"Not safe?" Meryl repeated as Vash headed for the generator. "Then why are you staying? What are you going to do? Vash!" She was yelling now but he only ignored her.
Milly placed a hand on Meryl's shoulder. "We should do what he wants, ma'am."
Meryl shrugged her hand off. "I'm not leaving without him. Vash!" He faded further into the distance. "Why does he do stuff like this?"
"Because he's trying to help someone." Milly smiled as Meryl looked up to her. "Let's go. So he can help them."
Against her better judgment, Meryl left the ghost town of New Haven's Point with Milly. As they did, the engines of the Bebop roared to life once more. Both women stood riveted in place as they watched the spaceship lift from the ground, turn and begin its ascent to the stars. Each woman's face reflected the wonder and amazement they felt as they witnessed something very few on the planet had - an actual ship, flying away ... headed for something more than what Gunsmoke could offer.
"I hope they make it home, Milly," Meryl whispered as the ship became nothing more than a moving point of light in the sky.
"Mr. Vash will make sure they do. Trust him."
Meryl turned to Milly. "I do." She did more than place her own trust in Vash. A lot more.
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The Bebop broke free of Gunsmoke's atmosphere and gravitational pull. Once he was roughly in the position Vash had given him, Jet placed the ship into an orbit of the planet. He sat back in his chair and stared at the black of space before him. From this perspective, there were no colorful lights, only whatever mysterious forces that caused them, hiding from the view of any man's naked eye.
Spike leaned against Jet's chair. "This fool better - "
"Spike," Jet calmly interrupted. He shifted his attention to the younger man. "Give him a chance."
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Inside the main generator, Vash approached the bulb containing the plant who had agreed to sacrifice herself to help the crew of the Bebop. The being inside was a far cry from the one he'd found two days ago. This was a healthy creature, glowing brightly with a radiance equaled by none other.
He smiled a little as he placed his hands on the outer shell of the bulb, mirroring hers. He sensed her joy in seeing him again. He'd done the best job possible in repairing the generator, making the necessary alterations to the bulb so it would serve his purpose.
Are you sure you want to do this? he thought as he gazed deeply into her eyes.
With a firm nod, she 'replied', Show me this ... freedom.
His smile came easier now. Close your eyes. You won't feel a thing. I promise.
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"Ma'am?" Milly grabbed Meryl's shoulder, directing the small woman's attention back to the town of New Haven's Point. "The generator Mr. Vash went to ... look!"
Meryl's eyes widened as she stared at the town in the valley below them. The main generator glowed so brightly it illuminated almost half of the surrounding territory. The amount of energy it would take to produce that level of light, it had to push the plant to its limits. Despite knowing the dangers involved, she couldn't help but be amazed by how beautiful it was.
"If it keeps going, that generator will explode." Milly's hands balled into fists as she drew her arms close to her chest. Her eyes were wide, too, with fear and anxiety. "Oh no. Ma'am, what if Mr. Vash is still down there?"
Meryl took a step forward but Milly stopped her. "Let me go! I need to make sure he's all right!" Her eyes narrowed at Milly when the tall woman only shook her head. "Milly, let go!"
"We told him we would stay out of town, no matter what."
"I don't care!" she snapped as she fought Milly's grasp.
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Inside the generator, the amount of heat and energy being produced cause numerous gaskets and gauges to explode as they exceeded their tolerance levels. The glow of the plant itself was blinding, the pain she felt from the stress and strain was minimal, though. Vash took it onto himself. His eyes were squeezed shut, his concentration on controlling the agonizing pain he absorbed from his sister as well as guide her to the breaking point.
Beneath his fingers, the glass of the bulb started to give in to the stress. Large cracks spider-webbed their way all over it. Soon, it would lose containment. If that happened before Vash was able to do what he had to, this would be a disaster. Half of the valley would vanish, along with anyone who was unfortunate enough to be nearby.
A flash of Meryl's face passed through his mind. He couldn't let her be harmed, not because of something he'd done. No. I won't, Rem. I can't let her pay for my mistakes. Help ... me ... please ... Rem ...
The woman's song filled his head, the sound of her voice bringing much needed calm and strength to his resolve. I'm with you, Vash ... always ...
Suddenly, his eyes flew open, a brilliant white hot glow in them as he stared into the red ones of his sister. The face, almost obscured by the intense energy she'd created so far, bore him one final smile.
I now know this ... freedom ... brother, she thought.
In the next instant, her form exploded into one last surge of energy. This was what he needed, what the Bebop's crew needed, in order to open that portal. His eyes, still glowing, traveled up to the top of the bulb. As that burst of energy destroyed the last of the gauges monitoring the plant's output, his adjustment to the container itself kicked in. The narrow opening at the top popped free, sending a concentrated beam of glittering white, pure lifeforce straight into space. To those lights.
Good-bye, sister ... he thought as he watched the bolt of light penetrate the atmosphere of Gunsmoke. Thank you ...
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Meryl gasped as the generator's top exploded, launching a beam of energy into the sky. She tipped her head back, her eyes full of wonder instead of fear as she followed it into the heavens. "Vash ... what did you do?" she whispered. Her hands went to her mouth, another gasp followed as she witnessed something truly spectacular.
Once the beam made contact with the space outside of Gunsmoke's atmosphere, another explosion of sorts occurred. Much like it had in the hyperspace tunnel back in the Bebop's own time period, a swirling disc erupted out of the glimmering lights. The lights in the sky withdrew in on themselves after the portal's creation, as though whatever caused them was instantly eradicated.
"My ... God," she breathed as she shook her head from side to side, unable to take her eyes off of it. "My ... God . What did you do?"
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On the bridge of the Bebop, the sudden appearance of Vash's energy beam took the four members of the crew assembled there by surprise. On a subspace level, the beam interacted with something. Within a few seconds, all off them were forced to shield their eyes as the space in front of them flashed with an intense light.
As Jet brought his arm down, he couldn't believe what he saw before him - a portal, almost identical to the one that had brought them to this place over a month ago. How did he -?
"Jet! Vashy made us a swirly!" Ed jumped up and down in front of him, pointing out of the forward window.
Jet only nodded, his hands frozen on the ship's controls.
"How did ... "Faye stared at the portal then she looked over to Spike standing beside her. He was also stunned speechless by this achievement. "Will it take us home? Or pull us further into space? Or the future ... " she wondered, her gaze shifting back to it.
Spike shook his head. "Don't know," he replied, finally finding his voice. "Only one way to find out." Leaning over Jet, who remained enthralled by the portal, Spike slammed an open palm on the button which threw the Bebop's engines into a full forward thrust.
The sudden jerk of the ship snapped Jet out of his daze. "Goddamnit!" His attention went back to flying the ship. He would deal with Spike later. If they even lived through this ...
A mix of emotions - fear, hope, anxiety, sadness - poured over Faye as the ship headed towards the shimmering portal. Without realizing it, one of her hands found its way to one of Spike's. She held onto it and didn't intend to ever let go. No matter what lay on the other side.
The Bebop was swallowed into the portal. As it had before, as soon as the ship passed through, it exploded grandly out of existence.
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Down on Gunsmoke, lying on his back, staring at the glimmering spot in the sky, Vash, mentally and physically exhausted, managed a small smile. A moment later, the portal dissipated and left nothing but the black night sky behind, even the colors had vanished with it.
"See ... you ... space cowboys," he weakly whispered. With that, he lost consciousness, falling into a deep sleep, filled with dreams of the one who'd brought him this far in life. The one who gave him the determination to do what he'd done that evening.
Rem ...
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More To Come ...
Song Title Used: "The Last Light" by Rachel's